My Unusual Story

     Each of us is living our life story so to speak. They are all unfinished stories until we take our final breath. Most of the time, we don't understand what is going on while we are in the middle of them. Sometimes I feel like I have a very unusual story. Here I am 30 years old and single. And not just single---I’m single with no past, present, or seemingly future prospects. Seriously. There were no awkward dates in high school. No going to prom. College boyfriends? Nope. No post-college boyfriends either for that matter. Sure, there have been a few to look at the “bait” as my mom says, but none to actually take it, lol.  I'm sure I'm not the only person this has ever happened to, but it feels that way at times! 

     Let me just say, it is SO confusing! I watch as all my friends get asked out on dates, get boyfriends, get married, and start their families. I wonder, “What’s wrong with me??”  There was a time in my life I honestly believed that I was too shy, too short, not pretty enough, or not skinny enough for guys to be attracted to and interested in me. I mean, I had to blame it on something, right?? Maybe I’m too this or not enough that. But, I've learned that this is simply NOT true. Women with different shapes and sizes and personalities get into relationships all the time. As logical as this may be to you, it was news to me. There is no magic formula, Candace!      
     Now, I have a different mindset. I believe now more than ever before that I am amazing. Yes, I said it. I am amazing and beautiful. And I am totally not being conceited here. Trust me, I know I am no Victoria’s Secret model. I am not a size 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and on and on. But you know what I am?? Uniquely me. One-of-a-kind. Candace. I'm the only me in this world. I am very short and curvy. I am awkwardly shy in groups yet talk too much when I am one on one with friends. I am sweet and loyal to a fault. I am a picky eater. I try to be a good friend, but I often mess up. I get angry and say things I shouldn't. I am honest, caring, and compassionate. I am intelligent and hard-working. I love kids and they usually love me. I am sincere. I am often unorganized. I have more unfinished projects and unread books than I can count. I try to be fashionable but can usually be found chilling in a t-shirt and shorts. I am not perfect. But you know what?! Beauty is not perfection. It isn't being who everyone thinks you should be. It is loving and living life confidently in who God designed you to be. 
                                     

     The flip side of this is that I now have nothing to “blame” my singleness on. It baffles me how other people seem to date haphazardly and get into and out of relationships on a whim and even enter into marriages so easily while I’m still dreaming of my first kiss. I scratch my head in bewilderment and ask, “What are these guys thinking?!?” It really hurts at times. My opinion has shifted from "Why would he want to date me?" to "Why wouldn't he want to date me??" The only answer I have is that God is ultimately writing my story differently than everyone else's. He is Sovereign and He knows what He's doing. This is such a cliché, but it is the truth. My story is so unusual and I know for certain that He has a purpose and a plan for this even though I can't see it or understand it or figure it out. 
     Even though it is difficult, I would not change any of it because I am on a journey that is bringing me closer to Him. Circumstances in my life are not just happenstance. God is working in the background orchestrating it all into a beautiful masterpiece. He is working all things for my good and His glory......whether or not my story ends with love, marriage, and a family of my own. I can't wait to see how my story unfolds. :)

 And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work]and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you. Philippians 1:6 AMP

And Your Bird Can Sing

     So, for Mother's Day/mama's birthday, I surprised my mama with a painting class! She has never painted a picture before and I think she was a little nervous about it. But, she decided to let loose and have a good time!!! We had fun painting our bluebirds, and despite how deformed she thinks her bird is, she did a FANTASTIC job! I love you, Mama, and I hope you had a blast! 

Concentrating

She's having so much fun!

Isn't she so cute?!

#selfiefail

I Am a Nerd

     Attention: I AM A NERD. A name nerd. I have an unusual interest in all things names. It is not uncommon for me to ask friends, family members, or strangers what they are going to name their babies whether or not they are expecting. It is also not unusual for me to know meanings of random names, lol. I love encountering rare and unusual names. Not a day goes by that I don't think about the perfect name combination. I wish I could be the official baby namer for some hospital or village, lol. Oh what a glorious job that would be! Better yet, I could be Candace, the Baby-Naming Fairy, complete with a set of butterfly wings to fly me to and fro across the world visiting parents struggling with finding the right name. I would wave my magic wand and dub children of the world beautiful appellations like Francesca, Milo, Atticus, Arden, Rowan, Betsy, Hugo and Juniper! The possibilities are absolutely endless!:! I know you think I've lost it now, lol.  Anyway, back to what I was saying. For all you non-name-nerds out there, last week the social security administration released the baby name data from 2013. They release the data each year and have since 1880. I LOVE poring over these lists and rankings. I completely nerded out over this data, lol. This probably sounds so weird, but trust me, I am not alone! I have discovered tons of other name nerds out there. Bloggers, vloggers, and instagrammers, all who love names just as much and probably more than me! So, join us in all the fun and discover a new passion! :) 

IEP Season

     So it is IEP season for many speech-language pathologists here in these parts. Wouldn't they be so much fun to write if these pictures were our reality?!? LOL.

Thank you to all the creative people who designed these pictures! I have no idea who you are, but these are so funny!

Let's Get Colorful!!!

     This past weekend I participated in a color run!!! If you don't know what that is, it is a 5K that is not timed and there are people who throw different colored corn starch on you throughout the course. At the end there is a big party with more color! They countdown and everyone throws color in the air at the same time. It is a fun experience so if you get the opportunity to participate in one, go for it! I was on a team with my coworkers. We were the Runaway Eagles. It was a very fun morning!!!

SPED Dept. representin'

Rainbow hair :)

Silly 

Runaway Eagles

I was afraid it would be hard to wash out, but surprisingly it came right off. I relaxed the rest of the day and jazzed up my balcony. Hopefully, I will have lots of pretty flowers growing soon. Fingers crossed!

I Seriously Need Something to Blog About!

     I have not abandoned my blog. I promise! I have just been uninspired lately. Blogger's block, you might say. I'm not giving up. I will write again!!! 

My 30th Birthday

     Well, my 30th birthday has come and gone! I did not have a big blow out party, but I did get to spend time with my friends and family. A week before my birthday, I took a day off from work and so did my mom. We spent the day shopping and running a few errands. On Saturday, my brother and sister-in-law and my aunt and uncle came over for lunch and cake and ice cream. Yum, yum! Megan and Chad gave me a really cool necklace with my initial. And my dad gave me a can of really delicious mixed nuts that he picked out especially for me. After my aunt and uncle left, Megan and I convinced my mom to let us style her hair. I tried to part it the opposite direction to give it more body. Then, we got the straightener and flipped her hair out on the ends. It looked alright! Of course, she did not like it and it only lasted approximately 5 seconds after she looked in the mirror. Good thing I got pictures!!! You can see them below! Then later that night we randomly went to play putt-putt. That was my favorite! I can only think of one time we went when I was a child and I'm pretty sure it was the first time I have ever been with my dad. It was fun and I won!!! My brother and I were tied at the end, so we putted the last hole again. He got hole in 3 and I got hole in 2! So, I was the champion! On Sunday, my mom and I were on a mission to find a pair of tennis shoes for me since I tried on every pair at the Nike Outlet with no success. My mom finally found a pair at a different store that were just right. Apparently my feet like Reebok's lol! :) Then, she got me a really cute mint dress that I cannot wait to wear this spring! 
     On my actual birthday, lots of people called, texted, facebooked, and sent me birthday cards! It was so much fun! My friend Angie gave me this really nice dish for serving food. My friend Merrill gave me three necklaces that you can wear together and a cupcake from Gigi's! Then we went to dinner. The celebration continued the next day when my friend Meghan came to visit. Merrill, Meghan, and I went to dinner at a local restaurant and then went back to my apartment for dessert. Meghan made me the cutest cupcakes that had a Reese's on top to look like a baby cupcake on top of a giant cupcake! And her friend Kristin that I met once even sent me an M&M bouquet! I thought that was super thoughtful and sweet! One of my friends sent me my first ever facebook gift to Starbucks! So, the day was full of surprises! Several of my friends and family gave me such thoughtful cards that literally brought tears to my eyes!! It was such a fun time and not just because of the gifts....it's the thoughtfulness behind the gifts and cards that really means the world to me. That and spending quality time with my friends and family!!! 

Okay, so I did not include any pictures of my mom's hair because I knew she would kill me! I just wanted to scare her a bit! :)