Then, when I got older, she taught me one of the most important lessons I believe I will ever learn: I am beautiful because I am unique. My sister has never been scared to be herself. From her style to her kindness, she has been true to her mind, body and spirit for as long as I can remember. I love my sister. I love her even more because, in a sense, she paved the way for me. She held my hand and let me know that it would be okay to be me. She is beautiful beyond all comprehension and I will never take for granted the fact that we are bound together by heart strings.
I wasn't always good about appreciating her, though. I can think of plenty of times when I brushed her company off for someone else's. A silly mistake, I now realize. I sincerely regret all those chances I passed up, but I am proud of the fact that I realized the importance of her presence in my life and now make an effort to appreciate her for everything she has done (and will do) for me. In a few weeks, she will walk down the aisle and I will stand by her side as she vows to spend the rest of her life with a man she loves. I have always wanted love for my sister, more than anything. I have always wanted a man that appreciates her unyielding loyalty, kindness, and fierce passion for life. She has found that person and I could not be more pleased.
When I look back on all the memories we have shared together, I get a little teary -- mostly because we are no longer children and those simple moments we have are fleeting, snapshots in my mind. At the same time, I can picture our future together. The two of us standing in a sunny kitchen, watching our own children play together. And it is good. It is oh so good. I have friends in my life that will come and go, I have friends in my life that will be there forever, and I have a sister who will walk by my side for eternity. That is the most precious gift I could be given in this wild, uncertain, difficult life. A person who will not only never leave my side, but who will support me in all my endeavors.
I love you, Evie. I can't wait to see you walk down the aisle in all your beauty, grace, and kindness. Thank you for loving me in all my stubbornness and moodiness. Even though I don't always say it, I am thankful for your presence in my life every minute of everyday.
I am so thankful to have a dad that has given me the courage to run after my dreams with good nature and passion. He has taught me that love always comes before money, time spent outdoors can make anything better, laughter is the key to happiness, and that I am never alone.
Happy Father's Day to the man who made me who I am today and keeps me laughing at all hours. I love you!
About ten years ago, a really cute boy walked through the doors of the youth group I attended. I was smitten.
About 4 years ago, that really cute boy made it official and we started dating.
About 6 months ago, that really cute boy made it really official when he slipped a gorgeous antique ring on my finger.
None of that would have been possible if that really cute boy hadn't been born 21 years ago today.
Now I can hug that really cute boy whenever I want.
I love you, Jeffrey. Happy Birthday. I couldn't be happier to celebrate such a special day with you.
I have spent minutes, hours in front of the mirror scrutinizing my own appearance. It wasn't always this way. I was raised to believe that I am beautiful, even if, especially if, I don't fit into a definable category. Somewhere along the way, I lost that mentality.I remember the day I realized my teeth weren't perfectly straight. Honestly, I felt self-conscious right away, wondering how many people had noticed before I had. In reality, it's unlikely that any of the important people in my life based my value on the appearance of my teeth. I was fortunate enough not to need braces as a child -- a fact that should be celebrated, not dwelled upon.
My favorite Hollywood icon of all time is Audrey Hepburn. She is beautiful, but I was never drawn to her because of her physical appearance. She lived her life in a way that made her admirable. Her soul was beautiful. That, in turn, made her beautiful. It was her spirit that changed the world.
To me, beauty is kindness. Showing humility and open-mindedness to the people with which I am lucky enough to share this beautiful planet. I have never judged someone, or befriended someone based on an outward appearance. It has been a person's spirit and generosity that draws me toward him or her. I can't imagine living in a world where everyone looked and acted the same. In a world where friendships were based on the superficiality of physical looks.
I was blessed to be given this vessel -- a vessel that allows me to share kindness and compassion with the people I am fortunate enough to meet and get to know. And how fortunate I also am to look completely different from anyone I know. How fortunate I am to have a slightly crooked smile that reminds me that I am human and that I am unique -- an individual.
It is when people truly open up and show me their personalities that I find myself most intrigued. It is when people share with me personal stories that I find myself drawn to them. I have never begun a friendship because of the way someone looked. It is true, though, that all of my friends and family are beautiful.
It's good to be back. xo, R.
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When I first started this blog, it was for me. It was a time in my life when I felt a little more lonely than usual and I needed something for myself. This blog was the result. I've always enjoyed writing, but was never disciplined enough to keep a diary. This seemed like the perfect compromise for me -- a balance of spontaneity and accountability that I needed when I felt like I didn't belong in my new world.
It's become more clear to me in the past couple of weeks that this blog is no longer for me. I think I got too caught up in commenting and wanting to gain readership that I completely forgot why blogging brought such joy into my life -- a time for me to sit down and write about anything that I felt like writing about. It didn't matter how many pictures there were, or how funny my words were, or even how many people read it. It was for me and the people in my life that enjoyed hearing and reading my words -- whether that was on a blog or in person.
I adore and appreciate every single person that stops by this blog and reads my words and gains something from them. Whether or not you choose to comment doesn't matter. Thank you for being here. I'm taking a step back from my blog to help myself remember why it is that I write and take pictures of the things in my life. I'll be back when the value of my words and pictures ring true to me again. xo, R.
I love breakfast foods. They are my absolute favorite, but I don't want them everyday. Plus, I don't like milk, so cereal is totally out of the question. So, smoothies are my go-to breakfast option. I make one everyday. It's fun to try out different combination and, every once in awhile, I stumble across one that really works. This is my favorite smoothie right now, and Jeffrey likes it, too.
Summer Smoothie
Serves 2
8 ice cubes
1 banana
About 1/2 cup 100% pineapple juice*
About 1/2 cup orange juice*
6-8 fresh strawberries
6-8 frozen mango chunks
Blend and enjoy!
* I never measure the amount of juice I put in, so this is a rough estimate. You might even start out with a smaller amount and work up to a bigger one, depending on the thickness you prefer! When I make this for myself, I just use pineapple juice, but Jeffrey likes it with orange, so we mix them together. :)
P.S. My camera's broken (sad), image found here.
Today I have Laura's quirks for you! Her blog, Radiator Tunes, is beautifully written with gorgeous pictures to boot. Check it out. :)
Laura's Quirks
- I have an unhealthy obsession with all things awesomely bad. I avidly watch movies such as Grease 2 and The Room, seek out YouTube videos of horrible acting, and listen to Rick Astley, knowing full well that these are all terrible, cheesy, and delightfully awful.
- To this day, I still have a certain seat at my family dinner table that I always need to sit in. I guess it's a mild case of obsessive compulsive disorder, or a really strong resistance to change. While everyone else in the family can shift their seating positions as much as they please, I can’t help getting upset if I’m not able to sit in the same old spot.
- I’m crazy about Christmas. I actually celebrate Christmas in July because I just can’t wait for the most wonderful time of the year to arrive! And it’s not unusual for me to have a majority of my gifts bought or purchased before Labor Day rolls around.
- Shy as I may be when amongst strangers, I love to dance in public places where dancing is not expected. The grocery store, the mall, convenience stores, and coffee shops are all as good as dance clubs for me. This groovier side of myself is of particular embarrassment to my mother and my fiance.
- I used to have absolutely love for unicorns. As a child, I was told that unicorns didn’t exist because they didn’t make it on to Noah’s Ark in time - I was so upset with Noah that I cried.
- The only kind of spoon I will use at home is an iced tea spoon. What is an iced tea spoon you ask? They’re a really long, narrow and skinny style of spoon (and I guess they’re particularly handy at mixing iced tea?). Growing up, my mom kept a few of them with the rest of our silverware and I always tended to use them over the others. This special set of spoons then made the trip with me to college and when I moved out. I’m still not sure what is about them that I love so much, but I get upset when the only clean spoons around are the short and squat kind.
- I tire of driving the short distance to and from work everyday, but I love long road trips. Stick me and my fiance Mike in a car for hours at a time and we’ll have a ball! We drove cross country in 2009 and are planning a road trip up to Canada this spring for our honeymoon.
- I love to read aloud. Luckily this is one of those habits that I kicked before I got too old. But whenever I read something out loud nowadays to my family or friends, everyone makes fun of my hurried enthusiasm while reading to them.
