{guest post} thee fab singer.

{click (here) to vote for moi in the Blog Awards}
guess what loves??
i have another super special guest post for you tonight!
today was a cray cray busy day & super fun night, so lucky for me {and you} the next guest blogger i had lined up sent in her stuff to me this evening!
her being thee fab singer, aka my childhood friend angela.
i can't dish out enough praise for this lady.
she is such an example to me of someone who embodies class and sass in a way that i can only one day dream of.
she is one of the few people you meet in life who is good.
not in the behavioral sense of the way, but in the personality sense of the way.
she has one of the most honest, sincere and good hearts of any of my friends.
{and her post tonight proves it}
she always looks gorgeous {probs because she toats is} and is as gracious as gracious gets.
don't you love people who are gracious?
it is a rarity these days and a tough skill to master.
one that she definitely has.
i have known angela as long as i can remember.
for realsies.
she has, thankfully, always been in my life.
and wouldn't ya know, last year she married my brother's best friend.
don't you love how life works?
she also has thee most gorgeous singing voice you will ever, ever hear.
and that is not me over emphasizing something for writing purposes as i sometimes/so often do.
i am talking the kind of voice that makes you cry.
every. single. time. you hear it.
bible.
so without further ado...i present thee fabulous, classy and ever lovely angela...

Hello hello hello! My name is Angela, author of the blog Grahangela (grahamandangela.blogspot.com). “Grahangela” is the celebrity moniker my husband’s brother lovingly bestowed upon us. I think it rolls off the tongue just like “Brangelina,” “Bennifer,” and “Speidi.”

I am so honored Jessica is allowing me to guest post. Her blog is one that I follow religiously and I am consistently amazed and amused at her writing style and unique outlook on things. She really does know how to make it “rain glitter” in the blogosphere!

Jessica has given me free reign to post on whatever my heart desires, which sounds great EXCEPT that I am sooo indecisive! I kept vacillating from topic to topic, trying to think of something that would draw tears, provoke thoughts and make you laugh ‘til you fall off your chair. But, really, I’m just not that good. However, I have chosen to write about something that has had a crucial impact in my life. And that is this: TIMING.

Things in life don’t always happen when and how you want them to. Truer words were never spoken, right? We can plan all day, checking off our lists and preparing for any outcome our minds can imagine. But then, inevitably, our path will have a detour. It’s like when you’re driving on the freeway and you find out, only too late, that your exit is closed and you’re forced to find an alternate route. It’s not too much of a stretch to say that our lives are always “under construction.”

When I was a little girl I had everything planned out. I had my list of qualities I wanted (no, more like required) out of my future husband. I had kid names picked out. I thought I’d get married right after high school, pump out five kids all while finishing college in four years and then make it rich, becoming a famous singer (all the while maintaining a Wonder Woman physique). Perhaps I was a little naïve. Or a lot naïve. But as a kid you think you can do anything and you can’t imagine any detours in your perfect plan.

Let’s compare what really happened with what my 10 year old self envisioned. I did finish college and in fact went on to graduate school to get a Master’s in Social Work. I still sing but never made it big. I’m a social worker instead. Rich? No . . . unless you’re counting salary in warm fuzzy feelings instead of dollars. I even got married . . . but at 26. (Gasp!) Still no kids, except for our dogs. The Wonder Woman physique? Well, my husband thinks I’ve got it! He may or may not be biased, though. Did I detour from my original plan? Totally. Am I upset about it? No way! Had things not happened this way, I wouldn’t be the person I am now. The person my husband fell in love with.

It was during life’s detours that I got to know myself. I remember one particular moment when I was discouraged. I didn’t get why life wasn’t happening according to my plan. I think I was particularly disappointed in the fact that I had no eligible men in my life and I thought I was going to be single forever. It was at this time that I got some wise advice from my brother. He told me to be a “renaissance woman.” He said this was the time to better myself in every way – to become the best Angela possible. I’ll admit it sounds cheesy, but some of the best advice in the world comes with its side of cheddar.

I got to work becoming the me I’d always wanted to be. I studied hard, exercised, ate healthy food, read up on topics that were interesting simply for the love of learning, and strengthened my relationships with friends, family and my Heavenly Father. During that time I learned what it is to notice and love the simple things in life. The things I didn’t notice before because I was so consumed in adhering to my life’s plan. It was a truly enlightening time. It was then that I realized it was ok to be alone. It was ok to fail. It was ok to be scared. There were things to be learned in loneliness, mistakes and fear. These were chances to progress. My faith in God, life and myself grew tremendously.

Who knows why timing works out the way that it does? Some would call it fate. Others divine intervention. Others chalk it up to chance. I personally believe that there were lessons God wanted me to learn about myself and the world around me. Lessons I wouldn’t have learned had life turned out exactly the way I expected. Things happen for a reason. Looking back, I wouldn’t trade one bit of what I have now. Yes, life has its bumps, but the positive far exceeds the potholes. Life’s detours have led me to where I am now, with so many unexpected and meaningful adventures and blessings along the way!