Dreaming Since 1997

   It's Friday and I am ready for a productive weekend at work! Grab a coffee and lets get go! I thought today would be a good day to talk about some of my biggest comforts in life.  Getting Closer to God I have been taught my whole life that when things are getting crazy, turn to God. Pray about it or read about it in your Bible. I am always comforted by getting closer to God. When I put my focus on Him, I am reminded of what really matters in life. The hard day at work that has been making me a nervous wreck becomes the lesson I can learn from. I like reading about God's faithfulness, His love for me, and all that Jesus said when He was on earth. I like reading about the Holy Spirit being on earth now. I'm always comforted when I am trying to get close to our mighty God.  Having a Cup of Coffee Ahhh, I love having a cup of coffee alone, with Thomas, with Rachel via facetime, anytime, anywhere. Coffee is comforting to me, even though it is a stimulant. I find it rel...

  Hello! I am glad you're back! Today is Thankful Thursday and I am so glad to share what I am thankful for this week with you! As I have said before, gratitude leads to happiness, so let's get happy! My sister, Rachel! She is making some changes in her life that I am excited for! She is about to move into a bigger house, where she'll be neighbors to one of our cousins (whose wedding we will both be in later this year). Change can be scary, but she seems to be happy about it. I am looking forward to helping her decorate the new place.  Trying our new work schedule this week- my partner and I are going to test it out this weekend. I am eager to have shorter shifts, even if it means working more days per week. To tell you the truth, I don't know if will like it better than my old schedule, but I am willing to try it out. So, let's hope it goes well! I have worked out more this week! I have been very inconsistent with my workout schedule, but this week, I decided to ma...

  Good morning! Welcome back! I want to give you a weekend recap! I had the best weekend with Thomas and our pets! Friday was nice for me. It is probably my last full Friday off for a while. I am about to switch up some of my work schedule where I'll have more shifts per week, but they'll be shorter. So goodbye 3 day weekend every other weekend. With that in mind, I enjoyed it. I spent Friday morning relaxing with quiet time and snuggling my pets. Friday afternoon I spent a lot of time reading a new book. Then Thomas got home from work and we hung out in the pool for a few hours. Then we watched the new movie Sinners  starring Michael B. Jordan to end the night! Saturday morning was great. We slept in some, I fixed us some scrambled egg and hashbrown bowls, had a couple coffee drinks and just took everything slow. I read more in my book, he got caught up on some of his podcasts from the week. We both worked out then came home to get ready for our reservation at Moxy! We had a ...

  Good morning! Welcome back for another Thankful Thursday post! I believe that being happy starts with being grateful, so lets get happy! I am going to list some things I am so grateful for this past week. A wonderful vacation with Thomas' family! We had the absolute best week. I enjoyed spending time with our nieces, going to the beach every day, seeing Thomas' cousins, and so much more. It was a packed week! Being asked to be a bridesmaid in my cousin's wedding later this year! Ahh, weddings... I love going to them. This wedding will be back home in VA in October. I can't wait! Finally getting over this cold! No explanation needed.  Going out to eat for Thomas' birthday dinner this weekend! He chose Moxy for his birthday dinner this year and I am looking forward to it! Going out to eat might be our favorite thing to do.  Being off tomorrow through Sunday! I love a long weekend! My special chair I sit in on my deck. This chair is actually just a regular chair for ...

   Hello! Today is my husband's birthday! Happy Birthday Thomas! We will celebrate with a nice meal this weekend and maybe even some beach days since we're both off!  I am going to dedicate this post to 3 of my favorite things about my sweet Thomas. His Heart One thing about Thomas is that he is very logical. I know it is odd to write about that under his heart, but you'll see what I mean. He relies heavily on facts and absolutes. He rarely, and I mean very rarely, reacts to something based on feelings. And if he needs to, he will research something to kind of validate his initial feeling-reaction, unlike me who will just say something is dumb and move on with my life. He will tell you why it is dumb, how it is dumb, how long it has been dumb, and possibly even what percentage of people agree it is dumb. With all of this in mind, you must know that he is not a complete machine. He has a huge heart. It is pure and I love it so much. I know that he loves me. He loves his fa...

    Hello and welcome back! It's my first Tuesday off of work (I currently work every other Tuesday) that I haven't went to Bible study meeting! We're taking a summer break until September, so I am working through an old study I had lying around in my office solo until then.  Today, I wanted to talk about some of my favorite drinks! Cocktails, something to sip on at work, something for before bed, all of it! Favorite Cocktail I have a few favorite cocktails, but my number one favorite is still a dirty martini with extra olives. I love the briny, salty delicious flavor so much. Negroni is a close second! Or maybe an espresso martini, but that brings me to... Favorite Coffee Drink I could 1 of 2 ways here and say either a cappuccino or an espresso martini. I love the warm, creaminess of a cappuccino at any time of day. It's the perfect morning drink, afternoon pick me up, no matter the time of day, a cappuccino is probably the best choice. I am going to enter a sub-catego...

   Hello! Welcome back, girl! I am so glad you are here today! So, I just took last week off for my husband's family's biennial Ogunquit ME trip. We had his immediate family stay with us while the rest of the group was in a larger house in Perkins Cove. The vacation was so much fun! We had an evening where we hosted all 21 people at our home for a cookout/pool party! Time with family is precious and I am grateful for the wonderful week we had together.  They all left yesterday at different times from various airports. Thomas is back at work today, but I have the day off. Or do I? I am home alone with my pets sorting out linens, towels, and other laundry items. It is a JOB! I'm happy to do it though. It means that for a week, I hosted 8 people in my house and we went through so many beach towels, bath towels, sheets (maybe more than expected due to a nighttime accident from one of my nieces), and Thomas' and my own regular laundry plus some extra bathing suits.  Anoth...

   Hello! I am so glad you're back! In honor of it being the 4th of July, which is also the 12th anniversary of my first trip to New England, today's post will be about my first time up here! I was 16 years old and my mom decided to let me go on this long, far away vacation with my boyfriend (now husband) and his family. Thomas' extended family has been going to Ogunquit ME every other year for at least the last 30+ years. It's something they talk about at all family gatherings for the holidays. "Do you remember the trip to Maine when...", "Who's rooming with who this year...", "we should definitely eat at ____ again". This trip has been a big part of the family for a long time. I was so happy to get to go. I could go on and on about all of the adventures, but I'll highlight 3 things about it: the culture, the beach, and the lighthouses.  The C u l t u r e So every single person in NE is a Red Sox fan. It is a fact. It is the way it...

Hello and welcome back! I don't know why, but I insist on welcoming all of my readers (probably just one reader, my sister, Rachel Grace) in every post. I guess because in all of the blogs I read, the blogger does the same thing to their actual audience. Oh well! A girl can dream... Today is Thankful Thursday ! Let's get right down to it! Being off work for a week starting tomorrow and having family visit! Getting some really exciting news from two of my closest friends last night!!!!  Getting our pool up and running! My health and safety- I also got some incredibly heartbreaking news last night about another dear friend.  Our sovereign God. No matter the situation, He is in control.  I hope you have a wonderful 4th of July tomorrow! Let's all be grateful for what we have been blessed with. Gratitude is one of the most important ways to be happy. Its effects are almost immediate. So, with that being said, enjoy this long weekend. Be thankful for what you have. Don't tak...

Hello! Welcome back! I am so glad you're here. I decided to use this post to show what my typical workday morning looks like. It's simple, easy and I think I have finally gotten to a point where I don't feel rushed to get out the door.  I start everyday by turning on the espresso machine, letting my dogs out, and feeding my pets.  Look who is ready to come inside for breakfast! I make my usual cafe au lait, add protein powder, and head into my office for my quiet time. I am currently in a Bible study at my church. This usually takes about an hour.  Next, I put in my contacts, head back to my office to do my makeup. I do my makeup the same way every day. It takes less than 15 minutes.  Then, I go to my bathroom and fix my hair. My hair and I have a complicated relationship. Sometimes it's so cooperative, fixing exactly how I want it to, and others, it's like I'm working with a huge knot. I can usually wrangle it into a presentable do in 30ish minutes.  If I need ...

  “Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.”  — Carl Bard I don't know anything about Carl Bard, but I do love this quote. Today, we are starting the seventh month of 2025. Halfway through the year! Where did the time go? What were we doing? What will we do with what's left? If you're like me, you are probably wondering these questions too. I am going to dedicate this post to be an inspiration to make 2025 what you want it to be, even if we're 50% of the way through.  The First Half Is Over We should definitely celebrate what we accomplished the first half of the year. I love celebrating things. I think it's encouraging to keep going until you have accomplished something else worth celebrating. That being said, I don't like to be caught up on mistakes made or missed opportunities. I hate dwelling on the negative. One thing that is tough to address is that we can't change what has happened....