friday favorites: thank you

Happy Friday, Sweet Friends! 

First and foremost, I want to thank each and every one of you for keeping my family and I in your thoughts and prayers, for your sweet words of encouragement, and continued support through this difficult time. The grief that comes with the loss of a parent is unexplainable. I cannot fathom trying to bear this burden without my Lord. The grace, comfort and peace that only He can provide is priceless and what’s kept me sane through all of this. Knowing my father is in His presence is everything. If you have never made the decision to accept Christ as Saviour, I plead with you to do so today. If you’re not sure what that means or have questions, please reach out to me and I will do my very best to help. 

Now, onto my favorites from the past week!

i want to remember

Earlier this week, my father went home to be with the Lord. And those who know me well understand that my ability to remember is not one of my strengths. However, expressing my emotions through words is. So, as time passes by and the memories become more difficult to recall, I don't want to forget. I want to remember.

I want to remember...

How proud you were of the Red Angus cattle you raised.

That you only drove Chevrolet trucks.

The way you loved my Little Farmers unconditionally.

friday favorites: chock full of goodness

Hello Sweet Friends!

I am usually terrible about taking photos throughout the week and never remember what happens one day to the next, but this week I strayed from the norm and brought my A-game. So grab your coffee or Diet Dew and get comfy, because this Friday Favorites is chock full of favorite things to share.

I am the proud new owner of this Huffy Beach Cruiser. I posted on Facebook that I was in search of a gently used mom bike and within hours this beauty became mine. Riding with the boys is so much more comfortable now, and we have tons of fun.

how i became a runner

It's been almost two years since I embarked on my weight loss journey to a healthier me, what I dubbed #operationnomorefattyboop. You can read what motivated me here and read through my progress here. But what I'm sharing with you today is not about the thirty pounds I lost or the ten that I've gained back since, it's about how I became a runner as a result of this endeavor.

First, let's cover a little background.

I was an athlete all throughout high school. I played volleyball, basketball, and even ran track. I could sprint with the best of them, but I was NOT a runner. I vividly recall the one time I had to run the mile at a track meet due to an absent teammate - I was certain I would die before finishing. I continued to be active through college, playing volleyball and intramural basketball. Then, I graduated and entered the workforce.

friday favorites: my first in 2020

Happy Friday, Sweet Friends!

Today I'm linking up with some lovely ladies and sharing my favorites from the week. 

My azaleas are blooming and my first rose of the season appeared. Red is my absolute favorite.

10 books you need to read

I went on a bit of a binge reading spree while on my blogging sabbatical. According to my Goodreads log, I read thirty-nine books during the past year and a half. I swear I feel like I missed a couple, but then again who's counting?

Anyway, today I'm sharing my favorite ten of those thirty-nine. None of them received five stars, but all of the ones I've included below I rated a solid four stars.

As a point of reference, I have very few books with a five star rating. Five star books are those that I can still remember vividly no matter how much time has passed, and they are typically books that I will read more than once. Four star books are those that I thoroughly enjoyed and would definitely recommend. However, with the passage of time I won't remember much about them nor will they go in the que for a second read.

So without further ado, here are ten books (in no particular order) you should add to your reading list if you haven't already.

the prodigal blogger returns

Hello Sweet Friends!

In case you've forgotten, my name is Trista and I've evidently been on sabbatical for the last eighteen months.

When I logged in, I was honestly kind of shocked to find my blog still intact. I had forgotten how much I loved the design and the layout. How I had worked tirelessly on getting it just right. Funny how you can work so hard and so long on something and then just walk away from it, huh?

In the most simplest of terms, life happened. You can only bare so many burdens and responsibilities and stay afloat for so long without taking stock of what's important to you and consistently balancing and re-balancing. The failure to do so leads to unplanned disappearances from the blogosphere for extended periods of time. This isn't my first offense, and yet I'm still unsure as to whether or not I have learned my lesson.

If I'm honest, I'm a little uncertain about being here. The only creative bone in my body is writing and I've missed using it. I suppose you might say I'm testing the waters. For one, are you even still out there?! And two, can I balance the time I put into this little space with everything else vying for my time and attention?

I want to. I really do. I have so much to share with you. I mean, I could blog for days - I have 548 days worth of life that I haven't shared. Not to mention, I'm sitting here thinking of so many of you and wondering where life has taken you. So, here's to a reunion and a restart!

I hope you'll say hi - your presence would encourage me to continue. And if you have any wise words of advice to share on how you balance it all, bring it on!

Happy Saturday!

~Trista~

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