Wisdom Wednesdays: Society of braggarts?

Last month I spent a night chatting about life with two friends. You know, REAL life - the kind that includes the "bad" and the "ugly." You know that kind? Okay in case no one has told you...friendships take work, marriage can be hard, dating is complicated, work is a source of stress, babies are challenging - I'll stop here, but you get the gist. A couple of us had recently read a Wall Street Journal article about social media "braggarts." Could it be we are all becoming narcissists? Take a quick read:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444184704577587091630924000.html

I filed it away as something to blog about and then recently came across another friend's blog about a similar subject, how we choose to portray ourselves on social media. Scroll down a bit until you see the headline "Thankful":
www.rachelgbolton.blogspot.com

Social media is amazing and personally I'm a fan. It allows me to keep in touch with friends spread across the country in one fair swoop, and adversely allows me to see what's going on in their lives. This blog has been fun because I've gotten to write regularly which I love. However I do realize that the "stuff" we all post on social media sites are mostly happy things. In my case, I typically post pictures of my cute (try to argue with me on this one, you'll lose) baby, my smiling husband, etc. etc. But obviously, this is not my life all the time. I like to think I'm a pretty real person on and offline; those that know me well may even say I'm a bit private. But to those that don't talk to me regularly but do see my Facebook or blog posts, you may think my life is peaches and cream. Well, spoiler alert it's just not; as Rachel reminds us it is totally objective. Bragging? Who knew? Maybe I should devote a day a week to just talking about the crap to balance the positive out. I could call it "Winey Wednesdays" or "Sucky Saturdays" but, that's not very beneficial and honestly it'd probably be destructive and only to me.



So is what the article saying true? When we post positive or happy things on social media sites are we bragging narcissists? When we look at other folks pages are we breeding more narcissism? My husband would say YES!! and that's why he is not on Facebook, but I mostly say, just don't take it too seriously.

Sharing is not always bragging, and the bigger priority here is not allowing ourselves to get caught up in what we see online. I can promise that no one is living the perfect life no matter what is portrayed online, and if you tend to compare yourselves with others (let's be honest we've all done it), just don't. Social media is like 'keeping up with the Joneses' on steroids, and we all know how the whole "keeping up" thing goes...ya lose...every time. Real life may not be as pretty as the photos we see or the status updates we read, but it is just as wonderful.

"Be not anxious about what you have, but about what you are." -Pope Gregory I

xox
Lauren

Hooray for 7-months!

The other day, as me and my Baby Bjorn were walking into Target, I thought wow...how my weekdays have changed over the past 7 months! The Target I go to is right next to my old office building and I can't help but laugh at the irony of the situation. This as I adjust the straps on my baby harness. How different life is now! Worry and stress have changed (still there just a different source), and obviously so have my day's tasks; but a lot of these changes are good. Coops my little buddy, my sidekick, and sometimes the only person I talk to ALL. DAY. LONG. Yes, I talk to a baby, quite often actually, and you may think he doesn't talk back to me, but he does - I just can't understand it yet.

[caption id="attachment_512" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Sunday football day with daddy![/caption]

Alas, this week he turned 7-months old.

[caption id="attachment_514" align="aligncenter" width="300"] So exciting to be 7 months old! [/caption]

Y'all I love this age. Seriously this time, it's the best. Some facts about Coop this month - he started enunciating consonants ie "a-deh-dah-deh." (I still secretly teach him 'ma-ma' and he still laughs at me). He thinks the door jumper is THE bomb; and so do I because it's when I get to take a shower. He loves chewing on these rubber alphabet letters made for bath time. He laughs hysterically when you jump out from behind something and yell "BOO!!!" Every time he jumps like he didn't expect it, even though we do it over and over again. I am hoping this isn't an indicator of his intelligence. And finally, he is obsessed with cell phones and remote controls. He'll scoot himself across the room if he sees a cell phone. Then straight into the mouth. Then mom takes it away immediately. Repeat.

So, just a few things we are enjoying about Coop this month. He continues to be life's greatest joy and challenge. Happy 7-months Coop!

[caption id="attachment_513" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Our professional 6 month photos with Christina Dooley Photography. He's seriously adorbs.[/caption]

-Lauren

Falling in love with fall

It's fall y'all.

Football is once again on at my house (like, all the time), it is crisp and cold now in the mornings and evenings, and fall foliage is BACK. Hooray!

It's sometimes surreal that we have the Rocky Mountains in our backyard. Last fall we completely missed the gorgeous colors that the aspen trees turn this time of year up in the mountains. There is such a small window, literally just a few weeks, and once that cold-front comes through and officially welcomes winter- the leaves fall off and fall is OVER! Well this fall we were NOT going to miss it. We packed up the pups and kid and headed up the hill to visit Jeff's parents with a couple friends. And y'all, its seriously breathtaking. The drive itself was gorgeous enough, but we spent Saturday hiking in Aspen right outside of Maroon Bells and SERIOUSLY, it was the MOST beautiful thing I've ever seen.

[caption id="attachment_482" align="aligncenter" width="200"] Sun shining through the aspens. I mean, stop it.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_486" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Beautiful view of the side of the mountain.[/caption]



[caption id="attachment_484" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Goldenrod yellow.[/caption]



So, it's official. I've fallen in love with fall. Something about this time of year is just...warm and fuzzy. Its pumpkin spiced candles, crock pot winter soups, and UGGs replacing flip flops. It's FALL y'all, and I'm in love.

[caption id="attachment_488" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The original three.[/caption]

Happy week...
Lauren

*** Aspen-bound? This hike is a must: Cathedral Lake ***

Wisdom Wednesdays: Changing seasons

Here in Colorado, finally, finally we are starting to see the beginnings of fall. Colorful leaves are now sprinkled throughout the trees at the park, Denver temps dropped from a high of 90 to 60 degrees in two days (what???), and Starbucks now has the Pumpkin spiced lattes. Alas! Fall is on the way. A new season brings on new changes as we say hello to fall and goodbye to summer.

Also in this change of season, my family had to say goodbye to Grandpa "Bear".



Everyone who met him loved him- there is no doubt about that. He was the type of man you just loved being around- his laughter was contagious and his eyes sparkled every time he smiled. He was a man fiercely committed to his faith and his wife in a way that continues to inspire me and my husband. He was an extremely detail-oriented man. Like many young men of his time he proudly served his country. He loved cheering for his hometown of Syracuse and boy, did he love his scotch. Going through old photos and letters he kept last week- hearing stories about him from his friends and sister- it truly is amazing the depth of life that he lived.

[caption id="attachment_466" align="aligncenter" width="212"] My mom with her daddy.[/caption]

And so, seasons change. From hot to cold and from the end of one life to the beginning of another. I feel so blessed and grateful that my Grandpa got to meet his great-grandson and with joy I know where he is now, in Heaven looking over all of us and saying "don't cry for me! celebrate!"

[caption id="attachment_463" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Checking each other out.[/caption]

Well Grandpa, we will celebrate the everlasting mark you've made on our family and this life. Our children will hear about you and if we're lucky, will be half the man you were.

In any season, may we not take one single moment for granted. May we be sure to tell those we love just how much we love them, and be present in every second spent with loved ones.

[caption id="attachment_465" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Love always.[/caption]
-Lauren