Summer, Drive-In Movies, the Smokies, those 2016 goals, and more!

Oh, those Summer Days and Nights... 

Adventure Awaits. I loved our all-too-quick jaunt out east to the Smoky Mountains just a few days ago. From breath taking vistas to roaring waterfalls and mountain streams, the Smokies are quickly becoming one of my favorite places to be.

My daughter loves it, too.

On the way home, we broke up the drive by staying in northern Kentucky. We were WILDLY surprised when we saw that there was a legit drive-in movie theatre just under a mile from our KOA! This was Karlene's first drive-in movie experience and I loved sharing the moment with her. She even asked, "Mom, can we make this a tradition?" 

So, when in Calvert City, Kentucky - make sure you check out the Calvert Drive-In Theatre. I bet Karlene and I will be there again sometime soon!

Back to a few of those 2016 Resolutions...

Cooking. I watched one of those quickie social media cooking videos on facebook and thought, "Self, you can do that!" I grabbed some things from my fridge and modified what they had on the video...and here it is...BBQ Chicken Pizza Dippers that Karlene and I gladly soaked in ranch dressing. Healthy? No! Yummy? It was a home run!

Watching. Still loving the new episodes of "Grace and Frankie" on Netflix with my mom, but was even more stoked when I saw that "Rock the Kasbah" is now on Netflix. I love Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, and just that whole kinda "quirky" movie vibe. I'll watch this one again, I bet. 

Reading. I finished "Grandma Gatewood's Walk" by Ben Montgomery. I cannot recommend it enough. It was an enjoyable read and I have the utmost admiration for this woman. I loved it so much, I loaned it to my mom. Great reads are meant to be shared, just like great movies. 

Now, I am nearly done with a book that caught my eye at our local library, "What I Learned When I Almost Died" by Chris Licht. 

While it isn't as enthralling for me as "Grandma Gatewood's Walk," I am still enjoying it. It's good light reading for the summer, but my eyes are already looking ahead to my next book. 

Uplifting. On my last post, I mentioned that I feel I haven't been doing enough for my church. Many people want things to just "happen" without having to do the work. I've made some progress in this area. My friend Stephanie has let me step in and help with Youth. I have been sending daily scripture and uplift for the kids while she has been on a trip with her daughter. I have also been working on a little "event" with Stephanie we have scheduled for July. I have even found a former student who is going to assist us by giving her testimony.

Expanding. I am learning more and more about things like: 360 Video, hormones and how they impact health, team-building activities, reaching out to build relationships with people who are in positions to help scholastic journalism, and more. I feel like I am enjoying learning more than ever. I wish I had this kind of enthusiasm for knowledge when I was in high school, maybe my GPA would have been a little more impressive? 

Frustrations. I am going to express that I am a little bummed. I rarely offer discounts or sales on my Portrait Photography these days because I know my prices are VERY reasonable. However, in hopes of generating a little June business so it's not all in the fall, I am offering a great deal. Where's the clients? Come on, folks! 

Until next time, 

M of MK Designs

mkdesignsphoto.com

These Days: A Little Recap of My 2016 Goals: Cooking, Watching, Reading, Finishing, Uplifting, and Expanding!

It's been awhile, so... remember my 2016 Resolutions?

BACK TO...Cooking. Watching. Reading. Finishing. Uplifting. Expanding. 

Cooking. I have not done well at this lately. However, I have been willing to try new recipes and consume vegetables that I have previously avoided. I have realized that I like cauliflower steamed with cheese and also with a buffalo seasoning. It really is almost as good as buffalo chicken wings!

Watching. I am excited that there are new episodes of "Grace and Frankie" on Netflix. My mom and I enjoyed the first season and it appears season two is going to be just as fun. 

Reading. I just finished "Generation iY" by Tim Elmore. I have asked my friend, Katie, if I can keep it a little longer to take a few notes and do some more research. It is a God-send. 

Reading (continued). I am now working on reading the book "Grandma Gatewood's Walk" by Ben Montgomery. I am ripping through it at a fast clip thanks to the combo of being on summer break and it's just that good of a read. I am thankful my friend, Kara, loaned it to me!

Finishing. I am SO close on finishing some new flower bed projects and cleaning up some old ones, I can't stand it! I am also SO close to finally finishing that mosaic project AND culling/editing my photos from Yellowstone/Tetons trip last July...it's almost silly. I will be happy once I can check those off my to-do list. 

Uplifting. Lately I have been feeling that more and more people WANT things done for them, but don't want to be the one digging in and doing the WORK that helps make those things happen. One example is at my church. Many who attend want things to just "happen" without having to do the work. So, today I decided to step out of my role as one of those individuals that just wants to be served and try to be someone who helps with the serving.

I signed up to get donations and help a little with our upcoming VBS, offered to help with our communications team, and reached out to my friend, Steph, to see if I can help with our Youth Group. 

Did I bite off more than I can chew? Not sure I did, actually. I think these are small things I can do for people who have given so much to me. I did feel pretty excited when three people were thankful for the little things I did and offered. 

I think if more of us would work towards serving others instead of always being served, the world (and even my little church) would be a much better place. 

Expanding. I am taking the time to learn more about the duties of my county assessor and what actions we can take when said elected official messes up big time. Why? Well, the school district I work for (and all schools in our county) were not given the proper estimate for tax revenue. It wasn't just a "little" off, let's just leave it at that. So, I am learning to find my voice and figuring out what channels that voice needs to use to report the injustice that has happened in our county. 

On that note, I find this fitting:

As I continue this journey, do you have any suggestions for me? 

What should I be...Cooking, Watching, Reading, or Expanding? 

Do you have any ideas for people or groups I can "uplift," because I am open to those, too!

Until next time, 

~ M of MK Designs

March 2016