I can always remember how to spell that word from my long ago cheerleading days. S-U-C-C-E-S-S…we are. the BEST! Please don’t hate me for breaking that out.

Another Sunday greets us, with another Monday just around the corner. I’m okay with that though. Success describes this weekend. No other word will fit. I last left you on Friday night about to do a quick yoga session for a nice stretch. I quickly discovered that yoga does not work too well with a toddler in the same room. It still felt fantastic though and got the job done.

Saturday morning I woke up refreshed and reenergized. From yoga or the news I received Friday afternoon? Whatever it was, it had me skipping off to the gym for a morning Power workout and a 20 minute incline walk on the treadmill. After my sweat session I showered up for my date with my sister. Our day would entail a lot of shopping in search of the perfect dress, so we decided consuming fuel came first. And what would be on the menu? Just another Which ‘Wich sandwich! Obsession comes to my mind when describing my new love for this sandwich shop.

This is a reused photo because I forgot my camera, but my lunch yesterday was just as scrumptious looking. I had turkey on whole wheat with pepper-jack cheese, pesto, avocado, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, olives, lettuce, tomato, and pickles. I couldn’t finish it all it was so filled with veggie goodness!

That glorious sandwich didn’t end my day’s successes though. Not even close. My sister and I hit up the mall for a few hours of shopping. I desperately needed to find some nice dresses for the wedding I am attending in a few weeks. A stop in Macy’s solved everything. I discovered two fabulous dresses perfect for a wedding or rehearsal dinner and actually flattering for my little bump.

They didn’t even break the bank! $70 total. Ohhh, yeah. Um, let me pause right here to say that composing a post is near impossible when your husband is watching some insane movie next to you. Anyone ever heard of Slither? Terrible. Just terrible.

Now back to my day. That night, after modeling my dresses for the hubs, my other obsession called my name. Cheeky Mexican food! We met up with friends for my pregnancy craving meal. One fish taco, one crab cake taco, some refried beans, and my weight in chips + salsa.

Sharing a night with friends and good laughs cannot be beat. Spending time together never gets old.

Excuse the waiter’s photography skills. LOL I bet he couldn’t even make this look good.

A Pecan Pie Blizzard brings the essence of the South to dance on your taste buds. Each bite bursts with crunchy, caramel-y goodness. The fact that it will be gone come August has me seriously considering going back sooner than I otherwise would. What evil forces work behind those DQ minds. I’m sad I gave Peter the last 1/3 of mine instead of stashing it in the freezer. Hold for a moment while I shed a tear at that mistake.

Alright, I’m back. I got over it quickly enough. I couldn’t stay sad. Not after receiving another great email upon arriving home last night. Two out of three positive responses in less than 48 hours is pretty amazing. Certainly puts a smile on my face. And shows me how God is at work in my life.

I contemplated all this over today’s lunch while brainstorming writing ideas. Cheese, cantaloupe, and natural PB + 100% fruit spread on whole wheat.

I truly believe that it is He who gave me the capability, focus, determination, and passion that led me to pursuing these avenues and bringing them success. After all, life is about God’s abilities and not man’s abilities. And thank goodness for that! I couldn’t imagine trying to be patient, kind, and loving enough to all without Him behind me. I couldn’t imagine trying to love myself enough to consistently respect myself without Him helping me. I couldn’t imagine trying to be strong enough to overcome the trials I face without His grace to trust in.

I will share exactly what the good news is sometime this week! Keep an eye out!!

• If you haven’t already, please click HERE!!!
• What was successful about your weekend?
• Does your significant other, friend, roommate ever watch something that makes you go “What in the WORLD?!” Peter = all. the. time.

That would be 525,600 minutes (like in the song from Rent) multiplied by 89 – the number of years we celebrated for my G-Pa’s birthday last night. The man amazes me.

He is 89 going on 25 and truly lives life to the fullest. As much as my family jokes that he will be around longer than all of us, it still saddens me that there is no way to truly know how much longer we have with him. He is healthy and strong, but there’s no escaping the circle of life. Okay I need to stop with the depressing talk and instead focus on the good. Like the many things I have learned from watching my G-Pa and the vivaciousness with which he lives his life.

1. Stick to your beliefs - My G-Pa is pretty old school in some of his ways of thinking, but they are his beliefs and he will not change them. I admire that. He holds strongly to his ideals and consistently lives his life according to them. Many people can spout ways they think others should live or things people shouldn’t do…but not many will live them day to day in their own lives. We should all have something we feel strongly about and refuse to back down from.

2. Love- He lost his wife in 1996 a few months before his 50th wedding anniversary and as heartbroken as he was, he continued thriving. He even went on to find love in another woman a few years ago, but sadly she passed on too. He never lets what life gives him keep him from loving though. He loves to pour it out on others, including his family. What he has given and done for us over the years cannot be measured because he understands love is not something you tally, but that you simply give.

3. Laugh – My G-Pa has one of the best senses of humor I know. He is 89 but can crack jokes with the best of them. I remember for his 80th birthday some old women who persistently watch the closed circuit lobby video footage at the condos we stay in were nagging him saying he hired strippers to come see him. Those “strippers” we found out were my cousins & I coming home from a karaoke bar at around 11 at night in jean shorts and tank tops. This annoyed my G-Pa so he had to get back at those “old bitties”. His plan? To have us really dress as hookers, take us down in the lobby and in front of the video camera pass out a bunch of cash to each of us then tell every man he crossed by in the condo that he was a lucky man and that we all left smiling. That shut up those “old bitties” (who mind you were 20 years younger than him). It became a running joke and one year we even made Hank’s Hoes tshirts.

4. You don’t have to follow the rules and be “good” all the time – He will wake up and go walking for 3 or so miles every day. He will do what he can to care for his health, but he will also have a good time. Because after all, another one of his rules…is you have to have two martinis before you order your meal. 😉 Life just isn’t fun without any vices.

5. Don’t judge a restaurant only by their martinis – Okay this one is more by default. G-Pa loves his martinis and places he can get good ones. We went to his favorite restaurant last night for his birthday (chosen for the martini) and it was a disappointment. They had a veggie plate option where you could order 3 sides and a salad and it also came with dessert. Sounded good. Things started off fine with a decent enough salad.

Nothing special, but it was crisp and fresh tasting and had the dressing on the side so I didn’t have to eat swimming leaves. Then for my “entree” I opted for Pear + Cheese, Sweet Potato Soufflé, and Brussel Sprouts as my three chosen items.

In my mind the pear and cheese would be a fresh (not canned) pear with some sort of Brie or nice cheese. Not Kraft shredded cheddar sprinkled on top and with…get this…mayonnaise on the side!! Ewww! I tasted it and was like “what IS this???” When my sister tasted it too and said mayo I about gagged. Who does that?! The sprouts were overcooked and bland. The sweet potato was no souffle, but overly mashed sweet potato with some raisins tossed in for good measure. Blah. Blech. Ich. Ew. And I was craving a good veggie meal!

The stars were aligned against me though and determined a healthy meal was not in my future. Instead my dinner would consist of toasted coconut peanut butter pie to round out my salad and three bites of the disgusting sorry array above.

As you can imagine..even without a formal dinner, I still left that restaurant with a satisfied stomach. 😉

• What is the most disappointing meal you have ever had?
• Who is someone you look up to and admire?
• What is your favorite musical? I badly want to see either Rent, Hair, Wicked, or Chicago in NYC one day. I think that would be so cool.