52 lists -- week 19 -- list the things you want to be known for

ever since we're small humans, we're asked what we want to be when we grow up. but what we want our legacy to be? never. and i think that's almost a more important question because it's easy to say i want to be a teacher, but that's just a job. instead, we should be thinking about who we want to be as humans. because what we're known for is a much better explanation of who we are. 

above all, i want to be known for my kindness and my open heart. i want people to think back on me and say "she always had something nice to say" or "she was such an optimist". unfortunately, sometimes it's really hard to be nice or optimistic. but it's something that i strive for. because really, if you can't be positive or say something nice, what's the point? life is hard enough, so a little kindness can go a long way. and i just want to be one more person who helps someone else feel a little better with a kind word or a positive outlook.

what do you want to be known for?

2013 -- week 19 -- a strained back, a lost kickball game, and an awesome mom

i have to say, i was seriously skeptical of my own abilities when we started playing kickball last fall, and for the most part, my fears of being a hot mess on the field are totally grounded in reality. but i've definitely learned a lot, like the rules (who knew there were so many in a child's game), and i've got my strengths -- i'm not great at getting on base, but i'm pretty good at advancing runners. but the best part of playing this silly game are the people i've met and become friends with. they're as different as the day is long, but they all bring something awesome to the table, whether it's a knack for catching pop ups or making people laugh. unfortunately, in amongst all of plan b's awesomeness we lost in the first round of the playoffs last weekend. oh well. we enjoyed ourselves and played (& lost) with a smile on our face, and sometimes that's the most important thing.   

this week, bad news came in twos -- rcg threw out his back in a freak coughing accident. crazy, huh? we spent wednesday morning in the emergency room, but luckily it wasn't anything super serious, just a back strain. phew. 

 (ps. how cool is that x-ray?!)

i feel like i don't say this enough -- my mom is pretty cool. i know your mom is probably pretty awesome too, most moms are, but my mom is unique, because she's mine. she's funny, smart, interesting, kind of a bad ass, super organized, and crazy kind. she's gives great advice, writes a mean resume, and enjoys cosmos. she doesn't really like to dance, but she loves to read, and she's learning to clog! she speaks french, went to an awesome college (tribe pride!), and has two furry grandchildren. but most of all, she's pretty cool; she's a person you would want to hang out with and get to know. thanks for being so cool, mom. tkm.

why is your mom awesome?

52 lists -- week 18 -- list the ways you're energized

as we get older it seems harder and harder to get going each day. and it gets easier and easier to take a copious number of naps. not that i ever had a problem doing that when i was younger. but now we actually have things to get done, responsibilities and what not. (boring.) so having a few activities that help rejuvenate and reenergize you are increasingly important.

for me, a nap is still the best option, because there is still nothing better than reseting your body to zero, and starting the day over again. but i have two other options that i really enjoy too -- a faceful of kitten belly and huge skeleton crushing bear hugs. a faceful of kitten belly is something akin to smelling a newborn baby; kitten bellies smell awesome, are super soft & fluffy, and just make your cares melt away. even though my kittenz can sometimes be tiny demons, they really do help me readjust my thinking, let go of my stress, and reenergize me. as for the bear hugs, there are no words that can explain how amazing a bone crushing bear hug can make me feel -- it's like all of my problems and stress are squeezed out of me, leaving me reenergized and ready to face the world again. and sometimes that's just what the doctor ordered.


how do you energize?

2013 -- week 18 -- the importance of documenting the everyday and april day in the life

i feel like i'm busy busy, but for some reason, my photos aren't really portraying that. either i'm not as busy as i think i am, i've been really bad about taking photographs, or i'm so busy that i don't even have time to take photos. regardless of the excuse, it's a shame i haven't been more diligent about taking pictures because i really enjoy it. and i think photographs are a great way to document our lives -- i much prefer it to writing in a journal -- but that only works if you are actually taking pictures of the day to day. because although it's awesome to document the extraordinary it's also really important to document the ordinary. because the ordinary is real life; it's what happens between the vacations, the nights out, and the big events. it's the little things that make our world keep spinning, why not document them, remember them, share them with others, and most of all, cherish them?

it's with this in ming that each month i participate in ali edwards' day in the life. it is an exercise in seeing the beauty in the ordinary, the monotony, and the little things. and since each month's day in the life pictures threatens to be the same as the previous month, i try to do my pictures or my photo layout a little differently. in january i didn't take a lot of pictures (i forgot), but i did write a lot. in february rcg took pictures and documented his day. and in march we were lucky enough to be on vacation to flagstaff so we had fun documenting our day together. but april was a weekday, like january  and february; i had to work and rcg was too busy to document his day again. so i decided to try something a little different this month; rather than taking pictures of what i was looking at, the traditional way one takes a photo, i decided to take pictures of the places i stood throughout the day. because so often we are wrapped up in what we're doing, that we forget all of the places we've been and the things our feet have seen.

do you have any suggestions for ways to spice up next month's day in the life?

52 lists -- week 17 -- list the people you admire

growing up, we’re told that everyone is special, different, and unique. and it’s my opinion that there has never been a more true statement. so if that’s true, why don’t we admire everyone? shouldn’t everyone have something for others to admire? i think so. sure there are bad apples, but for the most part, everyone has something awesome to offer the world. it can be something small -- a funny joke, a smile, or a kind word -- or it can be larger -- a lifesaving invention, a delicious meal, or an amazing book -- but there is always something to admire in others. and frankly, i think the world would be a better place if we learned to look for the things to admire in one another, rather than focusing on the bad.

who do you admire?