Life's Sweet Journey

Friday, November 4, 2016

November Currently!

Happy Friday Friends!!
Can you believe another new month is already upon us?! 
It blows my mind that we only have 2 more months left of 2016. 

What's up for November?! I am linking up with Anne for Currently's November edition!


This month I am... 
~Discovering~ A new found love for audiobooks!!  I always swore I was never a fan of audiobooks; I love the feel of a paper book in my hand, the smell of it's pages, the ability to turn down the corner of a page to remember a favorite quote later on. I didn't think an audiobook would keep my attention unless I was on a long car trip (as the driver). Maybe it's my old age, the busy schedule and the inability to find time to sit down with a book, but I am loving audiobooks recently!! Hoopla is an absolute dream! If you don't have Hoopla, it is a free app that allows you to check out multiple audiobooks, e-books and even music and movies. You do have to have a library card to use it, but it has some really great titles! I am currently binge listening to The Hunger Games series and falling just as much in love with it as I had the first few times I read it. I listen while I drive (I have a 30 minute drive to work), while I cook, clean, shower... it's amazing how quickly all that time can add up. I just started book two last night and am already over 2 hours in. 

~Wearing~ The serenity prayer shirt that I designed to help raise money for the recovery run that my dad is hosting. I will have it on all day tomorrow as we get together to cheer each other on at the MBS Recovery Run, as we run to raise awareness and funds to support those struggling with addiction and making the choice to live in recovery. 

~Celebrating~ A ton of birthday's this month; it's my best friends 30th and my bro-in-law turns 21, so we are taking him out for a night on the town! I see a lot of slow mornings in my future! This gal just can't hang like she use to! Then Babe and I are headed out to sea to kick-off my own 30th (eek!) birthday celebrations! 

~Starting~ To count down the days until our cruise!! Only 25 days left!! Can't wait to pack my bags, kiss the clock goodbye and unplug for a full week of sun and adventure!! 

~Googling~ Things to do on the cruise... our ship docks in Jamaica, Haiti and Cozumel! Any recommendations for things we must see?! We have been to Cozumel multiple times and will probably use that day to stay on the ship and have the boat to ourselves, but if you have any off-the-beaten path, hidden secrets send them this way!! The more adventurous the better! Also, if you have any Royal Caribbean insider tips, please share! We typically cruise Carnival, but have only done Royal Caribbean once and that was years ago. 


Hope you are gearing up for the holidays! 
Happy November!! 
What are you up to this month?! 

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Running for Addiction Recovery// MBS Recovery Run

If you have been following this blog for awhile, you may have read my thoughts during the years following my brothers death from a drug overdose {these can be read in the heading A Recovering Family}. For those of you that are new here it has definitely shifted to become much more about my current lifestyle and the travels Babe and I take in our travel trailer, Flo. However, my families history with drug addiction has shaped a lot of who I am today and recovery is something that I am still passionate about. Because of that I hope you will grant me a break from travel posting to share something that means a lot to me. 


Last year was the first ever MBS Recovery Run and it is now time for the second. Below is a post I wrote to share the race last year and I am going to share it again, because the video paints a clear picture of what the race is intended to be. My daddy is the sweet man at the end, the one holding a picture of my brother. Addiction is a beast, one that can tear and kill and destroy. That is why I am so proud of my dad, the men of MBS Surf Co. and the amazing team of people that put this video together for the Recovery Run. Take a look...




This year's race is to be held this Saturday, November 5th, at 8:30 am, in Baldwin Park. Last years event was so full of people out to support one another; some who knew John Wayne and our family personally and many who had simply heard of the race and came to run for a  that had touched their own life in someway. Just seeing the amount of people there to cheer for one another, and to run to show support for those living in recovery, was amazing. 

Photo Credit: MBS Recovery Run Facebook
Recovery is so important! It is a lifestyle that you have to choose every single day, but it is one that is so much more than worth it. It truly is a choice of life and death. I am looking forward to seeing the turnout for this years race and to seeing another year of people run for those saying "yes" to recovery! 

If you would like to donate, sponsor or live locally and would like to run you can sign up at the race website. You can also support the race by purchasing a Serenity Prayer shirt or mug. I made them to honor my brother's memory and to help raise money for the race. Proceeds from the sales through these links go directly to the race and to addiction recovery. 

For more of my thoughts about the race and the battle against addiction you can read this post written prior to last year's run.
And for those in the throes of addiction, helping a family member or friend on their recovery road, or making the choice each and every day to stay in recovery my prayers and thoughts are with you. Recovery isn't easy, but it's worth it. It is so worth it! 

Friday, October 28, 2016

Weddings, Tacos, Books and Adulting! Happy FriYAY!!

Happy FRIYAY Friends!! 
I hope today finds you soaking in all of the Friday glory! 

It has been a busy few weeks around these parts, so I figured I would play catch up with a little 5 on Friday fun!! Here's a little slice of my life lately... 
This past weekend my brother-in-law got hitched! It was a beautiful wedding and a weekend filled with fun and celebration!! I must say I got a little emotional. Weddings don't typically do that to me, but I think just watching someone I love so much (two people I love so much) make that commitment to each other, had a way of making the tears well up a bit. It could have also been the crazy nerves! I mean how often does one get to be Best Woman (I stood on the grooms side)?! The day I got asked I started planning out my speech and for some reason Fresh Prince of Bel-Air popped into my head. So I may have added in a little bit of rap! The rap part actually went better than I expected; it was the sappy sentimental part at the end that got me good! Dang emotions!!

I may have also gotten stuck in an elevator! It may, or may not, have been as we were leaving the reception, with the bride and groom in tow. Thankfully Babe was not on the elevator with us, meaning we knew someone was working tirelessly to free us! In hindsight we can laugh about it! I also find it incredibly ironic that the only picture I got with the groom/bro-in-law (on my phone) was whilst stuck in said elevator during an intense life situation. Fitting, I guess!!



You guys?! Maybe it is just the lingering emotions, but my tears seem to be so close to the edge recently. Has anyone else tried to reread The Giving Tree as an adult? I nanny for one of the cutest little two year olds you ever did see. Well, we sat down to read it before nap on Monday and I legitimately COULD NOT finish the book because my throat was catching too much and I was starting to cry. She of course then tried to get me to read it to her again on Thursday and I swear that she knew I hadn't finished it Monday for the sole purpose that I am a big cry-baby. She kept giving me sideways glances like "fight through your issues and actually finish it this time!" I would like to say that I made it through with only minor emotional pauses.

I have also been listening to The Hunger Games on audio book (FOR FREE; thank you Hoopla!) and it too has been making me tear up. The Reaping?! I couldn't do it! Katniss trying to protect her innocent sister?! I mean, I have already read The Hunger Games- multiple times- and only the end ever got to me before. Maybe it's just knowing how it all ends; or maybe there is some part of me that is yearning for my lost sense of youth. I could probably write a whole post on that... The feels are real, y'all!! P.S. Adulting is hard!!



I still think adulting is a sham, and that people should make a better point to tell you that, but it does have it's advantages. One being, there is no one to tell me that I can't eat 12 tacos in one sitting! Ok, so 12 may be an exaggeration- but only slightly! I have an affinity for tacos like it is nobody's business, so when the bride and groom gifted me with the best Best Woman present a girl could ever dream of I was as giddy as a kid at Christmas!! Not only was it the best shirt to ever be bestowed on my taco-loving heart, but I also get to go see Harry Potter in concert with my new sister!! Has anyone ever seen it? I have no idea what to expect. Music? Music and lines from the books?... we shall see!


And that's a little recap on where my life is lately!
Other than wedding-tears, books that make me cry and the tons of tacos needed to feed my emotions, I have been missing Babe like crazy (he's been traveling for work) and planning our next Flo adventure just as soon as we can get away!!

What's up in your world?