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The Birthday Boy

Hello, my fellow blog followers and fans!

Sometimes life throws you a curveball – sometimes you duck, and sometimes it hits you right upside your head. How you react will determine what kind of player you are.

So what do you do when fear knocks on your door? Do you face your giant, or do you stick your head in the sand? Remember there are two sides to F.E.A.R.: Forget Everything and Run or Face Everything and Rise. Takes grit, doesn’t it? More importantly, it takes God’s grace, too.

Eight months prior, was such a trying time for us with the emotional roller-coaster from one minute to the next. We weren’t sure what the next second would bring, let alone the next day. The days and nights were difficult ones. But I’m here to tell you that the support, prayers, and genuine love from family and friends made all the difference in the world! And I am happy to report that my husband is a walking miracle; (read about it here), and I am so thankful for the goodness and mercy of God.

I recently threw a surprise party for the Birthday Boy, also called the Miracle Man, with many of our close and precious friends. It was an incredible turnout and my hubby was indeed taken by surprise. He couldn’t believe how many people were able to keep the secret from him! Whew!

On July 21st, we celebrated Mark’s life. And I would like to share some of those moments with you through this slide.

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It Is Well With My Soul …

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Dear friends:

These past couple of weeks,  I’ve been on an emotional rollercoaster, but my family and friends have literally lifted my spirits. Today, it is my birthday, and I am thanking God for His neverending grace and His unfailing love. My journey continues and for that, I am truly grateful.

Thank you for being my friend.

About "Running in Heels: A Memoir of Grit & Grace"

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Harness Your Fears

10363671_10209350480986849_8881949637113864818_nThe Adventure-etts recently went on another road trip. We went ziplining, y’all. Got a bird’s eye view of surrounding mountains, meadows, and canyons, even, zipped above a small waterfall. Had to do a lot of mountain and cliff climbing, but after getting air back into our lungs, we zipped across ten separate ziplines. It was a blast!

What about my fear of heights, you asked? Well, I harnessed my fears! On the first try (after three steps forward and two back), my eyes focused straight ahead, as I walked off the plank and went over and zippidy-do-da across!

I felt exhilarated. After the third zipline, I was able to look down at the view.

The girls and I had a great time.

Would I do it again? Heck yeah! Would love to go with my grandson next.

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Me and my girls: Judy, Deborah, & LeAnn

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Boarding the Humvee

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All aboard!

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Zippity-Do-Da

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We harnessed our fears!

Some things I refuse to do, but there are some things I’m willing to experience. More adventures to come with the Adventure-etts.

“What is life but one grand adventure?”

Previous excursion – Rise to the Occasion

© M.A. Pérez 2016, All Rights Reserved

About "Running in Heels: A Memoir of Grit & Grace"

 

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March 19, 2016 · 10:31 PM

Rise to the Occasion

Bucket list. I imagined I would. Some day. Always wanted to. But never really thought I’d actually go through with it.

My posse and I

I’ve been away on a mini-vacation, a road trip to San Marcus and to San Antonio. Not only did I go, but I went on this excursion with some great gal friends of mine. Overall, it was an exhilarating ride!

I learned a few things on this trip.

I learned that if you put your mind to a thing, you can fulfill a task (if you plan ahead). I knew that schedules don’t always go according to plan. You may come across a few bumps and potholes along the way, and the winding roads of life may take a bit longer to get to your destination. And I learned that I don’t always perform well in these situations. (Ahem.)

You see, my expectations may be to do thus and so, and once my mind is made up, I am in a wee bit of a hurry to get there. But I also learned that it’s best to stop and smell the roses and make every second count. Because if you don’t, you’ll regret not doing better when you could have. I learned (and I sometimes forget) to choose my battles, and not all hiccups mean the end of the world! I learned that making each moment count is what makes every memory cherished. I learned that, despite my strengths, I still have weaknesses that need improvement. Egads! I learned that growing older doesn’t necessarily mean you stop learning. I learned that no matter what, there is always something to be grateful for. And I learn (sort of already knew) that I have the bestest of friends! We love and accept one another–flaws and all–and if feeling down, we lift the other up!

So what did we do, you ask? You mean besides the driving, shopping, dining, visiting my in-laws, and shopping some more?

We went Up, Up and Away in My Beautiful Balloon! 

Now, those who know me know that I have acrophobia (not to be confused with arachnophobia, which I also happen to have, but that’s another topic). Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have a fear of heights. Or is it a fear of falling? Either way, I tend to get the heebie-jeebies. I discovered I wasn’t the only one among us determined to face this fear. And so, face it, we did; we rose to the occasion. In fact, I was so busy taking photos on my phone that I didn’t have much time for that nervousness to take over.

Before takeoff, once the pilot said to hop in, we (about fifteen total in all) scrambled up inside that basket (with a bit of assistance from the crew), albeit somewhat clumsily, with one of our legs unable to lower from the ledge of the basket down in our tight space. So much for dignity.

To Deborah, Judy, and my new friend, LeAnn: Thanks for the memories. What’s next?

For your enjoyment, here are a few photos of our adventure.

Deborah & Judy

Deborah & Judy

 

LeAnn and myself

LeAnn and myself

Just about ready for takeoff.

 

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All for one and one for all!

Up, up, and away!

Up, up, and away!

 

3100 feet up

The Adventure-etts: 3100 feet up!

 

Beautiful Sunset

Beautiful Sunset

© M.A. Pérez 2016, All Rights Reserved

Your life is like a balloon…if you never let yourself go, you will never know how far you can rise.

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January 16, 2016 · 9:10 PM

Birthday Boy

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Celebrated hubby’s birthday.

Cooked him a nice lasagna meal with the family.

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Hard to believe that this good-looking boy

would waltz into my life one day.

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As an added bonus, gave hubby a surprise party with friends the next day.

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He completes me.

He had a rugged, but kind, short-bearded face

Happy Birthday, Mark.

 

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