My Favorite Instagram Pic

 Linking up a few days late with day 4 of #Blogtober14 :) (better late than never, yes?) I'm gonna go with the trend, and pick a few of my favorite Instagram pics. Because how can you choose just one of anything, right? Also, please notice Reader that I left little tidbits of my Instagram profile on the sides of these pictures. That's to show you these pics are in fact screen shots from Instagram. Yes, Reader, I purposely cropped in little slivers of profile on my control, shift, +4 'copy a part of your screen shot' shot. I know, I'm profesh.

Oh, husband, you're so cute. I mean, look at him up there, in all his Santa Claus cuteness last year. And oh look, look at that little reindeer next to him. Just precious. ;) 

I love this picture because it's just fun and shows how we have fun together. I also love it because it was taken at school, where Z was Santa Claus and I passed out fun stockings to the kids (along with my boo, Catherine). I like that it's from work, where we have fun, and work together. So thankful for that. Days may be long and tiring, but I love that I get to go there each day with this man. :)

 Also, more husband, because this picture just cracks me up. And it's underwater with our underwater camera, which I think is pretty darn cool.

Also, Chara. Because her face is one of my most favorite faces in the whole entire world. Also, please observe those super cute crooked baby front bottom teeth. Ahhh, Chara. I love this girl-dog!!

And that concludes Day 4 of #Blogtober14. Thank you Taylor and Helene for all your #Blogtober14 hard work.
 

My Dream Jobs

 

Linking up again today with Taylor and Helene, for #Blogtober14! Join in on the fun!

What was your dream job growing up and what is it now? - See more at: http://www.heleneinbetween.com/#sthash.grZyXyaT.dpuf

 

What was your dream job growing up and what is it now? - See more at: http://www.heleneinbetween.com/#sthash.grZyXyaT.dpuf

What was your dream job growing up and what is it now? - See more at: http://www.heleneinbetween.com/#sthash.grZyXyaT.dpuf

What was your dream job growing up and what is it now?

 

When I was little I had tons of dreams. Actually, nothing has changed. I'm still a dreamer. My mind is filled the majority of my day, dreaming & planning. I love dreaming. And I never want to stop.

The cool thing about following Jesus is, let me be more clear, one of the gajillion cool things about following Jesus is, is that His dreams, His plans for my life, always turn out much better than my plans or dreams. And often, it's dreams I would never have thought up. My mind is limited, even in it's dreaming state. I would never have guessed that next year we'd be moving to the Philippines. A 45 minute flight from Paradise, working with people from all over the world. I wouldn't have planned for myself or dreamt that we'd live in China for the past 3 1/2 years. But you know, God is good & has incredible plans for our life.

 

Dream # 1: A Teacher

I had some pretty great ideas for my future when I was younger. The earliest memory I have of my future life of my working adult hood dreams, was Kindergarten. I'd steal sticky tac and worksheets from my teachers.  I'd take that stolen sticky tac & those stolen worksheets and use them to teach my teddy bears all lined up against my bedroom wall. First dream job, teacher. And what do you know?! I'm currently teacher. 

 

Dream # 2: Star Gazer/Astronaut

Next, by 4th grade, I became pretty obsessed with space. My mind is still fascinated. I was set on going to Space Camp, weren't all kids in Grade 4? I was pretty determined to become a star studier, in the non Zodiac sign kind of way, or an astronaut. I'm pretty sure I used to know the official term for star studier/gazer then, too. It sounded very profesh. I think this lasted all of 6 months. 

 

Dream #3: Be Famous

Then, I moved on to greater things. These late Primary School years were filled with beauty pageants for me, so I'm pretty sure I believed I'd grow up to be Miss America or Universe. And of course, famous. 

 

Dream #4: Hard Core but still super hot, Lawyer
Middle School I still had my famous dreams, but dreamt of fame in the Law world. I dreamt this for myself Pre-Legally Blonde. I was determined to become a hard core women something. Also, I knew I was pretty good at winning arguments with all my middle school boyfriends. So, I was a shoe in.

 

Dream #5: Medical School & the Medical World
By late middle school, I was fascinated and fell in love with medicine. I took health science & anatomy classes, studied in my free time, drew huge brain diagrams on my bedroom mirror, visited hospitals and just took anything medicine related I could. Medicine as in 'medical field' related, I wasn't consuming bottles of meds or anything. In case you were confused.
I was set on becoming a surgeon.
I still am. Though, I know it's probably not possible now. But I still love all things related to surgery, general medicine and oncology. 

 

Dream to Reality: Counseling & full time ministry.
But, really, what I'll begin to do next year, counseling women in full time ministry, is really one of my greater longings in life. I started seeing this in late high school. Deep conversations, digging deep, healing, talking about Jesus, these things make me come alive. And, soon that's what I'll be doing all the time!!! 

 

And if I Could have it all:
If days were 48 hours long and it was physically possible and acceptable to have multiple jobs, I would be a counselor 3 weeks out of the month, a surgeon a week a month, and a party planner in my free time. Of course, all these jobs would require free travel to various locations, as well. Also, I'd still be a blogger. :)

So, what were your childhood dream jobs? 
What's your dream job now?
 
Don't stop dreaming! Do what makes you come alive! 

 

If I Won the Lottery...

 

Random mustaches because, well, we have to have something to stroke while thinking about what to do with all of our money. Duh.

 

I'm linking up today with two, incredibly beautiful and hilarious ladies, Taylor and Helene, for #Blogtober14! Holla!

I used to think about what I would do if I won the lottery every day, Monday through Friday, my freshman & Sophmore year of college. On the way home from work, on the strip of I-35 between Temple and Belton, there was a huge billboard with the Texas Lottery current numbers, you know the huge dollar sign with lots of numbers after it that got my mind a wanderin' and dreamin' every time. I wonder what the guy who changes those huge numbers every week on that billboard would do with the money if he won it. You know he's thought about it! Or maybe he doesn't even play or daydream Maybe he has a very strict "no mixing work with future lottery wins dreaming" policy. Either way, I know I thought about it every week. Sometimes I'd think, "Lord, what if?! I mean really, could I win?! Maybe you'll bless me that way!" Funny thing is, I've never even bought a ticket. Just dreamed about the results of winning without a ticket. Aren't those tickets something like $5. Pshhhhh. I'm cheap, ya'll. And, priorities. You know? That's a Starbucks and a half in the States.

My grandparents always buy tickets. I hope they win someday. That'd be pretty awesome. And not just because I'd beg them to pay off all my student loans & maybe throw in a vacation to Italy because of it, but because it would be awesome for them. Also, they just bought an RV. Which some might argue is like winning the lottery. It's winning the opportunity to explore the US and hit the open road to some great conversation & jams lottery. Which actually, sounds pretty great to me.
Zachary dreams of owning an RV one day. You know, Lost in Travels, they did that. Bought an RV. I wish she hadn't stopped blogging, I bet they have some awesome stories.
But anyways, on to my future life as a millionare.
Obviously, I'd pay off our student loans. Even the ones under Zachary's name. Because I'm nice like that. ;)
Actually, I'm bringing Z in on this.

"Sweet husband, what would we do if we won the lottery?" 

"We'd pay off all of our families debt. Then we'd buy a home. And then adopt some kids. Then invest in businesses that are making the world a better place. And give some away by blessing people in special ways that would bring them closer to Jesus... I'm really glad I got this!" (Talking about his Kindle that he just got for his birthday.) His answer was pretty good considering I just interrupted him from the middle of his book, and he had to take his head phones out. 

Okay, back to me. ;)
What would I do? Also, can I just say, I hope it's a big jack pot?! Because there's work to be done! (Look it's even bullet-ed. This is serious work guys, planning future lottery wins.)

• We would pay off our families houses and debts. I totally agree. Debt freedom!! We're all about that. I think I'd also want to bless them with a chunk of money to invest somewhere. Help them be freed up from their debt and have some money to multiply. 
• We would definitely adopt.
• I love the part about 'blessing people in a special way.' I completely agree. I don't think we'd want to give a huge amount of money to a specific organization but would love to be really involved with individuals and what they are doing, like supporting missionaries and people within some great non profit/peace making/justice seeking/people loving organizations. Also, I'd love to just be able to have endless funds to hear needs of people and meet their needs. I'd love to hear about so and so's car and how it keeps breaking down, and just buy them a new one. Or how so and so would really love to go home for Christmas but can't and then just buy them the ticket. That kind of stuff. 
• Buy an awesome house in Austin, preferably one of these amazing ones off of Enfield. Or one with a great view. But eclectic and not obviously rich-y.
• Buy a house in Philly. 
• Pay for family vacations to some amazing place in the mountains.
• Settle down by opening a coffee shop combo hostel.
• Buy an apartment complex for low income families and have bible studies & fun themed parties in the common area, maybe live there for the majority of the year or in the hostel, it's a toss up. 
• Spend our days traveling & meeting & counseling with people with Beauty for Ashes. 
• I'd throw some awesome, all out, aesthetically amazing parties. And I'd be the party planner. Not the keg/alcohol drinking type parties but the classy type. You know, like Harry Potter murder mystery parties & Hunger Games parties. That kind of stuff.
• A Europe trip.
• A Capetown to Cairo trip.
• New Zealand road trip.
• Really just lots of travel, too.
• And, because I've always wanted them, I'd buy a pair of Uggs. 

Also, I'd loose 50 pounds. Oh wait, money can't buy that, right? Dang. I guess I'm gonna need a trainer and personal chef, too. ;) ;) 

What would you do if you won the lottery?

Want to join in on the fun?! Here's the prompts for Blogtober14!