I have GOT to get those cupcakes!!!!

Blogreaders! Welcome back! I'm going to try to get regular with the blogging thing again... especially since I'm on a 30 day hiatus from Facebook. Yeah, cold turkey. Yeah, I feel the mental withdrawal coming on even now. But this is good for me! Anyway, regular with the blogging, that's what I want to be so here's a glimpse into my life over the past few weeks.

Since I've been in Baltimore (really Windsor Mill, about 20 minutes outside of the city), I have sort of acted like a stay-at-home mom (big ups to you ladies, seriously)... That sounds a bit strange though (don't want you guys to get the wrong idea lol), so I'll say stay-at-home sister. I've been grinding, chilling, exploring, learning, and loads more. Let's break this down into the good, the bad, and the whatever you wanna call it. :)

SUPER AWESOME THINGS THAT I HAVE THOROUGHLY ENJOYED DURING MY STAY
1. Exploring, embracing, and developing my domestic side. (Yes, dear hearts, I have one of those, and I like it!) This is the reason for the shout-out to stay-at-home moms... or shoot all moms or all parents who do this stuff! This is a serious grind. Let the record show that I truly do not want to have children until I'm 30 years old. I just don't want to do all that work yet. However, it has really blessed me to be able to be so useful. I think I've been able to embody some aspect of Proverbs 31:11-12, "Her [dad/brothers] can trust her, and she will greatly enrich their lives. She brings them good, not harm, all the days of their lives." (I replaced the word husband with dad/brothers.) You guys, I have cooked breakfast almost every morning for the past 2 weeks (I missed the 1st week because it took me awhile to get my mind right.). I try to get up between 6 and 6:30 to fix breakfast, make lunches, and make sure everyone (that would be 3 boys - ages 9, 11, and 17) gets to school on time without forgetting anything. I've done grocery shopping. I cook dinner and clean the kitchen. I've done some laundry, tucked people in bed, helped with homework. Fussed, praised, exhorted, encouraged, scolded. This domestic thing is alright.

2. I just gotta fast forward to the good part: CUPCAKES from CakeLove. My brothers and I went to the National Harbor, walked around, window shopped, ate burgers, and hung out by the water while taking pics and making vids (videos... I do what I want). Well, I managed to slip away from their watching gazes. (They have hawk eyes when you're trying to enjoy something without them). So I stole away to CakeLove just across the street and after deliberating for what seems like 10 minutes, I bought a chocolate cupcake with strawberry frosting. I didn't eat the cupcake until a week later, but now that I've tasted CakeLove, my entire body (okay maybe just my taste buds) craves it. Late at night, I morph into a giant who lives off of cupcakes. If I don't get back to CakeLove by tomorrow, I will remain in that state forever... (I have GOT to get those cupcakes!)

3. I got to hang out with my really sweet younger sister. (I'll expound on this in another post.) Yes, I have a younger sister. She is 17 months younger than me.

YUCKY THINGS THAT MADE ME WANT TO KICK MYSELF FOR COMING HERE (okay maybe not that bad)/ REALLY THINGS THAT MADE MY STAY SLIGHTLY LESS COMFORTABLE
1. Cramming all 5 of us, including my 6'3"/350+ pound brother into my 1995 Nissan Maxima. If you don't understand what I'm saying, let me break it down: NOT ENOUGH ROOM. (This little fast fact may help you  understand what it was like: My 9yo and 11yo brothers weigh the same as me, give or take 5-10 pounds. I had to sit in between them... in the middle seat.) What a great time to remember that if you have to endure it and can't do anything about it, just keep a good attitude. Cool.

2. The gas stove. It gets on my nerves. Why not a regular stove? Why does it have to be gas?

3. Missing GLEE. Enough said.

THINGS I MISSED DURING MY STAY 
1. My church. SPWOC. (The greatest church in the worrrrlllld!) Can I just be real for a second? Call me crazy or whatever you want to call me, but that is my home. (I know that I am the church. Don't get all super spiritual on me.) I will admit there was a time when I would have chosen to live there if I could have. Don't judge me. (Don't worry.That time has long since come and gone.) But it really is like home base for me. It's the freedom and the Spirit of God that flows out of the place, the ministry, and the people. That brings me to the next point...

2. My people: all the people who are like home for me (my social network). Even if we're not super close or we don't talk that much, if seeing you brings a smile to my face, you are home to me. You have no idea how it recharges me just to be able to speak to you guys after church or stay with you on the weekends or have class with you or whatever. It grounds me, especially during this time when it seems like my life is up in the air. Most of you know who you are. Some of you may not. That's okay. Thank you all the same. (And I can't wait to see you on Sunday. Three weeks is entirely too long!!)

3. My (older) Sister. If I'm not in Winston-Salem, I don't really do anything without her. Three weeks without her bossiness (did I just say that out loud?), her guidance, her opinion, her hilarity, and even her existence in and desire to pull me into her own world which is run by her rules (I still love you.).