Positivity Challenge Day 2

I was challenged by a facebook friend to write 3 positive things fir 5 straight days and I decided to start the challenge on my facebook but continue it here (so I don't overwhelm anyone AND still accept the challenge). 

This is going to be 4 days of a simple list of things that I'm grateful for: 

1. Air Conditioning: It's nice to have the option to stay in a house with my mom that has air conditoning, especially for a long weekend (like this one) with such hot temperatures. It's a luxury and I'll gladly take it. 

2. Sketchers: I tried my first pair of sketchers back in 2011 and immediately fell in love. I tried the first GoRuns and they were the most comfortable shoes that I have ever worn. Unfortunately they changed them just about a year later when they made the GoRun2 which was a bit disappointing but they were still pretty comfortable. I then waited 2 years to even think about buying another pair mainly because of money but also I loved that pair so much and didn't need to look for another. Boy was that a mistake. I recently found myself in a sketchers outlet and they literally have a million (and one) different types of GoRuns and it's so hard to determine what the difference is between them all. It's VERY annoying because I know that I loved the original and I can no longer buy it...BUT the positive part is that I found another pair and I've fallen in love with! I bought the GoRun 3 and I'm pretty happy. I mean, I hate sketchers because they keep changing it...but I also love them :) 

3. My Mom: I genuinely love spending time with my mom. I'm the most comfortable with her and she can allows me to rest, relax, laugh, and have a good time. I love her. 

Tomorrow I'll post another 3 things that I'm grateful for! Join me and list 3 things that YOU'RE thankful for in the comments below! 

28th year

Erika: 

Today you turn 28 years old and seeing that number written on the page feels odd.  But you are writing a letter in the third person so you're clearly an odd person already :) 

Here is a letter to myself about what the past year has been and what hopes I have for the year ahead. 

You are 28 years old and you are still discovering who you are. While it might be "normal"... you still feel like you're behind the curve. The great part is that you're finally in a place to accept that things in life happen slower for you than most people. And that's okay. 

You've never been the most adventurous person, but I hope that you take more risks this year and decide that no matter what the outcome, the experience alone will be worth it. 

You are an obsessive person and I hope you use this to your benefit this year. Find things that make you happy and people to share that happiness with each day! Invite people into your fangirl world and don't take their opinions/criticism too personally. You love whatever it is and that should be enough. 

I hope that you find a community of people who will challenge and accept you and help you become a stronger and more confident person. I pray that this year is all about gaining confidence and accepting who you were created to be. Don't let anyone tell you different. 

You (VERY) recently got to meet your two favorite actors/celebrities and it was remarkable. You made eye contact with Jensen Ackles and your heart skipped a few beats. He even called you sweetheart. Sigh. You are going to many more conventions and hope to have many more skipped heartbeats with that dude. Remember...he's worth it.

On a somber note, each year your birthday month tends to be a tough month with many "anniversaries" of losing people. It is extremely painful for both you and your family as you balance the pain of loss and being grateful for another birthday personally. Unfortunately this year was no exception. We lost a friend to cancer and we pray for his family and all of us grieving his passing. I pray also that God reveals more of Himself to you and why August is both a celebration of life and mourning death. Ask Jesus and await His response.  

Here's to a year of new discoveries, reflections, adventures, and experiences. 

Also: whenever you are sad just look at this picture and remember how happy they made/make you. 

Happy 28th :) 

Counting Down the End of Summer

Life has been extremely full these past few weeks with my full-time job picking up speed, my friend's passing, and everything that's happened in between...but I did want to update you on a few things I've got going on!

1. My friend's Memorial Service was on Saturday and I unfortunately wasn't be able to go. I mention it here only so that we can all keep his family in our prayers. I'll be keeping all my friends who attended in spirit, especially his wife and young son. 

2. I flew to Vancouver for a Supernatural Convention this past weekend! I was so flipping excited about this, I can't even put it into words. This was my first convention where I'm met my favorite and the thought alone made my stomach go topsy-turvy. Excited/Anxious/Nervous/Happy almost begins to cover it....almost.

The Jensen Ackles (aka favorite)

3. I'm looking into gaining more knowledge of blogging by working with a fellow blogger! She blogs at Helene In Between and she's offering consultations to help new bloggers learn, develop, and grow their readers! I have some budgeting to do and things to think about but I'm pretty sure I'll be working with her in the near future!

4. I'm looking forward to a slower work schedule in September. Might sound silly, but my full-time job has BUSY seasons and it also has "there's nothing to do and it's 10am" seasons. In years past I would enjoy the slower times for about a week and then be bored. This year though, I'm excited to use time to organize and plan out blogs, write, and basically use the extra space for creativity. We'll see how this actually plays out, but in theory this could be really great :) 

I'll be writing a recap of the weekend soon because it's too much awesome for a smaller post such as this. I'm looking forward to the end of summer and beginning of fall. What are some things that YOU'VE been up to as the summer winds down? Let me know in the comments below!