The Seven Deadly Sins - #4 Envy

¹envy              

noun en·vy \ˈen-vē\

: the feeling of wanting to have what someone else has

: someone or something that causes envy

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Envy... now that's a good deadly sin.

How many of us have looked at someone and thought - wow... they have everything I want.

That is envy.

 

How many time have us woman been in line at a grocery store, looked at the cover of a magazine and regardless of who is on it thought, wow, I wish I could be them.

They are tall, skinny, pretty, rich.

Granted, their lives are probably just as messed up as the rest of us.

 

I've looked at friends and envied them.

How they have no fear.

How they take charge and don't worry what people think of them.

 

I envy my sisters for having children and remaining skinny.

I envy my husband for knowing who he is and never straying from his beliefs.

For having the courage to try something new and to go after what he wants.

 

I envy people that quit their corporate jobs to chase their dreams, whatever they may be.

I envy people that don't stress and worry and just DO.

I envy people that have never dealt with depression and have no idea how it feels.

I envy people that have never lost a love one unexpectedly.

I envy people that don't even try to have kids and pop them out like it's their job.

 

As much as I may feel envy, I wouldn't change my life.

I know behind all those things I envy, are problems and life stories, just like me.

As much as some people look like they have it all together... they don't.

Everyone envy's people from time to time... and then you may learn the truth.

I had some married friends, who I thought were the best couples, I wanted that.

I envied them.

Those married friends aren't together anymore.

It woke me up.

Don't envy what you don't understand.

There is ALWAYS more to a person, a story, a situation, a behavior then what you see.

 

I'm going to work on not being so envious.

I think we all should.

 

I Will Never

There are certain situations that arise that I think " I will never be that. I will never do that."
And the people around me speak loud enough and that is what they are saying also.
"You will never be that. You will never do that."

For a long time, people thought it was so uncharacteristic of me to go four-wheeling and being 'dirty'.
I love four-wheeling.
I love dusty gravel roads.
I love dirty hair and clothes that lead to small town bars and small town lives.

I will never be a size 2 again.
I would have to starve myself...
Just 4 and a half years ago I did fit into my size 6 high school jeans.
It was amazing.
It was obtainable.
It seems so far away.
In 11th grade I weighed 117 pounds at 5'10".
I was kinda sickly looking.
My ribs showed through.
I didn't eat much.
I thought my stomach was big.
I was so skinny.
It was not ok.
Not attractive.
Yet... I felt beautiful.
Because of the number on the scale.
I felt worthy.
Why is it that the size that we wear is what brings us happiness?
I hate that I've let myself go.
But just like the posts on The Seven Deadly Sins, I.Am.Just.Lazy.
I want to be everything my husband wants.
Everything he deserves, and he deserves more than a lazy house wife that piles on the pounds.
I will never be 117 pounds again.
I will not fit comfortably in my high school jeans.
But I can take care of myself.
I can work out for exercise, not necessarily to be the most tiny girl.
I can try to be healthy.
My husband loves me.
Tells me I'm beautiful.
I just no longer feel it about myself.
So I need to change that.
I need to get out of my head.
I need to realize that I may not be what I was...
But I can be so much better.
Be Happy.
Be Healthy.
Be Me.

The Seven Deadly Sins #3 - Greed

greed            

noun \ˈgrēd\

:  a selfish and excessive desire for more of something (as money) than is needed



Greed.
Greedy.
I don't think this word has ever been used to describe me.
I don't believe I am a greedy person at all.
I don't have a desire to 'keep up with the Jones'.

I don't really hang around greedy people either.
Everyone I know is giving, for the most part.

I would think where my greed lies is with 'time'.
I want my time with my husband, just him and I.
If we go a long time with out hanging out together, just the two of us, we miss each other.

I am greedy with family time.
It's actually something Jerry and I talked about in pre-marriage counseling.
I had to talk about how I don't want to miss anything my parents and sisters are doing.
Packer Sundays, dinners, random gathering, holidays... it's VERY hard for me to give up any time with my family, so that could be looked at as greedy.

I was probably greedy when I was younger... but I don't recall.....
Do you think you are greedy over certain things?

Dear Brendan

What up dork?
It's been awhile, huh?
Lots has happened here while you've been gone.
I got married... did you know that?
It might have taken some getting used to, cause you never liked anyone I dated, but you would like him.
He has a 7... almost 8 year old daughter.
Can you imagine that... me a step-mom?
It's crazy.
Sometimes I have a hard time with it.
Sometimes I'm more immature than her.... but I try.
I think she likes me.

It's been a long time since you've been in my life.
It was really hard when you first left.
I cried a lot.
Sometimes when I was alone I would cry for long periods of time.
Spider pig aka Rocky was worried about me.

I catch myself thinking about you.... mostly when I am driving somewhere.
So many things we did together as friends.
So many things we experienced as roommates.
So many things I wish you were still around to see.

The thing about time....
The thing about life....
Is that things change.

I will always think of you.
I will always be sad that I never see you anymore.
But I will always be ok because of my friends.
My family.
My husband.

Brendan.
You were so YOU.
And I loved that.
And I miss you.

I hope you are looking down on Jerry and me and you are happy for us.
I heart him.

I miss you and always will.
Happy birthday, my far away friend.
Happy birthday.

Love,
Holly Marie Brantley

The Seven Deadly Sins - #2 Sloth

sloth      

noun \ˈslȯth, ˈsläth also ˈslōth\

: the quality or state of being lazy

: a type of animal that lives in trees in South and Central America and that moves very slowly

 

I think it would be fun to write about the animal sloth... or even Sloth from the Goonies, but instead I'm writing about being lazy.

 

I'm lazy.

I know I'm lazy.

If someone tried to insult me and said "Geesh Holly, you are so lazy!"

I would say... "Yup. Duh!!"

I currently weigh more than I have ever weighed.

I work a part time job.

I sit on my a$$ most days watching ION television.

Back to back episodes of Criminal Minds, Blue Bloods and Ghost Whisperer.

ION is almost as bad as Netflix.

I have a membership to the Y and for awhile was going 5-6 times a week.

Then I stopped.

For no reason really.

I'm just freaking lazy.

If I was in the movie Seven with Brad Pitt, I would for sure be the person that was killed for being a sloth.

Even over gluttony.

I am not proud of it, but at the same time, it just is.

I know if I lost some weight, started feeling more in shape I wouldn't be AS lazy, but I have always been a couch sitter, television watching, kind of person.

I like going out and doing things.

Traveling.

But I LOVE being home.

I need to get that work out/get in shape bug again.

When I do get it... I do pretty well at losing weight and getting in shape.

It's just a mind over matter type of thing and right now... my mind is all sloth-like.

What are your main motivations to get you off the couch?

What do you do to not become lazy?

I just can't seem to get my mental focus on losing weight/getting back in shape.... and I don't know what to do.

So I will sit on the couch, with ION playing in the back ground and go to bed at 9.

Maybe I'll be motivated tomorrow.

Maybe not.

I Might Make You Vomit

I went to dinner with my beautiful husband tonight and as he was looking down at his phone at our schedules the next few weeks.
I thought to myself.
He is so gorgeous.
Those dark eyes.
That charming smile.
His wonderful conversational skills.
We talked about some 'projects' he has going.
We talked about time with and without Mary.


We had a couple beers.
Shared an appetizer.
Ate our food.
And talked.

People from time to time have said they can't just sit and talk to their significant other.
That they don't have enough to talk about.
They say they can't travel with just their person...
They need to travel with a group of people.

Jerry and I love our time together.
We always find things to talk about.
I love traveling... which has made Jerry love traveling.
With or without friends and family.
We always love it.

I'm lucky to find someone that loves just chilling and talking like I do.
I'm lucky that he enjoys discovering new things with me.
I love that he loves spoiling me.

In the next month or two, you will all discover another side of him.
I'm proud of him.
I'm in awe of him.
I can't believe I'm lucky enough to be the woman by his side.

You may now vomit over our love and awesomeness. :)

The Seven Deadly Sins - #1 Gluttony

glut·ton·y

ˈɡlətnē/

noun

noun: gluttony

1. habitual greed or excess in eating.

synonyms:

greed, greediness, overeating, gourmandism, gourmandizing, voracity, insatiability; informalpiggishness   The first Seven Deadly Sin I will cover is Gluttony.   When we first boarded the cruise ship last week, they directed us to the lido deck for drinks and food. I was hungry. Jerry was hungry. Mary was hungry. We went to the lido deck, got in line for 'The Grill' and loaded our plates with the normal American fare: hotdogs, hamburgers, fries, chicken strips and all the dipping sauces you could imagine. You want chili cheese fries in 95 degree heat? Ok... it's yours! As I sat down to eat my large hotdog with bbq sauce, my chicken strips with honey mustard and my fries with nacho cheese sauce, I took a minute to look around. And then looked at my plate. Then looked around again. The first word that came to my mind while looking through the very large eating area and my own plate was : Gluttony. Holy shit.   People on the cruise were of all shapes and sizes. Some very large. Some very small. Some very 'me'. They all had one thing in common. Everyone took HUGE plates full of food. More than some people eat in a day. One day I had eggs benedict and macaroni and cheese.... FOR BREAKFAST!! It's free!! No.. really it's not... it's in the cost of your freaking cruise... But since you don't actually have to PAY at the time... it seems free.   I ate huge breakfasts. Huge lunches. Huge dinners. For no reason besides the food was THERE. It was the most 'gluttoness' thing I have ever seen or been apart of. (According to my sources 'gluttoness' is not a word, but I'm using it.)   I actually see how people that barely get any food in a day could hate me. I ate and wasted enough food in 4 days to feed a 'normal' person for 3 weeks.   **Next time you think you are 'starving' or 'so full'.... be thankful you don't actually know what starving feels like and be ashamed that you ate enough to be 'so full'.   There is a happy medium. Find it. Don't be apart of the 7 deadly sins.   **message to myself.

All in the Family Cruise

My beautiful little family flew down to Miami on July 1st, to then take off on our cruise on July 2nd.
We went with Jerry's moms side of the family.
It was fun!
We were in Miami for a day and checked out Bayside that a friend had recommended.
We ate at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company - or as Troy called it, Bubba Shrimps.

Service stunk, food was decent.
We then walked around and enjoyed the HOT Miami weather.
Mary was lucky and got some Haggen Dawgs (spelling is completely wrong.. I know).

On Thursday we took to the cruise ship and set sail for Key West.
In Key West, after a very long and hot tempered walk, we went to a restaurant that friends had recommened called La Te Da.
It was good!! We told Mary to wipe her hands off and she said she couldn't because she didn't have a napkin.
We told her the white cloth was her napkin.
She was surprised!
She then told us she didn't want to stain the white napkin. :-)

The next day we went to Cozumel and surprised Mary with an early birthday present of swimming with the dolphins, Jerry and I did it too!
She was SOOO excited and it was SOOOO amazing!!

The ship had all sorts of activities, Jerry and Deb both got medals for singing and dancing on stage during the Motown sing along.
Jerry was told to do his sexiest dance... Mary was so embarrassed!  :)

 

They had a huge 4th of July party on the deck!

 

 

They played the Women's World Cup Game in one of the bars, and that was awesome to watch in a large group of people!

 

 

We ate.

And ate.

And ate. 

We had so much fun with his family, and I have about 400 more pictures, but figured this was a good summary. :-)
Thank you Lewis family for the great family trip!
Love to you all!