Morning Glory

I love mornings.

I love waking early to witness a beautiful sunrise, feeling grateful for a new day, a fresh start...

I love listening to the birds chirping outside my window, singing a chipper morning song...

I love the sun creeping in through the windows, announcing its arrival for a new day...

I love smelling hot coffee, which lures me out of bed to taste its yummy goodness...

I love hearing crackling bacon, beckoning me to investigate a delicious breakfast cooking...

I love taking a hot shower to feel refreshed, prepared for whatever the day holds...

I love choosing my outfit, allowing it to set my mood for the rest of the day...

I love knowing everyone on the road is going to a similar destination - work (and they probably arent super happy about it either)...

I love offering an upbeat "Good Morning!" to everyone I come in contact to - you can only do that until 11 or 12, you know...

At least thats what I keep reciting to myself

as I wake up each morning lately.

The truth is... and this may be a complete shocker to you - if you dont know me -

I hate mornings.

I have even discussed this in a previous blog before. I hate waking up. I hate hearing the birds chirping. I hate that the sun has found ways into my room. I hate physically getting up. I hate leaving my warm, cozy bed to be exposed to the cold, harsh air. I hate getting dressed - the pressure to choose an outfit becomes overwhelming sometimes. (It is not uncommon for me to express my frustrations with Adam and Eve for eating that fruit... because of that act, we are forced to wear clothes each day. But thats another conversation.)

Lately I have been working mornings. Let me reiterate, in case you slept through the beginning of this post... I hate mornings. But its not just that I dont like them, it is also that I am not made for operating in the morning. I was not created to function properly in the mornings. I cant help it. Ive heard it is possible to trick your brain into (or out of) something and it can become normal... Therefore, I have tried to have a positive attitude about mornings, convincing myself of the good aspects of mornings... but this positivity is short lived. Being positive about something I am so negative about is just not an easy task. I found it would take even more energy to have a good attitude... and I needed to save my energy for actually getting up and getting ready.

Anyways. I get to work and for some reason, God has put me in a place where every person is a "Good Morning!" type of person. So people are smiling and chipper all around me and I just want to growl and do my job... until about 10 oclock when I can start to think clear enough to have an understandable conversation. But the past few days, the early mornings have drained me for the entire day. Even by noon, I still cant think clearly, Im stumbling over my words, I feel like Im moving in slow motion, and doing what needs to be done seems unreasonably difficult. Just as an example of what I am talking about - A woman called asking what vaccines we require for an animal to stay with us. "Bordetella, Rabies, and Distemper Parvo" I tell her. Short jibber jabber and were done. Not 5 minutes later, I hear my manager on the phone "the feline vaccine and Rabies." Apparently I told the woman dog vaccines when she had a cat. There were many more of these types of situations. Luckily my manager laughed pretty hard and wasnt irritated with my blatant mistake. Ive been wearing 2 different socks - repeatedly cuz I dont feel like taking the extra time to find matching ones. These are how my days have been going. And I barely make it home, where I sit down and never want to get up again. These mornings are killing me!!!!

I know I should be grateful because I am incredibly blessed. And I am grateful. Mornings truly are a blessing. I am blessed I was given another day. I am blessed I dont have to wake up earlier than I do. I am blessed to have a cup of coffee to help wake me up, (which I have discovered really does make a difference). I am blessed to have hot water for a shower... if I decide to wake up even earlier to take one. I am blessed to have a job to go to where I can make money and get hours. I try not to take it all for granted, but I know I do.

I cant promise that I will have a better attitude and constantly be positive about the mornings... I cant promise that because I know it wont last. But for now, I will remind myself of the beauty of mornings in the small things - that really arent that small at all. Like a sunrise. The radiance and bliss of a glorious sunrise is the perfect reminder of the magnificent day the Lord has created.

"...they are like the new grass of the morning: In the morning it springs up new, but by evening it is dry and withered." - Psalm 90:5-6

Fifty is Freedom!

In honor of my Moms 50th birthday on July 10, I had been planning to do a "50 things I love about my Mom" post... However my sister gave my mom a gift of a handmade 50 things scrapbook. Yup. Beat out again by my much-more-creative-than-me sister. So. Mine wont be nearly as good and there may be repeats of things my sister said in this blog, but these are some of the things I love and cherish about my mom.

1. She is absolutely beautiful. She keeps saying she looks like shes 50 and just laughs if people say she looks younger... so to appease her, I will say: shes rockin 50 by looking faaaantastic!!

2. She has a generous and caring heart.

3. She recognizes right from wrong and stands up for the right. Shes passionate about these things and is willing to fight for them.

4. She lets me wear her scrubs.

5. She is an amazing friend. One who people can depend on, are eager to talk to, trust to confide in, and genuinely love.

6. She is a loving daughter and sister, always calling her siblings and parents on their birthdays to sing to them. She checks in on her parents from time to time and loves spending time with her mom (aka my grandma).

7. She drives a big car and was always the hottest mama carpoolin!

8. She has been knocked down by so many of lifes grievances, yet she continues to stand up and trudge on... giving all the glory to the Lord. She truly inspires me.

9. She loves the Lord with all her heart and has instilled a desire to seek Him in both my sister and me.

10. She would rather have a BicMac than a salad. She would rather have a brownie than a piece of fruit. Shes my kinda Mama!

11. She is incredibly supportive of everything I want to do and strive after.

12. Not only is she supportive of me, but she is my biggest fan. She is so encouraging in all of my adventures, always telling me to do my best. And when my best isnt good enough, she still makes me feel like it was THEE best.

13. She is realistic and plans everything out with/for me. She knows going from point a to point b takes a lot of turns in betwee, so she makes all the necessary plans for it.

14. She has faith in me... probably more than I have in myself sometimes. But without her faith in me, I doubt I would shoot for my dreams the way I have.

15. She is mama bear when it comes to her kids... always willing to drop someone off the earth if we get hurt.

16. She understands me in a way nobody else does. Truly gets me.

17. She appreciates my humor and returns with her own witty remarks. Spending a day with my mom leaves my side hurting from laughing so much. Its amazing.

18. She is honest, yet respectful when giving advice. It may not always be what you want to hear, but its what you need to hear.

19. Shes always in my corner. Always lets me vent and will stand behind me, even help me fight my battles if not fight them for me.

20. Shes willing to drive to Riverside at the drop of a hat - it I say I need her, she will be on her way. Whether its because of a hard day or I forget something, she is more than willing to come to me if I ask.

21. She listens to me, and really hears what I have to say. She has never brushed me off or given me half an ear... She will stop what shes doing to hear what I have to say on any given day.

22. When she makes a commitment, she follows through with it. She remains committed and sees it to the end.

23. She appreciates the little things and remembers to be thankful for the smallest moments in life.

24. She makes signs to welcome me home and hangs them all over the house... theres no other house I would rather return to on breaks than this home.

25. She has dreams... Shes a visionary. Whether theyre about things she wants to accomplish being personal goals, or remodels on the house - she is able to see a finished product before it begins.

26. She went to dental hygien school to create a better life for her kids - us.

27. Shes opinionated and compassionate. Not many people can appreciate this.... but I can.... and those who really know me would understand why.

28. She shares in my opinions and ideas. This makes a lot of conversations go a lot more smoothly than if we disagreed.

29. Shes incredibly intelligent. I dont give her enough credit sometimes. She pulls things out of nowhere and I still dont know how she knows it.

30. Shes wise. She has learned from life experiences and has common knowledge and is willing to let people in on little "secrets". [I dont know if that makes sense at all, but it kinda does.]

31. Shes creative. Just look at the ideas she came up with for her and my sisters 3-day walk fundraising open house! Very creative!

32. She will laugh like Van and Cheyenne with me.

33. She loves animals. For years, she allowed MY dog to take over HER pillow at night.

34. She takes me to tea and talks in fun accents. Shes created a special tea time that I will never take for granted.

35. She obliges me in my love for green bean casserole and meatloaf... weird things like that.

36. She will go with me to run errands... even if its just returning the favor, I still appreciate it.

37. She sits outside with our sweet Sam while he eats nowadays - he wants company when he eats.

38. She persuades me to buy something we both like when Im on the fence about purchasing it... convincing me with anything that will get the price tag scanned and my card to come out.

39. She cheers, dances, and gets pumped with me at Padre games... shes a good buddy to take.

40. Which reminds me, shes got the best moves of any 50 year old I know!

41. She likes a lot of the same shows as me - including the horrible, "cryptic" (as she puts it), ridiculous ones.

42. She will sometimes send me a Starbucks card while Im at school if Im having a hard time or to aid in my coffee needs during finals.

43. She values time spent with loved ones and has taught me the importance of family.

44. We have similar tastes in things we like... it makes shopping kinda easy.

45. She is loyal to friends, family, or anything she commits to. She has attended the same church for years upon years... even with its frustrations, she still does love it.

46. She isnt afraid to laugh out loud or tell someone they need to pick up their dogs poop at the park.

47. She moves me into school and organizes all my stuff... cuz she knows it probably wont get done any other way...

48. She embraces my friends as her own when they come into our home or casually sees them around.

49. She tries new things and refuses to give up. One of my favorite examples is how she has planted several pretty flowers around the yard, waters them, and keeps them alive... given, this house does not have a good track record with greenery so her trying is inspiring!

50! She is EXCITED to be 50! Nobody is excited to get older, but she has embraced it and is choosing to enjoy it!

I love you with all my heart Mom! You are my hero! They say if you love something to set it free, if it stays and says 'lets order a pizza' then thats me! Ill be your buddy for life! Thank you for being the best Mom a girl could ask for! (That could be 51.) Love you!

The Power of a Bee

Today, I celebrated the Fourth of July by working, swimming, soaking in the sun, grilling/eating, hanging with family, and watching fireworks. I love fireworks. They bring me such intrigue and excitement. I really cant explain my interest in fireworks, but I feel it is a common American love.... and I came to this conclusion as we passed many many people sitting on the side of the road, in anticipation for the firework show. This is a day where people - common people, average Joes - can come together to celebrate the many years this country has been standing. A day where people can be thankful for the men and women who fight for our freedom on a daily basis, including those who have lost their lives protecting our privileges, which many people have come to believe are rights. A day to share in something we all have in common - being American citizens, being patriotic. I could go on and on. I never cease to realize how blessed I am to live in a country where I can have opinions and share them, can go to church and not be tortured.... the list goes on. But I will digress... and move on. Not because I think this country and the men and women in uniform arent worth it, but because I am passionate about the topic and often get carried overboard. And we never know where that could lead...

As I lazily floated around the pool this afternoon, I encountered several bees. Or maybe they were all the same bee. Unfortunately, I am no bee guru and therefore cant tell them from one another. Anyways. Thats besides the point. Each time, my reflexes worked quicker than my brain. I flinched, I slightly screamed, I splashed - I did whatever I had to to save myself. I mean. Those things sting you. It may sound silly, but the insects/bugs/whatever that people are most afraid of are spiders and wasps/bees. [I may have made that up on the spot, but its not like it doesnt sound believable!]

I am the person who probably possibly causes bees to sting. Thats disputable, but Ive been told I show symptoms of someone who is "asking" for a bee to sting them. Similar to encountering a lion or bear, how you are supposed to be still and not move a lot to aggravate or excite the animal to attack, it has been said that you are supposed to remain still to not anger the bee. And if need be - assume the fetal position. I dont totally know about the first part, but every time I am in the company of others and a bee approaches me and I run away, flailing my arms amd screaming in paranoia, I am told to remain calm and refrain from making sudden movements. Not that I see the bee going after that person! No! Its coming after me. Try to remain calm when its staring you straight in the eye, taunting you with its little stinger.

As I had a few close calls with Mr Bee today (probably Mr Bee, Bee Jr, and Baby Bee or something) I began to realize something. Bees are one of the smaller bugs in the bug family, yet they hold a lot of power. People are often swatting at them when they buzz near them. Why? Not like a fly where they are just plain annoying, they have an ability to hurt you. In some cases of people being allergic, they have the potential to kill. Ill ask this question only once - why wouldnt you swat away a bee knowing that??? Buncha crazies out there. Back to my realization. They really do hold a lot of power. As humans, we are capable of committing horrible crimes against humanity (just watch Criminal Minds or something if you dont believe me). We are powerful beings. Yet we can be overpowered by something small like a bee. An insufficient bee. [Although, for those of you who have seen Bee Movie, you will remember that bees are not insufficient.... in fact, they contribute a lot to our society with their pollination patterns. If all the bees in the world were to suddenly die, flowers would cease to exist. Dont believe me? Watch Bee Movie. And of course, I believe everything I watch - especially animated movies.]

This post may seem extreme in thought, as in "Carly that is a little crazy (extreme) to give bees that much power." But think about it. Bees DO possess a lot of power. Of course, humans are typically the ones who give it to them, but still. I think you now understand my thought here.

Things you never dared to consider....
until you opened a page to my blog....