Putting it out there

So yesterday I had a hard day. I had a great appointment in Tulsa which made making the huge long drive worth it. I was planning on working in Springfield, MO for the day and hanging out with one of my BFFs who lives near the area for the night. However, timing wise, I really did just want to get back home to my life in the STL. I am having a crazy spring where I am not home a whole week until the second week in May. I did get to have a great lunch with the BFF and good conversation about some of the things going on in my life.

After lunch, I decided to put in a CD that my Mama sent me quite some time ago from the church I grew up in. It was a greqat sermon series on "The Four Keys to Powerful Living". It had been a while since I had listened to them, and with a lot of the things I am struggling with it thought it would be a good time to revisit the series...how to find hope, how to stop worring, how to find peace, and how to find joy. Something in those messages spoke to me to finally reach out to that person I have had the haunting dreams and unsettled friendship ending person. So I did. I just texted her and to my surprise we texted back and forth...very much small talk til she someone opened up a path to talk about us. Well at least I know now that there is probably no way that we will ever be able to be friends again. Where yesterday this made me quite sad. Today I am still a little sad, but at least I have made peace with the situation. I can now say I have tried and reached out, when I wasn't even the one to end or take a break from the friendship. I can honestly say I have no regrets anymore.

I really appreciate the friendships that I do have in my life. I have amazing people that stand by me no matter what the circumstances. I have friends that I have lost touch with that have come back into my life. I am blessed. I would love to have more of these types of friends live closer to me. But no matter what I appreciate them and glad they love me unconditionally.

M is for Motivation

Motivation, a word that is my enemy right now. For some reason, I am having a lack of motivation in all aspects of my life. I need to get motivated to grow my work territory and really work at it, not just go through the motions. I have some real amazing potential here, and for some reason I can't seem to get off my ass to crack it open. I am not motivated to work out, which is awful. Each night I tell myself that tomorrow is my fresh start....but yet it isn't happening. Could be why I have gained 6 pounds since my wedding that I can't lose. I hate those 6 pounds. They just seem to taunt me and stick their tongue out and say...sure have some french fries you can work them off later. Later hasn't come. If you know me, you know that weight is something I have struggled with my whole life. Thanks Mackey genes! So where some say, 6 pounds is nothing....it is a HUGE deal to me. I worked so hard to lose some weight before my wedding and I would love to take those 6 pounds and another 10 off before I get pregnant.

Motivation....I am putting it out there, so I can hold myself somewhat accountable. I will be enlisiting some sort of program to follow and I hope to document my successes and failures (obvioulsy those are hardered to put out there)

No time like the present

L is for LOVE

.......or the things I love (not in any particular order)

-My husband, J
-My amazing stepson
-My family, old and new
-new flip flops
-the Arkansas Razorbacks
-diet Coke, or diet cherry Coke (especially from Sonic or Quik Trip)
-laying by the pool, or beach, or lake, or just sunning myself in general
-crazy wonderful friends
-7 and 7 out of a mason jar
-fun flirty dresses
-cake......wedding, birthday, anytime cake! ohhh and cake vodka
-pedicures
-dancing to live music
-dancing to Footloose
-Journey on the radio
-walks in the park with Charlie
-having my hair washed
-high heels with jeans
-Cheez It's
-Jerry Maguire
-leggings and a comfy top
-being A list preferred for Southwest
-my stuffed Eeyore
-cowboy boots with dresses
-road trips with the husband
-my crockpot
-laughing
-being a stepmom
-new car smell
-folding laundry
-getting lost in a moment or song
-boat rides
-lazy nights on the couch
-kitchen gadgets
-being in love and living life
-making memories

The new St. Patrick's day

For those of you who don't know, St. Louis loves any holiday, especially holiday's that involve beer. We have 2 main parades for St. Patrick's day. One, downtown usually the saturday before March 17th, and one the day of in the Irish area called Dogtown. This year they fell one in the same because the 17th was a saturday. The downtown parade is more kid friendly with big floats, but still lots of beer. The Dogtown parade is smaller, with more marching bands and the clans march, and still lots of beer. Even when St. Patricks day falls during the week, so many people skip work to come partake in the festivities. My mother was in town last year (we were wedding planning) and she could not believe the amount of cars on my street (we are 2 miles from the parade) and the people stumbling back to them later in the day. I have always loved St. Patrick's day (being that Mackey is Irish and all)....but I loved a reason to start with mimosas and switch to beer by 9am, wear green, etc. I have had so many fun times down in dogtown. 3 years ago I even flushed my blackberry in the toilet at Nick's pub...the upstairs VIP one (yes we had VIP passes to the bar upstairs closed off to the general public.)

How times have changed......this year we spent St. Patrick's day at Peyton's championship basketball game. It was a great game too. He scored 5 of the 20 points. Their team has gone undefeated all year and they won the league play. However, the game went into 2 overtimes and they had a heartbreaking loss in the 2nd overtime. The refs were terrible and made some very bad calls. It is a good thing I don't understand all the rules because I am sure I would be the mom yelling all the time. We then thought we'd be able to take the boat out, but mother nature had other plans. Rain, lots and lots of rain, thunder, and lightning. So in true Irish fashion, we ordered pizza, ate popcorn, watched the Blues clench a play off spot, baked a strawberry cake and now it is bed time. No green beer for me today....hey, I had enough calories without adding the empty ones.

K is for Kansas City

I am in my favorite, home away from home city, Kansas City. Now, stop, I consider St. Louis, Plano, and NW Arkansas homes and they all have a very special place in my heart. But for work travel, KC is my favorite city to go to. I stay in my beloved hotel with a staff that has grown to be a part of my life. I have accounts where the people are amazing and friendly. I have a routine, which makes being away from home much easier. There is amazing food here too, when I am not eating at some of my favorite places like Jack Stack Bar B Que......yum yum yummy.