I've spent the better part of this year trying to simply figure out the agenda behind it all.  What direction will I travel in, what do I do now and what exactly do I say.  While those are clearly questions, they are also the boldest statements and facts of 2020.  It firmly goes without saying this is the year we all want to forget, and for many reasons.  The year of unknowns, heartache, new revelations, fear and dismay.  A barrier is defined as a fence or other obstacle that prevents movement or access.  I think you catch my drift by now.  

One of things people hate more than anything is being told what to do, how to do it and when they should do the things they have grown to love each and every day of their lives.  Some of us conformed and some fought back with the stubbornness of a toddler who was just forfeited play time.  You can turn it upside down, sideways, look at it through rose colored glasses, the picture remains the same.  This isn't the time when you get to change the narrative without adjusting the plot twist just a bit.  
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🎶 Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear momma, Happy Birthday to you! 🎶  

If I could scream from the highest mountain top I would let the whole world know that today is your special day and just how much you mean to me.  It's not everyday that angels come to greet us here on earth but I know that is just what you are.  A smile that can light up a room, a heart made of pure gold and a spirit that is unmatched, you are truly one of a kind.  As I took time to have a moment with God this morning I thanked Him for you.  You have selflessly been our nurturer, provider, care-giver and shown us the meaning of compassion, love and humility.  What do you give a person who has all of those things?  Any and everything that puts that beautiful smile on your face.  

When you admire a person so much you can't help but wonder every little thing about them.  Did you always know you would be a wife and a mother?  What were your dreams?  Where did you tell your friends you would go when you graduated?  What music did you dance to?  Who taught you how to draw?  Do you know how much your are loved?  

​This year seems to have been a blur at times.  The challenges and obstacles placed before us have only made our faith stronger and our testimonies worth hearing.  May the flowers brighten your day, may the gifts serve as a token for how much we care and may the love shown to you on this day overflow into the next, and so on and so on.  
 
Wishing I was there to celebrate with you this year.  Even though the miles separate us I carry you with me through every single step I take because you showed me the way.  I honor you, I adore you, and I love you from this side of the world all the way across this magnificent universe, right back to you.  Happy Birthday to my favorite person in the world, my Mom! 🎁

I love you always and forever...Your Lisa 

~AJ

From the looks of it, I have it all together, I'm centered and focused, my zen zone is at an all time high, my elbows are perfectly even and I have mastered my at home workouts.  If you glance over to the right you will see my strategically placed five pound dumbbells with the mood lighting glowing ever so softly in the background.  You are probably thinking I am listening to a Mongolian chant while brewing a fresh pot of ginger tea.  While some of that is spot on, let's just say my workout music is overflowing with words I cannot say around my mother accompanied by copious levels of bass. 

Any workout session worth your time is going to be painful, sweaty, and it will have you running to the mirror to see if you acquired a six-pack after twenty abdominal crunches or taking a picture something like this.  Gotta start somewhere so set the timer and post up!
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Seems as though Christmas was just yesterday.  Plans to travel home were made, prepping to spend hours in the kitchen cooking for family and friends and the only care in the world was to remember to get everyone a gift to put under the tree.  The events of this past year have caused quite a shift in the atmosphere and proven to be a challenge for most.  Learning new ways to entertain yourself, keeping your children occupied and thinking outside the box is essential if you want to re-introduce the feeling of normalcy back into your life.

If I had to describe this year there are a few choice descriptions but the most accurate would be likened to a 5000-piece puzzle with 1000 of those pieces missing.  Seems quite hopeless right?  You can't return it or exchange it for another because you got the very last one in stock, so then begins the challenge of dealing with it and attempting to make the best of a baffling situation.
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