Girls Weekend: Day Two

On Day Two, we woke up bright and early by 9:00am and grabbed some bagels for breakfast.  To tease Flam, I ate the Salt one.  Holy Saltlick!  I've never seen a bagel with that much salt on it!  It took LOTS of butter and cream cheese, but I ate the whole giant thing and liked it. 

We boarded a train around noon to head into the city.  We then caught the subway to Brooklyn.  We checked into our hotel and then walked to the Brooklyn Bridge.  This was my first time in Brooklyn and I was so excited to see this bridge up close!

 Next, we walked down to Jane's Carousel.

Then we caught a glimpse of a wedding happening underneath a bridge!

We took the subway to the Chelsea Market stop.  I had never been in Chelsea Market before.  We stopped in Anthropologie and I smelled their Capri Blue Volcano candle and made up my mind that I'd order it on Amazon to save six bucks.  #pinchingpennies

We then walked and walked and walked and walked.  And I began to question all of the great "comfy" reviews of the Converse Shoreline sneakers.  My feet were killing me.  We stopped for a drink at a tea and coffee place.  I got an iced Matcha tea and it was FABULOUS!  Makes me want to find Matcha somewhere down here in the South so I can recreate it. It was glorious!

We then took the Subway to One World Trade Center.

We looked at the memory pools.  So serene and a very fitting memorial.

Then we went inside the new New Jersey Path station.  It's still under construction in some parts, but it's an architect's dream building! Even I-- who am SO FAR AWAY from being an architect-- swooned at all the white marble and the clean lines!

Flam surprised us by booking tickets to the observatory.  The night view tickets were cheaper than the dinner hour tickets, so that's what we did.  We wandered around a nearby mall and ended up eating ice cream cones as a snack.  We then sat at the pier and watched kids swinging, people walking their dogs (some of these people were in stilettos for crying out loud), little kids jumping over the concrete bricks preparing for American Ninja Warrior no doubt, etc.

Finally, it was our turn to go up in the Freedom Tower.  The elevator ride did not disappoint!  Neither did the introduction to the views! My phone officially had 2% battery power, so Caitlin took the following pictures with her phone.

Looking down at the memory pools.

After this, Flam walked while Caitlin and I hobbled to the subway station.  We caught a train back to Brooklyn and wandered into the neighboring hotel's restaurant for some Italian food for dinner.  Flam and I each ordered ravioli and our bowls of 7 raviolis arrived and I scarfed mine down in approximately 4 and a half minutes.

We then crashed in the hotel-- very comfy sheets, might I add.  I hogged a whole bed to myself.  Hey, I have to share all the time anyway, so I was entitled.  Right?  I purposely took up the whole thing.  The AC was SO COLD but we couldn't figure out how to turn it down, so we were all each bundled up with as many blankets as we could find.

I woke first on day three.  #surprise  #not

I made myself a cup of coffee and read the two magazines in the hotel room while waiting for my besties to stir.  That's where I'll pick it up for Day Three.

Until Next Time,
Much love, Reba

Girls Weekend: Phase One

So... wayyyyy back in February, one of my best friends (Ashley, but we call her Flamingo, or Flam for short) and I decided to book a flight to New Jersey to surprise our other best friend, Caitlin, for her birthday in July.  We took advantage of the discounts available for booking a flight so far in advance, and we patted ourselves on the back for our awesome plan!

We coordinated our plans with Caitlin's boyfriend, and Caitlin's brother's fiance.  We had it all mapped out.  Flam and I would each fly to Atlanta, and then fly together to Newark, and arrive around 1:30pm.  Then, we'd be picked up by one of Caitlin's brothers, and be taken to her house where we'd surprise her and have a fantastic four days together- and certainly head into Manhattan on one day.  Then, Flam and I would head back to Atlanta together on Wednesday morning and then separate onto our own planes to return to our home towns by that afternoon.  Easy breezy.

Then......life happened.

After alllll those long months of waiting and anticipating and twiddling my thumbs because time couldn't soar fast enough, the day arrived!  I must have dreamed about the day at least five times-- always imagining the look on Caitlin's face as we surprised her.

So, my father-in-law showed up at my house bright and early-- well, it wasn't even bright.  It was 5:00am. He came over to watch our boys while Aaron took me to the airport.  On our drive to the airport, I got a text.  I assumed it was from Flam.  It wasn't.  It was from Delta.  My flight from Atlanta to Newark was cancelled and I was being re-routed.  Oh boy.  Fourth of July weekend-- this wasn't good.  I texted Flam.  She was being rerouted as well.

Even though I had printed my boarding passes at home, and I wasn't checking any luggage, I still had to go to the ticket counter to sort out my new ordeal.  Aaron dropped me off around 5:30, and my flight into Atlanta was scheduled to leave around 7:15, so I knew I had plenty of time to work on this situation. At the ticket counter, the agent told me I was being rerouted through Louisville, Kentucky.  And then from Louisville to Newark.  She told me that I'd land in Atlanta around 9:30 eastern time, then I'd have a FOUR HOUR layover before my flight to Louisville, where I'd arrive around 2:30pm.  Then, in Louisville, I'd have another FOUR HOUR layover, then I'd board the plane to Newark at 6:30pm and arrive in Newark at nine o'clock.  Oh. Em. Gee.

Lemme tell you-- at six o'clock in the morning, thinking about a 14 hour journey in front of you is overwhelming.  Just plan overwhelming.  I felt like crying.  I texted Flam.  She wouldn't be coming through Atlanta at all.  They were rerouting her through West Palm, and then up to Newark where she'd arrive thirty minutes before our originally scheduled time. So, she was getting there early and I was arriving eight hours late.

Once I landed in Atlanta, I ran to the Help Desk.  I made it my goal to be the nicest person anyone came in contact with that day.  The agent at the Help Desk looked at every nearby airport-- JFK, LaGuardia, Philly, Atlantic City, anything.  Nothing was available.  There was a direct flight to Newark leaving in less than 30 minutes from when I arrived at the Help Desk, but they were unable to change my ticket in the system soon enough.  I was told to wait it out and take my rerouted flight at 1:30.

I found a phone bank of Customer Service lines for Delta.  I waited on hold for a while there before I was able to get on standby for a flight heading into JFK at 12:45.  It was boarding within the hour.  The agent on the phone put me on standby and I ran to the gate. When I got to the gate, the boarding agent said my name hadn't shown up in the system yet.  I then realized that 30 people were ahead of me on the standby list.

I grabbed some lunch at BoJangles, charged my phone, and then found another Help Desk and waited in line.  That agent was at least able to check me into my two remaining flights.  She confirmed that there was nothing earlier available.  She also told me that nobody on the standby list for the earlier flight was even let on the flight.  That's how booked things were for the holiday weekend.  When they cancelled the flight from Atlanta to Newark that I was supposed to be on, they displaced over a hundred people that they were now frantically trying to reroute.

I waited out the layover and arrived in Louisville right on time.  I made my way to the next gate and realized that the next four hours were going to creep by since no one was even at the gate yet for my connecting flight.

 I wandered around the Louisville airport as much as I could, and then I found a Starbucks tucked away in a construction zone, so I grabbed a bottle of water, a sandwich, and a frap and I made myself at home in a comfy leather chair.  I brought four magazines with me, and I worked my way through each and every one.  I called my grandparents and chatted for a while.  Then I finished all my snacks and made my way back to the gate.

Once there, my parents called and we chatted for about 40 minutes.  Then it was finally time to board!  This was a tiny plane-- much smaller than what I'd anticipate should fly from Kentucky to New Jersey.  I slept most of this flight because I just wanted to pass the time!  I had an awesome view of Manhattan as we descended into Newark.  Caitlin's brother and his fiance picked me up and we made our way to Caitlin's house.  Since Flam had arrived earlier in the day, Caitlin assumed that was all of her birthday surprise.  So, Ashley (the brother's fiance), walked inside and told Caitlin she had one more birthday surprise for her and to close her eyes.  Then, I walked inside and handed off my bags to Ashley and I sat beside Caitlin on the couch.  She opened her eyes and immediately started crying. It was perfect! Such a good ending to a tremendously long day!

I ate a couple slices of pizza (referred to as "pie" by everyone else in the house), met the cat, kitten, and two HUGE puppies and crashed around midnight.

I'll recap Phase Two tomorrow and I'll include some photos as well.  This ended up being an awesome mini-vacation and a great time to refresh my role as a mom and Diabetes manager, and the 14-hour travel day to kick it off was totally worth it!

Until Next Time,
Much love, Reba

Unrest

There are certainly times in life where things get too mundane.  If we wake up and do the exact same thing for years at a time, what are we looking forward to?

I'm kind of at that point.

I bought a notebook in TJMaxx about 6 months ago.  It's a hard-cardboard cover notebook, spiral bound, with a quote from Steve Jobs on the front:  "The Only Way to do Great Work is to Love What You Do."

My first sentence in this notebook is actually a question.  Questioning if we're really able to pursue our dream jobs.  Is this even attainable?

My next question (to myself) was, Why Not?

Why can't we pursue our dream jobs?

Some real answers ensued.

• Fear of not being able to "make it" financially. 

• Giving up the comfort of day-to-day routine to pursue something new.

• Fear of failure, and having nothing to fall back on. 

I am in such a rut, right now.  I am unsatisfied and unhappy.  

To change this, I'm making strides towards pursuing my dream job, bit by bit.  I'm going to be smart about it, obviously, so I won't make it my "real" job until I know I can support my family through it.  

This could take years.  

But at least I'm trying. 

If starting my own business and pursuing a dream can make each morning something exciting to wake up to, instead of just go through the motions for, then it's worth it. 

If doing something completely different and new can allow me extra time with my husband and my kids, then it's worth it. 

If taking a leap and not looking back can offer a freedom I didn't know was possible, then it's worth it. 

This is really just a post to ramble and collect some of my thoughts about this, so that I can return to this post later on and gauge how far I've come. 

Until Next Time, 

Much love, Reba

Lyrical Wednesday: Deeper

Ooooooh, today's song is a good one!  If you need a little pep in your step, PLEASE check out this song!  It is by Meredith Andrews, and it's called Deeper.  I heard it for the first time about a month ago as I was driving in the car with my little boys on our way to get an oil change.  Real life fun. Not.

This song came on the radio and it totally spoke to me on so many levels!  I remembered one line clearly-- Every mountain is making me a climber-- so I looked up that line on Google and found the name of the song.  I totally listened to it on repeat for several days.  It's such an inspirational song and it reminds me that God knows what He's doing in our lives.  We may feel stranded or frustrated or worn out or just plain defeated.  This song reaffirms the promise that He is in control of it all.  His timing is so perfect.  We may not understand it, but that's okay.  All we've got to do is trust.

So, give this song a listen and see if you can keep yourself from doing a dance!

Deeper

I have kicked up the dust and the dirt on the narrow road
I have had to let go of some hurt to hold on to hope
I’ve watched the sunset before the promise came
I have waded through waters wide and walked through the flame
And I can say

CHORUS 1:
Every valley made me lift my eyes up
Every burden only made me stronger
Every sorrow only made Your joy go
Deeper and deeper, deeper, and deeper

I will run like I’m out to win, and finish the race
For every battle that’s sure to come I will be brave
I’ve got my heart set on every word You say
And no matter what lies ahead You’ll make a way
And I will say

CHORUS 2:
Every valley made me lift my eyes up
Every burden only made me stronger
Every sorrow only made Your joy go
Deeper and deeper, deeper, and deeper

Every mountain is making me a climber
Every giant is calling out a fighter
Every heartache only makes Your love go
Deeper and deeper, deeper, and deeper

Thrown down but not defeated
I’m worn out but not giving up
I’ve hit ground but even at rock bottom
I’m just getting started, Yea, I’m just getting started

source

I hope this song speaks to you like it did to me.  Keep your head lifted!  You're a child of the King!

Until Next Time, 

Much love, Reba

Stranded: Netflix Series

Today, I'm linking up with Shay at Mix and Match Family and Erika at A Little Bit of Everything blog to talk about what three Netflix series we'd like to be able to watch if we were stranded on a desert island.  Any desert island that has TVs and Wifi is okay by me.

My three Netflix series would have to be:

1) Burn Notice
2) Gilmore Girls
3) Royal Pains

 Burn Notice:
If you're going to be stuck on a desert island, you might as well take notes from Michael Westen on how to use ordinary everyday objects to achieve unorthodox uses.  He's pretty much the modern day McGyver.  I've learned lots from his show.  They always seem to make new gadgets and work-arounds from items we'd find lying around any ole place.  Even a desert island.

Gilmore Girls:
Because, who doesn't need some Lorelai humor in their everyday life?  This show would be a nice break from the chaos that I'm sure resonates on a deserted island.  I for one, wouldn't mind daydreaming of the "first snow" as I'm baking under a palm tree.  I could also use the reminder of how wonderful coffee tasted.

Royal Pains:
I consider this show the McGyver of medical necessity.  If you're stranded on a deserted island, you might need to use everyday household objects like a pen, a ziploc bag, and duct tape to perform surgery.  Maybe.  Probably not.  But it's nice to look at all the homes in the Hamptons and dream, right?

So, there you have it.  My top three Netflix series that I would binge-watch if stranded on a desert island.  All educational.  All humorous, yet realistic at the same time.



Until Next Time,
Much love, Reba

The Art of the Gallery Wall

In our new house, it seems I am definitely more drawn to gallery walls than I was in our previous home.  Maybe it's the fact that we have more wall space to play with.  Perhaps it's the taller ceilings in the living room and office.  Maybe it's because I do like the look of clean lines and empty space, so the walls in the master bedroom and the hallway are left untouched, and I tend to group our remaining wall decor into gallery walls instead.

Our wall decor is made up of pictures, sentimental items, family phrases, Bible verses, canvasses, typographic letters, and art by my husband.

Let's start in our living room where I have three spaces set up with gallery walls.

The first is by the window.  A bentwood rocker adds the finishing touch to this corner and makes it a cozy reading nook.

The item farthest left is a painting my husband made for his mom, and she matted it and framed it for my birthday one year.  The top right is our last name, Petersen, crocheted by a friend of my step father-in-law.  It was a wedding gift.  The right bottom picture is a split photo of Toomer's Corner in Auburn.  The left side of the picture is Toomer's Corner in the olden days, and the right side of the picture is Toomer's Corner present day.

The next area of the living room featuring a gallery wall is one of the main walls in the living room.

This is the biggest gallery wall thus far in our home.

I arranged all artwork on the floor and moved pieces around there to find the layout I wanted most.  I played with straight lines, and breaking planes, and mixing up the textures and sizes of objects.  I am very happy with how it turned out.

The top row is made up of a canvas photo of my youngest son, a metal decor sign from Magnolia Market, a multi-opening picture frame from Target (I swap out some pictures in this frame periodically, as the boys grow older.  I keep our wedding pictures in the spots they're in though-- I don't change those out), a watercolor of flowers by my sons for my birthday last year, a Family sign with the Bible Verse "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."  The bottom row is another multi-opening frame (JCPenney) with wedding pictures and pictures from our first Christmas together, and from a wedding we attending near the beginning of our marriage), a handprint sun canvas painting from my boys for my birthday this year, a canvas photo of my oldest son (taken right before his Type One Diabetes diagnosis before his 2nd birthday), a HOME sign that says "May you be blessed when you enter, and blessed when you go out," a three-opening frame of my oldest son as a baby (I need to make one for my youngest), and a timeline piece showing the calendar dates of our first date, our engagement date, and our wedding date.

LOVE this wall!

The next gallery wall is in our foyer.

I mixed a wide canvas print that I got from TJMaxx several years ago (it initially hung above our fireplace at our first home), a painting that Aaron made for me to hang at my desk at work (which I got to bring home to enjoy last August once I started working from home), and a wooden typographic P from Hobby Lobby.  Mixing textures, but grouping similar colors together gave this display the look I was going for.

The final gallery wall (for the moment) is in my home office.

My office space is filled with motivational sayings and sentimental pieces.  I'm starting the journey of chasing my dream job, and I made sure my desk space was filled with encouragement.  The ceiling in this room is vaulted, so it left some good height to work with.

I kept the bolder colored artwork for our living area, but I wanted to make sure the office wall was simple and clean.  I chose to focus on blacks and whites, with just a little color thrown in.

My diploma is at the top right, then an Amish star that I got from Pennsylvania Dutch country several years ago, and a metal capital R (originally owned by my Aunt, and I received it since our first names start with the same letter). The second row is made up of a friendship sign that one of my best friends gave to me in 2010 (it says: Good friends are like angels; You don't have to see them to know they are there), a letter of jumbled up letters and numbers that Michael "typed" for us when he was less than a year old (somehow, he pressed the right keys to copy and paste a Seattle Seahawks logo, and I can't bear to throw this away. Ever. So I framed it), a print by Paper Jam Press , and a framed print from Hobby Lobby that says "All I need today is a little bit of coffee & a whole lot of Jesus." #truth

Coming up with ways to display family mementos, photos, and inspirational pieces was a lot of fun!

Until Next Time,
Much love, Reba

Show & Tell Tuesday: What's in My Bag

Today I'm linking up with Andrea at Momfessionals for Show and Tell Tuesday.  The theme today is:  What's in Your Bag?

I found a medium size tote bag at Kohl's on super sale a couple months ago, so I snatched it up as my summer bag.  I used to carry a smaller cognac bag, but I was filling it too full too fast.  So I switched over to this tote bag to give myself some extra carry-space.

I love the laser-cut pattern and the bright color.  Coral seems to be popping up in lots of places in my wardrobe and accessories lately!

The bag has a zipper pocket, and two small pockets inside, with a zipper closure up top.

Since the bag is pretty open, I use a small cosmetic bag to hold my keys, wallet, phone charger, and check book.

The size of this bag, and the openness inside makes it a great size for being a mom, and a D-mom! (Mom to a child with Type One Diabetes).  In my bag you'll find:

• Note cards and prior grocery lists
• A PAW Patrol tattoo 
• Target coupons for frappuccinos and greeting cards
• Expired Kohl's cash (booo!)
• sunglasses
• Blood sugar meter and Glucagon (emergency injection if my son's blood sugar gets too low)

In the two small pockets, I carry a pen, my garage door opener, hand sanitzer, chapstick, a mirror/brush combo, and a SPARK packet.  Not pictured are Smarties candies (a quick item to bring up a low blood sugar, and an easy snack for my other toddler to enjoy), and random receipts and appointment reminder cards.  In my zipper pocket, I keep my work badge and a few other necessities. 

So there you have it!  That's what's in my bag!

What's in yours?

Until Next Time, 

Much love, Reba