I’ll have to video myself with these same moves next time…I don’t know that I’ll be as good though

Seriously though…tell me this is not the funniest thing ever!!! This boy’s got swagger!!

So this week…drumroll please….I’m super duper fantabulously excitedly grateful for:

1. E-MEALZ.com

I can’t quite recall the last time I was this excited about something so silly…and yet so profound (oh wait, except for item 2). I discovered e-mealz.com a couple weeks ago, but never put it to the test. I had SO MUCH FUN COOKING this week! Seriously, can you believe I just said that? I’m astonished as well. I cooked: maple pork chops, blue cheese buttered roast, french dip sandwiches, beefy black bean rice, cashew chicken salad. Some firsts for me: I actually cooked chicken with the bone-in (I have strange meat/poultry phobias). I cooked a roast for the first time. I fed my children pork chops for the first time (again, Spence and I didn’t eat much meat/pork).

E-mealz basically plans all your meals for the week, hooks you up with a snazzy meal plan with instructions included and then in a separate document sends you a grocery list with things on sale!!! HOLLA!! I danced a little jig (you can’t see me so I decided to tell you). It’s like my secret handbook to be a stepford wife or something. My little cheat sheet. My cliff’s notes on all things cooking/meal planning.

And the most fabulous thing is…it’s only $5 a month! That is like taking candy from a baby for me!!! Please, if you struggle with planning meals that are creative and get you excited about cooking, then check them out. Tell them I sent you…maybe they’ll hook a sista up.

2. My SPECIAL Racetrac cup

I don’t know about you, but I have this thing called a vehicle that I have to fill up with gas every so often (ok, for me, it’s like every 3 days because I’m on the go so much…but whatev). Why not fill up for gas at a place that gives you FREE slushies every time you walk in! Now, to be fair I had to spend $6.99 for a special cup…but I get free refills all summer! I know I LOVE some slushies in this hot, humid, sweatilicous GA summer time. I seriously stop every day for a slushie. Must remind myself to work out more often from consuming all that sugar. If you’re a slushie lova like me…go get you a special cup. Seriously. Genius marketing ploy….yummm…..sluuuuuuuuuuuushies.

As always I’m grateful for my family, friends and children this week. Angelina had cheerleading camp Mon-Wed. She is SUCH a cheerleader…oh boy, what am I in for?!? I was so NOT a cheerleader. She also learned to swim today at the request of Angela B. I’ve tried for years, but noooooooo, she didn’t want anything to do with me teaching her. Go figure. I realized some incredibly challenging stuff about myself this week too–my views on life and business. I am vowing to change some things. I don’t want to become a “maybe later” parent (read this article). I don’t think I am one, but I know I could become one…if I didn’t stay in check. I also went to an amazing single’s bible study where my mind was blown about what a covenant is, more specifically God’s blood covenant…truly amazing lesson.

That’s it for today. I would leave you with a picture of some of the food I cooked…but alas, I’m too tired to upload them now…so here’s a recent picture of one of the cutest wee ones ever.

Today, specifically, I’m thankful for the gift of music, in all it’s glorious forms. From pop to country, to rap and hip-hop, to classical and religious. I love it all. Especially when I know the words and can sing off-key.

I’m also thankful for my crazy friends making the trip with me to the Warrior Dash, where I will be dressed up as a modern-day rendition of Xena the Warrior Princess! “Ahahahhahhahhahahahhaha”. That was my Xena yell, fyi.

Saturday morning I’m flying out to California for a photography conference called Escalate! Not only am I totally stoked (yes, stoked…haha) that I’m going to be listening to and sitting at the feet of some of my photog idols like Jessica Claire and Jasmine Star (holla!), but I’m going to see family and friends that I haven’t seen in ages!

If you didn’t know, I’m originally from SoCal (that’s Southern California for you old folks). Although I don’t have any adult relatives left really, I’m going to visit my cousins whom I haven’t seen since my grandmother passed away. I’m also getting to visit and old and dear friend from when I went back to Cali for college!

I’m so grateful for reunions. I don’t think I’ll ever pass up the opportunity to reconnect with someone anymore…life is just too short to let some opportunities pass you by!

*I thought I’d also copy an email that I received from my mama. It’s kinda hoakie, but if the statistics are correct (no, I didn’t verify them), then it’s pretty amazing. I have so much to be thankful for…

I’m thankful for:

• My momma-Happy early Mother’s Day Grammie, Nana & Gommy
• My children-I feel so honored and blessed to be a mother myself
• My children’s teachers (it is Teacher Appreciation Week this week…or something like that)
• Pedicures with my 5 year old
• Trying to teach my daughter to do a cartwheel when I can’t do one either (it was a sideshow, for sure)
• Bible studies where I see the Bible in a way I never have before (thanks Ludlow)
• Learning new and random facts about this world…no matter how strange and slightly disturbing (thank Mac & Adam)
• Water slides slathered in palmolive soap dropping 50 feet down a hill…and then sliding down said hill with my students
• Icee’s on a hot day…or when your awesome friend picks them up on their way home (thanks Alice)
• Hershey’s Symphony bars
• Thrift stores…especially when I find some amazingly cute stuff gotta love the GW. Perhaps I’ll post pix soon.
• Memories.

Besides the material things though, which although they are nice, and fancy and make me happy in the moment, there are some gifts that are even more precious.

I read this on a friend’s carepage recently. Cherish this life. Please. I’m begging you. Don’t throw away the amazing things you already have to chase after something that is not going to make you happy in the end…

“Life Is a Gift

Today before you say an unkind word – Think of someone who can’t speak.

Before you complain about the taste of your food – Think of someone who has nothing to eat.

Before you complain about your husband or wife – Think of someone who’s crying out to GOD for a companion.

Today before you complain about life – Think of someone who went too early to heaven..

Before whining about the distance you drive – Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.

And when you are tired and complain about your job – Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down – Put a smile on your face and think: you’re alive and still around.”

To call her the glue that held our family together would be an understatement–and by family I don’t just mean my immediate family growing up. My mother has a heart for family. She exemplifies James 1:17 “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” Although she’s never adopted, she definitely took in “orphans” from our own family. At one point she took in her 16 year old unruly nephew to help straighten him out. Her mother (my grandmother) also lived with us numerous times over the course of my life. She even later helped another of my cousins out when he made the move from California to Georgia and needed help getting on his feet. She has ALWAYS put family first and herself last.

Although life’s not always been a bed of roses for her, she’s never given up, never given in. She has a quiet strength about her that you can only detect in moments of suffering and pain. That is not to say that she is not also vulnerable though…she is. After losing both sisters and step-father to cancer  and her mother to emphysema, my mom didn’t have much left in terms of immediate family members. After Spencer died last year we prayed that this would be the end of tragic family deaths (at least for a while, we are all obviously going to die). For some reason, God has chosen not to answer that prayer. Shortly after the new year, my mom’s stepmother died and her father today at 2:30 EST.

Besides my sister and I (and a couple neices and nephews) my mother will have no remaining immediate family left…and she’s just barely over 50.

There is a loneliness that comes with that truth. A sadness at the inevitability of life. It makes me want to scoop up my children and tell them how much I love them. It makes me want to call my mom every day and tell her how much she means to me and how much she’s inspired me over the years. It makes me want to hug my sister and tell her despite all our differences that she is a beautiful, compassionate woman whom I admire and love.

Don’t let the time pass you by without telling someone how much you love them. How much you care. We aren’t guaranteed to have these people in our lives forever.

Mom, I love you. I’m so sorry about your dad and everyone else. I don’t know why God has taken them all away. I don’t have the answers. I know His ways are not my ways.

ps-Be looking out for a big hug and kiss when I see you.

pss-I love you too Curtis…thanks for loving my mom and taking such good care of her.

psss-I love all the Whitworth family too…what would I do without you?

Cherish the time.

Truly I wake up every day just thankful for this life: for God, my health, my children, my food, my job(s), my car, my house, my family, my friends, my food (yes, listing it twice was purposeful…I like to eat).

This week I’m just thankful for technology! There’s the GPS in my van so I never get lost, a back-up camera so I don’t run over my kids, a Flip camera to video all the crazy things I do…ahem…I mean, the crazy things my kids do.

Thank you apple for all your delicious technological snacks…my macbook, my iPhone, my iPod, iTunes… I love them all!

What would I do without my MacBookPro? It helps me stay connected to the world, it helps me channel my passions (friendships, writing and photography), it helps me research all the random things I love to learn about (recently how to get my masters degree).

And my iPhone…oh how I do love thee. I swore I’d never get one, but alas, I inherited you. You were loved by Spencer and now hold a special place in my heart too. I love that I can choose which voice message to listen to. I love that I can fast forward through the long messages that {some} friends leave me. I love that I have app games that my kiddos can play, and apps that can help me when I’m feeling indecisive about where to eat. Thank you for recording my terrible singing so that I can listen to myself and remember just how terrible I am (yes, I really do this every now and then…bwhahhahaha…you should try it…live a little). Thank you alarm and timer for waking me every morning…and especially for the snooze button that always pops up to remind me that I should sleep-in for approximately 9 more minutes.

It’s a new era…I can talk to a friend across the country while watching them live via skype. I can connect with people on the other side of the world…and share my journey…my faith…my joy…my love. I can show a family their pictures instantaneously…without waiting days or weeks for prints to be processed.

Thank you God for creating technology. Even though Steve Jobs thinks he’s the man…I know it’s really You.

ps-I’m excited to announce that I had a HUGE response for my mini-sessions to raise money for the Duke Brain Tumor Research Center! I’m Totally Booked! I can’t wait to take everyone’s pictures. I feel honored that you loved Spencer so much…it truly means a lot. If we can even help in any way to try and prevent someone else from having to go through that terrible disease, then let’s do it!

pss-Mother’s Day is still coming up! Book your family/children/grandparents portrait session today! Show your mom/grandma/daughter how special she is to you!!! Call or email: 706.372.1146 or brianne@briannewhitworth.com

psss-If you know anyone who has recently gotten engaged or is getting married soon, please drop my name. Nothing like a little shout out!

Psalm 34:¹⁹ A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all; ²⁰ he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.
I sure hope this scripture holds true for “little {righteous} men” as well because my little Xanderman took a seemingly innocent fall at school on Tuesday and hasn’t been able to walk since! We’ve made two visits to the doctor and we’re headed to another tomorrow–this time a pediatric orthopedic specialist. He’s only in Athens once every 4 weeks or so and actually had a cancellation for tomorrow. Whew. Musta been God that we got in.

Please say a little pray that God will protect all his bones…and that not one of them will be broken

Yes, those are latex gloves on Angelina's feet. She snagged them from the doctor's office. She likes to keep it real...her feet stank. She cracks me up...I love her. (Taken on my iPhone fyi).

Say "Cheese!"(literally) and then..."Ouch, God. Please fix me...k.thanx.bye."

ps-I strongly recommend that you read all of Psalm 34. It’s one of the most encouraging Psalms to me…I’ve read it so many times and yet God’s promises in it never get old to me. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside…and then I start scoping out the room in search of the hidden angels encamping around me…where could they be hiding?!?! (I’m always a little freaked out by the “paranormal”….doo doo doo doo).

Let it shine.

I mean, really, can you get any cuter than this!?!? I could literally eat him up…

And look at my silly comedian! She cracks me up…

Brotherly and sisterly love

So ready to be done taking pictures. And still so beautiful…

I’m also grateful for my new 70′s wingback chairs! Can I tell you how much they make me smile!?!? They are still in my garage…awaiting a spot in my living room. You can hate all you want…I don’t care. They brighten my day…and soon, my living room.

Lastly, my new GW jean vest made me happy this week. I felt totally 80′s…I still can’t believe denim vests…or just denim on denim…is coming back. I tried it out…and liked it.

Here are some shots of me taken by my lovely assistant, Angelina. 5 years old…not a bad eye.

Lastly, I’m grateful for homemade soup (kinda like chili, but not) on cold, rainy days where you just want to sit in and do nothing. This was my first time ever making soup from scratch. It was very tasty. I even made the crouton thingy’s that went in the yummy soup!

Here’s to finding the small (and sometimes big) things in life to be grateful for.