great expectations

the other day, i was talking to a friend that has great expectations for her life. amazing goals and aspirations. this is one of the many things i love about her. she is extremely ambitious and is a goal setter. i am this way as well, but she started planning a little earlier than me.

my point is, this friend, was talking about how she wasn't where she expected to be in life. she was disappointed and frustrated.

i have been thinking about this and my question is: are we ever where we expect to be?

if you would have told me that i would be doing what i am doing now when i was younger, i probably wouldn't have believed it.

i'm in such a different place than i expected. in some aspects of my life, i would say i'm in a far better place than expected.

but what are these expectations we have of the future? of someday i will be traveling the world or someday i will have the job of my dreams?

do we grow complacent as we grow up? do we just change? or is it more of putting our priorities in order?

some people say that being content is bad. but on this subject that brings up more questions than answers, i would have to say that there is a strange balance in there somewhere. it's not a compromise. it's a creative solution that mixes your expectations and goals with real life.

it's actually pretty amazing how it happens. for me, it's brought me to a place that is a mixture of moments where the fairytale i dreamed of as a child is true and the reality of the world slapping me in the face come together in an odd mixture that makes me happy.

the key is enjoying the fairytale and responding to the slap in the face by being better.

oh i still have my great expectations and they keep me reaching higher. writing to do lists and goal lists. these expectations help us hope and plan for something more.

it's crazy how life can have you high on happiness one day and pulling out your hair the next. makes me grateful for the times of happy contentedness.

so to my friend with her great expectations: know that we all have these. they are our balloons that keep us looking up into the sky and if one of them pops every now and then, it's okay. god has a big helium tank that's there if we want it. it's there so we can fill up another balloon with our dreams.

DIY: wall hanging

i started making this flowery wall hanging thing back in january and just slowly worked on it as i had time. i finished it a few weeks ago and am just now posting it. :) i spray painted the frame that i found at a garage sale and sort of arranged them together on one of my bedroom walls. not sure if this is the final or if i will actually put something in the frame, but here it is for now.

and you will never guess what it is made out of . . .

. . .toilet paper rolls!

i got the idea here and added a few more petals to it. it was fun and super cheap!

these are a few of the steps and i used paper clips to hold them in place while the glue dried.

the final project one more time. :) i love it on my wall.

how cute are these kids!?!

found these pics on khulett photography of my cute niece and nephew. love them and had to share. kevin did an amazing job!

are you kidding me? so darling.

camping on carlsbad state beach

snuck away for the weekend a couple weeks ago with cody, leah and alesha to go camping on the beach. what a perfect weekend. right on the beach. relaxing, roasting hot dogs and falling asleep to the sound of the waves.

pretty impressive photography skills.

i love this pic of leah. man i am good.

we also went to huntington beach and stayed with some new friends really close to the beach in a way sweet house. it was a blast!

DIY: homemade freezer jam

i grew up with homemade strawberry jam and don't like any other jam. so instead of stealing bottles from my mom's freezer . . . i decided to make some of my own. it's so yummy and so easy. it only took me about an hour and a half. perfect for this strawberry season.

i used the recipe inside the mcp pectin box. according to my mom you have to use mcp pectin. sure jell is the other brand that you don't want to use. mcp pectin is the best. (but it's from the makers of sure jell) and i only found it at harmons.

i just made two batches and it made 6 jars! i didn't expect that much. but i'm excited to enjoy it all!

the first week . . .

of my new job was like any first week. totally overwhelming. :) but it's a good overwhelming. i like it. best part is monday morning i woke up with the flu. oh, but i denied it. i told myself it was just nerves and halfway through the day had to give in and go home as i shook with the chills and tried not to throw up.

yeah, that totally sucked.

but at least it only lasted 24 hours. the rest of the week went well. :) thank goodness for the weekend. loving just relaxing. :)

have a good one.

where i have been

well. starting from the beginning, or when i stopped posting . . .

the job i have had for the last three years has been a great job. i have learned a lot about the mortgage industry and was able to go to school while i worked full-time. this job allowed me to do other things during the day, if i was slow - hence the blogging more often before. and the getting more homework done.

a few months ago i was offered another job that, after much debate and taking many issues into consideration, i took. i am definitely a thinker/debater when it comes to major life decisions. and for me, this was. i loved my new job. i was essentially doing the same thing, just more of it. i was busy all day and felt like i was accomplishing a lot. i had to change my schedule a bit and actually do my homework at home. this is why the blogging suffered. now i have gotten to a point where i am feeling like i am in more of a groove with my new life. just in time for the universe to throw another curve ball at me.

a few weeks ago, through connections i had made at school, i was offered another job. {i knew school was good for something.} although, i don't feel like this is just a job. this is more of a career decision. see, i am growing up now. it's not in the mortgage industry. and depending on how i feel once i get more into it, i may tell you more. but for now know that, again, after much debate, i gave my other new job my notice. i loved working there, but fate stepped in and offered something that i had to take a chance on.

i am really excited. scared at first, because i don't have much experience at all in this new field, but so excited because i know i will learn so much. it's not a normal "small town, st. george" job. i feel like it will take me places or at least equip me with skills that i will need for the future.

and one of the best parts is i put it out there that i wanted this job about a year ago. i didn't have the particulars defined, but the universe, the secret, the law of attraction, or whatever unseen source you prefer, knew. i believe that. and i'm so grateful that for it.

so i start my new adventure tomorrow. it may be crazy for awhile, but it will be good.

and i have to say that it is good to be back. blogging is my form of journaling and also connecting to so many of you that i would not otherwise know what is going on in your life. perfect for my busy life. so thanks. hope to be back soon.