Monkees---
Is planning a wedding this hard for everyone?
Sometimes I think I was born a little broken....just to be brutally honest with ya'll. Everything just seems HARDER for me... I stress, I worry, I stress some more. i'm a perfectionist of the worst kind. This does not bode well for a little girl planning a wedding. Every piece of this thing just seems SO HARD.
And trust me, I know, there are monkees out there with worse problems. My close friend is 8.5 months pregnant, trying to fix up a new house, and trying to take care of her sick mom through months and months of hospitalizations, heart surgeries, amputation, rehab, more surgery, potential heart transplant, repeat. Her mom will likely have to move in with her and her husband and their brand new baby so that she can take care of her mom and her newborn at the same time....and work full time....night shift. And I feel like I complain a lot more than she does sometimes. Why is is SO HARD for me sometimes?
I worry that it won't be perfect. I worry that I won't find a dress I love. I worry that we won't be able to pay for it all. I worry....etc. One thing I don't worry about is who I'm marrying. Lucky for me, that is the easiest part. I'm smitten with my fiancé and he does everything he can to make it better. He always tells me.... Tell me what I can do to make it easier... I'll take care of it...stop worrying. One night amidst a breakdown he made me repeat over and over again...."life is too short. God made me this way..." over and over again until I was calm. then we took a lipstick and I wrote it on my standing mirror so I can look at it everyday.
It's not just the wedding.... I worry about much more than that. I worry about my friends who are hurting.... I worry about my adopted little girl Dashi in Sri Lanka and what she's going through and who might be hurting her. I worry that I may have problems having my own little girl someday.
When it gets really rough, God always seems to send me a message to calm me down. This morning, I was driving home from a night at work (unscheduled, I was just there to help the girls since it was crazy-busy and I ended up staying all night....after not sleep-preparing for it, I was DEAD at the end of the shift--- I digress).... anyways, I started worrying that we won't find a church in time to have our wedding (Willow doesn't do weddings on Sundays so we're looking for plan B). Just then, my mom texted me....7:45 in the morning.... "How are you doing today! Be anxious about nothing. But in everything with thanksgiving give your requests to the Lord." Thank you Mama. thank you Jesus.
And I drove home in peace.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
to Jonny..happy birthday!
What to do at 4:30 in the morning when your body is completely screwed up due to working nights and you can't sleep? Blog of course...
Today is my fiancé's birthday...the big 27. Little brat....here I am turning 29 in a few months and I've robbed the cradle with a younger man. I remember when we first started dating--- it took me MONTHS to finally give into my crush on him because I was so against dating someone younger than me... he's only a grade younger than me in school, but I was always dating older guys, chasing my brother's friends around and god forbid I'd stoop so low as to date a JUNIOR when I was a SENIOR....
Eventually he won me over with his humor and dark good looks.... hahaha. Seriously though, he took me out one night and I was actually just trying to get over a boyfriend I'd recently broken up with.... he made me laugh harder than I ever have in my life. I was intrigued... then a month or so later, he asked me to homecoming. Reluctantly I said yes... and it just happened that I fell in love with him the week of the dance.
There was a high school talent show during homecoming week. He and his friend Brett were signed up to perform an act called "Precision Aerial Grape Spectacular." Basically they had a routine where they did stunts that involved throwing grapes into each other's mouths.... sounds insanely stupid, but it was beyond hilarious and AWESOME to watch! When the song "Regulators" by Warren G came on and he and Brett got on that stage, the crowd went INSANE. I fell in love with Jon that night....it might have been his humor....his quirkiness....or maybe it was his confidence. But I was hooked. We kissed for the first time that night. And a few days later, we had a blast at our first of many high school dances together.
We dated for a year before I had to leave to go away to college at U of I in Champaign. Leaving him was honestly one of the worst days of my life. by then, I was completely head over heels for this guy. That first year we dated turned out to be one of my favorite of the 11 years we've spent together. I ended up spending a lot of weekends of my freshman year at college coming back to see him, coming to his football games and cherishing every second we spent together. I would so look forward to the weekends when I'd finally get to cuddle up to him again. I realized that year that this man would one day be my future husband.
The next year, he joined me at U of I and we had a million great memories there.
11 years later, we're engaged and getting married in 10 months. I CANNOT WAIT! I am so incredibly lucky. Sometimes I look at him and just can't believe how richly God has blessed me with this man. My parents prayed for my future husband from the time I was born-- that He'd give me the kind of man He wants for me... and God couldn't have been more right on. Jon is the most caring, loving, affectionate, sweet, funny, genuine person I've ever known. Most importantly, he loves me for me... I never, ever feel judged or feel like I have to be perfect....he loves my imperfections. And for someone like me who is the ultimate perfectionist, he's exactly what I need. He makes me laugh on a daily basis. He ALWAYS makes me feel loved. He tells me he loves me a million times a day, and that I'm beautiful 2 million times a day. What more can you ask for?
He's gonna be such a great husband and dad to our future kids. I can't wait to be able to wake up next to him every morning, make dinner with him, go to bed with him every night, holding hands under the covers while we pray together for our marriage and our babies. We can't wait to have our own family next year. May 26, 2013 will be the best day of my life and I know it will only get better, because it always has, everyday for the last 11 years.
Happy birthday baby! I love you so much!
Today is my fiancé's birthday...the big 27. Little brat....here I am turning 29 in a few months and I've robbed the cradle with a younger man. I remember when we first started dating--- it took me MONTHS to finally give into my crush on him because I was so against dating someone younger than me... he's only a grade younger than me in school, but I was always dating older guys, chasing my brother's friends around and god forbid I'd stoop so low as to date a JUNIOR when I was a SENIOR....
Eventually he won me over with his humor and dark good looks.... hahaha. Seriously though, he took me out one night and I was actually just trying to get over a boyfriend I'd recently broken up with.... he made me laugh harder than I ever have in my life. I was intrigued... then a month or so later, he asked me to homecoming. Reluctantly I said yes... and it just happened that I fell in love with him the week of the dance.
There was a high school talent show during homecoming week. He and his friend Brett were signed up to perform an act called "Precision Aerial Grape Spectacular." Basically they had a routine where they did stunts that involved throwing grapes into each other's mouths.... sounds insanely stupid, but it was beyond hilarious and AWESOME to watch! When the song "Regulators" by Warren G came on and he and Brett got on that stage, the crowd went INSANE. I fell in love with Jon that night....it might have been his humor....his quirkiness....or maybe it was his confidence. But I was hooked. We kissed for the first time that night. And a few days later, we had a blast at our first of many high school dances together.
We dated for a year before I had to leave to go away to college at U of I in Champaign. Leaving him was honestly one of the worst days of my life. by then, I was completely head over heels for this guy. That first year we dated turned out to be one of my favorite of the 11 years we've spent together. I ended up spending a lot of weekends of my freshman year at college coming back to see him, coming to his football games and cherishing every second we spent together. I would so look forward to the weekends when I'd finally get to cuddle up to him again. I realized that year that this man would one day be my future husband.
The next year, he joined me at U of I and we had a million great memories there.
11 years later, we're engaged and getting married in 10 months. I CANNOT WAIT! I am so incredibly lucky. Sometimes I look at him and just can't believe how richly God has blessed me with this man. My parents prayed for my future husband from the time I was born-- that He'd give me the kind of man He wants for me... and God couldn't have been more right on. Jon is the most caring, loving, affectionate, sweet, funny, genuine person I've ever known. Most importantly, he loves me for me... I never, ever feel judged or feel like I have to be perfect....he loves my imperfections. And for someone like me who is the ultimate perfectionist, he's exactly what I need. He makes me laugh on a daily basis. He ALWAYS makes me feel loved. He tells me he loves me a million times a day, and that I'm beautiful 2 million times a day. What more can you ask for?
He's gonna be such a great husband and dad to our future kids. I can't wait to be able to wake up next to him every morning, make dinner with him, go to bed with him every night, holding hands under the covers while we pray together for our marriage and our babies. We can't wait to have our own family next year. May 26, 2013 will be the best day of my life and I know it will only get better, because it always has, everyday for the last 11 years.
Happy birthday baby! I love you so much!
Monday, April 30, 2012
Log Off. Shut down. Go Run.
Thought of a few more notes to add to my Runner's Tale post.
One of the most important things you can do for yourself if you want to be a runner is get yourself the right equipment. You NEED a pair of shoes that work for your feet. The first 3 or 4 marathons I ran, I was running in Nike running shoes. I couldn't figure out why I was icing my knees constantly and had pain at the bottoms of my feet. My Uncle Ron (an avid Marathoner himself) recommended Asics, so I headed to the local running store to check them out. This is one of the best pieces of advice I'll give you.... GO TO A RUNNING STORE for your shoes. Don't go to the mall, or to Dick's, or Footlocker. Go to a speciality running store where they'll (for free) study your feet and your form and fit you for the RIGHT shoe. Some brands that I've found good are Asics, Brooks, and Saucony. I will ONLY wear Asics however. Here are my babies that I'm wearing now:
They weren't cheap (reg 190 but I think I got them for 130 with a marathon discount). but they feel like HEAVEN. Specialty running stores will measure and study your feet, fit you in different brands, and even watch you run to figure out exactly what shoes you need. Make the investment. Trust me, it's worth it.
Second.... invest in a good pair of running shorts, running tights, and Under Armour. That way you have no excuse-- it's too cold, it's too hot, etc. My fav running shorts:
I literally own these in every single color. They're soo comfortable. they wick away moisture and they even have built in underwear (that don't ride up your butt). If it's cold I throw on a pair of running tights under them. One thing I wouldn't recommend for the serious runner is substituting yoga pants for shorts/tights or specialty running pants. Yoga pants are made specifically for yoga and don't tend to have the breathability of running tights/pants/shorts. You end up shortening your stride and slowing yourself down. My running coach taught me this a few years ago and it's made a world of difference for me since I focus a lot on speed and extreme long distance.
Finally, get yourself some good running socks. You need something that is gonna cushion your foot and let them breathe. These are my absolute favs. Notice how there is a left and right sock. These guys are so awesome that they realize your left foot is shaped different than your right foot- thus your sock should also be. The dry fit wicks away moisture and those side panels shape and support your foot. These socks are soo great.
Now.... get out there and go. And thank you so much for the emails/messages you've sent me about your progress. It is so motivating for me to hear that someone caught running fever by reading this blog. I am so in love with the sport and it warms my heart that anyone could possibly be motivated by my ramblings.
One of the most important things you can do for yourself if you want to be a runner is get yourself the right equipment. You NEED a pair of shoes that work for your feet. The first 3 or 4 marathons I ran, I was running in Nike running shoes. I couldn't figure out why I was icing my knees constantly and had pain at the bottoms of my feet. My Uncle Ron (an avid Marathoner himself) recommended Asics, so I headed to the local running store to check them out. This is one of the best pieces of advice I'll give you.... GO TO A RUNNING STORE for your shoes. Don't go to the mall, or to Dick's, or Footlocker. Go to a speciality running store where they'll (for free) study your feet and your form and fit you for the RIGHT shoe. Some brands that I've found good are Asics, Brooks, and Saucony. I will ONLY wear Asics however. Here are my babies that I'm wearing now:
They weren't cheap (reg 190 but I think I got them for 130 with a marathon discount). but they feel like HEAVEN. Specialty running stores will measure and study your feet, fit you in different brands, and even watch you run to figure out exactly what shoes you need. Make the investment. Trust me, it's worth it.
Second.... invest in a good pair of running shorts, running tights, and Under Armour. That way you have no excuse-- it's too cold, it's too hot, etc. My fav running shorts:
I literally own these in every single color. They're soo comfortable. they wick away moisture and they even have built in underwear (that don't ride up your butt). If it's cold I throw on a pair of running tights under them. One thing I wouldn't recommend for the serious runner is substituting yoga pants for shorts/tights or specialty running pants. Yoga pants are made specifically for yoga and don't tend to have the breathability of running tights/pants/shorts. You end up shortening your stride and slowing yourself down. My running coach taught me this a few years ago and it's made a world of difference for me since I focus a lot on speed and extreme long distance.
Finally, get yourself some good running socks. You need something that is gonna cushion your foot and let them breathe. These are my absolute favs. Notice how there is a left and right sock. These guys are so awesome that they realize your left foot is shaped different than your right foot- thus your sock should also be. The dry fit wicks away moisture and those side panels shape and support your foot. These socks are soo great.Now.... get out there and go. And thank you so much for the emails/messages you've sent me about your progress. It is so motivating for me to hear that someone caught running fever by reading this blog. I am so in love with the sport and it warms my heart that anyone could possibly be motivated by my ramblings.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Why I lived on juice for 3 days (& will do it again)
Let me start this off by saying, I didn't do this to lose weight. I'm really not a fan of fad dieting. I'm actually quite opinionated about that actually....this carb free, gluten free, HCG crap is so ridiculous. I'm sorry, people, you can't live the rest of your life without a piece of birthday cake, a sandwich, a cookie. please. So what happens is you lose some weight on a crazy diet, you eventually break, you gain everything back + more. I've maintained my weight over the last decade by one method--- run, eat healthy, run some more. There's times when I may knock off a few cals here and there, cut out the sweets for a bit to get in shape for a vacay or event....and trust me, now that my wedding is in viewing distance, you better believe I'll be back on my veggie burgers and salad full time (a girl's gotta look good in her wedding dress). I digress....
I started reading about juice cleanses a few months ago in my Runner's World magazine. Apparently, it's supposed to keep a runner's stomach a little more steady. Did you know that runners have naturally uneasy stomachs and problems keeping things moving? I found this out years ago when I couldn't figure out why I had a constant stomachache. Juicing is also supposed to help with energy, stamina, sore muscles, speed, and shin splints. It's a great way to clear up constipation and kick start a diet. Lately I'd had some problems with shin splints due to training on lots of different surfaces (sidewalk, road, treadmill, trail) and instead of rest and bananas like the normal person, I decided to do a juice cleanse. Also, I've been stressed since I lost my g-ma a few weeks ago to cancer, and this didn't help my stomach problems. I researched my butt off and finally found a cleanse that seemed to fit-- Juice Rx out of Chicago-- they deliver to your house, it's 3 days (the max I wanted to do) and I had a group-on. One morning while icing my shins after an 8-miler, I picked up my macbook pro, my debit card, and went for it. Here we go.
Day 1: Woke up at 4 a.m. Didn't look at the clock, just happily raced to the fridge to grab my first juice. I couldn't wait to try it (plus I had a late run the night before and was hungry at 4 a.m.) First up-- spicy lemonade. I can't lie...I was disappointed. Something about the cayenne in the lemonade just didn't sit well with me. I was a little nervous. After all, I'm not gonna drink something I hate for 3 days, not worth it. Luckily, the next 5 juices of the day were YUMMY. Even the green juice at dinnertime and especially the strawberries & cream cashew milk. That one tastes like a milkshake. More importantly, I was FULL all day and felt good-- energetic and my mind felt sharp. The only thing I missed was actually putting something in my mouth to actually chew. Kinda just weird to break that habit the first day. Skipped my run on day 1 since I read that you should cut back a little cardio when doing the cleanse. Slept great night #1.
Day 2: Woke up feeling energetic. Muscles felt loose, even my shins, which usually tend to be a little sore. Run went great. A little hungry after the run but fulfilled after the juice and forced myself to drink a little more water to keep full. I felt FOCUSED, which is awesome considering I'm a night nurse and half the time my brain is mush on my days working/off.
Day 3: Almost done! NO HUNGER at all first thing in the morning. my stomach felt better than it had in months. Skipped the spicy lemonade day 3 because I figured I'd rather be a little hungry than have to choke that one down again. However, around lunchtime even though I'd had my citrus juice by then, I felt hungry. I honestly think it was the missed breakfast juice- so I'd recommend drinking every single juice if you're gonna do the cleanse. They work together and if you miss one, it's like missing a piece to the puzzle and it just doesn't work as well.
Weighed myself before and after the cleanse and lost 5 lbs (all water weight plus clean intestines and I was just curious as to how much it would fluid shift). Energy level was great....mind/body focus awesome. Felt lighter and brighter was how I'd describe it. I will totally do another one, probably as soon as I can get my hands on another groupon (these cleanses aren't cheap). Worth it!
Cheers! http://www.juicerxcleanse.com/
I started reading about juice cleanses a few months ago in my Runner's World magazine. Apparently, it's supposed to keep a runner's stomach a little more steady. Did you know that runners have naturally uneasy stomachs and problems keeping things moving? I found this out years ago when I couldn't figure out why I had a constant stomachache. Juicing is also supposed to help with energy, stamina, sore muscles, speed, and shin splints. It's a great way to clear up constipation and kick start a diet. Lately I'd had some problems with shin splints due to training on lots of different surfaces (sidewalk, road, treadmill, trail) and instead of rest and bananas like the normal person, I decided to do a juice cleanse. Also, I've been stressed since I lost my g-ma a few weeks ago to cancer, and this didn't help my stomach problems. I researched my butt off and finally found a cleanse that seemed to fit-- Juice Rx out of Chicago-- they deliver to your house, it's 3 days (the max I wanted to do) and I had a group-on. One morning while icing my shins after an 8-miler, I picked up my macbook pro, my debit card, and went for it. Here we go.
Day 1: Woke up at 4 a.m. Didn't look at the clock, just happily raced to the fridge to grab my first juice. I couldn't wait to try it (plus I had a late run the night before and was hungry at 4 a.m.) First up-- spicy lemonade. I can't lie...I was disappointed. Something about the cayenne in the lemonade just didn't sit well with me. I was a little nervous. After all, I'm not gonna drink something I hate for 3 days, not worth it. Luckily, the next 5 juices of the day were YUMMY. Even the green juice at dinnertime and especially the strawberries & cream cashew milk. That one tastes like a milkshake. More importantly, I was FULL all day and felt good-- energetic and my mind felt sharp. The only thing I missed was actually putting something in my mouth to actually chew. Kinda just weird to break that habit the first day. Skipped my run on day 1 since I read that you should cut back a little cardio when doing the cleanse. Slept great night #1.
Day 2: Woke up feeling energetic. Muscles felt loose, even my shins, which usually tend to be a little sore. Run went great. A little hungry after the run but fulfilled after the juice and forced myself to drink a little more water to keep full. I felt FOCUSED, which is awesome considering I'm a night nurse and half the time my brain is mush on my days working/off.
Day 3: Almost done! NO HUNGER at all first thing in the morning. my stomach felt better than it had in months. Skipped the spicy lemonade day 3 because I figured I'd rather be a little hungry than have to choke that one down again. However, around lunchtime even though I'd had my citrus juice by then, I felt hungry. I honestly think it was the missed breakfast juice- so I'd recommend drinking every single juice if you're gonna do the cleanse. They work together and if you miss one, it's like missing a piece to the puzzle and it just doesn't work as well.
Weighed myself before and after the cleanse and lost 5 lbs (all water weight plus clean intestines and I was just curious as to how much it would fluid shift). Energy level was great....mind/body focus awesome. Felt lighter and brighter was how I'd describe it. I will totally do another one, probably as soon as I can get my hands on another groupon (these cleanses aren't cheap). Worth it!
Cheers! http://www.juicerxcleanse.com/
A Runner's Tale.
Alright I've been meaning to write this post for awhile....many, many people have been asking me the same question.... "How do I start running?"
Let me just be completely honest with you. It sucks..........
to start. Once you are into it, it will become such a part of you that you won't be able to stop. Then just when your love/hate relationship is really starting to get the best of you, you'll join your first organized race. During said race, you'll fight with yourself the whole time, you'll curse yourself for your stupidity (why did I sign up for this????) and then when it's over....your obsession will only worsen. That high that you'll get from finishing that race, that "hurt so good" pain in your hips and legs, heck, that fake gold medal they'll put around your neck.... it will take you over, and you'll be proud to be the craziest of all crazies....."the RUNNER!"
Marathoning is another story.....another 40 or so blog posts that I've yet to write about. That's for the craziest of runners....aka...MOI. I digress.
Alright, so you want to run? Really?? Alright. First thing you have to do. RUN. That's it. It's simple. Trust me, getting out the door and actually starting is going to be the worst part. It's gonna hurt like hell those first few runs, but soon your trots will lengthen and pretty soon, you're gonna be like me, and your day won't be complete without getting your Asics on and hitting the pavement (or treadmill). Running is the BEST workout in the world. I've done a million different workouts, worked with trainers, suffered through the hell of P90x, but the best shape I've ever been in is always a result of cutting out the elliptical, the spinning class, the weights, and just lengthening my runs. If you have never been a runner, or don't work out for that matter.....the best way to start is a walk/run method. Basically you alternate running and walking, gradually speeding up and lengthening the "running" portion until you are solely running and cutting out the running altogether. Here is a great program to start with: (I've had friends with great success using this program).
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-520--9397-0,00.html (copy and paste into your browser or google runner's world walk to run program).
Not gonna lie, it's not easy. But it's addicting. Stick it out for 9 days and you'll develop a habit (maybe even sooner if you're already athletic). Get a partner if it makes it easier for you to get out the door. I don't partner, however. I'm pretty decent at challenging myself and competing against my own times. I got a running coach 2 years ago and cut 2 minutes off my time per mile. On average for short runs 5-8 miles, I'm at around a 7 to 7.2 min mile pace. I was at a 9 min mile pace before I was coached. So needless to say, a trainer is always helpful, if you can afford it. If not, go to Runner's World.com and read the stories of fellow runners-- it will be motivating enough. Also-- get some GOOD music on your iPod. Everytime I dose up on new music, I have an AMAZING week of runs. My suggestion for this week is Goodie Mob ft. Cee Lo "Fight to Win"..soo motivating. I ran 8 miles in just under 50 minutes yesterday after downloading that one (a little over 6 min/mile). Vision Quest soundtrack is also awesome. don't forget to throw some Rocky in there and a few good gangster rap songs. I'm also obsessed with 80s music but I realize not everyone will be motivated by Genesis.
Alright..... GO!! (let me know how it goes, I love to hear stories, it motivates me).
Let me just be completely honest with you. It sucks..........
to start. Once you are into it, it will become such a part of you that you won't be able to stop. Then just when your love/hate relationship is really starting to get the best of you, you'll join your first organized race. During said race, you'll fight with yourself the whole time, you'll curse yourself for your stupidity (why did I sign up for this????) and then when it's over....your obsession will only worsen. That high that you'll get from finishing that race, that "hurt so good" pain in your hips and legs, heck, that fake gold medal they'll put around your neck.... it will take you over, and you'll be proud to be the craziest of all crazies....."the RUNNER!"
Marathoning is another story.....another 40 or so blog posts that I've yet to write about. That's for the craziest of runners....aka...MOI. I digress.
Alright, so you want to run? Really?? Alright. First thing you have to do. RUN. That's it. It's simple. Trust me, getting out the door and actually starting is going to be the worst part. It's gonna hurt like hell those first few runs, but soon your trots will lengthen and pretty soon, you're gonna be like me, and your day won't be complete without getting your Asics on and hitting the pavement (or treadmill). Running is the BEST workout in the world. I've done a million different workouts, worked with trainers, suffered through the hell of P90x, but the best shape I've ever been in is always a result of cutting out the elliptical, the spinning class, the weights, and just lengthening my runs. If you have never been a runner, or don't work out for that matter.....the best way to start is a walk/run method. Basically you alternate running and walking, gradually speeding up and lengthening the "running" portion until you are solely running and cutting out the running altogether. Here is a great program to start with: (I've had friends with great success using this program).
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-520--9397-0,00.html (copy and paste into your browser or google runner's world walk to run program).
Not gonna lie, it's not easy. But it's addicting. Stick it out for 9 days and you'll develop a habit (maybe even sooner if you're already athletic). Get a partner if it makes it easier for you to get out the door. I don't partner, however. I'm pretty decent at challenging myself and competing against my own times. I got a running coach 2 years ago and cut 2 minutes off my time per mile. On average for short runs 5-8 miles, I'm at around a 7 to 7.2 min mile pace. I was at a 9 min mile pace before I was coached. So needless to say, a trainer is always helpful, if you can afford it. If not, go to Runner's World.com and read the stories of fellow runners-- it will be motivating enough. Also-- get some GOOD music on your iPod. Everytime I dose up on new music, I have an AMAZING week of runs. My suggestion for this week is Goodie Mob ft. Cee Lo "Fight to Win"..soo motivating. I ran 8 miles in just under 50 minutes yesterday after downloading that one (a little over 6 min/mile). Vision Quest soundtrack is also awesome. don't forget to throw some Rocky in there and a few good gangster rap songs. I'm also obsessed with 80s music but I realize not everyone will be motivated by Genesis.
Alright..... GO!! (let me know how it goes, I love to hear stories, it motivates me).
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Take me away.....
I soo want to be here! Lately I've had 2 things on my mind.... the wedding....and SAILING. I have NO idea why. It actually all started with this picture. I saw it on pinterest and instantly felt myself transported into the image and had to go there! I would die to take a few months off everything, grab my fiancé, a bikini, some Sperry's and sunscreen and get on a sailboat to nowhere. We could catch our dinner, count stars, read books at night with the stars as a nightlight of course. Instead......
We're planning a wedding, we're working crazy hours, trying to see each other as often as possible despite the distance, and anxious figuring out what our next plan is. J's next job is still to be decided.... we've talked about moving downtown and that would really be fun-- or who knows? maybe we'll end up on the East or West coast (Maine or Cali are my dreams right now)... I want to be by the water right now for some reason. I'm sure I'll grow out of it soon and feel a little more content in the midwest and I love being close to our families, but I certainly wouldn't be opposed to being a "Nor'easter" as I told J the other day. (Keep in mind, this is totally something that's captivated my mind in recent months....prior to this, I've always wanted to stay right here in the Chicago burbs).. But right now, I feel totally antsy where I am. Please pray that we'll have an answer on J's job and the next chapter of our lives soon. I know that God is good, and He's gonna put us where we're supposed to be....but I've never been good at not knowing.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
updates.
Sorry! Haven't posted in awhile. Frankly, I've thought about it but just haven't had a lot to say. In a nutshell, I'm working nights, living in the burbs, Jon is still contracted at NBC in Decatur for the next few months and is looking for a new job up here or a career change. We're still doing this crazy long-distance thing.....which has tested this relationship more than anything EVER has, in 10 years. It is HARD. but I have to say...my visits with my future Hubs are so amazing and wonderful. When we're comfortable and married, I think I'll miss those visits when we held on to each other like 16 year olds, afraid that if we let go, we'd lose each other forever. I fall in love with my handsome fiancé over and over again during every visit. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. It sure as hell does. It also makes arguments a little more explosive, let me tell you. Distance is not for the faint of heart. And the distance means nothing when someone means everything.
Moving on.... started a bible study a few weeks ago with my sweet, funny friend Jaci whom I met at work. I knew the instant I met her that we'd connect, and during our first coffee/study, we totally clicked and figured out that many of our trials, happys, funnys, frustrations, loves, all kinda matched up. I think we'll be lifelong friends. The first book we're studying is about Joy (choosing joy by choosing God). It's a little light to be honest, but it sparks some good conversations and we plan on delving into something a little deeper once we get our studies going strong and regular. My favorite part of our last study was telling each other our deepest secrets--- what we were worried about and what we needed PRAYER for. We vowed to pray for the other throughout the next week until we met again (which is tomorrow for lunch in the Nordstroms' Cafe---YUM). I look forward to growing in our friendship, as sisters in Christ, and closer to our God.
Finally, workout central. Getting a little antsy after 6 months of treadmill running. We're starting to see little glimpses of spring here and there and I CANNOT WAIT to get out there and get some of these double digit runs done on the pavement. I've also upped my workouts to 6-7 days a week instead of 5-6 and I'm definitely seeing a difference. This will only increase as the wedding gets closer. I foresee some 2-a-days in the near future.
Alright have a great weekend ya'll! hope you're enjoying the snow/rain at home this weekend and not at work like me!
xoxo
A.
Moving on.... started a bible study a few weeks ago with my sweet, funny friend Jaci whom I met at work. I knew the instant I met her that we'd connect, and during our first coffee/study, we totally clicked and figured out that many of our trials, happys, funnys, frustrations, loves, all kinda matched up. I think we'll be lifelong friends. The first book we're studying is about Joy (choosing joy by choosing God). It's a little light to be honest, but it sparks some good conversations and we plan on delving into something a little deeper once we get our studies going strong and regular. My favorite part of our last study was telling each other our deepest secrets--- what we were worried about and what we needed PRAYER for. We vowed to pray for the other throughout the next week until we met again (which is tomorrow for lunch in the Nordstroms' Cafe---YUM). I look forward to growing in our friendship, as sisters in Christ, and closer to our God.
Finally, workout central. Getting a little antsy after 6 months of treadmill running. We're starting to see little glimpses of spring here and there and I CANNOT WAIT to get out there and get some of these double digit runs done on the pavement. I've also upped my workouts to 6-7 days a week instead of 5-6 and I'm definitely seeing a difference. This will only increase as the wedding gets closer. I foresee some 2-a-days in the near future.
Alright have a great weekend ya'll! hope you're enjoying the snow/rain at home this weekend and not at work like me!
xoxo
A.
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