Will Not Live In Fear

When the summer began, I had complete confidence that blogging would be a huge part of June, July and August...turns out, I'm pretty busy doing other things! Though fixing up the house, playing with my husband, enjoying time with friends, and working out are probably better uses of my time, I still miss writing! Hopefully I will find a balance in the coming weeks.

Now for the nitty-gritty.

About a month ago, I opened up about doctors appointment that rocked my confidence. I was told that my BMI calculated out to that of an obese person. After a short mental struggle, I made the conscious choice to move past the statement and continue on my fitness journey. I've been swimming a few days a week, lifting, hanging out with Erin Motz for my morning yoga, and generally moving forward.

Whoo-hoo for moving forward!

However, the "your fat/no I'm not" revelation was not the only concern to come of that appointment. For the last few months, my female system hasn't been working the way it should. In other words, Aunt Flow came to visit in February and has yet to make a full exit. While she may go on the occasional weekend getaway, she's never far from home. As a result, my doctor is switching me to a new pill. I was supposed to make the switch immediately after the appointment...one month ago...but I chickened out.

Around the same time last year, I made another BC switch, and that transition ended up triggering a tailspin in my life. I could no longer control my emotions. I was weepy. I was self conscious. I tried my best to put on a happy face, but I would crumble the moment I was alone. It was a dark time and a time I never want to revisit. Almost five months had passed before I realized what had initially sparked the depression, and by then my body had adjusted.

Needless to say, anxiety strikes my heart each time I think about what might happen after this new change.

Thankfully, after finally opening up, my husband and my closest friends are aware of what I went through. The situation is out there. I am out there. This time, I will not be bottled up in my head, wishing away the pain.  Instead, I will face anything that comes my way with strength...and backup :-)

Besides, all this anxiety may be for not! It is summertime! I am not in the process of moving to a new town, taking a new job, and missing my husband at the academy. Fear is the only thing in my way, and I cannot live a life based in fear. I am strong now, and I have found so much more value in myself over the last few months. Combine all of the above, and I have a compelling argument for a smooth transition.

I've got this. I make the switch this weekend.

Bring it on! I've got backup! 

My number one supporter and my partner till death do us part!

God had a plan for the two of us. Best friend and sister for life. 

Roommates.com brought this blessing to my life, and it hasn't been the same since. 

The Best Backup

The Best Backup

The Best Backup

The Best Backup 

The Best Backup

The Best Backup

The Best Backup

Shameless plug for Erin Motz's next challenge. She is amazing and is releasing another FREE 30 day challenge in August. The kicker is that she will only release it if there is enough support! If you have any curiosity about yoga, or already love it, go sign up here!

Maximize My Summer

School has been out for three weeks now, but I feel like yesterday was my first official day of summer. Why, you ask? Because yesterday was the first day I got into my "summer routine". The previous three weeks were filled with Myrtle Beach, working on the sunroom, and teaching a half day TAG camp.

Interjection: I am ridiculously excited for my new talented and gifted position! I haven't been this excited for my job since...well, probably my first year of teaching!

Back to my summer routine: a few summers ago, Ashlynn and I had a crazy idea that competing in triathlons would be fun. We found training schedules, kept tabs on each other, and completed two sprint triathlons.

That crazy idea turned out to be a blast. In all of my adult life, that was the happiest I have felt in my own skin. I would start each morning with a bike ride, followed by a mid day swim, and complete the day with a run/walk. I felt accomplished, and I loved my routine!

Well, guess what Ashlynn! My summer routine is back! Though it is geared a bit more toward my weight loss goals and less toward putting my body through a triathlon ringer. My new routine consists of yoga in the morning, a mid day swim, and weight lifting in the afternoon.

Would you like to know the best part? I did some research and found out that our wonderful little town has FREE adult lap swim time and FREE use of the high school weight room for teachers. Plus, I have a lifetime membership to My Yoga Pro, so my whole summer routine is costing me approximately zero dollars!

Cute butt, tight abs, and no dough spent? Sounds about perfect to me!

I LOVE SUMMER!

June Date: Part II

I wasn't so sure about Myrtle Beach on our first night, but by the end, I could not have been happier.  There is something incredible about laying in the sun, sipping wine, and reconnecting with your parter in life. I have alluded to it before, but the first year of our marriage was a tough one. Between all the firsts and the academy, we had lost our way. I had lost my way.

But this trip was the solidification of having our feet back on solid ground...or maybe back up in the lovebird clouds! During the first few years of our relationship we were annoyingly in love, and I'm happy to inform my friends that they should be prepared for the sappy couple to be back in action.

Happy 365 to Adam! Here are a few more shots from our trip, and our one year celebration!

One of my favorite days was spent playing ocean side mini golf and exploring Broadway at the Beach and Wonder Works. On hole 14 of golf, a sappy song came over the speakers and we danced. I felt like I was in some sort of romantic movie; on a rooftop, the ocean in the background, dancing with my husband. I don't think there is any better way to make me smile.

Wonder Works also had a very cool ropes course. They put a harness on us and let us explore tightropes, obstacles and more, all while 20-40 feet in the air! So fun!

Then there was the night of boardwalk fun. The people of Myrtle Beach are obsessed with ferris wheels! I counted four just in our neighborhood!

And of course, there was tons of fun in the sun! 

We got home a couple days ago, and today we celebrated our actual one year anniversary. So, after a week of celebration by the beach, what do you do on the real day? Snuggle on the couch with the top tier of your cake, a bottle of bubbles from the wedding, and Frozen on the TV! 

To many more years to come! 

June Date: Anniversary Trip

We made it! The first year of marriage is rough, but when I was writing the 12 dates for Christmas, I knew we would make it somehow.

June is our anniversary month, the month I am free from students, and the beginning of summer, so it was only fitting that our June date be a big one! It was so big that Adam opened his envelope a few weeks early.  Inside I placed a $200 Visa giftcard and the following note.

JUNE

Happy Anniversary my love! Can you believe it has already been one whole year? I am so blessed to get to call you the love of my life, my best friend, and my husband.

This month I want to spend a weekend ADVENTURE together, but lucky us, it is SUMMER so a weekend could be any day of the week! I didn’t fully prepay for this one, because I’m giving you a couple choices.

1) Run away with me to KC! We are going to the WWII museum, Worlds of Fun, and possibly a Pure Barre class for me…

2) We’re going to Adventureland! We can get a room, swim up bar, park during the day, Bass Pro Shop for you…

3) We can plan another vacation altogether!  I just want to get away and love on YOU!

I love watching him open these envelopes every month, but this one was especially wonderful.  For fear of ruining his Superman reputation, I'm not going to tell you how excited he was for our celebration trip or how thrilled I was when he swept me up in his arms and danced me around the kitchen...like I said, I don't want to ruin his rep...but it was pretty darn cute!

In true Christmas date fashion, we expanded upon the original plan. Shocking.  After much debate (and even booking and canceling a trip to Florida) we landed on a week in Myrtle Beach! Here are a few pictures from the week so far. Stay tuned for more to come!

#rhymeswithturtle

I Don't Check Bags

In my early 20's, I revived a deep passion of mine. A passion that was instilled when I was young, but didn't fully blossom until I was able to make my own decisions and take off...on a jet plane! I love traveling, and over the years I have become quite amazing in my packing skills.

It all started on a trip to New Zealand when I was 22. I like to say I lived there, but lets be honest, it was a trip. I was so excited to do my student teaching in a foreign country! Heck, I was just excited to have a passport! I packed and packed, and packed some more. After all, I was going to be there for three or four months. It was going to be the best trip of my life! The only problem was...one of my bags didn't show up until month three! Thankfully, I was able to live off the bag that did show up, and the amazing Target/Walmart/Pamida type store in Alexandra, my new home base.

But that was it for me. Never again have I checked a bag! I have been to several countries, including a month long Europe trip, and my trusty carryon is the only thing that comes along. When I tell people they look at me like I'm a nut, but for my life it is so much less stress.

The only pesky problem is not being able to bring a full bottle of sunscreen everywhere I go. (My mom would be so proud.)

So how do I go from this...

to this?  It is simple! As long as I follow a plan. 

It all starts with putting first things first. Every good packer must begin with a list. If you just start throwing things in your suitcase, you'll never have enough room to fit in that hair dryer you may have forgotten...because it wasn't on the list.  If you look closely on the right, you will notice Adam got ahold of my list and added a few amusing, but unnecessary items. He cracks me up.

Some people say that rolling your clothes is the best way to pack, but I completely disagree. You can get so many more outfits in there if you fold. The trick is HOW you fold. I fold clothes into long, skinny rectangles. This allows me to split my suitcase into two sections which means tons of clothes!

But, it is all about meticulous folding. For most items, I literally fold them into the case. I alternate the waistband of my pants to be on the left or right side because that is bulkiest part of the pant. If you don't alternate, you end up with one side full before the other.

Before and after of my swimsuits: even these bad boys get folded to save space! 

What is the best thing to do to survive carryon only? Bring a big purse! I put all of my liquids, Kindle, tickets, meds and anything else that just won't quite fit in the big hobo purse. It is the perfect solution. Plus, the strap is large enough to hook to the top of my suitcase, so I don't get tired from lugging it around. 

The end result may not be pretty, but it works for me. My trusty old carryon has served me well over the years. I really should write Santa a thank you note. 

Happy traveling! 

So, You're Fat: How One Doctors Appointment Can Rock You

If you know much about me, you know that I have been working on my fitness. I'm not where I want to be physically, and sometimes that gets me down.  But I also feel good about the path I'm taking to my goals. My husband's fitness focus keeps me on track, I have a new group of friends who keep me motivated, and my yogi BFF makes weekend workouts fun. Things are going well! They are going slowly, but progress is happening.

Weekend yoga on the patio with Ashlynn! 

Enter my yearly doctors appointment. If you're a woman, you know that the yearly appointment is not something you look forward to. It is like cleaning the bathroom; nobody wants to do it, but it has to be done. While at my appointment, I found out that my current medications may be having an adverse effect on my body. This translates to the super scientific method of, "Try this one, and we will see..then if it doesn't work, we will try another," until we figure out what medications will be best for my body. Gotta love process of elimination when you are the test subject!

To be honest, I trust my doctor completely in this department. I'm scared for the changes hormonally and physically, because I've had a hard time with them in the past, but I know it is a necessary part of staying healthy. Thank God for modern medicine!

Which brings me to the part of my appointment that caught me off guard. With all of the unnerving medication talk, when she told me I showed signs of obesity (yes, OBESITY), I had no idea how to react. I had no special tests done to show such a thing. I hopped on the scale, showed a number that was four pounds more than last year, had my blood pressure taken (passed with flying colors), and all of the sudden...I was fat.

I sure didn't see that ball coming in from left field!

How did those four pesky pounds take me from not a word about my weight, to a handout on body mass index, healthy eating, and regular exercise? I was told that I needed to loose 20 pounds to get to a healthy weight, when my goal has only been to loose 10.

Talk about a statement that can rock you. I had nothing to say. I just sat there with a shocked look on my face and complacently answered, "I'll work on it."

I'll work on it? Lady, I've been working on it!

I have now had 24 hours to process the information, and a decision has been made. I will not let it rock me any longer. I am not obese. I'm not perfect, but I'm not obese. I will not allow that thought to be in my head and taint my every move. I need to continue on my path, create reasonable summer goals, and love myself. In the last six months, I have worked very hard to remind myself that I am important and worthy. This will not rock my new found confidence.

Besides, I have the perfect body...it is just currently covered in a thin layer of fat :-)

#workhardbutloveyourself

May 28, 2014 - Captain America, not Captain Obese

May Date: Farmers' Market Fun

I say it every month, and I will continue to say it: the 12 dates for Christmas is the BEST! I love the tradition. I am in love with the tradition. I will be so sad when this year is over.

MAY

Beep, beep, beep. Get ready to wake up and get moving! We are on our way to the Farmer’s Market this month. Let’s people watch, drink yummy coffee, and maybe buy ourselves some treats!

* As a disclaimer, if you are still on nights (boo if you are), we can reschedule this date for some fun evening activity…

While Adam IS still on nights part of the time, it worked out that this Saturday event landed after a 2-10 shift. Winning! 

This month was planned as a simple Saturday day date. We were going to the Des Moines Farmer's Market, doing a little people watching, and drinking expensive coffee. It was going to be relaxing and just the two of us...but we switched it up a bit!

My friend, Amy, is celebrating her golden birthday this year, and her loving boyfriend wanted to surprise her with a friend day starting at the farmer's market. Even though it was supposed to be a date day, we decided to seize the chance to catch up with friends we haven't seen since our wedding.

Happy birthday, Amy! 

To add a little fun to the day, we rented bikes and rode round the East Village. We had so much fun! There is something about being on a bike with a basket that brings you immediately back to childhood! Adam was trying to pop wheelies, I was zooming along, and the sun was shining.

Adam on a basket bike mission!

Note to the reader, read the instructions on Bcycle carefully! I thought I was paying $6.00 for a 24 hour bike pass. However, that was just the charge for the day membership. It was an additional $2.50 for every hour. That adds up over a nine hour period! 

After the Village, we sat out on the porch at Hessen Haus, a great German pub downtown. A few people in our group had never done a boot before, so Das Booooot had to happen. Then we rode over to Exile Brewery and were on our way home for some comfy couch time by 10:00 pm.

Hessen Haus 

Toward the end of the evening, Adam commented on how wonderful the date had been. I loved hearing him say it, though I had a feeling he had enjoyed himself. Throughout the day, I kept catching him gazing at me with that goofy/handsome/loving grin he used to get when we first started dating. Being loved by that guy is the best feeling in the world.

Cheers from the sunny patio!

A successful May date!

Up next, our one year anniversary date! I've got something extra special up my sleeve for this...