thirty five.
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35?
i dunno guys...i just don't feel "it" yet. 35? even with all these bills that come to the house every week. lol. adulting and parenting is hard....but not impossible. i had no idea where i was going with this 35th birthday post but i'm going to go with my gut and list 35 things i've learned in this life so far below. but first, have you been to Steak 48? OH MY WORD. everything was fabtastic from start to finish. the food and the service. on. point. if you peruse the one in Houston, please ask for Juan! he made my birthday dinner extra special.
but as always, my hubby does that all on his own, in his own special way. thank you, my Love.i know! look at it!! fresh. soft. fluffy. buttery, herby.i started with the roasted beet salad which had both ruby and golden beets, crumbled goat cheese, and these gigantic, crunchy pistachios. one of my fave cold salad combos ever.Hubs had the Superfood salad.and then this bowl of heaven came.... WOWZA. Juan said the Crispy Shrimp was their number one appetizer and we totally tasted why. these sweet potatoes and that marshmallow topping. ooo-wee. they were buttery, cinnaminny (how many more adjectives can i make up in this post) and incredibly decadent. i chose the sautéed baby bells and shiitake shrooms, and Sonny had to have his creamed spinach. i didn't mind! never do. i ordered an off-the-menu special of crab topped flounder for my entrée. exceptional i tell you.Sonny got the gigantic 12oz bone in fillet mignon. Sonny knows i despise undercooked meat and can't stand looking at even a medium well steak (blech!!! #TeamNoPink). however, he will order it how he wants it and instruct our waiter to tell the cook to torch a corner of his fillet so he can cut it off for me. i love this man!!!!!#WellDone pun intended. the GRAND finale. it was a complimentary ultimate warm vanilla caramel cake with vanilla gelato and sweet, crunchy pecans on top! THAT is how you cap off a dinner. it was divine. making my mandatory wish prayer. or trying to!
thirty five. thank you, Jesus.
*35 things i've learned*
- comparing yourself to others is insulting to both God and yourself. you don't know the details and issues of someone else's journey and chances are you don't want them.
2. kids learn more from their parents behavior than anything else. and they never forget promises....ever.
3. there is so much power in a graceful, "No."
4. live in the moment...more... and don't be so quick to run and grab your phone. this is a toughy as a blogger and all, but what the heck did we do before all this social media? the same thing we did before cell phones. we lived like nobody was watching...cause they weren't.
5. life isn't all about you, you, you and your happiness, and whatever else those annoying social media quotes push (that I admittedly sometimes post when applicable. lol). seriously though. life is about forever. live with Heaven in mind.
6. ask questions unapologetically. don't conform just because, "that's how it's always been done."
7. you can't pick and chose where you want God to show up in your life. it doesn't work like that. He wants it all. living an, "all or nothing" Christian lifestyle is extremely difficult. it's a daily battle, and not a one & done, overnight process.
8. focus on communication. speak to your spouse in private the same way you do in public. tone is everything. Sonny is not the mind reader i used to believe i was married to. and who wants to live their entire life dropping hints!? i don't have the energy or time for that. lol. if you want/need something, speak up and ask for it. don't like the way something was done? respond in love and voice that but also be prepared to provide an alternative, productive, solution. listen to each other without interrupting (i'm still working on that, 10 years later) and above all else, get an understanding. even still, agreeing to disagree might be as far as you get on a particular topic. and that's still OK. my Dad used to tell me all the time growing up that, "the devil desires to sift you as wheat". meaning, he doesn't give a crap about me and definitely doesn't want my husband and i to live in harmony. he will do whatever he can to rip our family apart. you have to recognize that and fight back with the Word. don't attack your spouse, but pray for them instead. then go to each other with humbled hearts and work your issues out with Him in your midst. fight together, not against each other. you're on the same team. don't forget that.
9. social media can be sooooo disrespectfully deceiving.
10. discipline is the key to true progress. sometimes sucking it up and doing what you don't want to do to accomplish your goals is what it takes to knock them out. force your flesh to obey your spirit. thank me later.
11. modesty is truly important. i admittedly love my short skirts, shorts, and dresses and i struggle getting out of my own way in an effort to set a better example for my peers, my supporters, my family members, and my daughter. yikes. i have a daughter. even those so-called fitness "progress pictures" and body positive posts are completely outta line on social media these days. you can still celebrate your flaws without literally baring it all. all the Likes in the world aren't worth forfeiting your self-respect.
12. please, thank you, excuse me, i'm sorry, and a quick wave should i let you in my lane during rush hour lol goes a long way in my book. i know i get on waiters and waitresses nerves because i make it a point to say thank you for everything. it irks me when people silently stroll right in front of me in the grocery isle when i was clearly waiting until they passed so i could reach for a product. when people bump you while standing in line, crossing paths, etc. yet say absolutely nothing and act as if it never happened! when people don't even acknowledge that you held the door open for them and walk right on by.... come on!!!! it's happening more and more. i've been teaching my kids to say these words since before they could even speak. they matter.
13. no lies = no sweat. just be honest.
14. courage is soooo not the absence of fear. i have done more things while being absolutely terrified since starting this entrepreneurial journey than i have in my entire life. it won't stop anytime soon. just do it afraid.
15. i never really planned on being even a part-time SAHWM. however, all that changed after the birth of my 1st born and i can't possibly imagine being ANYWHERE else these past few years. i know my presence is needed and not in vain.
16. life is so not about stuff.
17. Taco Bell is a great idea every once in a while. IDC what anybody says.
18. just be kind. even if you're having a terrible day. don't take it out on anybody else (unless they are the source of your bad day, hahaha). seriously, we are all battling with insecurities and issues you know nothing about.... just respond in love, don't take it personal, and keep it moving.
19. numbers are important, but not important.
20. don't spend the bulk of your days staring at your phone, tv, or computer screen. not everything has to be posted. keep some private moments private. this reminds me of those MTV Cribs episodes when the celebrity chooses not to show their bedroom or a special part of their home... i actually love and respect that. keep some things to yourself... they aren't for everybody.
21. TV (besides food network lol) is a complete waste of my time. once i let go of trashy reality shows and stopped caring about keeping up with the fake arguments, fake people, and fake lifestyles, i began to hear God's voice and direction for my life a whole heck of a lot clearer.
22. someone else's winning strategy might not work for you.
23. "you can't connect the dots going forward; you can only connect them looking backwards." in a nutshell, life doesn't always make sense, especially through your eyes.
24. friendships change over time... and that's alright.
25. goals and deadlines are important and all but sometimes you have to say, "i don't know when, i don't know how, but i know it's going to happen."
26. handwritten letters, thank you cards, etc. will never, ever go out of style.
27. i will never compromise my integrity to get something i thought i needed ever again. it wasn't worth it and i wish i never did it.
28. unapologetically ask for help. after you've googled, of course.
29. WORK. things don't just magically happen cause you prayed soooo hard for them. no. faith without works is dead. move your feet and give God something to work with.
30. 6-8 hours of sleep a night changes everything.
31. don't let success go to your head and don't let failure go to your heart.
32. delegation is a great thing. it's OK to get help on a project and even pay for said help. we all have unique gifts and talents; sit down and let somebody else shine and live out their purpose through you.
33. money comes and goes as do seasons.
34. pay your taxes. please.
35. my parents are the coolest people in the universe. hi mom :)
BONUS #36. the best apology is changed behavior.
i'm a simple girl! all i wanted was some good food and family time. i want that every day, though. we had a family lunch at Ruggles Green Sugar Land on my actual birthday,let the kids run wild around Town Center Square,
well, almost ;)then we headed home to the cake Chiso picked out just for me. boys truly do have a soft spot for their mamas.according to Sonny, the 3 and 5 number candles were sold out (side-eye) so he got a big pack of singles. oh, ok then, Hubs.last thing, i promise, haha. Sonny and i thoroughly enjoyed seeing Kurious by Circus du Soeleil the night before my big day! the show was friggin' incredible from beginning to end. i didn't want to blink and risk missing anything!!! highly recommended.
thanks for reading and for your birthday love, messages, comments, texts, and calls. i appreciate you!
