Things I Regret

Posted on by Rebekah Warren 
That day last week when my menu for the day consisted of a cheeseburger, a chocolate shake, and popcorn. (Except - yum!)

Trying out Amazon Prime. I bought a couple of random things I didn't need just because of free shipping. Such a sucker! 

Stuttering through the end of my presentation at a high school senior assembly last week, which went something like this: "I wish you the best of wishes! I mean, um, luck. The best of luck.. Thanks." *sulk off stage in shame*

Ruining a cobbler because I can't do math. I was trying to not quite double the recipe, but numbers and I don't mix very well. So dumb. And so salty. 

Staying up too late three nights in a row. I need 8-10 hours of sleep. I just do. Big baby.

Flashing a dorky thumbs up on stage at an awards assembly at my high school. Yep.

Flashing another dorky thumbs up here. (But how cute are my matching coworkers?) 





In the future: probably more kitchen blunders, thumbs up incidents, etc.





I'm quite the charming young lady. 🙂 Hope you all are having a great week! 





Love, Bekah

Oklahoma Strong

Posted on by Rebekah Warren 




Psalm 119:28, NASB


My soul weeps because of grief; strengthen me according to Your Word.






As we all know, earlier this week, our state was rocked by deadly tornadoes.  Moore and some surrounding areas were devastated. Thankfully, my family and I live in the Tulsa area, so we were not affected physically. However, I, like so many others, watched the live news coverage helplessly. We saw the mile-wide tornado forming and traveling, finally tearing through the community of Moore, leaving only destruction. We saw the lines of cars in its path, with nowhere to go. We saw the shots of the elementary school, and we held our breath and prayed, hard, that the loss of lives there was less than it seemed. 





I've hesitated to write about this. One, because I was not physically affected. Two, because can really be said in the wake of this disaster? But all day yesterday, my heart was so heavy. Though Moore is not my home, Oklahoma is. I love this land. My last post was about how thankful I am for my home, and it's hard to imagine it being torn apart. It is important to remember that these things can be rebuilt and replaced, though sentimentally, it's hard to do so. However, it will take time. It will also take money. Here are a couple of ways that I have contributed, and I will continue to look for opportunities to do more. Please join in to show your support! 




This tank top by hello merch is really cute, and all of the proceeds go toward relief efforts. 




This shirt was designed by J.D. Reeves, an awesome graphic designer and also the husband of one of my best friends, Megan. It's a great design (also, he is local - doubly great!), and, again, all proceeds will go toward relief efforts. I'm so proud to be friends with these two - love their hearts! 





Of course, just donating money is always helpful (be sure to do the proper research, so you know where your money will go!). Also, in the weeks to come, once things are more organized, the community will be able to utilize more volunteers and donations of supplies. 





Most importantly, remembering this community when we pray is so huge. I strongly believe in the power of prayer, and I hope we each make the effort to pray for relief, comfort, and strength for these people in the coming days. 





I've been so inspired to see the amount of love and support between Oklahomans, as well as that which has been pouring in from outside of the state. I couldn't be more proud to call this place home. To those affected: It's not much, but my thoughts and prayers are with you. 





Love, Bekah




	


	



					
						


	

		
Thankful: We Love Our Home

				

			Posted on  by Rebekah Warren		

			


	
	
			


	

		











*Photo taken last fall*








One day last week, I pulled into the driveway. Adam was working on his tractor, and the dogs were out playing and ran up to greet me. The weather was sunny and a perfect 75 degrees. Little "helicopter" seeds from the maple tree covered the green lawn, and there was a fresh springy smell in the air. 


It was perfect.




I stood very still for a moment to take it all in. Many days, as I'm pulling in the driveway, I say out loud to myself, "How is this even fair? I can't believe we're lucky enough to live here." But really, we aren't lucky. We are blessed. God has given us the means and the opportunities to make this life our life, and we are so thankful. 




Hope you all are having a good week and are thankful for wherever you may be in life right now. I know it's Monday, but it's a sunshine-y kind of Monday!  




Love,
Bekah

	


	



					
						


	

		
Girls’ Night + Kelby Lee

				

			Posted on  by Rebekah Warren		

			


	
	
			


	

		
Last night, I got to spend the evening with four of my closest friends and one of the cutest babies. I have been friends with these ladies for a long time (like, twelve or thirteen years–what?!). I’m super thankful we have all kept in touch and made an effort to stay friends through the different phases of our lives: junior high, high school, college, marriages, and now a baby! As Megan said when we all got to Jenna’s last night: “Weird.. There is a baby among us.” Haha! Sweet Jenna is a great mommy, and Kelby could not be any cuter. He kept us entertained by cooing and smiling and generally being adorable. We all love him to pieces! I drug out my film SLR because I had a roll of film I needed to use up, and what better subject than my sweet friends and Kelby Lee? I had a great time–love you, ladies!















	


	



					
						


	

		
Thankful: Spring Evenings

				

			Posted on  by Rebekah Warren		

			


	
	
			


	

		


Those evenings are coming. Those longer, warmer, sun-filled, happy evenings. A couple of nights ago, we got our first taste of one. We had dinner outside, played some one-on-one basketball, and ended the evening by racing the sun for a few minutes of fishing. It was a perfect evening. We talked about our future together. We laughed together. And we were quiet together, enjoying the blessings that make up our home. I’m grateful to have moments like this with Adam. I’ll keep the evening tucked away with grainy photos on this little blog. Hope you are having a great week, as well. 




Love, Bekah




P.S. I give A a really hard time about his overalls, but I think he’s kind of adorable in them.















	


	



					
						


	

		
Wal-Mart Revelations

				

			Posted on  by Rebekah Warren		

			


	
	
			


	

		
So, I was at Wal-Mart a couple of days ago. The dreaded Wal-Mart. I was in a pretty good mood, because it was the first full day of my spring break (aww, yeahhh!), but still… Nobody actually likes going there, do they? I’d put off grocery shopping for a few weeks, though, and we were going to be stuck with nothing but PB&J sandwiches again, so I had to do it. Anyway, so I was kind of dreading it, but I figured I’d get it out of the way and enjoy the rest of my day. 




I had just walked in and was heading to pick up some basic toiletries. Coming towards me from the other direction was a mom and her two teenage kids. The boy, maybe fifteen or sixteen, was bouncing one of those rubber (I think?) balls he’d picked off a shelf. It was about the size of a kickball and was pink, with Minnie Mouse plastered all over it. I didn’t think much of it. As we passed each other, I was consulting my list, and he, without making eye contact or even acknowledging me, slowly placed the ball in my empty cart and kept walking. I’m sure I had a really confused look on my face, and I shook my head. I went to put the ball on the nearest toy shelf and then laughed out loud. It was so absurd. I turned around and looked back at the boy as he was walking away and he had a mischievous, ear-to-ear grin on his face. I returned his smile and went on with my shopping. Later on, I ran into him again with a full cart, and he asked me where the ball was, feigning disappointment when I told him I put it away. 




It was such a simple, silly moment, but it completely made my day. He took a risk. He didn’t know if he’d annoy me or upset me, but he acted on a random impulse, and it turned out to be a funny moment. It really made me think about interacting with others. Sometimes, I will make a point to smile at others. Other times, I’m completely guilty of going out and never even making eye contact with the strangers around me. In fact, more often than not, I’m annoyed. This guy is blocking the entire aisle. I wish this lady would control her wild kids. Why are there only two registers open? I know that’s a normal thought process, but I’d like to improve it. I know I come out in a better mood when I’ve made a conscious effort to go out of my way to be polite, to smile, to interact instead of making a mad dash to get in and out. I am a little old-fashioned sometimes, but I think I’d love it if it weren’t out of the ordinary to stop and have a conversation with somebody you don’t know. So, a new goal of mine: Be more engaging. It’s a step towards really and truly caring for others. I hope you’ll think about it, too. I have a feeling it’s not going to take a whole lot of extra effort, but I think it will be pretty rewarding. 




Shout-out to the random kid in Wal-Mart who made my day. Also, my brief period of enlightenment came crashing back down to reality once I checked out with all of this (I even had to put things on that little, unstable-looking shelf at the bottom of the cart) and spent a million dollars.












Hope you guys are having a wonderful week, and that you don’t have to go to Wal-Mart. But if you do, remember to smile at somebody! 🙂 




Love, Bekah


   



	


	



					
						


	

		
Here, Lately: 2/25

				

			Posted on  by Rebekah Warren		

			


	
	
			


	

		


Hi, friends! Remember my list of new, regular features? This is the first of “Here, Lately,” which I plan to be pretty flexible with in terms of what I’ll be posting about. Hope you all are having a happy Monday and are staying in from the gray and wet and cold. Here are some photos from yesterday, when it was blue and sunny and warm. Enjoy!


































1 | The sun lighting up my field, my favorite place.


2 | Bluer than blue sky.


3 | Thanks, chimney and fireplace, for helping to keep us cozy.


4 | Sunsets can be pretty facing eastward, too.


5 | Mismatched boots (Adam one: is very trendy and two: misplaces his shoes sometimes).


6 | Wood from a dead tree chopped up last fall to keep us warm this winter.


7 | A daily reminder: I do need to be reminded daily, or I turn into Oscar the Grouch.




I  wouldn’t mind a snow day or two if I can stay home in it. Hope you all stay warm and dry. Have a lovely week!




Love, 


Bekah 





	


	



					
						


	

		
Oklahoma Skies: Home

				

			Posted on  by Rebekah Warren		

			


	
	
			


	

		
I snapped this the other day when Adam, the dogs, and I were out exploring. The dogs were supposed to be looking for rabbits, but it was a beautiful day, so I think they were just happy to be out wandering with us. This is an open area at the back of our property, and it might be my favorite part of it. Sometimes you’ll see deer, but often you’ll just see the neighbors cows grazing on the other side of the fence.  They will lift their heads every so often to make sure we are staying in our area and then go back to their dinner. We have to go through a small patch of woods to get back here. Adam has cleared a nice little road to make it easier. It’s a peaceful, lovely spot that has a prime view of the sun setting.  Country living is alright. 





	


	



					
						


	

		
Here Again

				

			Posted on  by Rebekah Warren		

			


	
	
			


	

		
Hi, friends!


I’m back, after an unintentional hiatus. I read several lovely blogs every day, and too often I think, what can I put out there that hasn’t already been said? I want this blog to be a space that people enjoy visiting and reading about our story. It seems like there is a lot of pressure to produce good content. However, at the end of the day, I want this blog to be a place where I can look back and remember little snippets of our life. With all that being said, I have plans for future posts and features that I hope will make it easier for me to post more consistently without always worrying about coming up with brand new, elaborate ideas. So, some features to look forward to:


Thankful: to help me remember what is most important
Oklahoma Skies: to share my obsession of the sky through photos
Here, Lately: to catch up on what’s happened recently
Home Goodness: to share bits of how our house is becoming a home


Of course, you’ll be getting updates on Jimmy and Ruby, the best pups in the world. Plus, I’d like to start sharing recipes! I am in the beginning stages of learning how to sew, so that should make for some fun stories. Looking back, this is already starting to sound a little lame, but I won’t let that deter me. 😉 If you have stuck around thus far, I appreciate it. Thanks for reading!


Love,
Bekah