Category: Random Ramblings

There are so many articles and thoughts and memes and posts to read write now. Especially since we’ve all been given the gift of time; extracurricular activities are cancelled, schools are closed, sports are suspended, restaurants and such are take-out only, and we are to practice “social distancing.” Which alternatively means, now we can watch all those shows we’ve been trying to binge on Netflix for weeks (like YOU in my case) or we are taking walks (almost everyday!) or we simply scroll social media for the latest COVID-19 update and case numbers (20x a day).

So as I sit here, I wonder. What is it that people would want to read write now.

Do you want to hear words of encouragement. Do you want something to distract you, like a post about music or make-up. Do you want a book review (well, tough luck on this page because I haven’t read any to review lately LOL). Do you want to hear more truths on the matter of what we’re facing.

With all that in mind, I simply decided to note my quarantine life thus far. Maybe that’s interesting. Maybe not! Oh well.

Day 1- Monday March 16, which was supposed to be a travel day for me and prep for an important German visitor, turned into working from home, doing conference calls about our preparations and proactive planning for Coronavirus impacts to our business, eating ALL day, a walk at the park, and cooking Turkey Bolognese with carrots and celery (and other ingredients of course). Combined with watching “Contagion”. While that may seem a little twisted watching such a movie given what we are facing with COVID-19, it was so good. Very enlightening about how quickly germs spread! A Must see!!

Day 2- Tuesday. Working from home. More conference calls. More emails. No walk because it was pouring rain. Cooking Turkey stroganoff. And watching “Uncut Gems” .

Day 3- Wednesday. Working from home. BUT…today I got actual work done instead of just meetings (yay!). Today, I ventured into the outside world…the dump and picked up my prescription a. Then a short walk. Cooked pasta + Turkey meatballs (you see a theme here…) and watched “Outbreak”. Another movie about a deadly virus that spreads quickly. Another must see, if I say so myself.

Day 4-Thursday. Working from home, but on my awesome porch. It was such a nice day! Perfect for outdoor working. A nice walk in the park. Leftovers!! No cooking. Thank the Lord, I was getting exhausted (haha-if you don’t know, I don’t really like to cook). Then watched ESPNs 30 for 30, “Fantastic Lies” about the Duke lacrosse case from 2006. Very good!

Day 5- Friday. Worked from home until after 5! I know it’s Friday! But anyway. Picked up groceries and a swing set I had ordered for my kids. Cooked Turkey Tacos (delicious btw). Watched, what I’ve been told are two classics: King Pin and Hot Tub Time Machine.

Day 6-Saturday. Slept until 11:30am. It. Was. Glorious. And the rest of the day includes getting gas, a walk, and hanging out with one of my dear friends at my home (staying 6’ away from each other) binge watching Netflix.

Day 7-Cleaning. Laundry. Meal planning for the week (this is my first time doing this, so fingers crossed-hahaha). Spending the evening bathing and hanging out with my sweet babies.

So yes. A week with very limited exposure to the outside. Lots of patience in learning how to work from home, daily. More cooking in one week then I have done my whole life. And LOTS of movies and documentaries, including a couple I didn’t mention…no idea when they fit into the week, but somehow they did: ESPN 30 for 30 Micheal Vick’s documentary—which I do recommend. Horrible Bosses movie. Parks and Recreation episodes. 12 Monkeys movie.

As we enter week 2, Stay safe and healthy. And enjoy outdoors and family time.

Have you ever gone to the store looking for 1 thing? And I’m not talking about the trips to Target where you go in to look for 1 home décor item and $129.33 later, you’re leaving the store. I’m talking, 8:25pm on a Tuesday night, when all the kids have passed out finally, and you’re sitting on the couch about to binge watch the latest episode of Big Little Lies or Stranger Things (I have watched neither of these, even though one of my best girls is trying her darndest to get me to), and you get a ‘hankerin’ for ice cream! (And yes, here in the South, Hankerin’ is a word! You legit have 1 goal, and 1 goal only: get in and out in record time! You want no one seeing you, so you are definitely going to self-checkout to avoid ANY and ALL small talk, and you simply want to be back on your couch with ice cream in hand, watching mind-numbing television to escape reality. THAT’s the trip to the store I’m talking about!

This was me a few nights ago! Except, I am on the phone with one of my girlfriends (Hint—If you really want to avoid small talk on this trip to the store, being on your phone helps!) and once I find the ice cream section (no judgement – I hate Grocery shopping) this is what I’m faced with…

Creamy. Non-fat. Frozen Yogurt. Gelato. Premium. Creamier. Creamier Churn.

O.M.G.

…I didn’t realize there were so many kinds of ice cream! So many options. TOO many options.

As I’m on the phone I literally yell to my girlfriend…”is it this hard to find chocolate Friggin’ ice cream! I mean I have to read the entire box just to ensure I don’t buy a non-sugar, non-fat, non-dairy version…because tonight, tonight in my desire to escape reality, I NEED REAL, SUGARY, FATTENING ice cream. And not just any ice cream…chocolate. Not Fudgy-chocolate. Not Chocolate Ripple. Not Moose tracks. Just PLAIN CHOCOLATE.”

IS IT REALLY THIS HARD?

“yes”

What?  That’s not what you’re supposed to say!  I just want chocolate ice cream and you’re confirming it is this hard to simply buy Chocolate ice cream.

“it’s like life though, too many options”

So yeah, buying ice cream, scanning all the options, then needing to read all content on the front of the package…is just like life.

Great! (*sarcastic tone*)

 

 

 

 

 

A few years ago I read this quote and it struck me to my core. (I love finding reasons to use that phrase-haha).

At that time my kids were younger (like 2 years younger-ha) and I decided it was important to “teach” them this quote instead of just “telling” them this quote as they grew up.

So, every night during bedtime, as we close out our prayer, I say “what do we want to thank Jesus for?”

Now with a 6, 4, and 2 year old, these answers can be all over the place. And I love it–it’s my favorite part of bedtime! Somedays the answers are as simple as our house and food, other days it’s for an event that happened, or a toy.

My 6 year old struggles with this right now. Some days he’s quite moody (like his momma) and wants to tell me…”I’m not thankful for anything”…so those are the days we go back to the basics, like… “well let’s just be thankful for our clothes or our blanket.” After that, he can usually agree to find SOMETHING to be thankful for.

The baby. Well right now, he’s in a stage where he LOVES lawn mowers. So every night he is thankful for our lawn mower and his lawn mower and his new toy lawn mower. It’s a whole lawn mower thing…or as he says it: “lawn mow”

And lastly, my girl. She is genuinely thankful for something Every. Single. Night. And I love it! So today, she went shopping with her YaYa (our family name for grandma) and they bought some school supplies. At bedtime, as I’m trying to tuck her in and she’s literally climbing off the side of the bed, away from me, I ask the famous question…”Renlee, What are you thankful for?” She says…her backpack and lunch box and vacation, because then she gets to go to school.

Melt my heart.

So folks be thankful. For a backpack (or purse). Or maybe your lawn mower. Or maybe you’re just having a terrible day…and I totally get that! However, if you look around your home/life/people and something that’s there today went missing tomorrow, what would make you most upset? That is what you’re thankful for!

Me–well I’m thankful for Mountain Dew (yep. You read that right! For “Dew”…I’m on a break from coke! #whoami

Oh HI!

I’m that girl that thought it would be cool to blog and set a 2017 goal to do it every week, created a list of weekly topics (not completely filled in, but started none-the-less) and wrote her last post in March never to be heard from again…

Or at least not for the last 108 days, 22 hours, 45 minutes, and 41, 42, 43 seconds.

Yeah, so I got the hankering to write tonight. But as I sat here, 2 days into a 4 day weekend of being a single parent (my husband is working. No worries, we are still happily married), I found myself wanting to write about my woes of how I am tired of…

-all 3 kids crying at the same time. Literally. Every. Time.  It usually starts with the baby as his older sister pesters him, then she ends up tripping over something and starts crying, and finally the 5 year old decides he’s unhappy about the snack options he’s been given.  So there we are, all standing at my feet, all 4 of us crying.  Yes, 4.  Sometimes I just join in too.  You know the old adage, “If you can’t beat em, join em”….well I tried it.  It usually makes all 3 of them stop. (It’s a good tactic…try it out moms!)

-being sticky, and dirty, and washing my hands 400x per day which then dries them out, and lotion doesn’t help because as soon as I put it on, I’ve gotten sticky, Again…

-my 3 year old pooping back-to-back times in her pull-up. (*With Sincerity* Dear Lord, please help her to see that there’s nothing scary about going poop in the potty.)

Anyway, you get the picture, but I hated to have been away for so long and come back with only complaints. So instead I’ll just elaborate more on why there’s been a break.

And no, it’s not writer’s block.

Really, it’s been a swarm of things…besides the fact that life is just plain busy (for everyone), let’s start with work… my counterpart at out sister plant, left the company.  My travel schedule has been insane.  Since I last posted, I have traveled at least 1 week per month, with May actually having 2 trips, 1 of which I was in Berlin.  Then personally, we’ve been busy putting the house up for sale (we so desperately need a yard and not a hill), my step-daughter got married in June (it was a beautiful barn wedding and her now husband, that’s still weird to say, is such a nice guy!)  and then we moved them at the end of June.  And lastly, but most importantly, Spiritually, there’s been a storm swirling around me.  You see, I tend to keep my feelings bottled up until I have a complete breakdown.  Well in turn, I do the same to God.  I bottle up all my heartaches, joys, pain, and overwhelming burdens.  And lately, I’d just not let myself have any breakdown and I’d gotten to the point where I really wasn’t sharing ANYTHING with ANYONE.  That’s dangerous Folks!

What saved me?

My husband. Thankfully, he’d been praying and fasting the last few weeks and he shared with me that God spoke to him about me…

“Oh Really! Did he tell you what a wonderful wife you have, and how you should give her a nightly massage due to the stress she’s under at work? Ever so slightly moving his eyes to the right, without moving his head to actually face me, he responds…“No.”

There’s a pause.

He said “you bottle things up for too long and don’t share. And you need to share those things with God”

“That’s true.” I said very openly.  My husband was slightly shocked that I was willing to be so real in that moment of truth.

Needless to say, within a week, he could tell I was bothered and one night, he told me to go pray. I knew this was “do or die” time.  Something in me said, this is the turning point.  I laid in bed next to him, not wanting to move.  My flesh wanted to stay put.  I fought.  Not with him.  With myself.  Ever have an argument with yourself? Well, I do, and this night was one of the worst.  My flesh so desperately wanted to keep pushing God away.  I wanted.  No, I needed.  Wait. Better yet, I Deserved, to stay put in my pity party and drown my sorrows in despair.  But yet, I had enough spiritual grounding from years gone by that my spiritual self knew I needed to do what my husband advised.  I prayed for God to give me the strength to get up. Finally, I wiped tears away, leaned over into my nightstand, grabbed my bible, and told my husband I was going to pray.  This was at 10pm.  2 hours later I returned to bed, with a peace I hadn’t felt in months.

Just let it out folks. His grace is enough to handle anything we need to share and His loving-kindness rebukes my wrongs but holds me in His arms like a loving father does his disciplined toddler…

So there’s that.

Then the other point that’s kept me on a break…

I want routine.

Wait. What?

What does that have to do with this blog, you may ask. Well, you see, I have this “grand plan” to have a totally awesome morning routine that involves getting up at 4am, being able to have quiet time with God, workout, and do some writing on my blog and book, then start reality of getting ready for work.  I’ve had this plan for at least the 7 years I’ve been married and not one of those things are actually happening in the morning, not consistently anyway.  So, in the midst of a breakdown last week, sharing with my husband that I wanted “to be able to do it all,” he simply said…”you can’t.”

I started to get huffy.

He stopped me. This is not a “I’m putting you down thing”.  He explained that I really just needed to pick 1 thing to focus on for 1 year, and then add the next thing.  I started to argue with him, as normal, because I said 1 year was too long.  He stopped me again, and this time posed an interesting question..

“If you had done this 5 years ago, where would you be…”

Oh.

So, while I’m actually breaking his logic now, as writing was not the “1 thing” I picked to focus on, I know that when I have a hankering to write, I need to write. So let’s just say, we’ll see what happens next.

I do plan to circle back to my blog plan and see what I can put together for the 2^nd half of 2017…after all, being half-way through the year, what better time to evaluate where you’re at in your goals.

And…McDonald’s has $1 Cokes right now.

Why are you still reading this? Go there now!

Okay, so…I said A LOT of random things, I talked about Jesus, and I just had to throw in the point of $1 Cokes (still not sure why anyone is still reading this)…so, this post is actually a true example of this blog site.

Score. I’m Back!

Have I mentioned I have 40+ pairs of shoes, with 80% of those being heels?

No, this is not a post about all my heels and how I store them in their original box, on specially made shelves, where there’s a photo of the shoe on the outside edge of the box so I know which pair is which. But maybe I should consider that one day…

But this is one of my favorite type of posts, because it’s simply the randmness of whatever pops into my brain…

I do love wearing high heels. I think they clean up any outfit and give you a sense of confidence that is indescribable. And it’s not because I’m short!

Short. I was always known as the “short girl” growing up  but really, it was fine for me. I kinda liked the attention. Now I mask it with heels, so when I do wear flats occasionally, I knock the socks off people. Ha!

Lunch. I absolutely love to leave the office at lunch and eat out! I’d probably do it everyday if I knew it wouldn’t break the bank…or me, from the weight I’d probably gain.

Speaking of lunch, do you have those people in your life who just brighten your day when you grab lunch together? If not, find some…it’s life changing…for real though. Anyway, I ended up telling a good friend today, that I loved having lunch with her because it’s like a little bit of Jesus right in the middle of my day!

Trolls! This is my current obsession. Yes, I’m in my 30s, but this movie is bomb (pretty sure I’m too old to say that, and sound like a teenage wannabe, but oh well). I originally only watched it for the kids…okay, maybe not. But it is super cute and the music is awesome! And I may or may not know every word to every song because I downloaded the soundtrack…

Planner. I’ve already changed my method and we’re barely 2 months into 2017! I was seeking wisdom on Planner organization & was advised to use a 3-ring binder. I loathed the idea at first. I’m totally a “bound book” planner girl, but after perusing the aisles of Walmart, I decided a binder was actually cost effective (which spoke to my cheap, err economical, side) and “could” have potential… Minus the whole part that now my “binder planner” is not fully compatible with my handbag. *sad day* So, I’m not totally, 100%, sold out to the binder cause, but I’ll keep you posted on how March goes…

Girl Scout Cookies. Did the sleeves get shorter or did I just grow up?  I swear there are less cookies than what used to be, and did the price go up? Oh who cares…they are a little piece of heaven on earth, even if they are only two bites (one for some).

As a final thought, don’t blog when you are still exhausted, as you will end up trying to finalize the post for 1 hour because of the frequent cat naps inbetween.

I would have written about 4 blog posts… Oh well.

Life has been crazy. That’s no excuse for my lack of attention to my blog, but sadly things got crazy in my world. Like quicksand crazy. Maybe soon I’ll share a little about that as it involves some holiday festivities, travel (an 8 hour road trip with three kids under the age of 4, where the good Lord helped two parents come out alive), wild work days, and trying to keep up with everything by using a completely un-structured Bullet Journal, where I cannot wrap my mind around the concept but trying to implement it as my planner. (Yeah-definitely more to come on that). Here’s hoping I get it under wraps by 01-01-2017!  So in light of the craziness, I’m here to share random thoughts because that’s truly life right now. A mass of messy madness.

-I’m thoroughly enjoying my Christmas tree this year! (But I do every year)

-I hate chapped lips. I have finally found some lip balm that works, but I’m learning it means I actually have to apply it on the regular, and let’s just say while I thought the “gap” was finding the right lip balm, it’s not…

-I love my job and the people I work with…  No worries. That’s not to be a kiss up in hopes that my boss reads this and sees my enthusiasm.  But I mean if so…

-I am about to decide that I want to start the tradition of buying a “yearly family Christmas ornament.”  I’ve only had a family for 6 years and now I want to try to recall which kids were present each year, or even try to match it with a special celebration we did that year… What am I thinking?   I’m thinking about getting the cute face/people/personalized ones, but actually just bought one this year from a place we visited & plan to just add our names where they fit. I think I like the spontaneous option better. And why not? I’m back-tracking anyway.

-My husband does not understand why I love Hallmark Christmas movies because he thinks they are all the same, to which I tell him…they are. It’s the predictability us women love…  No guessing what’s going to happen next, just simple, stay the same, happy ending, in the midst of our favorite season, movies.

-“I got this feeling, inside my bones…I got that sunshine in my pocket” I LOVE that song.  And so do my kids.  It’s our official Dance Party song.  And it’s great on a bad day!  You have to get up and dance / sing it, no matter what your mood is.

 

-Pretty sure it’s the latter.  Some days I try to make a list of all the things I need to get done, then the list gets shoved into a pile of paperwork that includes a task of “go through paperwork” on the to do list, so doesn’t look like I’m going to find that list…  (Yeah, see why life has been a bit chaotic in Jennifer’s world).

-I just need a Coke.  Not just any Coke.  A large fountain Coke from McDonalds, which by-the-way costs $2.07 including tax but in NC I found it for $1.00 for any size!  Why can’t they have that here??  So sad!  And so hard on my budget.

Until next time…which hopefully won’t be a long time.

I love to ramble at random. And I would often do so on my Facebook page, which my husband found extremely annoying. He’s one of those that if the post has to involve you pressing the button for “read more,” he ain’t doing it! So when I would “Facebook Blog,” he would always mention how I needed to get a blog-so he finally set it up for me. Little does he know, that’s been the plan all along.

I’m a bit spoiled, but that’s another post.

So today I just want to leave with you several thoughts…

Have you ever had a bruise on your elbow? Oh.My.Gosh.  I know, it sounds all harmless, but it’s not.  It’s so not. It’s painful. Well, maybe not painful, but it’s a nuisance.  Anytime I graze arm across my desk, console in my car, whatever…it tingles. And so that’s been the painful part of the last couple weeks because once I got rid of the bruise on my right arm, I somehow obtained one on my left arm… Have I mentioned I’m clumsy?

Worship.  I just love to worship Jesus.  I was never a concert goer, and in fact I’ve only been to 2 concerts-Shania Twain and Jack Johnson.  Yes I know, not even the same genre, but stay with me, I’m going somewhere with this… From what little I have experienced ‘live’ and what I have seen on TV, most people are quite excited to be there; singing the songs by the artist, waving phones in the air, jumping, etc…  This is how I view worship.  I am there to experience my favorite ‘artist.’ And sing His songs (as loud as I possibly can). And jump for Him (or dance or stomp my right foot-my daughter even does this). And “wave my hands in the air like I just don’t care.”  So for anyone ever wondering why I worship the way I worship…there ya go!

My Planner/Bullet Journal is so not in order at the moment. So much so, that I feel like I barely know what day it is. Well, except for the fact that I do know tomorrow is my birthday. (I always know when my birthday is!).

Beth Moore. Go to YouTube and just watch some of her short clips. You’ll loose an hour of your life because you’ll be in awe of her awesomeness, but just do it.  I mean, not until you’re done reading this of course. But yes, she’s awesome.

It’s that time of year… Ya know, when I post past pics of myself with short vs. long hair, and ask my nearest and dearest FB friends to select my destiny. But really, I am trying to decide whether to continue to grow it out and let my face look “drained” from the long length, yet have an easily thrown in a “mom bun” look.  Or cut it off for something shorter and sassy and easy to manage with 3 kids, who like to check on you when you’ve been in the bathroom getting ready for too long.  Decisions.

I love this quote I recently heard from a pastor quoting Andy Stanely : You’re 1 of 3 things-You are a mess, You were a mess, You are about to be a mess.  Perspective. Because life is a continuous cycle.

Trump vs. Hillary.  Are you kidding?  I’m not touching that one with a 10-foot pole.

I’ve been reading lately.  No one fall out of their chair please, but yes it is shocking news.  But from the books I’ve been reading, articles I’ve been studying, messages from church, there is a common thread.  What is it?  Breathe.  Focus.  Plan. Discover your purpose and press on!  So with that, my husband and I both have been talking about the future and God’s plan for us.  And let me tell you, it’s a scary thing to openly talk about.  Try it.  It will scare the life out of you. Because essentially, you are staring your future in the face while praying/talking about ‘what do you want it to be’ or ‘what could/should it be’. And while yes, the possibilities are endless and exhilarating, you may discover that what you thought was just a ‘daydream,’ may be the very thing where God asks you to take action.

Finally.  Yes, today is Sunday. Tomorrow is Monday.  After the 2nd presidential debate. Before Taco Tuesday, if you do that kind of meal planning. And it’s my birthday Monday!  So, you’re welcome.  I’ve given you a reason to be glad it’s Monday.