January 30, 2018

Today, I woke up and I think I read my Bible, but I don’t remember. I went to the post office to pick up mail. We STILL don’t have our mail box open! 😒

When I got home, I put chicken in the little crockpot and beef patties with bell peppers and onions in the big crockpot. The chicken didn’t seem to cook correctly, so I tossed it out. The patties look and smell really good though! We’ll see tomorrow! While I was chopping the onion I full on cried! Haha. It was almost painful! 🙈

Then, I watched both The Maze Runner & The Scorch Trials for the first time! I hadn’t realized it had been four years since I read the books and bought the first movie! 📚 🎥 Dylan O’Brien is so cute! 😍 Then, of course, I watched 7th Heaven.

I saved all of my Chase paychecks to my budgeting files to make it easier when I want to look them up! I also shredded a bunch of papers and have to do more tomorrow! I’m trying to organize all the stuff I have and don’t need, especially papers related to bills and finances!

We didn’t have bible study tonight, because Sarah is sick. 😷 🤒 😔 I’m bummed that I didn’t get to go, but I’m also kind of glad I got to stay home! Haha.

I walked to pick up Lydia from school today. We talked about school and 7th Heaven. I told her that she doesn’t need to watch PLL even when she is old enough. Though, I supposed she may be “old enough” to watch it now. I think Jacob was 14 when he started watching it. 🤷🏼‍♀️

I’ve decided I won’t be watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel anymore as I won’t be finishing BFF. Too many things about season six of Buffy especially are unbiblical and in your face. If it wasn’t for that season, then it might be passable, but it was a really important season, so… I guess I won’t be watching it anymore. Definitely not season 6 and most likely not the rest of it! What’s the point if parts of it are cut out?

Oh! And when I went to my car today, the driver’s side window wouldn’t roll up! 😩 Papa thinks it’s an easy $3 fix, so we’ll look at Saturday! I’m praying that’s what it is! I need that window! My a/c doesn’t work and I won’t be able to fix it anytime soon☀️🔥

Anyway, I think that’s all… so, I’mgoing to bed!

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January 29, 2018 – 4 Miles and Fellowship!

I woke up and read my Bible. Then, I went for 4-bike ride to/from the SSFCU! I’m already afraid to get out of bed in the morning! 🙈 Lilly came over! We started to play Scrabble, but we really just ended up talking about politics and religions and stuff! It was interesting! Haha. I don’t really have conversations like that with most people! Haha.

I watched the High School Musical Movies today and Hairspray, because I’m in love with Zac Efron again after watching The Greatest Showman yesterday! Speaking of, “The Other Side” is stuck in my head as I type!

I’m exhausted! I’m going to bed!

January 28, 2018 – The Greatest Showman!

Today, I went to church and then went grocery shopping! After that, I went to see The Greatest Showman with Akina, after which we went to Starbucks and Chipotle! As if I haven’t said enough, I’ll say it again! I’m in love with Zac Efron again and with Hugh Jackman for the first time! 😍 I went to Nanny’s and played Uno with Jacob, Lydia, and Naomi. Then, I came home to watch HSM and write my review of The Greatest Showman. Now, I’m going to read The One and go to bed! Lilly is coming over around 3 tomorrow, so I need to make sure I get up early enough to do stuff before she gets here!

This IS the Greatest Show – Review of The Greatest Showman

This is the message I sent my best friend as soon as the movie was over! No regrets!

I was twelve years old when High School Musical (2006) came out. I was fifteen when the third and final movie came out. Naturally, I was in love with Zac Efron. I fell more in love with him in Hairspray (2007) and 17 Again (2009). Several years later, he starred as the male lead in the Nicholas Sparks movie, The Lucky One (2012). While it was neither Efron’s best role nor Sparks’ best story, I was still in love with Zac Efron. Then, came This is Awkward (2014), Neighbors (2014), Dirty Grandpa (2016), Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016), and Baywatch (2017). To each their own when it comes to taste in movies. I’m not a fan of raunchy comedies though. I like movies with substance. With each empty movie, came more disinterest from me for Zac Efron.
When The Greatest Showman (2017) came out, I was wary. I didn’t know what the movie was about and I was growing more and more skeptical of Efron’s movie choices. I only knew Hugh Jackman from X-Men (2000) and Les Miserables (2012), so I was indifferent toward him. As for Zendaya, I wasn’t a fan, and I didn’t know the other actors.
Two weeks ago, I learned The Greatest Showman is a PG-rated movie. Because Efron is in it, I had assumed it is at least PG-13, but I was happy to be wrong. Last week, I watched friends from church fangirl over the music from the movie and learned it was a musical. Cool, it was a rated-PG musical! I was a little more interested than before, but I was still kind of indifferent. When my high school best friend asked me to go see it with her, I knew I had to go see it. Within seconds, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it.
Hugh Jackman is PHENOMENAL in this movie! I’ll be honest, I don’t care that much about Logan/Wolverine. When I watch X-Men, I’m more a fan of Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat, Rogue, Bobby Drake/Iceman, and Scott Summers/Cyclops! Even in Les Miserables, I didn’t watch it for Jean Valjean. Yes, I loved him in that movie, but I watched it for Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, and Eddie Redmayne.
Today though, I fell in love with Hugh Jackman as he became P.T. Barnum! I am a dreamer through and through. I never give up on my dreams, and yet, Hugh Jackman made me believe in my dreams today! P.T. Barnum showed me that dreams can and do come true! As much as I believed in dreams, love, and family before watching this movie, it’s like I started from ground zero! The Greatest Showman made me believe in dreams, love, and family today! Before watching this movie, the size of my dreams was nothing in comparison to how big they are now!
Phillip Carlyle! What can I say about Phillip Carlyle? Phillip Carlyle is a rich boy turned family man. He finds acceptance, love, and joy in the heart of a performer and her family of choice. Then, against his own expectations, he becomes a performer himself. The duet between his character and Zendaya’s is so beautiful it might have turned me into a Zendaya fan! It’s also a big part of the reason why I’ve fallen in love with him again.
This role shows how much Zac Efron has grown in the twelve years since his debut on High School Musical. In the first movie, his acting was a little forced and he didn’t even sing his own songs. He lip-synced through the entire first movie. As the trilogy progressed, so did his talent. By the end of the third movie, he was singing all his own songs. He had even played an important role in a remake of the musical movie Hairspray. Between Hairspray and The Greatest Showman, Efron has one other singing credit to his name as Ted in The Lorax (2012). With each singing role, he has honed deeper and stronger skills. Singing alongside Hugh Jackman can’t be an easy task, but he seemed to hold his own in their duet, “The Other Side.” Granted, even I wouldn’t say Efron is quite as talented as Jackman, but he did hold his own.
Then, of course, there was the female lead Michelle Williams as Charity Barnum. Being that she is a fairly established actress, one would assume she would deliver in this role. I didn’t know who she was before this movie. After viewing her filmography on IMDB, I know that I have seen her one role, as Annie/Glinda in Oz the Great and Powerful. Now that I am familiar with her, I can say I’m a fan. Williams plays well as the supportive wife, mother, and co-dreamer. Her love for Jackman’s Barnum is believable and her voice is beautiful. To be honest, I actually enjoy her singing more than the supposed greatest opera singer in the world. Loren Alfred is very talented, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t prefer her to Williams.
Who can forget the darling daughters, Caroline and Helen Barnum played by Austyn Johnson and Cameron Seely? These sweet faces and beautiful singers may be my favorite part of the movie! What can I say? I love children! Okay, maybe they’re not my favorite part, but they were great in their roles! I’ll be looking forward to seeing them take on more roles as they grow older!
My goodness! Can we talk about that opening scene? I doubt I have ever loved a movie so much in the first five seconds. That’s coming from the self-proclaimed obsessive girl. This movie though immediately drew me into the plot and setting! Needless to say, I was invested from that point forward! If I had the money, then I would definitely sit and watch The Greatest Showman over and over until I’m sick of it. Is that even possible? I don’t know, but don’t take my word for it! If you haven’t seen The Greatest Showman yet, then drop everything and go watch it now! Seriously, even if you have already seen it, then drop everything and go watch it again! It has love, dreams, passion, family, friends, music, and people who rise above the status quo! If you don’t love this movie for at least one reason, then I have to question your taste in movies! Sorry.

Seriously, I’m currently listening to the soundtrack for the tenth time since the movie ended at 3:30 this afternoon. And, because I can’t go rewatch it again right now, I’m settling for getting my Efron and Jackman fix by watching each High School Musical movie, Hairspray, and Les Mis! Don’t judge me!

January 27, 2018 –

Today I fed the boys Chick-fil-A and we danced. Then, I watched 7th Heaven and worked on Lauren’s chapter.

January 26, 2018 – Allergies or Gluten?

I woke up today, activated the girls’ CFA cards, picked up nuggets and fries for them, gave Bonnie hers, and brought the other girls to apartment to eat theirs. Then, had a dance party before eating ice cream and going home. After that I watched 7th Heaven, wrote for The Mask; Her Aid, and even started writing a song! I can’t remember he last time I wrote a song! Now, it’s time to read my Bible and some of the One! Oh! And Lydia started watching 7th Heaven! 😁

January 25, 2018 – Sleep and Money Make the World Go ‘Round

I woke up this morning and I didn’t read my Bible, but I’m going to right now before bed. I did do like 10 or so minute workout on my stationary bike. While doing that, I watched 7th Heaven. Then, I decided to figure out my bills while watching 7th Heaven. It took ALL day, but that’s okay! ☺️ I finally have it figured out and I know how much I need to get paid to pay my bills! I think I might have to go back to Chase. At least I know what to do there and I’ll get paid decent money. Idk… 🤷🏼‍♀️ Anyway, when I was finally finished, I started working on Lauren Bump’s chapter for The Mask; Her Aid. I honestly think this one might be the easiest to write. We’ll see. Anyway, now it’s time to read some Bible and go to bed!

January 23-24, 2018 – I’ve Been Awake for 30 hours!

It’s not even 9pm on January 24, but I’ve been up since 2:40pm on January 23, I wanted to get as much writing done as possible. In the 24 hours that I’ve been writing since I got home after Bible study yesterday, I have written four full chapters. I might actually finish the draft by the end of the month! Both yesterday and today I read my Bible when I woke up. Other than that, I’ve been watching 7th Heaven and writing! I was supposed to watch Riverdale, but I forgot. I did watch the Bachelor yesterday though! I have to go, I’m following asleep as I type.

January 22, 2018 – Downward Spiral

I woke up and read my Bible. I also put homemade beef fajitas with bell peppers and onions in the crockpot! It’s so yummy! Then, I rode my stationary bike while watching 7th Heaven.

I made it through most of Mary’s downward spiral today and I felt personally attacked! 🙈 I mean, the only part I can identify with is not going to college and being unemployed, but still! Haha. I’m not in a bad place though. I have money saved. I’ll be getting my tax refund hopefully sooner than later and I’m not bumming it during unemployment. I’m using this time to rewatch the show I’ve been wanting to watch again for a decade! More importantly, I’m finally writing my book! I legit think The Mask; Her Aid will be ready for publishing sooner than later!

At the rate I’m writing, I should be done by at least mid February, but I’m hoping to write twice as much per day, so maybe even by the end of the month! Who knows?

I was just reminded by Twitter that I forgot about The Bachelor tonight and Riverdale last week! 🙊 I need to watch Riverdale tomorrow and then the Bachelor!

I also need to cut my potatoes and put them in the crockpot to make fries. If this works, I could save $6-10 a week on food and eat healthier because it’s homemade!

January 21, 2018 – Sunday Funday

I woke up and went to church. I came home and put chicken in the crockpot for buffalo pulled pork. Then I went to Nanny and Papa’s house and played games with the kids. We ended up playing a 2+ hour long game of Uno! It was crazy! Haha. Then I had to go to Walmart to find super glue because my glasses broke yesterday on the side. While there, I found $100 stationery bike. I probably shouldn’t be spending any money since I’m unemployed, but the weather has been unpredictable and I want to work out every day! Nanny gave me a meat thermometer and a bigger crockpot. I’m gonna roast beef and potatoes tomorrow! Or make fajitas and peppers with onions. I don’t remember what cut I got! Haha. 🤷🏼‍♀️ When I got home from Walmart, I put the bike together and it took an hour and a half! At least I got to watch 7th Heaven while I was doing it! ☺️

Also, Jacob said it took a like I lost weight! 😁 I’ll check tomorrow for my weight, but even if I didn’t, it’s still nice to hear!

January 20, 2017 – Still Sitting at Home All Day

Today, I woke up and read my Bible. Then, I watched 7th Heaven and worked on The Mask; Her Aid. With Jacob’s help, I also worked on the cover of Royal Secrets: America’s Princess. I also chatted for a few minutes with Amber, Deborah, and Savannah while they were over here to watch Grey’s Anatomy.

January 19, 2018 – What Do I Want to Do with My Life?

I woke up and read my Bible. Then, I scrolled through Pinterest for a while. After that, I watched 7th Heaven and working on The Mask; Her Aid.

In 7th Heaven, Lucy decided she wants to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. I realized, that I would like to do that too. So, I went to their website and found that they are hiring. I was simply going to volunteer, but then I applied to be a part-time grant writer. I don’t know exactly what the job entails, but it doesn’t require any experience I don’t have, so I applied. Maybe, this is where I can work and help people? It only calls for 27 hours a week, so that’s cool! I think I’ll also apply to be a part-time cashier at Habitat Home Center. It’s not the one by the San Antonio event center, and it’s half an hour from where I live, but it’s also a 27-hour job and it pays $13 an hour. Who knows if I’ll get or like either job, but it feels good to want to do something. I hope to at least look into volunteering with them on building houses. We did it for youth group once and I absolutely LOVED it! I’ve always loved working with wood and doing manual labor. I may not be able to do as much after hurting my back, but if that’s true, I’m sure I can do something. It’s up to the Lord now.

February 18, 2018 – Still Itchy from Gluten!

Today, I woke up and read my Bible. Then, I read some of “The One,” and of course watched 7th Heaven. That’s all for today. Not much else has happened.

January 17, 2018 – Going to Bed Glutened!

I woke up, read my Bible, watched Heartland, then The Four: Battle Of Stardom, and of course, spent the rest of the day writing and watching 7th Heaven.

I wrote another scene for MG. I practiced “In Between” by Kelsea Ballerini on guitar. I also baked a lemon poppy seed cake and pancake cake. I did the dishes as soon as I used them, I didn’t break anything, and I didn’t hurt, burn, or cut myself! Miracles do happen! Haha.

Now, I’m going to bed having been glutened! 😩 Idk know how! I haven’t left the house since Sunday and I’ve been eating the same food every day. I suppose, maybe there was glutton in the fajita chicken or rice I ate at Nanny and Papa’s. It’s a really bad reaction and that’s the only thing I’ve eaten out of the ordinary. Idk, but I don’t like it! 🤷🏼‍♀️😩

January 16, 2018 – 2 a.m. is for Creators and Lovers

I woke up and read my Bible. I watched the Bachelor and wrote a review. I watched 7th Heaven all day. If it doesn’t leave me feeling convicted, then it leaves me wanting to cry! Or, it does both! I also worked on my budget. I’m trying to figure out how much I need to get paid to pay at least my minimum bills every month. Also, to see how long I can last without getting another job. It’s nice being unemployed. I’m also a tad bit nervous about not earning money though. I know God has everything under control though! I’m trusting him to lead me to the right job. He always has and He always will! It’s 5:30 am. I give up on trying to go to bed at midnight. While I was text messaging Holly she joked about me being back to my normal hours. She’s not wrong! I am a creature of the night! If I don’t have something making me get up early in the morning, then I’m nocturnal! I sleep during the day and do things at night! I suppose that’s how it should be, after all 2am was made for creators and lovers! I am going to bed now though.

The Bachelor S22E03 Review

The Bachelor

Okay, first of all, I cannot believe I started watching this show! I always said I wouldn’t watch it, but here I am! I’m not even surprised I like it; I just can’t believe I let myself watch it! It’s all because of the Selection! As cheesy and predictable as it is, it’s my favorite book series! It’s like reading The Bachelor from a contestant’s point of view! Of course, now I have to watch The Bachelor to see if I like it too!
So far, I don’t know if I like it, but it’s like a weird addiction or something! You get a taste and then you have to keep watching! It’s so ridiculous! I guess it’s like when girls get caught up in drama or gossip. Something about being a woman is drawn to it. Whatever, as long as it’s not my drama or gossip, and is meant for entertainment, then why not?
Okay, what! A wrestling match for a group date? I don’t know if these aggressive group dates are normal or not, but it’s strange! I also kind of like it though, Arie doesn’t take himself or the show too seriously. It’s funny to see the girls literally fight each other.
Aww, he took the girls on a doggy date! It’s cute that he has his own dog and wants to see how the girls interact with dogs. It’s funny! The girls couldn’t get the dogs to perform for the dog show, but they all seemed to be good sports about it!

Arie

Are all Bachelors like Arie? I mean, he’s not ugly, but he’s not exactly Prince Charming. Somehow, he is charming, but he doesn’t seem like the right kind of charming. There’s something about this “Kissing Bandit” gig that seems weird. It could be because I didn’t see him in The Bachelorette. Either way, he seems off.
It’s so weird watching a show where the guy is dating so many girls! At least with the Selection, I could tell right away who Maxon wanted and he came out and said it even. With Arie, I can’t tell for sure who he wants! He for sure wants Bekah K. and Chelsea to stay for a while.
I don’t know what to think of Arie’s response to Krystal and Bibiana going to him about their feelings. I have to respect that both girls took their thoughts to him though. Krystal asked if he wants her to be aggressive or stand down. He told her to be herself. Bibiana expressed that she thinks Krystal is too aggressive. He sympathized with her after his own encounters on the Bachelorette. He seemed to be a little more friendly with Krystal than Bibiana though. I don’t suppose she’ll be sticking around long. I could be wrong though. Arie seems to like all the girls I don’t like.
I guess I’ll be watching my first season of the Bachelor for the girls and not for the Bachelor? I have a feeling it’ll always be like this though. Whatever. I have no problem with that! So far, these girls are beyond amusing! And, on the bright side, at least I have another show to blog about! In the order of who got the roses and who didn’t, here’s my opinion!

1. Bekah M.:
I don’t know what it is about this girl, but I do not like her! Maybe it’s the fact that she’s so secretive about her age! She also tries way too hard! Ugh! She’s got something to say about everyone!
I guess she and Arie are kind of cute. Still, I don’t like her and I don’t like him. They’re both likable at times, but he’s kind of boring and she’s too much! I hope she does share her age next week! She seems young and jokes about appreciating older men, but she could be older too. Who knows?
Of course, the kissing bandit is going to give the first rose to the girl he makes out with most! She’s definitely his favorite right now. It won’t be a surprise if he picks her as “the one.”

2. Chelsea:
I’m kind of bummed we didn’t get to see as much from Chelsea this episode. She’s not my favorite, but she makes me laugh! She reminds me of Celeste from The Selection! I doubt she is as awful as she comes across. Seems like she may only be trying to protect herself until she knows if she’s getting what she wants. Ooh! On the group date, Arie pulled Chelsea aside right away! I don’t dislike Chelsea, but I don’t know if I like her yet. I do like that she is opening up a little every time he talks to her. She interrupted him and Annaliese and admitted it was for a kiss. Cheers for the honesty! Honesty is the best policy after all.

3. Caroline:
I’m with Caroline! I would like Krystal to go home! She needs to get off her high horse! She met his family, sure, but who cares! She needs to get over herself! She doesn’t know Arie any better than the other girls do! She thinks she’s being helpful telling the girls to open up to Arie after Lauren S. told her she has a hard time opening up to people, but she’s just being annoying!

I don’t have an opinion about roses 4-9. They’re just not all that interesting.
4. Kendall
5. Ashley
6. Lauren B.
7. Brittani
8. Becca K.
9. Sienne

10. Krystal:
After watching the whole episode, I guess I have a lot to say about Krystal. I cannot stand her! She’s kind of witchy. She is fun to watch though, because she’s so ridiculous!
Gosh! These girls are so sensitive! I mean, I am so not team Krystal, but getting time alone with Arie the whole point of the being a part of the show! Everyone acts so dramatic when someone pulls him aside right away. I’m so not a fan of the group dating thing, but that’s why I’m not on the show. If you agree to it, then you have to know other girls are going to get their time with him!
Oh, but my gosh! Why is she okay with the other girls hating her? She interrupts their conversations and pushes past them. It’s annoying! She is so funny though! She talks about the other girls living in a false reality. She thinks she has the strongest relationship with Arie, but she definitely doesn’t! Sure, he likes her, but she’s not his favorite. Ugh! All she does is whine to other girls. It’s so annoying! Krystal is confident in her relationship, but she is still nervous about not getting a rose! Krystal’s voice is so annoying!

11. Tia:
So far, Tia is the first of the girls I like. It could be the country girl thing! Country girls and guys are kind of always my favorite! haha. Arie is so sweet with girls who get emotional though! It’s funny that both Arie and Tia thought she would be awesome at the WWE thing! I like that they were both surprised she was so sensitive about it! It’s also cute he’s like “it makes me feel like a man to be able to comfort you.”
Aw! Arie got some hay bails and moonshine for Tia, so she can feel more at home. “Moonshine tastes like gasoline in a good way,” he says. They’re so cute together! A race car driver in suits and a sweet little southern girl! I may have exclaimed, “Yes,” when Tia was given the rose! I guess she is my favorite! haha.

12. Maquel:
So far, I like Maquel
13. Jenna:
Jenna seems nice too!

14. Jacqueline:
I like Jacqueline, too.

15. And the final rose goes to…. Marikh.

And those going home:

1. Lauren S.
Ooh, wine country! Lauren S. is on a one on one date with Arie in Napa Valley! It’s a little weird how well he seems to know these girls! The one on one dates seem to be perfect for the girls he chooses. Poor girl is all over the place trying to explain how she got to be a part of the Bachelor. She explains she is nervous around Arie, but that Arie isn’t what makes her nervous. Okay? So, I guess she’s nervous, because there aren’t any feelings there?
Wow! He’s not giving her the rose! I didn’t know that was even possible! I thought it was kind of a given! I’m not surprised he didn’t give it to her, because she was all over the place, but still! He likes girls who are open about who they are and why they’re there. Lauren can’t even talk to him, let alone be open with him. The girls’ reaction to Lauren not getting a rose during the one on one is crazy! They’re so nervous! It’s kind of funny!

2. Annaliese:
Annaliese is likable, but the poor girl has the saddest traumas! Everyone laughed about her bumper car trauma, but I thought it was sad. It was a little ridiculous, but trauma stories are sometimes ridiculous. You can’t help it! Poor Annaliese freaked out during the derby and is now freaking out about the potential of dogs. She was the pooper scooper. She didn’t like it, but her attitude was good! You go girl!
It doesn’t seem like Arie likes Annaliese, but then Chelsea interrupted and he seemed almost annoyed. I don’t know though. She so wants to kiss him! It’s so sad! The girls seem to think she is the only girl he hasn’t kissed. She takes him up to the balcony to kiss him. Oh! He tells her, “I just don’t think we’re there yet.” Yikes! The kissing bandit doesn’t think he’s “there yet” with one of the girls. She’s definitely going home!
Aww, mama bear Chelsea comes out and goes to check on Annaliese after her rejection. I definitely don’t dislike Chelsea now! Marikh is in there checking on her too.
Annaliese wants to ask Arie if he sees something with her or not. The other girls are watching and listening. Aww. He tells her straight up, “I really don’t think there could be a future for us… at the end of all this, I don’t see a future with you.” *gasp* She’s leaving! I’m glad she asked him. I’m not surprised he’s not into her, but this kind of thing isn’t for everyone. I know it’s not for me, but not all girls know that until they do it! The tension with the rest of the girls is tangible! I’m not even in the room with them and I can feel it!

3. Bibiana:
I am so glad Bibiana didn’t get a rose! I don’t like her! It seems that a lot of fans like her on Twitter, but I don’t know why! Bibiana is a crybaby and is annoying! Oh, wow! Bibiana and Tia prayed for Jesus to take the wheel! haha. That was cute, but then Bibiana prayed for a dog to bite one of the girls. It made me laugh, because God doesn’t work like that honey! During GLOB, my favorite fight was with Bibiana and Tia! Bibiana may be annoying, but at least she’s nice to the nice girls. haha.
It’s cute when the girls plan alone time with Arie. Bibiana is annoying, but I like that she planned something for him. Uh oh! Arie finds it and uses the daybed and telescope she set up for him with Lauren B! Aww, she goes out to interrupt and Arie asks for 5 more minutes. Then, he continues to use it with several other girls. This doesn’t look good for her! He doesn’t know she set it up but he knows he didn’t set it up. Bibiana tries so hard not to be upset, but she is!

January 15, 2018 – Texas is Moody; Today I Am Not!

I lied yesterday! I didn’t go to bed early! I think it was at least 1am before I went to bed! I was going to go to bed early, but then I started using my phone and you know how that story ends! haha.

Today, I woke up, read my Bible, and read some more of “The One” finally! Then, Lydia came over and we watched two Christmas movies because I still haven’t watched all the ones I recorded! haha. We played scrabble, ate pizza sandwiches, and then played King’s Corner!

It was warm enough today, that I could have gone outside in shorts and been more or less comfortable. Tomorrow, it’s supposed to snow and school has been canceled! I can hear the wind right now and it sounds beautifully haunting! I hope it snows again! That would be AWESOME!

When Lydia left, I tried to watch The Bachelor, but it didn’t record properly, so I have to wait for it to come on the app! -_- This one seemed like a good one too! haha. Bibiana and Krystal are so ridiculous! I’m not a fan of Bekah K, either! Tia seems really likable though, so we’ll see! Maybe it’s just the southern bell in her. haha. I can’t believe I started watching this show! I don’t even think I like Arie, but it’s fun to watch the girls!

I also finally used my crockpot for the first time! I made bbq pulled pork and it’s SO GOOD! That reminds me, I better go put it in the fridge before I forget! That would be so like me! Good night!

January 14, 2018 – I’m so tired!

Sunday is always my favorite day even when I only slept 4 hours the night before! I tried to sleep deprive myself so I’ll go to bed at or before midnight. It’s 11:30 now, so I think it’s working! Haha.

Today at church we talked about how God Never said He’ll never give us more than we can handle! If He didn’t, then we would need him!

When I came home, I started working on a new song, probably called “ABBA” or something close. I also played my drum set a bit! It was fun! I wish I had a real drum set! I also worked a bit on The Mask; Her Aid.

Then, I went to the house and played a few songs with the kids! We also recorded it! I love them! 💖

At Nanny and Papa’s house, Jacob, Lydia, and I played Kong’s Corner and then Scrabble!

Then I picked Simon up from bible study.

Throughout the day, I also watched a couple episodes of 7th Heaven after starting it again last night! ☺️

January 13, 2018 – It’s 7th Heaven!

Today, after I woke up, I went to Chick-fil-A to get my last paycheck. Then, I went to HEB to pick up some last minute groceries. After that, I went to the Palladio house to get my last batch of mail before the house goes on the market. Next, I picked up Lydia and Naomi to come watch movies with me. We only had time to watch The Notebook, but it was fun!

 

Both girls were watching it for the first time.

Naomi (12): “I want to marry Ryan Gosling now, just this character is so beautiful… Mrs. Naomi Gosling. Sounds about right.” Lydia (14) reminds her of age gap.

N: “We can turn back time!” L: “You can marry him when you’re 18 & he’s 42.”

 

She also cried at the end of the movie when they passed away. Lydia and I were laughing because we’re not criers. I have also never seen someone cry during a movie in real life. It was amusing, but I’m not surprised. Naomi has always been sensitive. She’s even more sensitive than I am! I feel all the feels, but Naomi expresses all the feels!

 

When they left, I decided to start watching 7th Heaven again. I’ve been wanting to watch it again for like the past ten years! I don’t remember when I watched it for the first time, but pretty much since then! haha.

January 12, 2018 – Best Friends and Built In Therapy Sessions!

Today, I woke up and finished watching A Cinderella Story after reading my Bible. I tried to watch it yesterday, but the TV stopped working. Then, Shelby came over and we spent four hours answering 23 deep questions I found on Pinterest. When we finished those, we answered questions from another pin that came up. As it turned out, the questions kind of gave us an impromptu therapy session that I for one really needed! I shouldn’t be surprised. Talking to Shelby at all typically gives me some kind of an emotional release. Today was kind of intense though. I wasn’t expecting to get a therapy session today. Again, I shouldn’t have been surprised. Isn’t that what best friends are for? A best friend is an extra mother, a sister, a therapist, a partner in crime, and anything else you may need. I love hanging out with Shelby, because it both saps me of energy and re-energizes me at the same time. I guess that’s what it means to be an introvert with a best friend. haha. Idk. We also took a picture, which is good, because my goal for 2018 is to get at least one picture per month with her! 1 down, 11 more to go!

After Shelby left, I watched Another Cinderella Story, A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song, and A Cinderella Story: If the Shoe Fits. I also worked on another chapter of The Mask; Her Aid.

Anywho, it’s now 2am, again. I’m not in bed, again. And, I’m exhausted and still dealing with stupid allergies! I’m so glad I’m unemployed right now. At least it means I can catch up on sleep I’m not going to bed early enough for!

January 11, 2018 – Unemployment is Nice

I woke up this morning and ate breakfast while reading the sermon on mount from Luke’s perspective. Then, I went for a 3-mike walk from here to the park and around the trail. Since then, I’ve been working on “The Mask; Her Aid.” I’ve said this before, but this time I think it’s really true! I think I’ll have the first draft completely writing soon! I’m so excited! I’m also beyond tired, so I’m gonna drink my protein shake, take my allergy meds, and go to sleep at midnight finally!

January 10, 2018 – Another Productive Writing Day

Today, I woke up and was going to horseback riding again, but the weather wasn’t right for riding. The wind was too heavy and strong. So, instead of going riding, I finally cropped my family photos. Of course, this was done after breakfast and my quiet time. Today, I read the Sermon on the Mount. Dude! That passage begins in Matthew 5 and ends in Matthew 7! Then, I finally transferred all my iCloud photos and videos to my computer again. After that, I sat down to write my journal entry for yesterday because I forgot, oops!
After that, I wrote two scenes for Malachi Gregory! I’m finally introducing parts of Mal’s past and explaining who she is. It’s exciting stuff! Lydia responded to one scene with, *jaw drops at the end.* I love when I get reactions from my fans! It’s so much fun! I can’t wait to have more fans hopefully one day! Of course, Jacob, Kelli, Lydia, Naomi, and Shelby–if she ever reads it–will always get the first samples! As my first, unofficial fan club, they are making me a better writer!
When I finished the second scene for MG, I decided to work on my chapter for The Mask; Her Aid. After five years, I finally have a chapter I’m satisfied with for a rough draft! I’m hoping this means I’ll be able to finish writing it soon! That’s the goal anyway!
Other than that, I didn’t do much today. So, now I’m going to go to bed. Of course, it’s 2 a.m. again. The only reason I’m going to bed now is because these stupid allergies have my head pressurized making my eyelids heavy. I didn’t know if I’d ever actually use Bill’s word, “volvocular,” but that’s definitely how these allergies have me feeling! They leave me with the feeling of eye roll! If anyone asks, I might just have to tell them, “I’m volvocular.”

January 9, 2018 – I Feel Accomplished!

First of all, Jacob turned 17 today! What even!? How!? He’s supposed to be a baby forever! We all are!

I started the day riding Blue at Leslie’s! It was awesome! We trotted and cantered most of the time! I’m rarely, if ever, happier than I am when riding a horse! I’m so glad God allowed me to find a way to make this dream come true!

I think I’m going to look into becoming a driver for horse carriages downtown! I can’t imagine a better job while I’m waiting to become a published author!

After I went horseback riding, I went for a bike ride at the park! I rode a mile! Then, I went furniture shopping with Savannah because the blow-up couch popped… We got a turtle chair! Apparently, it’s actually called a saucer chair, but it will always be a turtle chair to me! Just like the detachable one we had at the house at Santa Fe Ridge! I pushed the tables up against the back wall and placed the chairs in front of them with the rocking chair to the right of Savannah’s bedroom. The living room feels so much bigger now! When Savannah came home from work, the following conversation happened! haha

Me: “I like that our kitchen has little reminders that we’re not adults, even though we are.”

Savannah: “We’re adults in training. I’m in the part where you take the tutorial. You’re in the part right after the tutorial running around trying to figure out what the tutorial meant.”

After shopping with Savannah, I picked Naomi up from school and took her to the park to play basketball. We were there for about an hour! First we played two rounds of around the world and then we played one on one! If she hadn’t fouled me twice, then she probably would have beaten me!

After that, I picked Lydia up from school and rushed home to shower before Bible study. To piggyback off of the sermon Sunday, we discussed happiness and how God never said He only wants us to be happy. I’m so glad Sarah and Travis started this small group! ❤ I needed a small group outlet for my spiritual walk! Sarah and I have incredibly similar stories, so it’s nice to have someone experienced to help guide me in the right direction.

Overall, it’s been a nice and productive day, but I feel like crap! These stupid allergies need to go away already!

January 8, 2018 – I’m So Tired!

Ugh! Why am I suffering so much from allergies this winter!? 😩 Like I’ve been exhausted and tired and haven’t felt 100% since before December! 😫 If I’m gonna feel crappy all the time, then I might as well enjoy my food life and eat gluten! At least then it’s somewhat worth it! 😒

Today was mom’s birthday! Look at this rocking 80’s icon right here! Haha

I found this picture when I was looking through family photos in December and it’s my favorite thing ever! Haha. Savannah and I went shopping for her birthday.

When I went I woke up, my toilet was having issues so I had to call maintenance AGAIN! I swear, the owners of this place must have hired the absolute cheapest contractors because I can’t think of anything that hasn’t had issues in this apartment! But, whatever!

Other than that, I haven’t done much. I watched Heartland and the Bachelor though! 😁 I am way too irrationally affected by reality tv characters! 🙈 These girls frustrate me to no end! I’m already attached to a few of them though, so we’ll see if Arie has good taste in women! 😂

Anyway, once again I’m up way later than I should be, but Lydia asked for a new MG scene, so I had to deliver! It’s 1am and I get to go riding tomorrow at 10:30! Leslie is so sweet! I told her I can’t afford lessons, but she’s letting me come ride anyway! 💖🤠🐴

January 7, 2018 – It’s been a LONG, but GREAT day!

It’s Sunday! 😁 It’s my favorite day of the week! 🤩

Today, Aaron started a series called “God Never Said That.” I’m excited about it! This week was “God Wants You Happy.” Except, you know, He doesn’t. Sure, He delights in our happiness, not happiness at all costs. If it’s sin, then it’s sin, and God will disciple us! Discipline is the loving means of notionally making us unhappy. When a parent disciplines their child, they know it make the child unhappy. The discipline still happens though, because parents care about their children’s well being before their happiness. God is the same way. “He wants joy that will last, not just joy that will past.”

I didn’t read anymore of the Selection today, but that’s okay! I got home and started to write an unfinished blog post and I watched The Four: Battle Of Stardom! I like the concept, but I swear the fan vote is potentially detrimental! 🤦🏼‍♀️ People these days just don’t know true talent! They want fun at all costs, it’s ridiculous! Kind of like what the sermon was about today! Just because it’s fun, doesn’t mean it’s good! The four is about TALENT! The fans don’t seem to know talent… 😒

Anyway, after that I went to see the kids and we talked about their roses and thorns. They’re happy it’s mom and Jacob’s birthday month! They’re so cute! I love them! 💖❤️ They’re growing so fast though! 😫😩😭

Also this conversation happened:

Me: “Did you just say Degrassi?”

Isaac (11): “What?”

Dad: “The show that made Drake famous?.”

Isaac: “Wait… Drake Bell?”

I’ve never been so proud of one of my siblings being confused about a celebrity! Haha. Drake Bell is WAY better IMHO!

After seeing the kids, I went to Nanny and Papa’s house! The big kids and I played Apples to Apples for like 2 hours! Haha. It was funny! 😂 Here are few snippets I posted to Twitter and two I sent to Shelby:

1. Jacob (17 in 2 days): “The girl I asked out and I are the same age for 2 days.”

Lydia (14): “Oh yeah! What’d she say?”

Jacob: “I’m declaring myself rejected, because she never responded.”

Naomi (12): “R-E. J-E.“

Lydia joins in: “C-T. E-D. You just got rejected!” #Zoey101Reference

2. Me: “Naomi, why are you wearing holy socks?”

Naomi: “Because I’m blessed.”

3. Naomi was holding her cards for Apple to Apple w/ the red cards she had to pick for her green card, “Delicious” and I didn’t know it, so I asked, “Who picked dog trainer for delicious?”

Naomi: “That’s my card!”

Not sure why, but Lydia, Jacob, & I laughed hysterically at this! 😂

4. Jacob: *dramatic gasp* “Pause the music! Shelby Lilly just posted a new song!” *even more dramatic gasp* “It’s an original!”

Me: *gasp* “Really!?” plays video “Oh! I know this song! I think… yeah I know this song!”

😂😁💖

5 The conversation continued after I sent that and Naomi or Lydia asked, “How can you know the song if it’s an original?”

Me: “Because she’s my best friend and she shares her music with me.”

Jacob: “Yeah! I have it on my phone.”

Girls: Something along the lines of “lucky!”

Me and Jacob: “We told you you could too!”

My friends tend to become famous in my family! 😂😁💖

Anyway, it’s time for bed! I planned on going at 11pm, but of course now it’s 12:15 and I’m still not in bed. Whatever! 🤷🏼‍♀️ At least I got to tell mom happy birthday! 😁💖

p.s. I’ve been journaling for a week! 😁

Janurary 6, 2018 – “Surviving on Her Own at 24”

“She is a marvelous young lady surviving on her own at 24 now. I’m very proud of you for doing so well on your own.” – Facebook post from my dad describing me.

“Surviving on her own at 24” is honestly the best and only way to describe my life right now! 🙈😂🤷🏼‍♀️

Today, I didn’t do ANYTHING! I finished The Guard and the Elite and sat there for maybe 15 to 30 minutes the cute, but not attractive, AT&T Guy gave us a new modem because after not even a month, ours wasn’t working! 🤦🏼‍♀️😒

It’s now 1:30 am, I am still not in bed by midnight and I have to get up for church at 8am! I’m really failing at this whole, “going to bed on time” thing. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Success–Peace, Joy, Love

Four years ago, on New Year’s Eve, I ended the year with my best friends, Allie and Holly, and their family and other friends. We danced, “drank,” and were merry. We played games and enjoyed the end of the year like we had no cares in the world.
The next morning, they left for a winter retreat with their Christian college group, Cru. Then, I went back to sleep and woke up later to find a text message asking me how the girls were doing. The night before, one of their friends was attacked and killed at the park.
My Facebook feed and local news were flooded with stories about a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, twenty-four-year-old girl who had been ruthlessly murdered while the rest of the world was celebrating a fresh start in life. She was a gentle and quiet spirit. She was full of life and joy. And she longed to help give life to others, but had her life taken from her instead.
I didn’t know it then, but a year and a half earlier, Lauren Bump affected my life the very first day I met Allie and Holly. At youth group, where I met the girls, we had a discussion called “Roses and Thorns.” During this discussion, you share with the group the good and bad things in life that you want to praise the Lord for and pray to Him.
Exactly four years ago, on January 6, 2014, after I read about Lauren Bump, I wrote a blog post about her. At twenty years old, I needed an outlet to express my feelings about an unimaginable situation. Death is already hard enough to understand. It’s especially hard to understand when the dearly departed is so young. I was overwhelmed by the flood of emotions felt after learning someone took the life of a twenty-four-year-old girl. Now, I need to do the same thing. I need to write a post to grasp my feelings on the subject.
I’ve stated before that I am an empath. When I say that, I mean it a thousand percent. When I feel something, the feeling never quite goes away. In 2014, when I felt the impact of Lauren’s life and death, it didn’t come and go. It came and never left. In recent months, I have been heavily reminded of the life and death of Lauren Bump. Why now? Because, on December 22nd, 2017, I turned twenty-four—the same age Lauren was when she was killed. I came to that realization while I was talking to Allie and Holly’s mom recently. This year, I am as old as Lauren was. Unless—God forbid—something happens to me, by the time her birthday comes around again, I will have officially lived longer than she did. That is an unsettling and even kind of frightening thought.
Lauren was and still is an incredibly inspiring young woman. Four years later, even though I never knew her in person, I still often think about Lauren Bump. Not only when I pass on the tradition of asking people what their roses and thorns are, but also just in everyday life. Sometimes, I think about her quote, “Seek peace, keep a joyful heart, and in all things, do with love.” I often think about my original post about her, Live Like Lauren. And wonder if I have lived the way I said I would.
“I will live a life and speak words that encourage and inspire other people, especially younger girls and young women who are my age, to live for God, to live life to the fullest, and to love themselves as much as they love others! I will live in such a way that no one can know me without also coming face to face with God. I will live a life that continues to inspire and encourage people long after I’m gone!”
My last blog post of 2017 was about how I had a rough year. I’ve felt unsuccessful and just beaten down at every turn. As I read through my previous posts about Lauren before writing this post, I also read her last blog post, “Success.” God has been reminding me about Lauren a lot lately. He’s allowed me to go through a very rough year. Now, He led me to Lauren’s blog post where she spoke about a rough patch in her own life that eventually led to the success she was seeing in her final year. How funny is it that God works in such methodical ways, even when it doesn’t seem like it?
The beautiful thing about success is it doesn’t need life to prosper. Lauren’s life has continued to be successful even after her time on earth was up. In her blog post she wrote, “When people look at me and my life, I don’t care what people think of me. I care about what they think of my God. My goal in life is to love God and love people. My grades, my schooling, my accomplishments, contribute nothing to a truly successful life. Those are temporary things that will not have any value when my life on earth is over and I approach the Pearly Gates.”
I spent much of 2017 feeling like my life hasn’t been successful. I have credit card debt, I don’t work a job that I love, and I am single beyond belief. None of that matters though, not when I get to Heaven. So, why does it all matter so much now? It shouldn’t. That’s not to say I shouldn’t pay off my credit cards, look and hope for a job I love, or continue to pray for God’s will on my love life—or currently lack thereof. It’s simply to say that in comparison to Heaven, nothing in this world matters. What does matter is how I handle it! Do I seek peace in my financial storm? Am I joyful, even when my situation isn’t happy? Do I love everyone no matter if I’m single or taken?
After reading Lauren’s post about success and her own dry season, I have to wonder if that’s why God has allowed/is allowing me to walk through my current dry season? Am I missing the bigger picture? Am I trying too hard to be successful in the eyes of the world or even just in my own eyes? The answer is yes. While I genuinely don’t care most of the time what the world thinks of me, I sure care a whole lot about what I think of me. You see, I had a plan and I don’t think I’ve quite let go of it yet.
I was going to grow up to graduate from high school with honors and a boyfriend. I was going to go to college at the University of Texas in Austin. Then I would get married, have babies, and live happily ever after. That was the dream. Reality is a little different. I graduated high school a year behind. I didn’t go to college. I’m still single and I live with my sister in an apartment next to our childhood neighborhood. Reality is also that God knew I wouldn’t be ready for “the real world” in 2012 when I was “supposed to” graduate—I’m barely ready now. He knew that I didn’t need the added stress of unnecessary school and homework brought on by a college education I didn’t need to be a writer. He knew that what I really needed was the college experience without the stress. So, He gave me best friends who attended college at UT and let me regularly visit them for “field trips” and other outings that “normal” Christian college-aged kids got. He also knew that even now, I wouldn’t be ready to fall in love. My heart has been broken and twisted in a lot of ways throughout my twenty-four years and it’s still not quite ready to let one of God’s men in yet to love it. That’s okay. God knows me, He knows my heart, and He knows what plan is best for me to be successful in life on earth and in Heaven.
So, now, as I write this blog post, thinking about Lauren and success, I’m reminded that success is objective and it’s different for everyone. For Lauren, success was best obtained through spreading light, love, and hope after death. For me, success is best obtained by walking with the Lord as I live a completely nontraditional life. I’m a twenty-four-year-old virgin who is “forever single” and currently unemployed after not going to college. That may not seem successful, but right now, it’s the life God has called me to and I’m going to use this life for His glory. I’m going to remember His beloved children. I’m going use my talents to write and speak, and I’m going to grow closer to Him by starting every morning with Him in the Word.
Now, I finally know what my 2018 goals are. My goals are to rest in the Lord and know He is God and let go of the grip I have on the last threads of my plan. I will continue to try to live out the goal I set for myself in 2014. And I will continue to #LiveLikeLauren as I “Seek peace, keep a joyful heart, and in all things, do with love.”

January 5, 2017 – A Little Stressful, But Mostly Good

Today, I woke up and colored in my “The Selection” coloring book for about half an hour. Then, I read the Elite and took turns reading the Guard and the Favorite as well to match the scenes together! 😁 I read 202 total pages! 😁 Reading is so soothing! 📚📖 To be a part of another world, especially after dealing with so much stress in my own world for a year, is just so magical! 🧜🏼‍♀️🧜🏼‍♂️🧚🏼‍♀️🧚🏼‍♂️🦄

A minor problem of the day is that I got a second-degree burn from putting pizza in the oven. 🍕 🔥 On the bright side, the pizza was AMAZING! So, at least there’s that! 😁 I also tried some hard apple cider mom gave me and it was good, but weird… like a mix of apple juice and apple soda… 🤷🏼‍♀️🍏🍎

Unfortunately, our stupid cable/internet box isn’t working, so I have to wait between 1 and 4 tomorrow for an AT&T Guy to come by. 😒 It could take up to FOUR HOURS for him to fix! 😭 When the first guy to set it up, it only took an hour or so, so I’m hoping he comes closer to wait and leaves quickly! It’s not like I have to leave the house, but I don’t like people, especially strangers. 📺💻

Anyway, I’m really trying to get myself on a schedule of going to bed no later than midnight. That obviously didn’t happen tonight, but at least it’s only 1am tonight and not 2 or 3 like the past couple of nights!

January 4, 2017 – The most relaxing day I’ve had in LONG time!

I can’t tell you the last time I spent hours just sitting and reading. I do know it was at least 2016 when it happened last! Today, after getting three to five cases ahead of my readers–Jacob, Lydia, Kelli, and Naomi–for MG, I spent five to seven hours just sitting and reading The Selection! I even stayed up late just to finish the book! 😁💖 It’s the most wonderful and magical feeling I’ve felt in a LONG TIME! 🦄🧜🏼‍♀️🧚🏼‍♂️🧜🏼‍♂️🧚🏼‍♀️ Of course, I woke up and read my Bible before doing anything else, so that’s definitely a part of why my day is so great! Still, being unemployed is one of the greatest blessings I’ve been given in as long as I can remember! 2017 was so stressful, that I honestly don’t I rested more than maybe a handful of days, but even those days were full of worries. So far, 2018 has been full of peaceful rest and I couldn’t be happier! 💖💖💖 PTL for His ever flowingblessings and mercies! 💖💖💖

January 3, 2017 – Today I Adulted, but Then Stayed Up Too Late

I woke up at like 1 something. Then at 2 I left to go to the post office, bank, and to renew my inspection stickers. It took so long that I was able to listen to “Unapologetically” by Kelsea Ballerini two full times before getting home. I think it was about 4:30 when I got home. Then I had to leave again to pick Lydia up from school at 5:30. I didn’t workout today or eat very well. I also didn’t read my Bible. I did do a twenty second plank, read the Bible verse from the app, and wrote 5 or 6 scenes for Malachi Gregory though. Plus, I read a chapter of the Selection, so it was a weird mixture of productive and not today. Anyway, it’s 5:30am. It was bedtime 5 1/2 hours ago! But I drank dr. Pepper super late because I forgot it was late. 🤦🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️

January 2, 2018 – Mostly Productive Day

Sleep 😴 2:34am to 11:29am

20-minute DWTS cha cha workout.

Bible Reading and Breakfast:

Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:35-39, 16-20; Luke 4:42-44, 5:1-11

Salt and Pepper Fries with Ketchup

1:13pm – Christmas Prince

Starting YouTube video editing to promote obsessive hope on other YouTube videos.

3:00pm – Christmas Under Wraps

4:30pm – Christmas in Homestead

7:00pm – A Rose for Christmas

spent the next five hours writing 1 1/2 scenes for MG and working on a scene, the description, and title for the formerly untitled dystopian novel, “Royal Secrets: America’s Princess.”

Then, I spent an hour and a half watching Facebook videos. 🤦🏼‍♀️🙈😂

Today was quite as productive as yesterday, but it was still productive! 😊

January 1, 2018 – A Productive Day

Woke up – 1:18pm

20-minute Dancing with the Stars workout

Shower

Read Bible & ate breakfast 2:30pm-2:45pm

1 hard boiled egg

Freddy’s Lemon Fries

Chocolate Fudge Advant Edge

Matthew 8:14-17; Mark 1:21-34; Luke 4:31-41

Obviously, I’ve heard about Jesus healing Peter’s mother-in-law before, but it just clicked to me that means Peter was married! That’s kind of cool! 🙂

2:45pm to 1:45am – Spent the day updating the pages on my blog to show each post for each category in the order they were written. Also added videos and other links to appropriate pages for easy access.

I also watched “The Bachelor” premiere and was into it more than I thought I would be; guess it’s the hopeless romantic in me! haha.

Then, I watched “A Christmas Prince” before it’s taken off of Netflix. After that, I watched “CMA Christmas!” 🙂 Of course, the highlights of that were Reba, Kelsea Ballerini, and Lady A! 😀 When I wasn’t watching something, I was listening my “Top Songs of 2017” playlist created by Spotify from my most played songs of the year.

2018 – A New Year with New Goals

A new day. A new week. A new year. We are at a great advantage this January 1, 2018. It’s a Monday, the first day of the week. It’s the first day of the month. It’s even the first day of the year. If there were ever a perfect day for a fresh start, then today would be that day. It’s no secret that I need a fresh start after the year I had in 2017. It was long, stressful, and painful. I grew, I changed, and I was physically broken. Today, I put all that behind me and claim 2018 as my year! This is going to be a good year! I can feel it! I don’t know how it’s going to be good. I don’t know what good things are going to happen. As someone who is recently unemployed, I don’t even know if or where I’m going to work. I’m starting this year with a completely clean slate and I am truly grateful for this fresh opportunity. With a fresh start, I have a chance to make and meet new goals!
In 2018, my goals are:
• To create at least one new thing every day for the entire year.
• To journal at least a brief recap of every day in 2018.
• To start every day with at least a brief workout and Bible study.
• To finally finish writing, and maybe even publish, at least one book this year.
• To walk with Sadie Robertson in her goal to live whole-heartedly.
• To read more.
• To enjoy life more.
• To rest.
• To stay caught up with my shows.
• To take at least one picture with my best friend every month.
• To get at least 8 hours of sleep every single night
I will create at least one new thing every day for the entire year. It can be a new song, a new scene for Malachi Gregory, a new vlog, a new blog post, or maybe a scripture doodle. If you’d like to follow along on this journey with me, then I will be creating a new page to keep track of all the things I create.
I will journal at least a brief recap of every day in 2018. At the end of every year, I like to look back on all the things I’ve done and then write a recap post. It’s a good way to renew my perspective of the past year and make goals for the coming year. Writing a recap post also gives me closure for the year so that I can go into the new year with a clean slate. To keep everything in one place, I will be creating a page for this, if you’d like to keep track of my life with me.
I will start every day with at least a brief workout and Bible study. While I am more confident these days than I have ever been before, I’m still not who I want to be. I am completely out of shape physically. Part of that is because I injured my back in 2017 and I was more or less immobile for six months. I was out of shape long before hurting myself though. I’ve been the same height since I was fifteen. From fifteen to nineteen or twenty, I was always within the same healthy five-pound weight range. That five-pound weight range was right in the middle of the healthiest weight I should be at. It wasn’t too skinny and it wasn’t overweight. Since then, I have gained about fifty pounds and I’m not happy about it. So, if I can lose at least one pound every week this year, then I will be back where I want to be physically. That’s my goal for the year.
My day is almost always smoother if I start my day in the Bible. I do currently walk with the Lord every day. I pray through the good and bad of the day and I try to listen to worship music at least once a day. That’s not always enough though. God wants me to hear directly from Him and the only way to do that is by reading His Word. So, I’m renewing my goal of reading the Bible every day this year, even if it’s only the daily word from the Bible app.
I will finally finish writing, and hopefully publish, at least one book this year. I have been working on writing two different books since 2012. One is an untitled Dystopian novel with a plot and characters that have changed at least a dozen times. The other is a nonfiction book titled, “The Mask; Her Aid.” I plan to accomplish this goal by writing for at least eight hours of every day that I’m not working. For now, I’m not employed, so that may be weeks or months of writing eight hours a day. When I am working, that will be at least eight to sixteen hours a week on my days off. I think, I may make an exception for Sundays, as that is the day of rest, but I haven’t decided yet.
I will walk with Sadie Robertson in her goal to live whole-heartedly. Sadie Robertson posted a New Year Encouragement video on her YouTube channel challenging her viewers to walk with her as she plans to live whole-heartedly in 2018. She shared that synonyms for whole-hearted are committed, positive, devoted, dedicated, unshakeable, total, and unqualified. One of my favorite quotes is that “God doesn’t call the qualified, He calls the qualified.” I’m not qualified to be a writer. I didn’t go to college, so a lot of people seem to think I don’t have the education or experience needed to be a writer. That doesn’t matter though. God has called me to be a writer, so I will be a writer.
I will read more. In 2017, I didn’t read much. I listened to the Jane Austen audiobooks, so at least there’s that. Otherwise, I only started “The Chronicles of Narnia” and “The Selection,” and barely finished reading “The Magician’s Nephew.” I love reading, at least enough to reread my favorite books, but I didn’t even do that in 2017. My goal this year is to reread all my favorite books and to read a few new series’.
• The Selection
• The Hunger Games
• Twilight
• Under the Never Sky
• Divergent
• Harry Potter
• The Last Song
• A Walk to Remember
• The Shunning
• Love Comes Softly
• Descendants
• Nancy Drew
• Ever After High and Monster’s High (New)
• A mermaid series I can never remember the name of that my best friend told me to read. (New)
I will enjoy life and rest more. I will also sleep at least 8 hours a night. I have a tendency to stress about anything that doesn’t seem to be going right. I need to stop doing that. I have never faced something that God hasn’t taken care of for me. Therefore, I have no reason to stress about anything. I told my former roommate “I’m not stressing. 2017 was a big ball of stress and 2018 is going to be a soft bed of rest!” That’s my motto for the year! I will rest in the Lord and know He is God. A lot of my stress comes when I’m tired and or hungry. That’s normally when I haven’t slept at least 8 hours. Thus, my goal is to get enough sleep every night.
I will stay caught up with my shows this year. It’s a silly goal, but it’s my goal nonetheless. Every year, I fall behind on my favorite shows, Heartland and Dancing with the Stars. Falling behind always stresses me out, because it means I have to watch several episodes at a time to catch up. This year, I will not fall more than one episode behind on either of these shows or any new shows that I decide to watch.
I will take at least one picture with my best friend every month. This is just a fun goal that she joked about and I decided to make it an actual goal. I see her at least once a week, so it shouldn’t be too hard to accomplish.
Finally, I will finish the shows I’ve started (and still want to watch) in the past.
1. Merlin
2. Sabrina the Teenage Witch
3. Boy Meets World (I’ve Never watched it in order) and Girl Meets World
4. Friends
5. How I Met Your Mother
6. Stranger Things
7. Fuller House
8. Liv and Maddie
9. Austin and Ally

2017, I Will Not Miss You!

2017 was not my year, which especially sucks because January made it seem like I was going to have an awesome year! I even wrote, “In 2015, I quit my job at Chick-fil-a to get a “grownup” job so I could afford a new car and living on my own. In 2016, I discovered I am gluten intolerant and constantly have to make the grownup decision not to eat the thing I’m not supposed to eat. In 2017, so far, I’m just obsessed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and it’s very nice not to have to be a grownup too much for now! Sometimes, a girl just needs a break from adulting.” Then, all hell broke loose!

1. On February 28, after being in the worst pain of my life for a week, I went to the doctor and found out I pulled my sciatic nerve. I didn’t get to do much other than sit and lie down for nearly 6 months!
2. On March 21, I applied to move into a brand-new apartment complex with my sister. The next day we were approved to move in on June 1^st. Then the date was changed to mid-June. Then, sometime in July, August 1, August 15, for sure by mid-September, no wait, now it’s October… Finally, moved in on November 1^st! Seriously, the wait was so ridiculous, even my best friend started to get mad for me!
3. On June 22, I felt led to leave the position at work that I had for 2 ½ years and start a new position. 3 months later, I quit my job altogether and went back to Chick-fil-A on September 29. Then, I quit Chick-fil-A on December 29^th and am going into 2018 unemployed. There are few things I hate more than change and the unknown and 2017 was nothing but change and the unknown!
4. On October 2, the transmission in my car went out, costing $3000. Two months later, on November 30, the battery and alternator on my car went out costing a few more hundred dollars!

But, all was not lost! Even though 2017 often felt like a big pile of crap, a lot of good/great things happened too! The following is a neat list of what my 2017 looked like in between the less than stellar events of the year! Mind you, I cried a lot in 2017, because I’m a stress crier and I don’t know that I’ve ever faced a year as difficult as 2017!

TV Shows I watched

1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
2. Angel
3. Sabrina the Teenage Witch (incomplete)
4. March 23 – Firefly
5. March 27 – Dollhouse
6. June 6 – This Is Us (incomplete)
7. 9/20 – How I Met Your Mother (incomplete)
8. 10/12 – Boy Meets World (incomplete)
9. 10/29 – Stranger Things (incomplete)
10. 12/18 – Riverdale
11. 12/22 Fuller House Season 3b (incomplete)

Books I started

1. January – The Selection Coloring Book
2. February Jane Austen Books (complete)
3. 4/11 – Buffy Coloring Book
4. 12/19 – The Selection

Favorite Quotes

1. “I want to exude the confidence I feel wearing heels and red lipstick.” – Me
2. “Washing blue jeans is risky. It’s like, “When I put these on, will they be 1) snug enough that I feel like can take on anything, because, “Man, I look good!” or 2) So snug that I rethink everything I’ve ever eaten in the past 10 years?” – Me
3. “When artists I like go on tour.
   Me: I WANNA GO!
   5 seconds later: There will be people there. I don’t like people…. staying home it is, then!” – Me
4. “If shattering glass was an Olympic sport, then I’d take home the gold.” – Me
5. Spencer Hastings: “Cupcakes. Gluten-free. Dairy-free. Sugar-free. Fat-free. Technically, they might not actually exist.”
6. Unknown: “Try to live every day like Elle Woods after Warner told her she wasn’t smart enough for Harvard Law School.”
7. 12/31 – My Sister/roommate: “Basically, all of our interactions are randomly poking each other.”

New Friends (and important interactions with old friends)

1. Kelli Cates
2. March 6 – Met Anna-Marie in person!
3. 3/19 – Holly moved to Indonesia
4. 8/19 – Five years at Compass and friendship with Allie & Holly
5. Five years of friendship with Shelby Lilly!
6. Abby Stewart
7. Bill
8. Morgan
9. Lauren
10. Ciara and Robert
11. 11/8 – Facetimed Holly after not seeing her for 7 months
12. 12/30 – Got to see Allie after a year of not seeing her!

My brother and sister-in-love had a baby!

1. March 15 – I’m gonna be an aunt!
2. June 2 – It’s a Boy!
3. November 7 – Anthony James is born!
4. December 20 – Aunt Britt and AJ meet!

Celebrity Interactions #AlmostFamous

1. Julia Ross liked my comment on Sarah Ross’s Instagram (of Everlife)
2. 3/7- Saw the Duggars at the bank in Ak
3. 4/5 – Sarah Michelle Gellar liked my tweet!
4. 5/24 – Freddie Prinze Jr. liked my tweet!
5. 7/27 – Amber Marshall liked my comment on her Instagram post!
6. 8/18 – Met Sunny Sweeney after her concert!
7. Tiffany Alvord liked several of my tweets and tweeted back several times!
8. Hurricane Harvey Relief and seeing RaeLynn perform live!

Random Milestones

1. February: Started Writing Buffy the Vampire Slayer Fan Fiction (on hiatus now)
2. 3/2 – Started cooking raw chicken and meals in general nearly every day!
3. 4/16 – Combined my blogs to have one.
4. 4/16 – Started Writing Malachi Gregory
5. 4/27 – Blogging is my calling
6. 5/29 – Obsessive Hope is live!
7. 6/13 – #5 on Reverb Nation Singer Songwriter charts for San Antonio, Tx
8. 6/21- First Vlog – “At last; It is Very Good”
9. 6/27- Silly as it may be, I was excited to see it rain on one side of my work building, while the sun shone brightly on the other side.
10. 8/13 – Isaac, Dinah, and Micah accepted Jesus into their hearts!
11. 12/7 – It snowed in San Antonio!!

Total Stats at the End of the Year

1. Facebook

• 105 likes

2. Instagram

• 112 Followers

3. obsessivehope.com

• 221 posts
• 30 followers
• 4710 views

4. Reverb Nation

• 392 fans
• 11 – Local Singer/Song Writers
• 43 – Regional

5. Twitter

• 110 Followers

6. Wattpad

• 347 Reads in one month

7. YouTube—Across three platforms

• 357,359 views
• 316 subscribers
• 100 videos

8. YouTube—Obsessive Girl

• 530 music/vlog views
• 254 total subscribers
• 39 music videos/vlog

At the end of the year, I only remembered any of the good things, because I looked through all of my Facebook posts of the year. While a lot of much worse things could have happened in 2017, and I’m grateful they didn’t, a lot of things could have happened a lot more smoothly too! A lot of things could have, and in my mind, should have not happened at all! Now that it’s 2018, I kind of just want to sit at home and sleep until I run out of money, because 2017 left me physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually drained! I need to rest in every sense of the word and I certainly hope 2018 will give me that rest I need!

Happy New Year, everyone! May this year be everything you want it to be as you grab it and claim it as your own!