Ouchie

Have you ever had one of those days where you wake up and you're like, "I'm gonna get stuff done today!"  But then you actually just sit around, watch Netflix, and stuff your face with junk food?

Yeah, usually that's me every Friday.

But today, I woke up saying, "I'm gonna do nothing all day!" and walked into the kitchen. Where the dishes were piled up in the sink, the counters were full of crumbs and junk mail, the cats were meowing for food, and there was an icky conglomerate of stenches emanating from the cats' litter box and the kitchen trash can.  Needless to say, I spent the next two hours cleaning.  With a bum foot.  I think I deserve an award.

Oh, by the way, I didn't tell you about my recent injury!  Last Saturday, I stopped by Moe's with two friends, Lyndsey and Dakota.  When we were leaving, I walked out the back door first and the alarm went off.  So I turned around to see if a Moe's employee was going to possibly come running after me with handcuffs (an extremely rational fear, I know), and a curb just came up out of nowhere...connecting with my left ankle.  I went down, hard.  And it hurt...just a little bit.  Okay, a lot a bit.

And...I guess that's all I got for today.  If you feel like sending me an award for my above accomplishments, I'll be at home all day. ;)  This is Christina...over and out!

PS: After I published this post, I realized it's my 100th!  Yay me :)

Busy Busy Bee

I just want to take a moment out of my day to share with you how busy my schedule is going to be this weekend and next week.

First of all, I'm going to Tampa tonight and tomorrow morning/afternoon to attend Living Proof Live with Beth Moore.  Well, I'm not going with Beth Moore of course, because we're not at that level of our friendship yet.  I'm going with my BEST FRIEND Hannah :)  And some other people. haha

Then, tomorrow night, I get to have to go grocery shopping, do laundry and clean the apartment.  Knowing my husband, I will probably need to do some deep cleaning of the cats' litter boxes at some point as well.

On Sunday, Tyler and I are attending LIFE CHURCH (seriously, I love that church so much) and spending some QT together the rest of the day, because I'm going to be out of town ALL WEEK next week for work :/

Monday morning, I get to have to wake up at 3:30 AM (just shoot me - maybe I shouldn't even go to sleep Sunday night) so that my boss can pick me up by 4:15 AM and we can get to the airport in time to make our 6:30 AM flight to Dallas, TX.

I'M FINALLY GOING TO TEXAS, Y'ALL!  I mean, I've been in the Dallas airport before, waiting for a connecting flight, and I've driven through Texas before on my way to New Mexico, but I've never actually been ALL UP IN Texas, if you know what I mean.  I'm seriously gonna be all up in Texas's grill.  It'll be great.

Tuesday - Thursday, I'll be attending workshops and seminars about investments, how to be a better administrative assistant, and marketing at the HD Vest Connect2015 Conference.  By Thursday night, I predict my brain will be the consistency of porridge.  Just wait.

Then, Friday, we're flying back to good ole Florida where I will probably face plant on my own bed in my own apartment, make my husband cook me dinner, and make sheet angels in my sheets (it's like making snow angels, but in a bed. Duh.)

Saturday morning is my friend, Ashley's, baby shower!  Yayyyyyy! Hopefully I will make time to get her a gift before the shower, and hopefully I will remember to go to the shower after the aforementioned week has turned my brain into mush.

So that's my week.  Jealous, anyone?

Oh, and at the conference in Dallas, I get to see President Bush & Eric Whitacre.  Guess which one I'm more excited about!

#ExerciseChallenge #Week1

Okay, so this was an incredibly busy week, but such is my life.  I really do try my best to go to bed early, wake up early, exercise, take a shower, make breakfast for me and the hubs, make lunch for me and the hubs, go to work for 10 hours, come home after tutoring, bible study, church, band practice, or whatever else I have going on after work, cook dinner, clean the kitchen (and whatever else needs to be cleaned), exercise again, do my bible study, spend time with husband, and go to bed early.

I really do try...but it ends up more like: sleep through the alarm, throw on clothes, throw leftovers or a random assortment of food in lunch boxes, toss Tyler some pop-tarts for breakfast, drink an Atkins shake, go to work for 10-1/2 hours, barely make it to tutoring, bible study, church, band practice (or whatever else), get home by MAYBE 8...eat a sandwich for dinner because I'm too tired to make anything, and who has time to clean?  Lay in bed shortly after and watch an episode of a tv show in order to "spend time" with my husband, then fall asleep because I'm so tired.

How is exercise supposed to fit in there anywhere?  Ugh, I hate it.

So, let's recap.  Pretty sure I gained weight this week.  I "exercised" a total of 1 hour this week, because I ran (read: walked somewhat briskly) the Lake Myrtle Trail.  With some friends.  :)

That means I'm already 1-1/2 hours behind my goal, and it's only the first week!  Who am I?  Grrrrr....

On a completely unrelated note, I could REALLY go for some Ben & Jerry's "The Tonight Dough" ice cream right about now...

Have a great week y'all!  Pray for me...I'm really gonna try and bump that 1 hour up this week!

No, I don't want to be a FCSB!

So whilst G-chatting with one of my most awesome friends, Jordan, today, I realized something.  Well, first, let me just post a bit of our convo to get you in the zone:

me: I'm trying to find a job and I just want to pull my hair out, scream, cry, and eat chocolate all the time.
Jordan: i know that's super hard
me: Yeah :/ And the whole eating chocolate thing doesn't do well with my wedding diet/exercise program. haha
Jordan: hahaha
yeah i've been working out 5 or 6 days a week
training for a 10k in a few weeks
and then i'm doing a triathlon in the fall with some coworkers
for me, it helped to have something to train for
instead of just having a general "i'm going to lose weight for the wedding" thing
because that was too easy for me to cheat with
like "oh, yes i will eat all of this bread because the wedding is still months away"
me: haha yes, the bread thing - totally me
Jordan: "i don't need to go running this morning, i've got so much time"
but with having an actual race coming up, i've gotta build up my stamina
and i've come a long way since the fall
i went from only being able to run like 5-10 minutes at a time to now being able to run for over an hour without stopping
me: And you're already so good-looking! Gahhh! I'm gonna be like a flesh-colored Shrek bride!
That's. awesome. You're awesome.
Jordan: FLESH COLORED SHREK BRIDE IS MY FAVORITE PHRASE OF 2014
i love you and you will look NOTHING like a FCSB
me: YASSSS! I'm so glad it's a thing now. With its own acronym and everything.
In fact, I'm going to write a blog post entitled FCSB and mention this very conversation. I may even copy and paste.

So, in conclusion, I don't want to be a FCSB.  I refuse.  My current goals are:

1. Find a dress.

2. Find a job.

3. Eat healthy.

4. Exercise er'day (or almost every day)...

5. Lose weight, look great - No FCSB here. 

Have a great day, everyone :)  

Bored Before Christmas

I think the reason I usually procrastinate so long before anything is that it builds the anticipation.  Also, if I'm super productive and get everything done ahead of time, all I have left to do is wait.  And wait.  And wait.  Which is no fun, because then I just get bored.  Like today.  I'm done with all my Christmas shopping, and I'm done with all my homework for my Master's degree.  So now what?  I'm bored, broke, and in debt.

Yeah, this is great.

I could exercise, but that's no fun to do alone, and I don't feel like getting all sore and sweaty.

I could write more in either of my two stories, but it's been so long since I've updated them, I've forgotten where I was going.

I could...well, that's about it.

So what am I doing instead?  Shopping on Amazon and Etsy, of course!  And spending more money I don't have.  Pfft.

I want to decorate a gingerbread house.  I want to write a song.  I want to have a guitar lesson.  Where are my artistic and musical peeps at?

Sorry if this was more like a drawn-out Facebook status than an actual blog post.  Here's some fun pictures to make it more interesting:

*Sigh* I need to go caroling.

SICK

Yes, I am sick.  As in, stuffy/runny nose, sore throat, entire body aching, wishing-I-was-in-bed sick.  Ugh.  But I came to work, because I'm a faithful employee (and part-time means if I don't come to work, I don't get paid).  Yet, all I want to do is go back to bed.

So, to take my mind off the fact that I'm not feeling too good, I want to praise God for the things He has done/is doing in my life.  Ready?  I thought so :)

First of all, I want to thank Him for my family!

Me with my nephew, Liam, and my niece, Bella, at Disney for my 25th birthday :)

Me, Mom, my brother-in-law (Matt), my nephew (Liam), my niece (Bella), my grandma, and my sister (Jessica) in New Mexico this past March.

Me, my two sisters (Jessica and Sara), my Mom, and my niece and nephew in church last year :)

My cousin, Jennifer, her daughter, Bailey, and I at our family reunion in Marietta, SC at the beginning of July 2013.

Next, I want to thank Him for my closest friends :)

Me, Hannah, and Amy :)

Me, Stephanie, and Amy :)

Dakota, Amy, and Me...I hang out with Amy a lot :P

And finally, I want to thank Him for Tyler :)

We take silly photos together :)

We hug a lot.  This is us, hugging.  Without hair.  Or clothes.  Or noses.

I am thankful for so many other things, but these are the people God has put in my life to bless me beyond measure.  Thank you, Lord! :)

Last Blog Post of 2012 (Most Likely)

Wow!  This year has flown by fast!  I can't believe I've only written 7 posts this whole year, and last year, I wrote almost 7 times that many!!

A lot has happened in my life this year.  Some notable events:
1) I am 30 pounds lighter than I was in January (yay!)
2) I now work as a receptionist at Faith Baptist Church on MWF, and I love it!
3) I work as a babysitter for 3 adorable children and their parents (well, obviously, I don't babysit the parents; just the kids).
4) I am approximately $2,500 more in debt than I was in January (But I have completed 4 more classes toward my Masters degree!)
5) This summer, I took an intensive toward my degree program at Liberty University, and it challenged my view on my expectations in life and in relationships.  Praise God for His conviction and teaching power!!
6) I joined a band!  It's a Christian Rock group called Boomarang Trip.  I love it!  (I wanna see!)
7) I've made a lot of friends this year, and gotten closer to some old ones as well!  Some names that come to mind: Stephanie Short, Tim Kittelstad, Amy Hiebert, Chase Riner, Luke Alcala, Elvis Le, Tyler Volpe, Beka Leonard, and Rachel Leonard.
8) My BEST FRIEND IN THE WHOLE WORLD, Hannah Osborne, is now Hannah Hancock, as of this past May.  Yesssssss :)
9) I have been writing music lately, and I'm in the process of learning guitar!
10) I got a NEW CAR!  No more Buick Century clunker!  I am now sporting a Chrysler Sebring!

Those are just a few things that I'm praising and thanking God for!  He is SO GOOD!

Pictures!

My last post was getting kinda long, so this post will just be pictures! Yay!

^Me and Lo at Alli and Trav's wedding in January =)

^Me and Alli!!!! "How beautiful the radiant bride...!"

^Me and Malia at my old roommate's, Mary's, wedding - also in January!

^Me and Mary =)))))

^A fun excursion Amy, Dakota, Hannah, and I took while in Clearwater. This is our band cover photo.

^This photo (as well as the next four) feature my trio, which includes me, Amy, and Dakota. In addition to taking great pictures together, we make great music together. You should check us out =)

^Me, Jessica, Sara, and my Mom - all at Faith Baptist Church. I love it when my church family and my biological family can merge like this!!!

^Me and Bella after her dance recital!

^All the family that was able to come to Bella's baptism! Included are Matt, Jessica, Matt's mom, Matt's stepdad, Aunt Judy, Sara, Paul, Mom, Bella, Liam, and me!

^This was the proudest I've been of Bella so far in her life. One day we will both be together in Heaven!! =)

^Beach day after Hannah's wedding. SO FUN!

^Me and Bella at her Kindergarten graduation program =)

As this next progression shows, crazy things happen when Amy and I get together...

First, the cake comes out...

Then, it somehow gets shoved in faces... ;)

And, you know, we like to keep our silly face-making fresh...

And so clean =)

As you can see, Dakota and I like to make faces as well.

...

...

...

But, let me assure you, we still know how to smile =)

But where would I be without my friend Hannah?....

"What made us friends in the long ago, when we first met? Well, I think I know..."

"...the best in me and the best in you hailed each other because they knew..."

"...that always and always since life began, our being friends was part of God's plan."

So once again I ask, where would I be? Thank God I will never have to find out =)

......................So thus my picture-sharing comes to an end. Thank you for visiting! Come back again soon now, ya hear?!