One Little Word : 2014

It's about that time again.... Ali Edward's One Little Word. This year, I've chosen a word that has been in my heart for the past month. My One Little Word is...

Protect

I feel as though my life and my livelihood has been being attacked, mentally and spiritually, physically and emotionally. I have come to recognize that sometimes I put myself and my family and my beliefs in open waters for others to violate. I need to be aggressive in taking back the responsibilities of my life and my livelihood.

My family, my children... they are my everything and I will protect them with all that I have.
My heart ...has been broken more times than I care to share. I will protect it, but will remain open to love.
My relationships... those need to be protected. Far too often I take them for granted, and I need to secure them with love and kindness and generosity.

My hopes are that this year be prosperous for my family. We've been through so much turmoil over the past few years, I pray that beauty shine through the ugly and all that is positive prevail.

ten things . end of 2013 edition


The holidays are always my favorite time of year. Joyful truly does describe it. There are so many things that I love about the holidays that I thought for today's 10 Things on the 10th I'd list my absolute favorites!

1.  Christmas Tree Decorating. I may or may not be a semi-professional amateur Christmas Tree decorator. I absolutely love it. The different themes, colors, textures. So many ideas. So many beautiful things.

2.  White Christmas. As in the the 1954 movie with Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Danny Kaye, and Vera-Ellen. It just isn't Christmas without watching this movie at least five times! I'm not joking. I watch it alot!! lol

3.  Snuggle Weather. When the temperatures drop to the point that it's biting and bone chilling, those are the best times to sit in front of a fire, cuddle up with the babes, or even better, snuggle up with your favorite person and a cozy warm blanket.

4.  Leggings, Scarves, Beanies and Fuzzy Boots. Yeah, pretty much the uniform of the season. With the cold temperatures (even for Arizona) this is the most effortless and most fashion savvy outfit that I wear. That most people wear this time of year. Better to have too many layers than not enough, right! And can I just note, I am in love Love LOVE with furry fuzzy boots. I bought myself my very first pair, and I swear they rarely leave my feet. I would sleep in them if I could. lol

5.  The Gift of Giving. I love Love LOVE giving gifts. Far better than receiving them. I like to hunt for that perfect gift, get it wrapped up and watch and the recipient opens up their hand-picked gift. The light and joy that fills their face truly warms my heart.

6.  Speaking of Gifts... the Ultimate Gift. How can I talk about my favorite time of year without mentioning the Reason for the Season! Our God loves us SOO Much that he sent his only son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for my sins. I can't even begin to describe that kind of love. I love reading the story of Christ's birth. I love seeing the Nativity sets all about. I love when the babes get excited about Jesus' birth. It's his party but we get the presents. lol

7.  Speaking of Presents... Gift Wrap and Ribbons and Bows. Of course, I love to wrap gifts in coordinating colors and pretty ribbons and bows. I love embellishing and personalizing gifts. Making them too pretty to open ... nah, who am I kidding. lol.

8.  What is Christmas without the Music. I'm one of those people who could listen to Christmas music all year long. Truly. It lifts my spirits, and I can never get enough of hearing Frank Sinatra, or The Carpenters, or Burl Ives. Don't ask me to pick a favorite because I just can't. There are too many songs that I love for different reasons, and they are all so very special to me.

9.  Christmas Cookie Monster. Tis true, at Christmas time I become a serious cookie monster. I try and make all the same cookies I've been making my entire life; Peanut Butter Blossoms, M&M Cookies, Mexican Wedding Cakes, Candy Cane Cookies, Sugar Cookies, Magic Bars, Snickerdoodles. While most years I don't have the time to make every cookie, I have added others to my favorites list, like French Macaroons, and Chocolate Mice.

10.  Christmas Morning. The most specialist time of the year. We wake up with our own little families, and see what Santa has left for the kids. We go through our stockings that Santa overflows every year. The dog goes absolutely bonkers when his stocking is filled. He knows his buddy, Santa has been to the house (Santa brought Gunner to us 8 Christmases ago). We open up the gifts we've given each other. Then we head over to Mom and Dads (even though Dad is gone, I still call it Mom and Dads, especially at Christmas time, because I know he is there with us). We do as we have done my entire life, and watch the kids open up their gifts left from Santa, go through stockings, and then take turns opening our gifts from each other. Pure joy! I can't wait for the morning of December 25, 2013!!


to honor the fallen



When a man becomes a fireman his greatest act of bravery has been accomplished.  What he does after that is all in the line of work.  ~Edward F. Croker


Tomorrow, the hubs and I, along with many of our fellow Crossfitters will be heading up to Prescott, AZ for an event at Captain Crossfit to honor the 19 fallen heroes. 



Crossfitters across the State of Arizona, across the Nation, and across the World will be participating in this same workout, on this same day. How cool is that. How moving is that. 
This goes to show, that like the small town community of Prescott, the Crossfit community is just as tight knit, just as supportive, just as touched and affected by this tragedy as this small town. 

I am mindful going into this event that the hard work I am preparing my self to accomplish is for these 19 men. This event is to celebrate their lives, honor their death, and support their families. 

Please... if you can help in any way, please Donate HERE. Even if it is just $5.00, every little bit helps. 

33


Today I turn 33.
This is what I look like.

33 doesn't sound like a milestone birthday to the general population, but to me it's kind of a big deal.

When I was little I remember always feeling this connection with Jesus because his initials and my initials were the same ... JC (sidenote, my initials are still the same). I remember reading one of the Bible stories about my buddy Jesus dying on the cross, and was shocked and a truthfully scared to find out that he was just 32 when he died. Being a young kid, the concept of death and dying scared me tremendously, and even at that age I thought that Jesus was too young to die (that would mean I was already a quarter of the way through my lifespan). I would pray and pray that I would one day turn 33. 
The unsettling thought of dying young has been with me my whole life. As I grew older, I still housed those same fears and concerns about death. To be completely honest, it wasn't until my Dad passed that I had started to open my thought process to accepting death and dying. When people started prophesying that the world would end in 2012, I began to put belief in my fears that I would not live to see my 33rd birthday. 

Well... today I celebrate turning 33. Even with the wrinkles starting to show themselves. Even with the single gray hair that keeps trying to appear. Even with the same 10 pounds that stubbornly won't exit the ride. Even though I'm working. Even though I have no big plans for the evening. Even though today is just another day for most every one else in the world.
I have waited many years for this day. And I celebrate it in my heart, and in my mind. I am so grateful that I have been blessed with all the days of my life. I am grateful that I have been blessed with all the people in my life. I am grateful to be alive and breathing. And I intend to live the next 33 years with love and joy and peace.


no comment

Hi Y'all.

In case you haven't noticed... I've been absent. Blog absent.

Intentionally.

It's not you... it's me.

No, really. It is me.

I don't have love for blogging. Not right now.
The things I have to write about are for me, and they belong in my personal journal. At home.

So, while I have decided to keep this blog up (more for personal reference than anything else) I have done away with the comment section.
(You would not believe the amount of spam comments I just had to delete. Like, legit a thousand!)

If you wanna keep dibs on me then stalk me on Facebook like a normal friend. lol. You can peep me on Twitter (which I hardly use) or Instagram (which I use more frequently than Twitter but not as frequently as Facebook).

Maybe I'll come back to blogging.

Maybe.

It will probably be all #crossfit #paleo #projectlife

Consider the hashtags your fair warning.

I still love you, my party people.

Don't cry.

"I know that goodbye means nothing at all." -M5

One Little Word : 2013

Hello beautiful people! Happy New Year! And what a year it's been, hehe.


So... as I said before... I am totally choosing a word for Ali Edward's One Little Word ... and it is...

Positivity

I don't even think this is a real word (like dictionary word) so we're gonna go ahead and call it a Jen-ism. Seems fitting. 

The short-story on how I chose this word goes like this...
I kept seeing this word and using this word for, like, days and days in a row and I just really wanted something that means 2013 is going to be OUR year! 

No more deaths. No more money problems. No more binges. No more excuses. No more weeks on end of  sadness.

It's going to be a YEAR FULL OF POSITIVITY because we are going to wake up every morning and choose to be positive, to make someone's day by giving them a compliment, by talking someone off the ledge, by taking that flower arrangement class that you've always wanted to, by eating beautiful and healthy foods, by getting out and walking or running or hiking a mountain, by being grateful for every single breath of life that our glorious God has given to us!


positive = positive

Right!! Now go out ... and infect others with POSITIVITY!

Love Yous!
© something Big is coming...
Maira Gall