{the sound of sunshine}

 Day 21 – A photo of something that makes you happy.

Lots of things make me happy, but right now, this would make me happiest. Florida. The perks are endless. I'd get to see my mom, who I miss like crazy; bask in the wonderful, scorching heat; lie on the beach and do absolutely nothing; and forget about my life for a short while. I'm sick of everything about North Dakota right now: the bi-polar weather, sitting by myself in the photo studio day after day, the constant reminders of the past, and the realities of the future. I need an escape, to forget about my worries, to move forward, and to become me again. I need to stop thinking so much, and stop trying to plan so much. I need to love more, trust more, live more. I need to take chances and not dwell over the consequences. I need a vacation.

Soon enough, I suppose.

"I wish I had some time just to kill today

and I wish I had a dime for every bill I've got to pay

Some days you lose you win

and the water's as high as the times you're in
so I jump back in there where I learned to swim

try to keep my head above it the best I can
That's why, here I am

just waiting for this storm to pass me by 

and that's the sound of sunshine coming down"

{in time of test, family is best}

Day 17 - A photo of you and your family:

 

Words can't even express how much I love and miss this group of people. I am truly blessed with an amazing family. I'm headed to Florida over Easter to spend the holiday with my parents, and I'm currently booking a trip to Michigan in September to visit my sister and her family. I absolutely can't wait for both trips! I love this group of people, and need to thank God more often for them.

Day 18: Something you crave a lot:

Ice cream. Hands down. In fact, I gave up ice cream for Lent this year, but totally caved tonight and inhaled a Mint Oreo Blizzard. Take my word for it... it was very much necessary.

Day 19: Another picture of yourself:

I'm skipping this one. I don't really have any photos of just me and don't feel like searching for any.

Day 20: The meaning behind your blog name:

Ah. "perceived truth." I chose this name because it is one of the hardest, but most valuable lessons I have learned this past year. Truth is perceived. Two people can be in the same place at the same time, experiencing the exact situation, but their realities and what they believe to be true can be wildly different from one another. This happens constantly in our everyday lives. How often do you and a friend remember the same situation differently, or remember a conversation differently based on the perception of someone's body language or tone of voice? This is a fairly complex topic, but I found it fitting for my blog name. This is my reality. You may not agree with what I say, but my posts are based off of my experiences and perceived truth. More on this topic at a later date. ;)

{oops!}

More catch-up. Man I suck at this challenge!

Day 14: A TV show you're currently addicted to.

I know, I'm nowhere near a typical American... but I almost never watch TV. Lately though my favorites have been the Top 20 countdowns on VH1 and CMT. Gotta love lazy weekend mornings!

Day 15: Something you don't leave the house without.

This one is easy - my cell phone! I feel naked without it!

Day 16: Your celebrity crush.

I don't follow celebrities much, but I guess if I had to choose... ;)
Ryan Phillippe is kind of a hottie.

{catching up...}

Ok, so I only made it a week on the blog challenge thing. I'll do a quick catch-up and try to get back on track this week.

Day 9 – A photo of the item you last purchased.

... I can't say 'cause it was a gift! ;)

Day 10 – A photo of your favorite place to eat.

... I don't really have a favorite place to eat, so I'm skipping this one too. Unless ColdStone or Dairy Queen count... hehe.

Day 11 – What’s in your makeup bag?

... Ohhh man. I'm a little embarrassed about my makeup bag. That's because it isn't really a makeup bag... it's multiple makeup bags. I really don't consider myself high-maintenance, but somehow I've acquired more makeup than one girl should ever be allowed to own. My essentials though: Bare Minerals Foundation and Mineral Veil, Lancome Hypnose Mascara, and Burt's Bees chapstick. The rest changes daily depending on my mood. :)

Day 12 – A photograph of the town you live in.

... How about a mental picture? It is covered in snow, with a little bit of melting going on, and is as flat as the day is long!

Day 13 -- Your favorite musician and why.

... Although I like a huge variety of music, I'm going to have to go with Dave Matthews on this one. His songs are unique, the lyrics are clever and often complicated, and I almost never get sick of listening to him. His concerts are amazing as well. If you ever want to hit one up, let me know! I've been to 5 and would jump at the chance to go to more.

So, besides my 30 day blog challenge that I'm failing miserably at, life is slowly looking up lately. I'm in the middle of apartment hunting, which is simultaneously refreshing and depressing, but such is life. I'm trying to remind myself that there are many people much worse off than me, and I'm working on being grateful to the fact that I can afford to put a roof over my own head and stand on my own two feet. In reality, this is only a temporary living situation. Someday I'll live in a house again, and I'll be all the more grateful for it after living in an apartment for a while.

{we live, we love}

Blog challenge, day 8: A song to fit your mood.
Love this song.

There's a cross on the side of the road
Where a mother lost her son
How could she know that the morning he left
Would be the last time she'd trade with him for a little more time
(so she could say she loved him one last time)
And hold him tight
But with life we never know when we're coming up to the end of the road
So what do we do then
With tragedy around the bend

We live, we love, we forgive and never give up
Cuz the days we are given are gifts from above
And today we remember to live and to love
We live, we love, we forgive and never give up
Cuz the days we are given are gifts from above
And today we remember to live and to love

There's a man who waits for the tests to
See if the cancer had spread yet
And now he asks so why did I wait to live 'til it was time to die
If I could have the time back, how I'd live
Life is such a gift
So how does the story end?
Well, this is your story and it all depends
So don't let it become true
Get out and do what we were meant to do

We live, we love, we forgive and never give up
Cuz the days we are given are gifts from above
And today we remember to live and to love
We live, we love, we forgive and never give up
Cuz the days we are given are gifts from above
And today we remember to live and to love

Waking up to another dark morning
People are mourning
The weather in life outside is storming
But what would it take for the clouds to break
For us to realize each day
Is a gift somehow, someway
And get our heads up out of this darkness
And spark this new mindset and start on with life cuz it ain't gone yet
And tragedy's a reminder to take off the blinders and wake up
(to live the life)
We're supposed to take up
(moving forward)
With all our heads up
Cuz life is worth living

We live, we love, we forgive and never give up
Cuz the days we are given are gifts from above
And today we remember to live and to love
We live, we love, we forgive and never give up
Cuz the days we are given are gifts from above
And today we remember to live and to love

“look at life through the windshield, not the rear-view mirror”

I am a contradiction.

I keep my guard up, yet I'm vulnerable.

I have a deep belief in forgiveness, but still break down in tears because of anger.

I want to move away, yet I can't imagine leaving.

I'm moving forward, while I still dwell on the past.

I'm finding happiness, yet I sabotage that happiness.

I ride an emotional roller coaster on a daily basis, but I'm stronger than I've ever been.

Starting today, I will create my own happiness.

I will never apologize for being myself

... or for someone else's mistakes.

Starting today, I will believe people's actions, not their words.

I will believe what I know in my heart to be true,

and I refuse to be a pushover.

Starting today, I will be a great friend to those who deserve it,

... and forget about those who are selfish, pathological liars.

Starting today, I will know and believe that I'm a good person.

I refuse to cry one more tear over those who won't cry over me,

and I will put my whole heart into healthy relationships.

Starting today, I will be both strong and emotional.
I will laugh without reservation, love without holding back,
and cry freely if my emotions move me to tears.

Starting today, I will learn from my mistakes,
move on with my life instead of dwelling on the past,
and let God deal with the mistakes of others.

{blog challenge, day 7}

Day 7: Your dream wedding.

Yuck. I'm nowhere near ready to talk about weddings yet. I guess all I know is that if I ever have another one, I want it to be very simple in someplace beautiful, with a man who adores me and that I find irresistible, without a doubt in my mind that it will last forever. Easy enough, right? ;)

To supplement this lack of a post, I'll share another one later tonight. Stay tuned.