Routines and Things

And.... We are back to Monday. The weekend sure does seem to fly, yet the weekdays are full of running errands and learning life lessons from all of the people and things we encounter. I am such a sucker for a to-do list it is almost ridiculous! At times, I have been asked if I organize my to-do list, which I have considered but never attempted. As a small child growing up and teenager in high school I was always taught that organization is the key to success. So, I guess you can say I push the organization buttons at times in order to be successful with different endeavors in life. I think Emerson puts it best when he stated “Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.”

Since the beginning of the year, Tony and I have finished school (He graduated from UA and I transferred from LSU to UAB), house/apartment shopped, planned our wedding/honeymoon, moved to Birmingham and started a new chapter in life as Husband and Wife. While I would like to say it has been super easy, I would totally be lying. I am certainly not going to complain; however, I will say every task ever added or marked off of a to-do list was completely worth it. Being married to your best friend is such a blessing and one of the best feelings in the world. For us, it is a huge step up from our regular 30 minute phone call each evening vs. now, our face-to-face conversation over dinner in our home. There is no telling how many times we have said, “It will be so awesome to finally settle down and get into the swing of a routine again.” However, I am slowly inclined to think routines do not exist. With each new step we have taken along this journey there was always a list to follow and each time a task was completed it was marked off. You would think since one task is finished the list would become smaller, right? Wrong. I am learning that even though one task is finished another is added to the list, which might not be a terrible thing after all.

While routines might have been the exact thing Tony and I needed when living in two different states 11 months ago, I am slowly learning that it is quite alright to step outside of the little bubble we create for ourselves and live life a bit differently. If we do the exact same thing every day of every week of every month of every year, where does that leave us? (Food for thought.) I certainly am not encouraging those of you reading to live life on edge and go crazy, but I am saying it may be beneficial to kick away that old routine we have created for ourrselves and wonder into the unknown. Routines do make accomplishing tasks easier and faster. However, once that list is complete for the day we may find ourselves doing the same mundane thing we did on Monday night, one week earlier. If you are reading today, I encourage you to experience the “things” life has to offer outside of routine. “Life is but a tapestry woven by the decisions we make.” (Sherrilyn Kenyon)

Although Tony and I have discussed a desire for a routine, we also agree we are happy and content with where the Lord has placed us in this new chapter of life. We are content with where we live, what we have been given, and what we represent- regardless if we establish a routine in the future or not. For now, we are contently running day to day without routine experiencing "things."

“Not that I have already obtained this or am perfect, but I press on to make it my own, not because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14

A wise teacher frequently reminds me, “Kalyn, what doesn’t get done today will be waiting tomorrow.” Mrs. Cowan, you are right yet again (go figure!). I am not doing the dishes and clothes today because my Husband could certainly care less about a spotless home. I am off to experience things, instead of attempting to settle down and create a routine. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we are never guaranteed the next day, so experience things today that you may not have the opportunity to experience tomorrow! Are you going to let this week swamp you as you choose routine over things? Until next time, happy blogging!

 PS- I will admit that I plan to drink my coffee first thing in the morning but after that I am going to embrace growth while adapting to change. Routine will fall into place as need be.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witness, let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely, and run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Hebrews 12:1

Props to my friend, Trace Lewis for the link to this song. It got me to thinking this weekend about growth, change, and routines in life and I felt the need to share. So glad to share good music interests with great friends!

We Welcome Friday!

TGIF! Good morning to you and yours for those of you reading today. In my little world, today marks the end of a great week spent experiencing Birmingham with my little sister, Mary Kathryn. It also marks the beginning of what should be an awesome weekend. Like most, today is my Husband's last work day which is always exciting, but it is also the day Jordan (Tony's younger, but bigger brother), will travel and join all the Birmingham fun!

This past week my sister and I toured just about everything you can tour in the city of Birmingham. We visited the regular hot spots, but also took a plunge into the unknown. While visiting The Vulcan, Mary Kathryn truly tested her fear of heights, but loved the gorgeous sunset views atop downtown. At the Zoo/Gardens we saw the typical caged animals and flowers, taste tested delicious cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory, got lost in Liberty Park on our way to view the mini Statute of Liberty, sampled hot and fresh potatoe chips at the Golden Flake Factory, and lastly experienced just about everything Oak Mountain State Park had to offer. Needless to say, she and I have had plenty of bonding moments!

Although Mary Kathryn and I have lived in Alabama in years past, we never had the opportunity to sightsee the state’s highlights. Birmingham had many historical, yet diversely unique places to offer that most residents of the state probably have never seen. Unique to Birmingham is Rickwood Field which is America's oldest baseball field opened in 1910. It also is the original home to the Birmingham Barons. Secondly, the mini Statute of Liberty was extremely amusing assuming Mary Kathryn and I have never traveled to see the real deal. According to the plaque at its base, the bronze replica statue was first cast in France in 1958, and moved to its present location in 1989. At 36 feet tall this is among the largest Liberty replicas in the U.S. with a flame constantly burning in the torch. Lastly, the Golden Flake Factory was extremely fun. Not only could we taste test awesome chips coming off the transport belt, this factory is one of two factories in America which supply an assortment of Golden Flake chips to many southern and eastern states. As a future educator and college student, I would definitely recommend these places as top spots to tour if you live in the Alabama area or are traveling through Birmingham.

As you can tell, it has been a good but busy filled week and it is still not over yet! This weekend my Husband and I are heading off to Hotlanta, taking our siblings on yet a few more tours. We love, love, love this city and want to make stops at The Varsity, Georgia Aquarium, and then do the Braves Chop with our favorite MLB team at Turner Field. To end the weekend we get to visit with our parents, so everyone is excited and we should all be tired by Sunday! For now, I am off to bake some Jim-N-Nick's cheese biscuits while we wait for Jordan to arrive. Until next time, happy blogging!

Hello Blog World! I Made It!

Hello World! Finally, I have a blog! Just like many other people, I have fallen into the trap of Facebook and Twitter. I was never a big fan of MySpace, however since high school I have always wanted to blog. My life is not interesting by any means, but I love the thought of knowing that I can "electronically journal" my day to day experiences in hopes of one day looking back and using it as some sort of an advantage in my family or classroom. Yes, I am also one of those women who want to save everything for my children to see, so here is one more keepsake for my future Mommy/Daughter sit down and share session (supposing the Lord blesses us one day with a girl).

I recently moved home to Alabama and married my high school sweetheart. I am a huge fanatic of city life and lights, encouragement, photography, interior design, baking, writing thank you notes, going to school, being with my Husband, exploring new places, teaching precious students, and attempting to serve the Lord differently each day as I grow in my relationship with Him. I am embracing a new chapter in life as a full time Christian, Wife, and Student. This ride should be interesting to say the least! Although I am still young, extremely inexperienced, and learning new things each day, I like to think I have gotten this far in life for a purpose. With all the craziness going on in this world, I truly believe there is a reason I am still alive and kicking so I plan to blog about it. I tend to think that I will want to blog about what spikes an interest in me each day as I attempt new recipes, crafty pinterest projects, devotion encounters shared with the Lord, my Husband's hilarious jokes, or even the smallest lessons life teaches me. Who knows? My blog may be completely boring. But, however it turns out I welcome anyone and everyone to join me on this new journey! Until next time, happy blogging!

Carpe deim :)