Pascha, Quality Time, & Self-Confidence

Hello, hello my sweet friends! How are you?! I am TERRIFIC. Life is sweet right now and I can’t complain. To all my Orthodox friends: CHRIST IS RISEN! TRULY HE IS RISEN! Lettuce back things up though. This post will be random…oh wait, aren’t all my posts random? Please enjoy some pictures of what I have been up to lately. Let’s start with that pizza above. My mom made an amazing homemade pizza for us the other night and I highly recommend using THIS crust. I have also been loving wraps for a quick and easy lunch lately. My go-to is turkey, aged white cheddar, pickles, lettuce, and LOTS of mustard.

And he is a picture of baby Oslo who is just so darn adorable I can’t stand it. My mom, sister, and I swoon over him daily.

I made an AMAZING salmon recipe for my mom, sister, and I the other night. I let the salmon sit in orange juice, stevia-sweetened brown sugar, olive oil, and salt / pepper for about 30 minutes and it came out mighty tasty. Also, I highly recommend air frying carrots!

One day last week I had Danica doll me up and take some pictures for me for a campaign I worked on. Lettuce talk about self-confidence for a second. I was having a REALLY hard time towards the end of last week and over the weekend. I was at the point where my period was about to start, I was bloated beyond belief, and I just felt gross. My lady readers will understand. I was giving myself such crap about how “ugly” and “terrible” I looked and I know I was driving my sweet sister crazy. Any who, now that I am no longer a hormone monster…I look at these pictures and love them. I’ve got my overalls on and my dog, what more could I ask for? If you struggle with self-confidence, it’s okay. We can’t all be struttin our stuff like we own the place all the time. It’s okay to feel a little grumpy. But you have to promise me that you will pick yourself up and tell yourself you are beautiful ok? Ok! Because God made you PERFECT in HIS image. So that’s a pretty big deal if you ask me.

I’ve really been digging Fiber One mixed with yogurt lately. My stomach didn’t really agree with the craving and I have had to take a break…fiber really get’s you going…you know what I mean!?

Of course, I have also been enjoying walks with Owen! It’s been pretty stormy here in Kentucky these last few days and the humidity is packing a punch so I haven’t got to walk nearly as much as my heart desires. Walking is my absolute fav!

Saturday we headed to Leon’s hometown to visit his family. No road trip is complete without Q coffee and a breakfast sandwich to split. I am very thankful to have found a man who whole-heartedly supports my coffee obsession.

I just love his family to pieces! We spent the day in the sunshine 🙂

I cried the whole way home contemplating if I wanted to go to our midnight Pascha service or not and I am so glad I did. I have felt very disconnected from my Orthodox roots lately. I didn’t participate in many of the services or the fast this year and it really got me down. My mom read this to me before the Pascha service and I am so glad she did because it encouraged me to go:

If any man be devout and love God, let him enjoy this fair and radiant triumphal feast. If any man be a wise servant, let him rejoicing enter into the joy of his Lord. If any have labored long in fasting, let him now receive his recompense. If any have wrought from the first hour, let him today receive his just reward. If any have come at the third hour, let him with thankfulness keep the feast. If any have arrived at the sixth hour, let him have no misgivings; because he shall in nowise be deprived thereof. If any have delayed until the ninth hour, let him draw near, fearing nothing. If any have tarried even until the eleventh hour, let him, also, be not alarmed at his tardiness; for the Lord, who is jealous of his honor, will accept the last even as the first; He gives rest unto him who comes at the eleventh hour, even as unto him who has wrought from the first hour.

And He shows mercy upon the last, and cares for the first; and to the one He gives, and upon the other He bestows gifts. And He both accepts the deeds, and welcomes the intention, and honors the acts and praises the offering. Wherefore, enter you all into the joy of your Lord; and receive your reward, both the first, and likewise the second. You rich and poor together, hold high festival. You sober and you heedless, honor the day. Rejoice today, both you who have fasted and you who have disregarded the fast. The table is full-laden; feast ye all sumptuously. The calf is fatted; let no one go hungry away.

Enjoy ye all the feast of faith: Receive ye all the riches of loving-kindness. let no one bewail his poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed. Let no one weep for his iniquities, for pardon has shown forth from the grave. Let no one fear death, for the Savior’s death has set us free. He that was held prisoner of it has annihilated it. By descending into Hell, He made Hell captive. He embittered it when it tasted of His flesh. And Isaiah, foretelling this, did cry: Hell, said he, was embittered, when it encountered Thee in the lower regions. It was embittered, for it was abolished. It was embittered, for it was mocked. It was embittered, for it was slain. It was embittered, for it was overthrown. It was embittered, for it was fettered in chains. It took a body, and met God face to face. It took earth, and encountered Heaven. It took that which was seen, and fell upon the unseen.

O Death, where is your sting? O Hell, where is your victory? Christ is risen, and you are overthrown. Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen. Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice. Christ is risen, and life reigns. Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the grave. For Christ, being risen from the dead, is become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. To Him be glory and dominion unto ages of ages. Amen. (Paschal Sermon of Saint John Chysostom)

On Sunday I woke up, sipped my coffee, and enjoyed some time with my parents. My mom made her traditional Lithuanian bacon buns that she does every Pascha and they were AMAZING. My brother also surprised me with this mic for my podcast 🙂 He’s pretty darn great. I can’t wait for the sound quality to be better!

I then made Mini Pineapple Upside-Down Cakes that you can find HERE. They were SO GOOD.

And then I relaxed on the couch with my favorite snack, coffee, and my book!

I also decided to decorate the dining room for our Pascha feast!!

All of the food was AMAZING. My mom really knows how to spoil us in the food department. It was truly a blessed Pascha and I am so happy Leon got to be a part of it with me this year.