What's to come in the Fall for each of us?

 What's to come in the Fall for each of us?

I LOVE that the weather is changing; it is such a mood booster! Change is definitely in the air. This new cool weather and the fact that Fall itself is just about a week away reminds me of quite a few things: caramel covered apples, skinny jeans and sweaters, pumpkins, the fair, camping, lattes, Thanksgiving, Halloween, and colorful, falling leaves. I'm sure you could come up with a few of your own as well.

Okay, here is where I go deeper in my post. As the new season approaches with much change why not make some changes for yourself? You don't need it to be New Years for a resolution(s). You actually don't need a season change, but we'll use it as an excuse this time. : ) It feels good to start fresh and take care of yourself. The world can be a heavy place that can bring you down at times. There's work, traffic, bills, family issues, relationship issues, global issues, etc. The list can go on. At some point you have to stop and take a look at your life and check to see what you're actively doing for yourself in order to stay sane and be at peace through all of the chaos.

As a stay at home mom it is very hard for me to take time out for myself to clear my head and regroup, but no matter the circumstances for any of us, we have to find the time somehow, even if it is just for a few minutes during the day or at night before we go to sleep. There's really no excuses when it comes to our well-being and happiness. I have definitely learned that much so far in motherhood and in life over all.

With that being said, what are some things you can do to help You?? Some of this can be done when you make the time for it, and a lot of this is what you can do in your life overall. Ask yourself some of these questions:

• Am I getting some exercise? (running, walking, yoga, etc.)

• Am I at least semi eating and drinking healthy? (water, fruits, veggies...)

• Am I doing something I enjoy? (reading, watching a good show or movie, painting, baking, photography, making jewelry, going to the park or bookstore, the list goes on...)

• Am I spending time with positive family members and friends?

• Am I spending some time outdoors with nature? 

• Am I being positive with my thoughts and actions? 

• Am I doing some good deeds? (randomly helping a stranger when you're out, smiling at someone who seems stressed, picking up trash you see on the side of the road, things like that...)

• Am I getting out my feelings? (Don't let your feelings build up. Write in a journal, vent to a friend, or even start a blog.)

• Am I living in the moment? (This is a hard one, but try not to hold onto things from the past if you can help it. What matters is the Now.)

• Who do I need to forgive? (Do you need to forgive yourself? Do you need to forgive someone else? This can be tough too, but holding onto resentment, anger, and bitterness only hurts You in the long run. It is Not fun having those feelings inside. Not fun at all! Free yourself from the pain if you can. Remember also that just because you forgive someone for something they said or did at some point does not mean they still have to be in your life. That's always your choice. Do what feels right for you.)

I am sure there's more things to think of in order to make sure you are taking care of yourself, but these are a few to think about. As I have most certainly gathered, when you're not taking care of yourself, you're not at your best. When you're not at your best, a lot can get under your skin and bring you down. When you're not at your best you can't be there for others like you want or need to as well. Always make sure you're looking out for You (not just everyone else), and the rest of the world around you will be a lot more breezy and peachy. This I promise. You may even seem like you're on a natural high a lot of the time (and it's going to feel Reallllly good).

I sure hope this helps for those finding yourself reading this.

Lots of love and light,

Jess

A Happy, Healthy Love

True Love really Does exist!!!

I chose to write about this for my first blog because meeting my husband has been one of the greatest, most joyful blessings in my life.

I can sit here and write about each of the guys I've dated, what we went through, and why it didn't work out, but instead of sharing That novel (or for now anyway) I'll just say that before I met my husband, I never felt certain or sure that any guy was The One.

I was at a huge turn around in my life during the time I met Andrew. I had stopped drinking just months prior and had for the first time ever gotten to a point where I felt happy with myself and more than okay to be single. (Up until then I had a boyfriend consistently since I was 16). Although I wasn't looking for it at all it was the perfect time to meet a guy (if it were to happen) for the simple reason being that I knew if I were going to be in a relationship it would be a healthy one. It would be a healthy one because I was finally healthy all around, and I knew I definitely wouldn't settle with a guy this time either.

I met Andrew Francisco Shearin on April 3, 2010, the day before Easter. I was visiting my older sister, Tabitha at her rented town home with my younger sister, Sheena and her husband, Steven for a small cookout. Tab and Andrew lived only a couple of doors down from each other. They met through a mutual neighbor, and Tab had invited Andrew to stop by and join us. When Andrew knocked on the door my sis asked me to greet him while she was prepping food in the kitchen. When I opened the door, there he stood, a nicely muscular shaped, dark featured, unique, model-like looking guy with a sweet, innocent smile. (Ohh boy.) I was smiling back but I couldn't help but look down and then proceed to let him in. I felt an immediate extreme attraction and didn't want my face turning bright red because his beauty and presence were a bit overwhelming.

The five of us sat outside while Steven cooked out on the grill. I remember asking Andrew for tips on working out because it was obvious he worked out himself, and I had literally just signed up for a gym membership. Listening to and watching him respond was so pleasant. He had such a calm, refreshing demeanor to him. I could tell he was just a little shy, and it was cute. Throughout the night I was finding out that besides the fact he was gorgeous and worked out, he also owned a town home, lived by himself, had a government job as an IT manager, was single (yes!), liked really good indie bands, sang and played guitar *beautifully*, and didn't drink or use drugs. What was not to like about him? He seemed like a really nice guy and for the most part like no one I had ever met. I was really impressed.

To put into words what I was feeling that night is almost unexplainable quite honestly. Looking at Andrew, being around him, hearing about his life, listening to him talk, listening to him sing, and play the guitar was All magical and heavenly. I felt like the thought of Us Together was heavenly! I felt such a strong connection with him. There was complete magic in the air! It was as if a handful of angels had brought us together. I didn't quite understand at the time what I was feeling because I'd never felt that way before.

When it was time for all of us to leave I remember both Andrew and I smiling and giving a big hug to each other like we were both expressing that we were really into each other and had a good time. I Knew I Had to contact him that night as soon as I got home. I Had to talk to him! I had to have more of Andrew Shearin! I found him on Facebook and messaged him. (We didn't exchange numbers prior because my sis, Tab was originally semi into him...but that's another story, LOL!) We talked on Facebook for a couple of hours late into the night. He gave me his number and I gave him mine.

The next day was Easter and from that day forward we were texting and calling each other on a daily basis. Our first date was at PF Changs (where we actually still go on special occasions to to celebrate our love. Hehe). We hung out multiple times of the week. I would mostly go see him at his place. When it was time for me to leave we would stand outside of my car talking, hugging, and kissing for hours unable to say goodbye. (It was pretty rough getting up for work each morning). Every time he kissed me I felt like I was going to float away. I fell for him So fast! I was falling in love with a man I Knew I was supposed to be with and Had to be with Forever. I'd never felt it before, and I didn't want it to end. Every time I was around him I wanted to tell him I loved him so badly that my heart actually physically ached. I was too scared to tell him because I'd never said those words to a guy first and never whole heartedly meant them like I knew I would if I said them to him. Once we did start saying, "I love you!" it was great and a relief to my heart. Throughout our relationship we would do nice little things for each other to show that we cared. We saw multiple rainbows within just a couple of months of dating. It was odd but really neat! I definitely felt like it was a sign from God telling us that what we have is quite special. I think he/she wanted us to know that we finally found our Mr./Mrs. Right. 

Four months into dating, it was August, and I had just happily moved in with him. I was about to finish a pack of birth control when Andrew told me he would be fine if I didn't buy a new pack. He wanted to start a family. I wasn't scared at all by his comment because having a baby was my dream, and I loved him SO much that I felt we were always going to be together. I told him that I would prefer to be married of course before we took such a huge step. He agreed with me. I think it was about a week or two later that I came home from work to a huge decorated sign asking me to marry him. : ) We got married on September 24th, 2010 (5 1/2 months after dating) and conceived our Precious baby, Kaylee towards the end of October.

We are about to celebrate our 2nd year anniversary, and I Know with all of my heart that we will always be together! I'd never felt this way until I met him. No one is perfect. I'm not perfect, and Andrew isn't perfect. We have our married couple tiffs here and there (definitely small ones though), especially under the pressure of being parents and not having a lot of alone time together, but Andrew is surely perfect for me. I know we will be able to get through anything that comes our way, and we will be here to support each other. Andrew is one of a kind. He's one of the sweetest, most sensitive guys I've ever known. I never had the privilege of feeling or knowing that true love existed, but now I do. It is a beautiful, indescribable feeling, and I am so grateful to have him as my friend, husband, and Kaylee's dad.

I love you Andrew Francisco Shearin!! : ) : ) : )

As an ending note for others, True Love on a romance level really does exist. It's a good love. It's a love of kindness, sacrifice, respect for each other, trust, wanting to see the other happy and to succeed, it's supporting each other, admitting when you're wrong, trying to be as patient as possible with the other, wanting to keep the peace, and so much more. From what I have learned it happens when it is meant to, and for me it was when I was no longer co-dependent and I was finally happy with who I was and where I was in life. It happened when I wasn't even looking for it. If you're meant to meet and be with the one you're supposed to spend forever with then you Will! Have faith in that. We all have a plan. In the mean time, just continue to have a special relationship with yourself figuring out who you are and taking time out for you without relying on another person to make you happy. If you're already with someone and you're not happy being with them and don't feel like they're the one, then please don't just sit back waiting for something to change. Life is exactly what you make it, and it won't get better or go the way you want it to unless you help it yourself. Change can be scary, but it can also be very worth it in the long run.