Suntan Lotion is Good For Me

Scent is our sense that has the strongest connection to memory.  When I was in high school, I participated in a three month exchange to France.  The house that I lived in there smelled a certain way.  I can't even tell you what the smell was, but every once in awhile I will smell that scent again and it brings me right back.

I have one Grandma that always smelled like Avon cream.  My other grandma like orange juice.  Those two scents remind me of my grandmother's whenever I smell them.

So this past weekend we were at a pool party and my sister says to me "you know how grandma always smells like orange juice? you always smell like sunscreen"

And that right there is the life of a Ginger.  I always smell like sunscreen.  Sitting out on the pool deck I'm not sure that anybody besides myself and the 3 year old were wearing sunscreen.  Because as the commercial that I keep hearing on my radio says "Nothing looks better than tanned skin and white teeth"  But for us Ginger's the probability that we will burn just makes it not even worth the risk.  So I lather on the sunscreen even if I'm only going to be outside for 10 minutes, because yes in that 10 minutes I can feel myself starting to burn. 

The jokes on everyone else when my skin looks great when I'm older...

Oh ya and my sister wants to invent sunscreen for gingers that smells like body lotion rather than sunscreen.  Good idea?  Maybe.  Or maybe then I would just constantly smell like vanilla or lavender.

Father's Day

If you are living under a rock, yesterday was Father's day.  So of course we spent the day with our father's.  

Sunday morning we went out to Ryan's parents house for a brunch.  Sunday afternoon we spent time with my family.

I don't do the cheesy "Happy Father's Day", "I have the greatest dad" "Thanks for always being there" thing.  We aren't the most openly affectionate family despite the fact that we do love being together.  So that's why the most appropriate thing for us to do on Father's day was to go see the Seth MacFarlane movie "A Million Ways to Die in the West."  (Completely inappropriate to see with your parents actually.)

The girls liked it and the guys loved it.  It was probably the dumbest movie I have ever seen, but I still laughed a lot in it.  I thought Ted was better because it had more of a plot and less randomness, but if you are a Family guy fan, you will love the randomness in this movie.  It has terrible reviews, but I'm guessing the people reviewing it just don't get Seth's humour.

Back in 1882 nobody smiled in pictures unless they were insane

Acceptance

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I'm a huge Michael J. Fox fan.  I read both of his books and find him so inspiring.  He has been dealt a terrible hand and yet he seems to try to find the positives in the situation that he is in.  

This quote can mean something different for everyone, and yet it means the same thing.  We are all going through something.  If your life is perfect, it's probably not going to be perfect for long.  But whatever it is that we're going through, the hard times that we are dealing with, there is always a way through it.  Nothing lasts forever and most often we will come out the other side a better person.  Perhaps a different person, but a stronger person who has learnt how to deal with situations in a different way.

You don't have to accept that these negative aspects of your life are your fate.  But learn from them and grow from them and figure out how these things can make you stronger.  What good can come out of it?  I truly believe that everything happens for a reason.  And you may not figure out that reason tomorrow, or a week from now, or even 5 years from now.  But at some point you will be able to say "if that didn't happen to me, then I wouldn't have this and this and this in my life".  And that is what makes all our struggles worth it.  

Summer Reading List

Ryan said to me this morning that I don't blog anymore.  I guess last week I just had nothing to say and didn't want to force it.  But the truth is, when I do blog I really do enjoy it.  I love the creativity that it provides me with and being able to share my thoughts with others.  I like that it forces me to think about my life in a different way than you usually do, to see the good in things because nobody wants to blog about the negatives.

Apparently summer is here!  So with summer, comes lots of summer reading (hopefully).  Beach reading, cottage reading, camping reading....I'm hoping to have time for all of it.  And I have quite the list of summer reading options that I hope to get through.

Crossed & Reached by Allie Condie

Another young adult dystopian series.  I recently finished the first book - Matched and so obviously I need to read the other two.  This is easy reading, so perfect for the summer when you just want to chill out and enjoy a book.

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith aka J.K. Rowling

I've heard better things about this than The Casual Vacancy so I'm hopeful.  Plus my brother has this book and just finished it, so now it's my turn.

Where We Belong - Emily Giffin

Yes this isn't her most recent book, but I actually haven't gotten a chance to read it yet.  Emily Giffin writes the most perfect Chick Lit books, which again are perfect for summer!  Easy to read and just enjoyable.

The One & Only - Emily Giffin

This is Emily Giffin's most recent book.  And lucky for me, my sister splurged and bought it, so now I have a copy I can borrow.

The Fault in our Stars - John Green

I haven't read this yet and have heard good things about the movie.  Even though the ending has been spoiled for me I still want to read this book before I see the movie.