List What You are Grateful For.

• Love
• My family… My Aunt in Cali who is so strong and not afraid to stand up for herself and her family and is awesome… My Mom who is also so strong, and amazing, and supportive (she is a super hero)… My dad who has worked incredibly hard his whole life… My uncle who is like a big brother to me… My siblings… Yeah, I got pretty stinkin’ blessed in the family department and I am so grateful for all of them.
• My incredible, patient, handsome, loving boyfriend; who tries to always make me smile, and understands the bad days with the whole diabetes business… I really sometimes can’t believe that God has blessed me with him.
• For great doctors who listen to me, and don’t try to push a bunch of medications and stuff.
• For my job as a barista; and my coworkers and boss.
• That God just keeps supplying all that I need…
• For where I live
• For the stage of life I am in…
• For the ability to be able to communicate my thoughts and feelings in creative ways.
• For the chances I have had to live in different places and all the things I learned from those experiences.
• For 2nd chances
• Long summer days
• Long talks with my love
• The online community of people who share my disease and can relate… Diabetics Unite!
• Meeting new people, and making new friends
• The opportunities that the Lord has in store for me; that I don’t even know about yet.
• The ability to continue to learn and grow as a person…
• Happiness – and the opportunity to choose to be happy no matter what the circumstance.
• Compassion
• Kindness
• The beauty all around us every day
• The hardships
• Learning from my mistakes
• Forgiveness

52 Lists // My current & Future Goals & Dreams

• Learn a new language
• Volunteer with a diabetes advocacy group
• Always speak love/kindness
• Marry my best friend, & the love of my life.
• Earn a degree in theology
• Visit New Orléans on a road-trip
• Go on a missions trip
• Go with my love to visit California & Disneyland
• Have at least 2 children
• Learn a new instrument
• Stand beneath the very center of the Eiffel Tower
• Run in a “Run For Your Lives” zombie 5k event
• Understand football
• Write a novel
• See said novel published
• Get on the pump or omnipod
• Go to Africa
• Grow old with my future husband
• Start practicing yoga
• Spend more of my days outside
• Read at least 5 classic novels within the next 2 years…
• Be in the habit of reading my bible every single day

This is just the beginning – as I was typing this more and more ideas kept leaping into my thoughts and adding themselves to this post… There are lots more I want to add to my little list – but I think this will do for now. 😉  

A List of Things I should be proud of:

 

• I graduated high school a year early with a 3.8 GPA
• I have never been fired
• I make an excellent macchiato (caramel and hazelnut both)
• I am a gifted writer
• I am strong
• I am not afraid to dream
• I have had my heart-broken in the past; but by the Grace of God, I have been able to fall in love with a wonderful, kind, smart, loving, loyal man who loves me for who I am.
• I am proud to call myself a follower of Christ
• I feel things deeply
• I am always honest
• I am compassionate
• I do not and will not let my disease define who I am.
• I believe everything happens for a reason
• In 2013 I was able to pay off a sizable part of the debts I owe
• I am funny
• I am intelligent
• I am learning that it is okay and brave to be open and vulnerable
• I try not to judge people
• I want to always speak kindness
• I have forgiven those who have hurt me in the past
• My Boyfriend
• My Mom
• My Dad
• My siblings
• I am a barista at a good company
• I grew up as a Washingtonian – transplanted from California at age 2
• I have a small Dr. Who obsession
• I see God’s fingerprints everywhere
• I went to bible college
• I am a hard worker
• I go after what I want
• I am good listener
• I want to encourage other women – that our identity is found in Christ… And that we are so much more valuable than we give ourselves credit for.
• I can stretch a penny

 

 

This list was surprisingly hard for me to write – I didn’t want to come off showy – or prideful… But it is okay to take pride in who I am as a person; in the things I have learned, and am learning still…

 

Of Chocolate and Cupcakes

Happy Halloween!!!! This is probably one of my most favorite holidays… Right after Christmas, and Thanksgiving. 🙂

This is my first Halloween as a diabetic… And maybe I was a bit naughty about a few things… But God, that chocolate was worth it! haha  The cupcakes were as equally delicious – my sister, the master chef, baked them from scratch! They are vanilla spice, pumpkin, caramel cupcakes with homemade cream cheese frosting and strawberry, and grape nerds on top… Worth every carb. I am going to pry the recipe out of her, and post it – they were that amazing!!! 🙂

Today was also the day that I finished my first scarf ever!!! I felt so accomplished. 🙂 haha Yay for small accomplishments in the world of “domestic goddess attempts”… I just started my next project – the yarn is different, and fuzzy, and it’s kinda hard to see the stitches properly – but I shall master this knitting thing! But I digress.

Today’s Halloween Happy List Consists Of:

• Doing my lil’ bro’s zombie makeup. He looked awesome!
• Eating regular, fun sized kit-kats and crunch bars, and drinking the Anniversary blend from Starbucks while giving out candy
• Spending time with my family 🙂
• Finishing my first ever scarf!!! (I’m a little proud of myself at the moment…)
• Beautiful fall colors
• Knowing the Holidays are coming sooner than later.
• NanoWriMo starting in a matter of mere hours….
• Sweet text messages from the boyfriend 🙂
• Trying on masks at the store for photo-ops
• smiling
• resolving to start running in the morning… (Gotta start training for the next RUN FOR YOUR LIVES event!!!!)
• Learning from my master-crafts-woman of a grandmother 🙂
• instagram
• Sugar-free lattes, on wet, cold mornings!

Of November – NanoWriMo and more

I can’t believe it’s October 9th (in 10 days Paranormal Activity 4 appears in theatres .. And yes, I will be seeing it. I have seen all the other 3, and can’t stand not knowing what happens in the 4th movie!)… I love autumn, and Winter. And October is probably one of my most favorite months out of the year…

Needless to say: Halloween will be pretty fantastic! I can’t wait for the haunted houses, trick-or-treat(ers); hot chocolate; and for the weather to FINALLY get cold enough for me to wear leggings and boots, and pretty scarves and coats! 🙂

I expect November being interesting  – I have just signed up for NanoWriMo… And I intend to complete it this year! And best yet – I actually have a few ideas percolating, so I might actually have something to write about this year! 🙂 And November is also diabetes awareness month.

Speaking of the big bad Diabetes Monster: The last few days have been pretty good! This morning my blood sugar was pretty much in the ‘target zone’ for what I think is called the ‘resting’ period…! Needless to say I have felt so much better lately as its stained in the 100’s and pretty consistent – (more energy, happier, more talkative, etc.). haha It’s been awesome!

Trying to manage this disease is a major adjustment, and I’m trying to learn more and more about my type 1, so that when people offer ‘helpful’ suggestions; I can try to help maybe educate them instead of rolling my eyes, which doesn’t always translate very well… Sometimes it’s hard to be polite… O:)  BUT… I’m sticking with the whole God doesn’t give us more than we can take… He’s just helping me bend, and stretch…….A lot. I am so thankful for the support system I have – they’re all amazing. Enough said. 😉