Why I Do What I Do

Do you ever get really hyped up for a diet, everything is going really well for about, oh I don't know, a day, and then you just lose steam?  Of course you do!  We're women...we've all been there.  Well, I am there right now.  Some days I am super motivated.  Take me to a cook out, I'll find the fruit.  Out to eat, no problem...grilled chicken!  But then some random day at home?  Now I feel the need to eat everything in the house.  Why?  No idea.

On my motivated days, I sometimes sit and think about all of the reasons why I want to lose weight and goals I want to set for myself along the way.  Today, I thought I'd share those with you....and ask for additions....so maybe we can all look back on this list during the tough times and remember why we are doing this in the first place and what we want to accomplish!

Why I'm doing this:

• Health.
• I want to live a long, happy, and active life with my husband and future children.
  
• Babies.
• I've read that pregnancies and labor are easier on women who are fit and healthy.  And if there's anything I can do to make labor easier, I am sure as heck going to try!
  
• Peace of  mind.
• I lost a lot of weight before my wedding and I vowed to myself I would never, ever see a 2 at the beginning of my weight again.  There...I said it.  I was in the dreaded 2's.  But I'm not anymore...and I would really love to be down low enough that even when I get pregnant, I won't have to see that number again.

Goals:

• Buy single digit jeans
  
• Run a 5K (or at least 30 minutes on the treadmill!  No walking!)
• Stop judging myself when I look in the mirror
• Be able to watch The Biggest Loser and not think, "I need to go on that show."
  
• Wear tank tops and not think my arms look fat
  
• Be able to do Downward Facing Dog in Yoga class the whole time instead of stopping to rest
• Look smoking hot when my BFF gets married possibly next summer
• Beat said BFF in our fitness contest so she has to buy ME a drink at our annual Christmas dinner and not the other way around
  

Let's remember why we are doing this..and keep our motivation alive!

Why are you trying to lose weight??  Any goals you want to share?  Tell me!  Let's help each other!

A Match Made in Heaven!

Ah, workplace romances.  We've got one in the works right here at mysterious aerospace company.  I'm privy to such gossip vital work information from a co-worker who, while not directly involved, is a reliable source.

Meet the players...T (the woman), L (the man shamelessly chasing T), and C (a friend of L's who whilst helping him try to get the girl...is actually after her himself!)

Complicated.  I know.  Drama within itself, right?  But wait.  It gets better.  My favorite part of the story.

C has given the lovely T actual notes from L.  Like fifth grade, do you like me check yes or no, notes.  Yeah.

So care to take a gander at the ages of these players??  18?  22?  Even 25?  Nope.





38.

I'm not kidding.  And the best part.

T is married!  With two children.  What?

And the super cool L who will stop at nothing to win this woman's attention?  Lives with his mother, drives her van, and is paying child support for who knows how many children...all whilst paying for T's breakfast and lunch several times a week...and splurging on flowers for her birthday.


I have several concerns with this situation.
1.  Why is L hitting on someone who is married in the first place?  Don't people even care about this anymore?
2.  Why is T allowing this to continue when she is a married woman?  Well probably for the free food...
3.  Does she think it's endearing when a 30 something year old man sends his friend to tell her that he likes her?
4.  And if so...um, why?
5.  And notes?  Really?



Yeah, there is absolutely nothing that could go wrong with this situation.  Match made in Heave if you ask me.  But I would suggest trading in the van for something a little more subtle...perhaps a station wagon??  You know, those ones with the back seats that face the other way?  My best friend in elementary school used to have one of those...I was SO jealous!  That would surely push you over the edge L!

Mouse Trap on a Saturday Night!

A weekend recap of the most boring and relaxing weekend ever.  I apologize in advance.

Saturday:
Matt and I woke up early to run some errands, hit up Chick-fil-a for breakfast (yum!), and then came home to settle in for the day.  After college football overload, I watched 3 hours of Sopranos whilst Matt played video games...and then we made the yummiest pizza ever!!  You seriously have to try this...Garlic Chicken Pizza.  We used pizza sauce instead of tomatoes and omitted the mushrooms.  To.die.for!  And coming from me, on a pizza that is not your standard pepperoni and sausage...this is huge!  The yumminess did help a little after Purdue's heartbreaking loss to Notre Dame...but only a little.  So close, my friends, so close.

And then to make sure I didn't eat the whole pizza, I made Matt distract me by playing board games.  Yes.  I know.  Lame.  But so fun!  I had gotten Matt Mouse Trap for Christmas one year and it was still in the packaging.  We ripped that sucker open and it was pretty fun!  Plus, I won...so score!  Then we gave each other questions from The Newlywed Game and answered some Friends trivia.  It was a super fun night...and not only because I won both those games as well :)

Sunday:
Due to my romping good time the night before with games galore, I slept until 10 am!  Gosh, I cannot remember the last time I did that.  It was, well, wonderful :)  We ended up meeting some friends for lunch to watch the first round of football games and it was super fun!  My Bears won...my pick for the week, the Eagles, won, the Browns lost...all was right with the world :)  Finishing up the day with the Colts and Mexican Chicken Casserole was perfection.


So ladies...how was your weekend!?!  Did your football teams do you right??  Did you eat yummy food or enjoy fabulous friend??  Spill!

Thursday Nights

My usual fall routine for Thursday nights is to watch The Office with Matt...a little bit of Grey's on the DVR...and either finish it in the morning or later the following day. Well, this got a little screwed up last night seeing as Grey's was on for 2 hours. Can I just say I despise 2 hour shows. Anyone with me on this? Er.

So I decided that since I didn't want to be out of the loop completely about the season premiere, I must skip my usual routine and head into the bedroom all by my lonesome and watch Grey's. These are a couple of things I learned last night:

• I hate watching live TV. There are so many commercials! And they last so long that when the show comes back I don't even remember what is going on. I miss my DVR.

• Staying up until 11 during the week is not smart. I am so tired today it is ridiculous! Who knew one hour could make that much of a difference?

• I spent about 1 hour talking/sitting next to my husband all day yesterday and I don't like it one bit.

• I now remember why I didn't like Grey's for about 2/3's of the season last year. I'm honestly kind of bored. I thought the first 2 to 3 seasons of Grey's were amazing...but the rest have left me disappointed. Sure, there are always those one or two episodes a season that are fantastic...and that is why I continue to watch. I watch for the hope of something better...oh...and to be "in" on the conversation at work :)

So next week, Grey's, it's back to the DVR with you! You will interrupt my sleep no longer...and if that means waiting a few more hours to find out what happened...well that's just fine with me.


It's Friday people!! Enjoy your weekend!

XOXO

I Love...

Things I am loving right now:

Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers...current favorite: Cajun Style Chicken and Shrimp (well to be honest, it's my current favorite because it's the only one I've tried...but still). You get quite a lot of food and it's only 5 points!

source

I just started The Couch-to-5K running plan yesterday. My running has been, well, sucking lately, and I needed a serious change. I'm excited to get back to being able to run more than a half a mile without sucking for air!


Also, when I just went to stretch, my abs hurt from yesterday's workout! I love that. Makes me feel like what I did was worth it.


We have no plans this weekend! For three weeks we have either been out of town or had people over so I am looking forward to the break.


I also just have to say that I completely heart my blog friends. Y'all are freaking fabulous. Seriously...I'm talking about you. I'd like to give a special shout out to my girls Shaina and Lucy for listening to my daily craziness and being there when I need to talk. Big puffy pink hearts all around.


It's almost time for my first break...and morning snack! This includes: Fiber One granola bar and Weight Watchers yogurt mixed with fresh blueberries...total yum! If you haven't tried the oats and chocolate bars, you are seriously missing out. Love them!

source

Speaking of break, I'd better get going! My tummy is calling me :)

XOXO

Anniversary Recap & Cake!

To celebrate our anniversary, Matt and I went to Stonewall Resort in West Virginia last weekend. The place was simply gorgeous, filled with nature and fun activities. I won't mention the sign we saw a few miles up the road advertising Hillbilly Haven campgrounds or the Hillbilly Souvenirs being sold at the Marathon station. No, I'll just forget those things even existed.

We got in late afternoon on Saturday. We scoped out some of the highlights of the resort and then decided to have an early dinner at a sports bar. After our yummy pizza, we played some pool! It had been years since I had played...and it showed. I was awful!

Sunday morning after hitting up the breakfast buffet, Matt and I headed out to do some hiking. Now I am not usually a very active girl on vacation. On a vacay of my choice you would likely find me on the beach...only moving to switch positions or eat. But, as you may expect, this is not something Matt finds too thrilling. So hiking I went...

Well, after I laid in bed for a little longer :)

And I'm so glad I did! We saw deer, tons of them, in their natural habitat!! It was seriously the neatest thing on the planet. I think I could've stood there and watched them forever.

On the way back, we found the deer again...in what we assumed to be there home! Can you see her little head peaking up in the middle of the picture?? They were all just laying around relaxing. It was too cool!

We also spotted a turtle on our trail! How unexpected!?! He was so far away from the water! I wonder how long it took him to get there??

Since we took a shuttle to the trail...we had to hike our butts all the way back to the lodge. Would've been nice to know about that Mr. Guest Services man.

P.S. You suck.

But we did catch some good views on the way back.

We spent the entire rest of the afternoon at the pool. Can I just tell you my husband is a fish! I couldn't get him out of the water! It was really nice to see him having such a good time :)

Later we grabbed some lunch at the golf course on the resort grounds. It offered spectacular views!

A view of the restaurant from the lodge


The Lodge


Best. Rocking. Chairs. Ever.

Sunday evening ended with a nice dinner and more frolicking in the pool. Perfect.



Now Tuesday evening was our actual anniversary. We celebrated with a fantastic dinner Matt chose of sweet corn and crab soup as well as peppered beef tenderloin. Yum! And I provided the dessert! Oreo cake with Oreo buttercream!! Sweet goodness...


Thank you to everyone for all of the beautiful anniversary wishes!! They seriously made my day :) Here's to many, many more!

Dear Hubby,

My Husband,

Today, as we celebrate our 2nd anniversary as husband and wife, I want you to know more than anything that I love you. These are such simple words with such big meaning. Although I say these words to you daily (hourly?!) I truly mean them with all of my heart. I think I say them so often because I find myself literally bursting in your presence to tell you. It's like I physically can't hold in my feelings when you're around...and I won't even try. A person should always know when they are loved, and I am taking it upon myself to make sure that you always do.

You have given me more love over the years than I deserve, and I thank God everyday for sending you to me. He chose us for each other and it becomes more apparent everyday the reasons why. You knew you were the one for me before I did, and you stuck around during a time when it would have been so easy not to. But you were committed, present, and we were in love. We're still in love...and always will be.

It's hard for me to imagine anyone else having a love like ours. Who am I to know, but to be completely blissful in your marriage on a daily basis, still have the feelings of butterflies when you walk through the door and smile at me, wanting to share every single moment with each other...well that just seems rare to me. I'm certainly not denying the fact we have our issues. Every couple does. But these issue do not and never will define us. How I got to be one of the lucky ones to experience our kind of love I will never know.

Two years ago today you made me happier than I ever thought I could be. I had no idea what it felt like to be loved by someone the way you love me. You possess an unconditional love, one that is trusting and compassionate, sensitive and kind. And with each passing day I pray that I am able to show you that kind of love in return.

So happy anniversary love. I am so looking forward to our evening together and I cannot wait to see you when you get home!

Yours,
Your Wife

Honeymoon!

For our honeymoon, Matt and I took a cruise! It was my first cruise and we had just the best time. I mean, give me free food 24 hours a day and I can pretty much make my own fun.

We set sail out of Ft. Lauderdale. Matt and I were unclear as to if we would be able to eat as soon as we got on the ship (answer=yes!) and we were starving so we had the taxi driver drop us off at a restaurant outside the port. He assured us we could easily walk to our ship from there...so he left us with all of our luggage for a week long cruise and off he went.

Well let me tell you, when Matt and I walked the many, many blocks on the busy, busy street to just get to the port...we knew we had a problem. We approached the man at the gate to the port and he said, "You're walking?" and looked at us like we were nuts. Well, in reality, we were. I have no idea how many miles we walked to get to our ship that day...but it was several. Can you picture us: two crazy in love honeymooners slowly dragging their luggage in the scorching Florida heat for what seemed like hours!?! Let's just say, I never thought I would be so happy to see this:


So for anyone considering take a cruise, always...always....always....take a cab.

So now we're standing in the enormously long line to check in. And then it happens. God shined upon us. I looked down at our tickets and noticed they said VIP. Then I saw a VIP line with no one in it. At first Matt didn't believe we were really VIP. I insisted on finding out and it turns out we were! Our sweaty, filthy, smelly grossness was able to skip literally hours of waiting in line and pass everyone. Thank you American Express Travel. I owe you my life.


Our first stop was Key West. I had been there in college so I was able to show Matt some of the sights.

Hemingway's House

Although Matt disagrees that this is actually the southernmost point in the continental United States (because technically Key West is an island) he got his picture anyway

We had some great times on the ship in between stops!

My honey!

Matt came in first place in a trivia contest! There were a ton of people participating and it was so awesome! He also won first place in a putting contest. He was on a roll! What did I do, you ask?


Yeah. And I made these!

Every night after dinner, these little guys were in our room! They were the cutest things and we just loved walking into our room to see what animal was next. We went to a class on the ship that taught you how to make them...and we even bought the how-to book. I dreamed about doing it for overnight guests in our home. Have I done that yet? Um, no. But I intend to!

Oh, and I bought this pashmina! See, I did things :)

Our 2nd stop was in the Caymen Islands. We did some jet skiing, sight seeing, and beach sitting. It was great...by far my favorite stop on the cruise.

I can't believe I posted this awful picture of myself...but just think of it as an action shot...ick.

I may or may not have accidentally ordered not one but two $10 drinks. Oops! Who knew??

Our last stop was Jamaica. The weather was a little dreary, but we spent the day walking up a waterfall and laying on our private beach.

Check out the crazy shoes we had to wear!

Part of where we climbed

We had such an amazing time on our honeymoon and I am bursting with excitement to take a week long trip with my hubby again. Oh a girl can dream! Maybe for our 50th??

A Night To Remember

Our reception was held at the same location directly following the ceremony. Here are some of my favorite photos from the evening:









Our favors were pink hard candies and chocolate golf balls wrapped in the organza bag. We also had custom made golf tees with our names and the date on them tied to the bag. By the way, if you want any of those tees, I still have hundreds.

The place cards at the table read, "A donation has been made in your name to the Human Fund." Totally hilarious Seinfeld reference that very few people understood...which made it even more priceless.

Papa's speech :)





Best Man's Speech (this is for you Cherry!)


Maid of Honor Speech


This picture cracks me up because it looks like we are attacking each other


First Dance


Father Daughter Dance


Mother Son Dance


Gramps! I adore this picture!


What's up Blue Eyed Bride? Thanks for coming!


This is little Paige. She loved my dress...or perhaps my boobs??





Jill's brother Eric was certainly the life of the party. My younger cousins were completely in love with him.

Our wedding night was spent at the Conrad in downtown Indianapolis. They left these yummy chocolate covered strawberries in our room. I was starving! Did anyone else not really eat at their wedding? I had one bite at dinner, was completely full (or nothing else could fit in me because my dress was so tight!), and then didn't have time to eat for the rest of the night.

And now, almost 2 years later, I am more in love with the man I married than I was even on this night. Thank y'all so much for indulging me with all of these wedding posts. It has been fantastic reliving the memories and sharing them all with you...my new friends!

Matt and I are going to be celebrating our anniversary this weekend with a special trip which I will fill you all in on when we get back. And I still have to do a post about the honeymoon!

Have a great weekend!!