Always, Sometimes, Never

I always:

• check my alarm seven times before bed. 
• say, "I love you" before hanging up the phone with my husband...or mom...or dad...or brother....
• wash my hair first in the shower, so I can leave my conditioner on the longest. 
• drink real Coke. 
• mean to call people back when I say I will.

I always find something to buy at Target, like these mirrors! 

I always steal as many smooches as possible from this ladybug!

I sometimes:

• actually remember to call people back
• text them instead because I don't feel like actually talking.
• rewash a load more than once because I forgot to dry it. 
• act like I know people because I read their blogs.
• cry at commercials.
• eat a bite of my meal before I remember to pray.
• pretend that I'm a singer, and then sing really loudly to no one but myself.

I sometimes force my husband to take selfies in the car before date night.

I never:

• touch raw ground beef.  Ever. Seriously.
• eat spinach leaves. Gross.
• forget to kiss my husband good-bye in the mornings. 
• turn down ice cream. 

I never get tired of this man...

...or this view.

Check out Total Tippins Takeover to see Amy's list! 

Current Randoms

I love getting a glimpse into the lives of other people, so when one of my favorite blogs, www.totaltippinstakeover.com, shared this post I decided to link up.   Run over to Amy's blog and check out her post, too.  She has a new baby on the way and two of the cutest girls already! 

What I'm Loving:

• The warmer days.  It's not too hot and not too cold. Perfect recess weather.
• Award shows.  Yes, it's a guilty pleasure.  
• Hanging out with my sweet niece.  Could you just die?!

What I'm Reading:

• Bloom by Kelle Hampton
• Unglued by Lysa Turkeurst

What I'm Waiting For:

• The beach! We're gearing up for a Spring Break trip to Gulf Shores. 
• Beth Moore.
• Summer Break. Period.

What I'm Excited About:

• Putting the house on the market.  Just a few more things to get ready...
• Eating crab legs at the beach.
• The clean house I'm sitting in.  Hey, I worked hard for it to be this way. 

What I'm Working On:

• Grading papers on time. 
• Working out on a daily basis. 
• Baby- making.  

What I'm Enjoying:

• Grilling out with the hubs on these warmer nights.
• My new fave: Avocado and cottage cheese with my lunch. Delish.

What I'm Wearing:

• Old Navy jeans, a Georgia Bulldawgs pullover, and tennis shoes.  

What I'm Singing:

• "I'll wear your granddad's clothes.  I look incredible."  You're welcome. 

What I'm Needing:

• Some devotional time.  That's why I'm looking forward to Beth Moore in May.  She always knows how speak God's word directly to my heart. 

What I'm Learning:

• That working out makes me feel good which puts me in a better mood which leads to a happier life.  It's a ripple effect. 
• God's timing is perfect.  

What I'm Doing:

• A little of this and that.  I don't think we've had a free weekend in forever! 

What I'm Dreaming Of:

• A new house
• A new baby 

My Attempt at DIY

When hubby and I got married - almost two years ago! Holla! - we incorporated a "Wishing Tree" at our reception.  I scoured Etsy looking for the perfect tags and my dad put together an amazing "tree" for them to be displayed on once our guests had written on them.  The idea was that the guests would write well-wishes for us, the new couple, and we would read them throughout the years with tears of joy and fond remembrance of that magical night. *cough, cough*

Reality---the day after my wedding the tree was placed in my spare bedroom and there is has remained. Untouched. Unread. Unloved. *tear*

Now, enter my DIY project.  I have to give credit to my lovely friend, Emily, who first did this for her wish tags and inspired me to be a DIYer myself. Two years later. 

My hubby was extra glad that this project was not expensive. I will use this to my advantage in the future...but I digress.

Step 1: 
Find a branch in your backyard that is beautiful. Preferably one that has already snapped from the tree. 

Step 2:
Buy the spray paint color of your choice.  Used this stuff from Walmart.  It was gray. It was cheap.  It said "indoor/outdoor". 

Step 3:
Cover the grass (another point scored for me) and begin to spray paint your branch.  I only did two coats because I wanted the original color to come through a little.  In other words: do a shotty job of spray painting and you end up with your own distressed branch. 

Step 4:
Freak out because your husband can't find the tools he needs to hang the new project and then proceeds to get distracted by every other item in the garage. 

Step 5:
Pick out your favorite wish tags and hang them on the branch.  Read them with tears of joy and fond remembrance of that magical night. 

This post would not be complete without a special thank-you to my hubby for willingly nailing a tree branch to the wall.  I heart you.

Remembering 2012

A few years ago I attended a Beth Moore Conference in Atlanta.  As I stood in line with my mom and thousands of other woman, my mom suddenly got this giddy look on her face.  She tapped me and whispered, "See that lady over there? That's Kelly.  I read her blog."  I watched as my mom went up and introduced herself to this sweet woman.  When we got home from the conference, I looked up Kelly's Korner, and began to read.  I spent hours reading old posts and getting to know Kelly and her family.  This was the first blog that I ever followed. 

Kelly did a wonderful post today with some relfective questions for 2012.  I've decided to link up and share my answers here.  Don't forget to hop over to Kelly's Korner and see the original post.

1. What are you most thankful for?

This is such a hard one to answer because I am thankful for so many things.  This year has taught me to be thankful for my health and the health of my loved ones.  I'm thankful for a loving family and friends that go beyond just being friends.  Friends that I don't have to clean up the house for or talk on the phone to everyday.  Real friends. I'm thankful that I've finally learned to let go of some many things that don't matter, and that I've learned how to really focus on the things that do. 

2. What were the highlights of 2012 for you?

Accomplishments at work. Making it through the first year of marriage and knowing again and again that I made the right choice.  Gaining a fun brother-in-law.  Holding my sweet neice, Leighton, for the first time....and everytime since then.  Going ahead with back surgery and being stronger for it. Beth Moore Conference with my mom and sweet friends. 

3. What are you hoping for in 2013?

Oh, what a loaded question.  Andrew and I have made a huge decision to put our house on the market this year, so I'm hoping for a quick sale and for the perfect home to open up for us.  I'm hoping that we find a house with the perfect room for a nursery because I'm HOPING that this will finally be our year for a baby.  I'm hoping to learn to wait patiently for the Lord's plan. I'm hoping to remember that He loves me and His plan for me is beyong my wildest dreams.

4. What are some you favorites of 2012?

Let's see.  I love chevron, instagram, facebook, and tons of blogs.  I've read some great books. I especially loved The Hunger Games, Bloom, and Gone Girl.  I found renewed love of praise and worship music, especially Chris Tomlin.  I love my ipad and my iphone.

5. Who was God to you in 2012?

God continues to amaze me.  I continue to thirst for his word.  I continue to seek Him and find comfort in knowing that He wants only the best for me. 

As we embark on a new year, and the giddiness of starting something new overcomes us, how would you answer these questions? 



Best wishes for a wonderful new year.  xoxo

"For I know that plans I have for you," says the Lord, "plans to posper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11

Perspective

The older I get the more I appreciate the New Year.  My view has changed, mostly in the last three years, from seeing the New Year as a fantastic drinking opportunity to seeing it as a time to reflect and renew.  There is something refreshing about knowing that I have another year of opportunity before me.  Another year to get it right, try something new, do something different.

Pinterest Find

I asked my husband last night, "What are you most proud of accomplishing over the past year?"  I was trying to be all lovey-dovey and reflective and cute, but men don't really feed in to that sort of thing, do they? He grunted a reply while I sat, half-listening, thinking about what my own answer would be.  What would you say?

A few weeks ago, God laid the word perspective on my heart.  This word has been ever present in my daily life since then.  This year most of us have dealt with unimaginable sadness at some point, hopefully unimaginable joy at another.  Some of us are eager to see this year go, and others are anticipating the joys that a new year will bring.  As a country, we have bickered over elections and banned together over heartache.  I have welcomed a new class of children, and yearned for children of my own.  I have cried and laughed and cried again.  And I hope to cry and laugh and cry again next year.  We are only human.  We can never hope for perfect.  We can hope for perspective. 

Opening Christmas presents

I am writing this sitting in a small cabin in Ellijay, Georgia.  There is ice on the ground and a fire in the fireplace.  I am surrounded by people I love; my mom, my dad, my brother, his girlfriend, Dallas, and my loving husband. There is a hot tub waiting to warm me next to a flowing river with trout for the hubs. This is a great way to welcome a year of new.

Happy New Year from The Clowers

So, while I may still wake up with a hangover on Tuesday morning, I'll be doing it with a whole new perspective.

Commit everything you do to the Lord.  Trust Him, and He will help you.  Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act.  -Psalm 37: 5,7

Thinking about Thanking

Does anyone else stalk Facebook like I do? 

If so, you've probably seen the multitude of posts about being thankful. But, if you also are a blog stalker, like me, you've probably also seen this post from Enjoying the Small Things.  She rocks. 

So, it got me thanking thinking could I find the best in the mundane?  Could I find gratefulness past the devoted parents, wonderful siblings, loving husband spill? Not hard, right? Shelter, clothes, food. Done. 

Deeper. That's what she said. 

I'm thankful for:

Sunrise. I've been blessed with another day to try again.

My pillow. It has just the right angle for late night tv watching.

 Starbucks. Enough said. 

 My students. Their innocence is an escape. 

 Knowledge. I hope I never stop learning.

Lazy days. 

 Friends.  Life would be far less entertaining without them.

Straight teeth. I wanted braces, but now I know better.

Freshly washed sheets.

Sadness. Without it, happiness would be far less joyful.

The Bible.  Nothing brings me more comfort than God's word.

Music. 'Cause I'm a talented singer. Duh.

Eyebrow pencils. My real eyebrows are literally non-existent.

A strong back. I know what it feels like not to have one.

Conversations with my husband. He gets me.

Silence with my husband. He gets me.

Holding my niece. 

 Crisp mornings.

Weekends. I love to sleep in. 

Books and movies. So I can be lost for a minute. 

A brand new, felt tip, fine point, Sharpie. Nothing writes better.

My list isn't perfect. My list isn't complete, and I pray that it will never be complete.  I hope that even when Thanksgiving has come and gone, I am still finding small reasons to be thankful. 

Oh, one more reason, I'm thankful. 

My sweet babydog. Heck, I'm even grateful for the pile of laundry she was able to snuggle in.

A Dollar Makes Me Holla...

Or, ten dollars, to be exact. Which is how much a paid for this darling dress that was perfect for Sarah and Daniel's nuptials.

Even though the sky threatened rain, God's mercies are great, and we didn't feel a drop. The humid, Georgia air left my hair in shambles, but the bride was beautiful and radiant.

A bottle glass of wine later, I found myself on the dance floor. I say "found" because I would never have "put" myself on the dance floor. I'm not a dancer, and my wobble doesn't lie, but I had a blast with hubs and our friends.

Here's to a lifetime of happiness for Sarah and Daniel! I promise to bring back the wobble at your 50th Anniversary.