Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Words to Live By

My mom received the below in an email on Monday morning, and it was so relevant to our family because of my grandfather's passing on Sunday night.  These are certainly words to live by that I wanted to share with all of you.


“The Paradox of Our Time”
By Dr. Bob Moorehead
The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings,
but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints.
We spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less.
We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences,
but less time. We have more degrees but less sense; more knowledge,
but less judgment; more experts, yet more problems;
more medicine, but less wellness.
We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh
too little, drive too fast, get too angry too quickly, stay up too late,
get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray
too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our
values. We talk too much, love too seldom and hate too often.
We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life. We’ve added years
to life, not life to years. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back,
but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.
We’ve conquered outer space, but not inner space. We’ve done larger
things, but not better things. We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted
the soul. We’ve split the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more,
but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We’ve learned to
rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information,
to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion;
big men, and small character; steep profits, and shallow relationships.
These are days of two incomes, but more divorce; fancier houses,
but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers,
throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills
that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when
there is much in the show window and nothing in the stockroom.
A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when
you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete.
Remember, spend some time with your loved ones,
because they are not going to be around forever.
Remember to say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe,
because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.
Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for
someday that person will not be there again.
Give time to love, give time to speak,
and give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.



Words to Live By:
"I would rather regret the things that I have done than the things that I have not."
- Lucille Ball

"The most important things in life aren’t things.”
- Anthony J D’Angelo

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy,
and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in
heaven, where neither moth or rust destroys, and where thieves do not break
in or steal, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
- Book of Matthew

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Family Vacation: Marco Island, Florida!



You all know from my last post that I love to travel.  

I thought my summer trips were finished after my weekend in Galveston for Kim's bachelorette party in June and my wonderful trip to Chicago with Ashley in July, but I was in for one more getaway! 

We managed to squeeze in an unexpected family vacation between my sister finishing sorority rush and starting classes again yesterday at OU.  The destination? Marco Island, Florida, for a few days in paradise!

I highly recommend where we stayed- The Marco Beach Ocean Resort.  Wonderful accommodations, right on the water, beautiful views, friendly staff... and the free smoothies at 3:00 every afternoon and delicious happy hour options weren't bad either! We also went right at the start of the off-season, so it wasn't crowded at all... a nice change from some of the packed Florida beaches of past vacations!

We spent our days working on our tans and dipping in the warm, calm water... tough life, right? : ) At night we checked out several nearby restaurants and also dined at the hotel's restaurant, which was absolutely delicious. My dad and sister went on a waverunner adventure and had a blast.  We spent part of our last day doing a little shopping in Naples before it was time to head back to reality.







































Someone asked me what the highlight of the trip was, and I couldn't pinpoint one specific activity or day. This was my ideal vacation, full of relaxation with my family! When I was lying on a lounge chair on the pristine sand, listening to the waves crashing as I got lost in a good book and sipped a fruity drink, all I could think was that this was perfection.   



Thanks, mom and dad, for a wonderful vacation! You are never too old to spend time with your family, and I don't think I'll ever get tired of going to the beach! 

In September I'll head to Kansas for a weekend to visit Ashley and attend the TCU vs. KU football game- Go Frogs! 

I feel like I have to keep this travel momentum going... where should I venture in October?!