Thankful Thursdays V8

Well, hello Thursday! And the last day of July. Time is flying and I don't know about you but I find it hard to believe that tomorrow is August. I will let you in on a little secret. August is my least favorite month of the year. My mommy passed away August 2001 and it has never been the same for me since. I plan to do my best to remain positive and smile on. August will not bring me down, I must shine on for my momma!

What better way to wrap up July than with a Thankful post?

This past week I am thankful for:

* Answered prayers. Yesterday I literally had just updated my facebook saying "I have a 7 month goal, pay off my debt, encourage those who owe me money to start making payments, sell my car around income tax time, and buy a new to me car around my birthday in March" and then I prayed for God to open doors and direct me on a path to reach my goals. Literally, within 2 hours, my boss at work called me with an amazing offer. More to come in the next few days on that.

^^ a beautiful stroll around Lake H

^^ Pina Loca's :) nom nom nommmm

^^ having sisters in Christ to grow with through daily devotionals <3

^^ I know pistachio seems weird, but, it's deeeelicious!

^^ still with the clean eating 5 days a week and I feel amazing!

And I will follow this by the worst thing to have when you are clean eating, BUT, it was a cheat day.

^^ I saw this smore pizza roll up floating around on facebook and had to try it. It was beyond amazing and super easy to make. I looked a recipe up on Pinterest. 

I hope you each have had an equally amazing week friends and have much to be thankful for!

Wednesday Weekend Recap

One of my best friends came into town last week for a vacation and she stayed with me. It was a week full of shenanigans as you can imagine. You know how it goes when you get your closest girlfriends together, especially when you haven't seen them in awhile. Her trip was semi vacation/semi taking care of business as she is looking to possibly move back to Florida to finish college. She actually lived down here before while she was in college but that came to a screeching halt when she was diagnosed with APL Leukemia in 2007. Thankfully, God is good and she has been in remission since 2009.

Anyways, she flew in Thursday evening around 8pm. And that ended up being a fiasco as a friend of mine was working on my car and it was supposed to be good to go for me... Well, as he drove it to my work, the part failed and it was leaking coolant again. Now, I count my blessings that it failed on him and not me when I was on the interstate. It still left me in a predicament though as I was stuck at work with no ride and T was stuck at the airport with no ride. I didn't want to stress her out so I told her I was running late due to work (which was partially true, hectic night at work) and I worked to solve our issue. I have the best friends in the world and a friend of mine let me borrow her Yaris not only to pick up T from the airport but all day Friday as well, all I had to do was wake up early enough to take her daughter to daycare and her to work. This helped SO much. T & I were able to grab a rental Friday afternoon and we were good to go transportation wise.

We got SO much done in a short 5 days, 6 nights. I have been clean eating 5 days a week since June but I knew this week would be lots of cheating as she had many favorites that we needed to visit that she can't get in Virginia. We started off Thursday night with a bestie night in topped off with horrible food and a great chick flick. We got Hungry Howies subs and I made a pinterest recipe, smores rolled up pizza, which was amazing and we watched The Other Woman and laughed until we cried.

Friday we got right to business with taking care of her to-do list while in town. It was an early morning since we had to drop my friend off at work. We then ventured out to Lake H which is a popular workout spot so we could take a 3 mile stroll while enjoying the great outdoors. We followed that with breakfast at Fat Jacks, her all time favorite and a must visit every time shes in Florida. You can get 3 eggs, hash browns, grits OR home fries and toast for $2.99. You can't beat that! After that we headed to the local DMV so she could try to renew her expired Florida DL. I was expecting a hassle, but, we breezed through! She took that as a sign from God! We made a quick stop at Parkesdale Farms for some produce and dessert. She was in awe that I've lived here my entire life and never been. And boy was I missing out. Their strawberry milkshake was top notch. No wonder it has been voted best drinkable dessert by food network. Friday night we had a girls night out at a local hidden gem that plays live music in a great outdoor environment. This was a perfect evening with the bestest of friends, good craft beer, variety of food and a relaxing live band!

 Saturday we intended to wake up early and head to one of my favorite places, Anna Maria Island, but, we slept in. We finally headed that way around 11am and met up with a friend for lunch at Lobstahs which is a local favorite. We spent the rest of the afternoon soaking up the sun. It was a perfect Florida beach day! We ended our Saturday by cooking in, shrimp, grilled onions, corn on the cob & cilantro rice.

 ^^ do not judge my corn. I like it Mexican style ;)

Sunday was a fairly laid back day. We went to breakfast with friends at another local gem, The Ribhouse, and then met up with more friends for Church (which might I add, the praise was awesome and the word was amazing!). We hosted a little cookout by the pool at my house after church to give anyone who hadn't met up with T over the weekend a chance to swing by while she was in town. I missed the gym Friday and Saturday so was grateful to have time for a run on Sunday night.

Monday we headed out to the Webster Flea Market which is only open on Mondays oddly enough. We went out there with a purpose and our mission was accomplished. The rest of Monday was back to reality for me. I had to return to work after a wonderful 3 day weekend, and T had appointments at local universities on Monday and Tuesday while I was working. Tuesday was also pretty chill. I hit the gym in the morning and then bam it was time for work as I went in early so T could make an early appointment. We had a quick lunch date at Panera and a local cupcake bakery before I jetted off to work.

 

^^ look at this cutie I found at the flea market! He just wanted some kisses!

 

^^ I got a reeses cupcake and T got a mini creme brulee

We definitely did not accomplish everything that she wanted to do while she was in town, but, we knocked out a big chunk. The most important part was of course getting answers about finishing her degree, which she got taken care of, so I would consider this a successful trip for her. She wanted to end out her vacation by going to her favorite spot, so we grabbed breakfast at Fat Jacks on the way to the airport.

When I say I am blessed in the friends department, I am not lying. I am so thankful for each and every single one of my friends. They truly are my family.

<3 you T, thanks for spending the week with me!

How much is enough?

 ** sharing a post from my former blog **

Last night as I listened to the storm outside, and read chapter six in Radical by David Platt, I was convicted. Various parts brought me to tears. Chapter 6 is titled How Much Is Enough? American Wealth And A World Of Poverty.  Before I get started I am going to give you a few statistics because I have a feeling many of you may not make it to the end of this post as I will likely become a babbling mess with a super long message. SO, let's get right to the stats: ┼ As of 2010 if you make more than $50,000 a year, you are in the top 1% of the worlds wealthiest people. 99% of the world is less wealthy than you. Remember, this is world we are talking about, NOT America.  ┼ If you make $25,000 a year, you are wealthier than 90% of the worlds population. You are among the richest 10% of adults in the world. ┼ Of the 6.7 billion people on earth almost half of them live on less than $2 a day. We spend $2 on french friends, or mints. Our hourly wage is MORE than $2 and so many make that in a DAY. ┼ 60% of the worlds population make LESS than $1000 annually. That's right. An average of $83 a month. ┼ If you have money saved (any amount), a hobby that requires some equipment of supplies, a variety of clothes in your closet, 2 cars (any condition), and live in your own home, you are among the top 5% of the worlds wealthiest. You may think YOU are struggling financially BUT 95% of the world is struggling more than you or I. ┼ 93% of the worlds population don't even own a car. Yet we complain on a regular basis about our car problems. ┼ More than 26,000 children will DIE today due to starvation and preventable diseases. --- from the Radical book Statistics like this blow my mind. I guess I've never looked at the grand scheme of things. We tend to focus more locally. But when you start adding world into everything, things change.... and drastically.  I got the above stats from irememberthepoor.org & The hole in our Gospel by Richard Sterns, president of World Vision. If you haven't read David Platts' book, Radical, I highly recommend it. It has definitely brought things into perspective for me. Chapter 6 is about blind spots in our life. "we all have blind spots - areas of our lives that need to be uncovered so we can see correctly and adjust our lives accordingly. But they are hard to identify. Others can often see them in us, and we rely on friends to point them out. But the reality is, even then we have a hard time recognizing them. We don't want to admit they exist... often until it's too late" David Platt says he can think of at least one glaring blind spot in American Christian history: Slavery. How could Christians who supposedly believed in the gospel so easily reationalize the enslavement of other human beings? Churchgoers with good intentions worshiping God together every Sunday and reading the Bible religiously all week long, all the while using God's Word to justify treating men, women, and children as property to be used or abused.  When we look back at slave owning church goers of 150 years ago we ask "how could they have treated fellow human beings that way?" We have to wonder if followers of Christ 150 years from now will look back at Christians in America today and ask "how could they live in such big houses? How could they drive such nice cars and wear such nice clothes? How could they live in such affluence while thousands of children were dying because they didn't have food and water? How could they go on with their lives as though the billions of poor didn't even exist?" Good intentions, regular worship, and even study of the Bible do not prevent blindness in us. Part of our sinful nature instinctively chooses to see what we want to see and to ignore what we want to ignore.  Do you think materialism  is a blind spot in American Christianity today? More specifically, is materialism a blind spot in your Christianity today? Does this mean to sell everything you have? No. Take a look at Mark 10 and Jesus' conversation with a rich young man. The man eagerly approached Jesus and asked him "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" to which Jesus said to HIM "One thing you lack. Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in Heaven. Then, come follow me." Jesus was clearly exposing THIS particular man's allegiance to his possessions. The rich man needed a new heart. One that was radically transformed by the gospel. David Platt says that there are two common errors people make when they read Mark 10:

1. some try to universalize Jesus' words, saying that he always commands his followers to sell everything they have and give it to the poor. But, the New Testament doesn't support this.
2.  some people assume Jesus never calls his followers to abandon all their possessions to follow him. Mark 10 DOES teach us that sometimes Jesus DOES call on people to sell everything they own and give to the poor.

One writer put it this way... "that Jesus did not command ALL his followers to sell all their possessions gives comfort only to the kind of people to whom he would issue that command." How true is that?! David Platt makes sure to reiterate that the Bible NOWHERE teaches that caring for the poor is a means by which we can earn salvation. The means of our salvation is faith in Christ alone, and the basis of our salvation is the work of Christ alone. He does remind us that the books of Proverbs warns about curses that come upon those that ignore the poor. James(5:1) tells those who hoard their money and live in self indulgence to "weep and wail because of the misery that is coming"  Chapter 6 goes on in great detail about the luxuries of our American life and simple ways we can help others. For instance, one example he gave is how as our annual incomes increase so does our spending on ourselves. We make more a year, that means a bigger house, or a better car. When really, if we capped our income, and continued to live off of that cap, each year as our income grew, we'd have more to give to help those that aren't as fortunate. One example given was of John Wesley (1703-91). He identified a modest living level for him and never surpassed it. At one point he began making the equivalent of 160,000 a year in todays terms, yet he still lived as if he were making 20,000 a year and had 140,000 left over to give away. WOW. Scripture clearly teaches that God intends our plenty to supply others needs.  There are two questions that need to be asked?

1. What can we spare?
2. What will it take?

What would happen if together everyone stopped giving their scraps to the poor and started giving surplus? What if we started giving not just what we were able to give but beyond what we were able to give as the widow in Luke 21 did. She gave ALL that she had. What if WE began to give what it HURT us to give; not just because of the critical need around us, but because this kind of giving is actually what the heart of Christ in us both demands and desires? This is exactly what the Scripture teaches. In 1 Timothy 6, Paul tells Timothy to command the rich "to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share." This, Paul says, is the key to being free from the deadly nature of wealth and possessions. GIVE. Give generously, abundantly, and sacrificially.  Chapter 6 gives SO many examples of this from cleaning out closets, donating electronics, selling a large house for a smaller one, and even one lady who, as her church tried to raise money to rebuild homes in Indonesia (you could rebuild a home for $400) after destruction from an earthquake, said "my husband and I don't have much money right now, BUT, I can give this (her wedding ring) so that a couple in Indonesia can have a home." I won't go into great detail of these examples as I know I've ranted for awhile now! The war against materialism in our hearts is exactly that, a war. It's a constant battle to resist the temptation to have more luxuries, to acquire more stuff, and to live more comfortably. It requires a strong and steady resolve to live out the gospel in the middle of an American dream that identifies success as moving up the ladder, getting a bigger house, buying a nicer car, eating finer foods and acquiring more things. BUT, we can beat the battle. We can win the war within our heart.  Don't be blind to materialism in your own life friends. Don't miss eternal treasures by settling on earthly trinkets. Where your treasure is Jesus says, "there your heart will be also." It's easy for those statistics that I gave at the beginning to seem so cold and distant. It's hard for us to even imagine as we lay our pillows down on our comfy pillows at night. But, it's out there friends. Men, Women, Children, just like us, are out there suffering. We have a choice. When we see those poverty commercials come on TV, we have the choice to switch the channels on our mega tv's, to continue our ordinary comfortable churchgoing lives as if the global poor don't exist, OR we can open our eyes and our lives to the realities that surround us and begin considering the facts that are represented by these numbers.  Only time will tell what you and I choose to do with this blind spot of American Christianity in our day.

The kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field....

when a man found it,

in his JOY he went and sold all he had

and bought that field!

Matt 13:44

All they asked,

is that we should continue to remember the poor.

The very thing I was eager to do.

Galatians 2:10

To help locally it's as simple as cleaning out your closet, donating excess clothes, dropping food off or volunteering at homeless shelters or food banks. You can simply google local organizations that need help. If you'd like more information on helping fight the global battle please check out the following:

World Vision

Amazima Ministries 

Compassion International 

Isn't it amazing to think that by us sponsoring a child and donating $25 or so a month, we are making an enormous difference in that families household income? In some cases we are doubling an ANNUAL income. If you made it this far, thank you! I know it was a lot to take in, but I am so appreciative for you taking the time to read it. May you have a blessed coming week.

Thankful Thursday V7

This Thankful Thursday post is going to be a little different as in it will have no pictures, just quick and to the point. Hopefully you all will still enjoy reading what I have to be thankful for from this past week :)

This week I am thankful for:

* the changes in my body.  In the past 6 weeks or so I have lost a total of 15lbs and 5% body fat! I am super stoked about this. I go to the gym at least 5x a week, but, I attribute this change mostly to a change in my diet. I have been doing the Crossfit Block Diet which is basically clean eating and I have noticed a difference in the way I look, and more importantly, the way I feel. I love it! Which really motivates me to keep it up.

* online accountability and support groups. I have quite a few friends who have expressed interest in eating clean after seeing the changes I have made. I want to help them and motivate them as much as possible so I created an online group via facebook for us to use to motivate and support each other. So far, we have about 10 members and I am very excited about this and thankful that I have been able to inspire others to want to lead a healthier lifestyle.

* Maxi dresses. As crazy as it sounds, I just wore my 1st Maxi dress last week and it was so comfortable. I didn't realize what I was missing out on!

* Free mattresses. I needed an extra mattress for a spare bedroom and out of no where one of my friends texted me asking "hey, do you need an extra mattress for your spare bedroom? I have two I need to get rid of" And just liked that I acquired a free full and queen size mattress and box spring. I only needed one, so I paid it forward with the other.

* Precious babies being born! One of my favorite bloggers, Kaelah over at The Clueless Girl just gave birth to a precious baby boy yesterday! Check her blog out in the next few days as I am sure there will be cuteness overload. Congratulations to Kaelah & Mike!

* Friends that are knowledgeable about cars. A gasket went out on my car again causing it to leak coolant. The same gasket went out exactly a year ago. I am so thankful to have a friend that I trust to do all the work on my car. I know Ol' Blue is in good hands.

* Time spent with D & C! They came over on Friday night for Chicken Bacon Pizza, WaWa Cookies, and a good Rom-Com. There was lots of much needed laughs. 

* This up-coming weekend. I know it hasn't passed yet, but, I am already thankful as I know it will be AMAZING as I have one of my best friends flying in TONIGHT from the DC area. We have a fun filled weekend planned while she is here and I am just over the moon to see her!  

That's my list for the week! What about you? Have a blessed weekend friends. <3

2nd annual BBQ Cookoff

I know I mentioned this briefly last week in my Thankful Thursday post, but, I wanted to give this event the attention it so deserves.

Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending the 2nd annual BBQ cook-off in memory of JD Clyatt.

You see, in September of 2012, one of my best friends lost her fiance and father of her beautiful daughter in a tragic car accident at the hands of a young lady that made a reckless decision to drink and drive one Labor day weekend.

Lives were forever changed that day but, his family has made it a point to try to have at least two gatherings once a year in memory of JD. We do one every July around the time of his birthday to celebrate his life, and the many lives he touched during life. It always brings a smile to my face to see the eclectic group that we are gather together in honor of him. You see people of all different races, ages, & background celebrating one common denominator, JD.

This past event was no different. I think we actually had a bigger showing than the 1st event. We had good food, drinks, a water slide, a live band, and an awesome game of kickball to keep everyone involved.

 

The picture below had a funny story behind it. It was a blooper because the minute I saw it I told my friend that for whatever reason, the way he was leaning, his arm, and his facial expression made me feel like he was about to go all Walking Dead on us. Zombie mode. I don't know what it is, but we all agreed, and did a re-take.

The most important thing in life is family. There are days you love them, and others you do not. But, in the end, they are the people you always come home to. Sometimes it's the family you are born into, and sometimes it's the one you make for yourself. 

 ^^ These are the two beautiful children JD left behind <3

^^ 2013 top, 2014 bottom.

Thank you JD, for making us a family.

Thankful Thursday V6

We made it through another week friends :)
It seems like I will post a Thankful Thursday post, and then, before I get a chance to blog anymore, it's Thursday again. I promise, I will post more frequently. Life has been chaotic, as I am sure you can relate.

This week I am thankful for:

^^ the ability to work from home. I don't always get to work from home, but, when I do, it is amazing

^^ my furbabies! They are always on guard.

^^ A perfect Sunday. I swapped days with a co-worker so I could attend the 2nd annual Memorial BBQ Cookoff in memory of one of my best friends fiances, JD Clyatt who was killed by a drunk driver September 2012. I started my day off by going to church with two of my friends that visited my church for the 1st time and then we all went to the BBQ event. They had a live band, water slides, food, and kickball. It was a blast. We left a little early to catch the ending of the world cup. And after all that, I drove out to Orlando to visit with my cousin in the hospital.

^^ the way little kids can instantly change your day with beautiful art work <3

^^ A Friday night in with some amazing girls. One of my best friends celebrated her 30th and wanted something low key so I offered to host something at my house. I had a friend of mine make Mexican rice and tamales, I made fresh guacamole, and we got a recipe off of pinterest for Strawberry Lime Moscato and we were good to go! It was a great night...We ended it at Chili's with a sweet tooth.

^^ an amazing deal on baby clothes for my 1st niece! If you have a Once Upon a Child near you, I strongly suggest you check it out. They are amazing. I received an email that ALL of their clearance was on sale for a $1 SOOO, I bought all of the above for $19.79. You can't beat that. The only item I bought that wasn't clearance was the black onsie that is in Spanish. I couldn't pass it up, AND, even NOT on sale, it was $2.50. SCORE!

 ^^ My cousin doing so well after her kidney transplant. What a miracle of life <3

^^ I believe this is my soul song. I absolutely adore it. I have had my heart broken a few times, but no matter what, I still believe in love. I know that one day it will come knocking on my door. And the video? It was shot during a missions trip to Honduras. Check out Hearts 2 Honduras to learn more. My passion is ministry in Mexico and I hope to travel their in the next year.

I hope each of you have some wonderful things to be thankful for this week as well!

Kidney for Kristy Update

SHE GOT THE CALL!

Last Thursday, July 10th, my cousin got the call she has been waiting years for. They had a kidney for her. I can't even tell you the emotions that went through me when she called me as she was rushing to the Florida hospital. As soon as I got off the phone I dropped to me knees in tears and just sent praises up. God is so, so good.

^^ this was right before surgery! My cousin, her hubby, Mom and step-dad.

Here is how it went down, as told to me by my cousin. She was actually AT dialysis on Thursday when she got the call. She recognized Florida Hospital's number, BUT, it wasn't her caseworker. When she picked up the lady verified it was Kristy, then said "Honey, we have a kidney for you! Now, we aren't 100% sure it's a match, we need you here ASAP to do all the cross matching tests, but, we are 95% sure this is your new kidney" Kristy said she immediately started crying and kept saying "you aren't lying are you?! This isn't a joke?!" She asked if she needed to go ahead and stop dialysis and leave right then and they said yes, so, they unhooked her, and off she went. Everyone at dialysis was so happy they were in tears for her as well. She got to the hospital around 12:30pm. Cross testing was done and they said it was a match by 3:30pm and she went back for surgery around 5pm. It should have took 3 hours, but it took an extra hour due to complications. She went from surgery to recovery where she was awake within an hour, and then off to ICU. 

^^ this was taken right after surgery

So far, everything looks great. I visited with her on Friday and Sunday and her spirits are high.

She actually was released from the hospital just a few short hours ago.

The many, many prayers are very much appreciated. 

Again I say it, God is so, so good. 

Thankful Thursday V5

Goodness gracious, is it just me, or does time just seem to fly by during the summer months? It seems like winter drags on forever... well, in colder states, not really in Florida... but, you know what I mean.

It seems like every time I glance at the calendar another week has flown by. Slow down, please!

This week I am thankful for the following:

^^ SHE GOT THE CALL!! A few hours ago my cousin got the call to rush to Florida Hospital as they may have her match. She has been waiting years for this call. We are waiting now for the cross match and if everything is ago surgery will be soon. The power of prayer is amazing my friends.

* An old coworker/friend coming back to chat/check in on me. He is actively involved in ministry and a great guy. He just returned to work and has no clue about the personal struggles that I am going through right now, so, I know that was God working in sending him to chat with me. It was nice to chat with him and hear how his sweet family and wife are doing right now.

^^ Mexican Candy, yes. I know, it is an acquired taste.

^^ Late night reflections by the pool. I have spent many nights recently outside reading my Bible, praying, and just reflecting.

^^ ELOTE! Enough said, if you've never had Mexican style corn on the cob you are missing out.

* Lots of phone time catching up with one of my best friends who lives out of state in Virgina. It's nice to be able to catch up with someone who understands me completely. Love you T!

^^ CURLS! I am not used to having long hair, I am loving the different things I can do now.

^^ Visually noticing the difference in my body since I started eating clean(er). I have lost about 12lbs (2 pants sizes!!) in the last month. I've been following the crossfit block/zone diet, which is basically Paleo, eating clean. I LOVE the way I feel, and don't even crave the other stuff. Basically, instead of getting my carbs from pasta-y stuff, I get it from fruits or veggies. A sample meal for me would be 6oz of ground turkey, 2/3 cup mashed sweet potatoes, 1/4 cup black beans and 3 table spoons of avocado. That's a 3 block meal and right there I get my protein, carbs, and good fat.

^^ rewarded myself with two new gym shirts. I love this one :)

How about you, friends? What are you thankful for this past week? 

Note: I should have my link up working by next week!

4th of July 2014

Hi Friends!

I hope your Independence Day was as blessed as mine.

I debated what to do for the 4th of July as I  started the week off thinking I would be having a 3 day weekend. By midweek, it was clear that our clients weren't budging and I would indeed be working my normal schedule which involves Sunday. And then my boss texted to see if I'd work on Saturday. Of course, it was optional, but, I said yes. A little over-time couldn't hurt. So, that made making plans easier, instead of debating on a weekend away, I knew I would stay semi local for my one day off. 

Thursday my Dad and I got a taste of what traffic would be like for the holiday weekend as we headed to Florida Hospital in Orlando to visit my cousin who had been admitted. If you aren't aware, my cousin is in end stages of renal failure and desperately needs a kidney... you can find out more by learning about Kidney for Kristy. She was actually released from the hospital that day only to be admitted again on Sunday. This is a vicious cycle and I am so hopeful she can get the kidney she needs so she can live the life she deserves.

A friend of mine just moved back to Florida from Iowa so I invited her out on Friday, and we ventured out with another friend to Haines City's Thunder on the Ridge to meet up with yet another friend. I may have a fairly small family, but, I have been fortunate enough to have amazing friends that have turned into family, and that's what these girls are! My friends family does BBQ competitions and they were vending at the event, so, we set up shop right in front of their area. The weather was perfect. When we 1st got there it was still typical Florida, hot and muggy, but, within an hour or two it cooled off much to our surprise. And there were no mosquitoes which is always a blessing. 

^^ Red, White & Blue! Proud to be an American.

While we had yummy food at the event, my body definitely noticed the difference since I have been eating clean(er) the last month or so. They had my Elote which is corn on the cob Mexican style with mayo, Parmesan cheese and chili powder. There was NO WAY I was passing that up. And of course I had to have some BBQ from my friends family. Pulled chicken isn't that bad, right? 

Saturday was my Mommy's birthday, so, I wore her favorite color,  yellow in memory of her <3

After I got off work I made a visit to the cemetery and then met up with a friend to get ready to go out as we had plans to go to  local beer/wine/cigar bar for some yummy pretzel pizza and Framboise.

^^ All of the above girls are pretty much amazing!

It was back to work as usual on Sunday. I actually had to be in early so I didn't get to attend church in person. I had to settle for a sermon online. Either way, I can not complain. God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.