January 2021 Book Review

 Gosh, I had hoped to blog a bit more this month but I've barely touched my computer for weeks since Covid hit my house. More on our experience with that later. I'm so happy to be up and moving again! 

I managed to read 3 books in January.

First up, Dream Big by Bob Goff. 

I've read all of Bob Goff's books out loud to the girls. It's kind of our thing. We always thoroughly enjoy his adventurous story telling and whimsical nature. And this book, like his others, was filled with plenty of laugh out loud moments as well. However, although I liked this 3rd book, I didn't love it. He had some good points to make about getting your life prioritized, honing down on your ambitions, not letting failure get the best of you, and ultimately, just waking up every day and getting after your goals. But to me, he felt more like a cheerleader and less like a coach. Which is totally fine because we all need cheerleaders in our lives, too. 

I thought it was more of an entertaining read with great examples of some of the off-beat things he's done in his life. Not super practical but still, enjoyable nonetheless. 

Next up was The 40 Day Social Media Fast by Wendy Speake.

I picked this one up in December and read it more like a book rather than a daily devotional. 

Years ago, I had read Triggers, which Wendy also co-authored and I've heard her on a couple of homeschooling podcasts so I kind of knew her style. She is a word slinger of sorts and her signature style includes juxtapositioning her words to really make an impact. I picked up this book originally, not because I thought I had a social media problem (I had been busy the last few months with our move so it's not like I was super active on it) but I felt like I could have a social media problem if I allowed myself to let it distract me and my time. What I loved about this book was that Wendy did a phenomenal job of always pointing us back to God. This book is for anyone who wants God most but finds themselves grabbing their phone more. Don't you just love books where you could highlight every page? This was definitely one of those. And it wasn't just about social media. It was about everything in this world that distracts us from coming to God first. Maybe for you it's binge watching Netflix, a daily glass of wine, perpetual shopping, sugar, food, or even a hobby. Basically, it's recognizing anything in our lives that we turn to to give us affirmation, rather than our Heavenly Father. Without distractions, she encourages us to put things in it's proper order and in turn, invites us to a life of freedom, clarity, and closeness with God, our Creator. It's an invitation from Jesus to "Follow Me" to "like" and love your REAL LIFE, rather than the imaginary one we see or create online. 

I absolutely LOVED it!

Lastly, I managed to sneak in Michael J Fox's, No Time Like The Future.  

I read Lucky Man, his first memoir, about 15 years ago and enjoyed it. 

Fox has been living with Parkinson's Disease for nearly 30 years now and something just compelled me to want an update, to find out more. I'm so glad I listened to this on Audible because sometimes, I think hearing the author's own voice makes all the difference and this was certainly no exception.

Fox shares personal stories from the last 10 years and the daily challenges that come from PD with self- deprecating humor and wit. He ultimately reflects on aging and coming to terms with his own mortality. 

Although some may think this is depressing, I thought it was a story of hope and resilience, in the face of trial and inevitable pain. Fox shows us with courage that despite life's obstacles, gratitude and optimism are choices we can make everyday.    

I would love to hear some suggestions on what to read next. Please share what you've loved.

3/30 

New Year, New Goals

Well everyone, we made it to 2021. Of course, we're all hoping for a better year than last year but the jury's still out on that one, right? If 2020 has taught us anything, it's that there are many things we cannot control in this life. However, there are a few things I can do to better myself and the circle around me so I'll choose to focus on those things and let God take care of the rest. In my younger years, I'll have to admit, I wasn't very good at setting goals but as I get older (and time seems to be whizzing by), I realize without a goal, desires are only wishes. 

I've always wanted to live life on purpose, not to merely exist. For me, that works better when I have a plan or a focus. Or some may call them goals. Here are a few of mine for 2021. I've shared them with my family and I thought I'll share them here as well because after all, sharing them helps keep me accountable. 

So without further ado...

1. Be more present. If there's one thing I've learned about myself over the years, it's the fact that I don't do well when I have too many balls in the air. I hate feeling overwhelmed, distracted, and stretched thin. Some people thrive on pressure, deadlines, and the busyness of a full schedule but I'm the opposite. My heart needs less to gain more. More of the good and lasting stuff. More time for deep conversations, belly laughs, sunshine, and good books. This year feels like a gift to me. A chance to breathe, refocus, and start all things new. Hallelujah and Amen.

2. Read 30 books. I debated on the number of books for my goal this year. Last year, my goal was 50 and I read 40. Considering the quarantine time we had during a pandemic, you'd think I would have made my goal but no, I didn't. I can chalk that up to various things (like I also started listening to podcasts last year). This year, taking all things into consideration and knowing we have another move to make in the summer, I wanted to make my goal attainable. And I have absolutely no shame in that because reading 30 books is still better than reading just a few books without having a goal.  

3. Bible Study. After 10 years of CBS, I sure do miss my bible study and the friendships I've made over the years. My goal is to get back into studying God's Word and being in fellowship with other women. Thankfully, we visited a church this past Sunday that we really liked and they start their Women's Bible Study in-person this week. I'll let you know how it goes but I'm excited to start and hopefully, meet some new friends.

4. Quiet time. I want to be super diligent about my quiet time every morning. My day always starts off optimally when I have at least 2 hours to myself before everyone else gets up in the morning. I use that time to read my bible, my devotional, pray, and read a chapter or two of a book. Once I start bible study, I'll use my quiet time for that as well. And if I have extra time, I love to pop on here and blog.    

5. Exercise. It's been a little tricky here in Texas because for years, I like to exercise in the early morning to get that out of the way but with it being cold here, I'm having to switch that to the afternoons and I'm not sure how I feel about that yet!😏 That being said, I'm off to a slow start in 2021 but my goal is to exercise at least 30 minutes a day/5 days a week. That could be walking, doing the treadmill at the gym we have in our neighborhood, riding bikes with the kids, or going on a family hike, weather permitting. Basically, just getting outside and moving!

6. Date Nights. Last year was a terrible year for date nights, right? This year, I am determined to get back into a groove of making that a priority. We have no excuse as we have a whole new town to explore where restaurants are open, as well as free babysitting! Morgan would like it to be twice a month but for right now, I have it scheduled monthly. I actually have it written on the calendar for the 3rd Friday of each month. Again, making it a priority as well as attainable. 

7. Calling Friends. I debated whether to put this one on here or not but again, accountability, right? I'm an introvert by nature so I'm not the greatest at phone calls. They actually kind of stress me out. HOWEVER, one of my goals this year is to keep in contact with some of my dear friends by PHONE, not just by texting. Texting is so easy and gives introverts like me the feeling like we did reach out, without putting forth too much effort. We all know texting can be convenient and fast but it doesn't allow us to have the kind of deeper friendships we all need. It's like nibbling on an appetizer without ever having the main meal. Since we moved to another state, I hope to actually call and talk to my old friends from time to time.

So that's it. These are some of my personal goals I'll be intentionally working on this year. How about you? And I know, I'm posting this and it's almost half-way through January already but it's been a weird season y'all! And GUYS, my Christmas tree is even STILL UP. What?!! I'm giving myself grace this year. 😉 

Forth Worth Stockyards

Last Sunday, we took a drive to the Forth Worth Stockyards.

There is no shortage of Texas pride.

Still decorated for Christmas so it was lovely.

Anyone who knows Zach knows that trains are his absolute favorite so he was thrilled, as you can see. 😁 

Pony ride for our little cowboy. 

Nope. He's not having any fun at all. 😉

He also LOVES animals so of course he had to kiss and hug his pony to thank him for the ride. 

We took a scenic carriage ride. 

Saw the cattle drive up close. 

And a gunfight show. 

Forth Worth is where the West begins and the Stockyards felt like a step back in time. From the original brick walkways, to the cattle drive, the vintage railroad, shops, restaurants, and live music, this National Historic District had something for everyone. It felt like the quintessential Forth Worth experience!

A fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon. 

Grapevine Christmas

Happy New Year! 

So a couple of days after Christmas, we headed to Grapevine to check out their historic Main Street.

We stopped for dinner at Spring Creek BBQ beforehand.   

One thing is for sure, there is no shortage of barbeque available in Texas and we are having fun trying out each of them. 

We just HAD to see the Christmas Capital of Texas. 

So pretty! 

Zach was thrilled to see the Vintage Railroad. 

My shining stars!

Aww, I loved seeing this sign on the side of this building. 🙏

Beautiful!

He spotted the baby Jesus.

The Grinch is Zach's favorite Christmas movie. 

They had a Whoville set up in the town square, complete with falling "snow."

Talking snowmen in a giant snow globe. 

Talk about a Hallmark Christmas. 

Love them!

Such a fun night making new Christmas memories with our crew.

If you're interested, here's a little video from the Mayor of Grapevine.

  Typically, all of our Christmas decorations are put away before January 1st. I'm the kind of person who likes to start the year with a fresh slate and a clean house. But, since we got a late start this year, we're keeping the tree up and letting Christmas linger just a little while longer.

Since we only got here the week before Christmas, we just touched on a fraction of what our area offers in terms of Christmas festivities but one thing we've already learned, Texas does Christmas BIG!

We're so looking forward to next year! 

And hopefully, we can get our family out here to enjoy it with us.