Does Your Mind Wander When you Pray?

A few weeks ago I was talking with my good friends Georgia and Michael about prayer.  I asked them if they ever had a hard time staying focused while praying.  I shared with them that sometimes I start to pray at night and then next thing I know my mind has wandered off and I start thinking about something completely different. When I was telling them about my problem they both laughed and admitted that they BOTH struggle with that as well.  Phew!  Glad to know that it is not just me.  Does anyone else struggle with this?  If so, any advice to keeping your mind focused?

Moving on . . .

Yesterday was tough.  I had a really depressing time at my mom's house and the cold, dreary weather just did not help my mood.  I missed my "normal" weekend time chatting with my mom, eating snacks and watching movies.  Some weekends, she simply doesn't feel up to doing those things and it really just sucks.  Before I left her on Sunday, I sat with her as she ate breakfast.  It was hard for her to stay awake and focused during that time.  So when I finally left her house I just wasn't feeling like my usual self.  

Would give everything to see my mom this healthy and happy again!

Once I left my mom's house, I went to pick up Dustin to go shopping at Costco before our first premarital counseling session with Pastor Chris.  Pastor Chris was my youth pastor in Junior High and High School and few years ago he was called as lead pastor at our home church, St. Luke's.  He is a very "relatable" pastor and I was looking forward to meeting with him.  After Costco, we met Chris at Chipotle enjoyed chatting (and eating) for about 2 hours.  

The first session of premarital counseling was for Chris to learn about us as a couple.  It was great for to sit down and remind myself how lucky I am to have Dustin in my life through the good and the bad!  My favorite part of our meeting was telling Chris what we loved about one another.  I forget to tell Dustin why I love him.  I want to make sure I do that more, especially since he is my life partner!

Once we got home, we were excited to relax!  I used my Groupon and ordered a woodfired pizza from a small pizzeria up the street from us called Credo.  We were very impressed by the incredibly nice staff!  The pizza tasted fresh and was packed with flavor.  Needless to say, we will definitely be returning there soon!

A Day at my Mom's House

Good Afternoon!

Last night after work I drove down to Dustin's parents new home in Auburn.  Dustin's sweet Grandma Muz and Aunt Char were in town.  I love being around these two ladies.  They are so vibrant and full of life, they have always make me feel like family.  We made tacos which seems to be a staple whenever his Aunt comes into town.  After dinner, we finished off a cheesecake, my favorite!  Dustin and I are excited because his Grandma just signed a lease to be closer to Seattle area.  She has been living on Lopez Island and we are all excited for her to be close to us.

I made it over to my mom's house just before a new episode of Shark Tank came on.  So I laid in bed and watched a full episode with her before heading to sleep myself.

This morning was beautiful and the blue skies were calling my name for a run.  But first I needed a cup of coffee.  I sipped on my coffee while I made an egg white sandwich, my favorite breakfast! My Aunt Becky was reading the morning paper so I borrowed the home section and browsed through all of the amazing homes for sale!

Someone was waiting very patiently for me to finish because she knew I was taking her on a run!  After coffee and breakfast, Mya and I ran our usual 3.5 miles loop and it felt fantastic!

Running feet and paws!

Since my mom was still asleep and Aunt Becky was home, I decided to go to Trader Joe's and pick up some new products I have been wanting to try. I decided to get Coconut Oil (which I currently use as a body lotion and make up remover), Chia Seeds, Designer Whey Protein (I read about this via Dashing Dish) and Raw Honey to spruce up my green smoothie recipe.  Stay tuned to see how it turns out! 

Chia seeds, raw honey and protein!

My mom is pretty sleepy today so I have not had much time to hang out with her.  Usually my days down here are quiet and I am happy just sitting next to her in case she needs me for anything.  I am hoping she feels a bit better before I head back up to West Seattle.