Another year, another recap post.

Didn’t we just do this?! Oh my…

January
Experimented with charcuterie and watched the Sooners with their bowl game

Got some snow

Met a friend for coffee

Took lots of walks

February
Bid NFL season adieu

Had a play date with Layla

Celebrated Valentine’s Day with his and hers giant Godiva boxes and actually confined myself to eating a single piece a day (#winning)

Started contemplating spring cleaning projects

Took a trip to Colorado to see my grandparents. Hugged them tightly

March

Lost my beautiful grandma, and was so thankful I got to spend time with her alive before she passed.

Had the better bracket (for once) and beat Will!

Got to see a cutie pie in SW Oklahoma

Went to St Louis for work

Did some yard work

Took the poor Littles to have major dental surgery

April
Went to the spring game!

Turned 34. Are lots of strawberry cake.

Started growing kale

Had dinner with my sister

May
Went to Boston for work

Met my sister downtown OKC for dinner (we really need to reinstitute that)

June
Tried to beat the heat!

Saw lots of movies

Spent some time with my favorite gal and watched some fireworks

July

Celebrated 5!

Celebrated the 4th

Celebrated three July birthdays!

Will started his new job!

Started getting amped for football season

August
Watched the eclipse!

Spent some time with Will’s family and grandparents

Got a foot detox (it was crazy, ya’ll!)

September
Kicked off OU season!! Enjoyed new seats, even if I was sweating my butt off the first few games. Haha

Went on a pizza date with Will after a hellacious work week

Celebrated GG

Had a freezer meal extravaganza day!

October
Lots of Football!!
Won some fun OU auction stuff
OU-Texas weekend!

GG was born!

Had a lovely girls night

Spent a day with my sis and the baby

November
Lots of football!
Got a pic with Roy Williams

Had a lovely girls night

Had breakfast with my blogger friend Marisa

After a year of trying to scheduled lunch, was finally able to connect with a former coworker for lunch at a fun ramen place in the Plaza District

Did some work in Will’s man cave

Celebrated Thanksgiving with Will’s family

December
More coffee, more friends

More football, and always sad for the last game!

Scored an Alexa at my Christmas work party

Volunteered at my church’s Christmas village

Had a nice dinner with my family

Went to Minneapolis! A place dear to our heart from back in the Kuwait days.

Did lots of shopping, ate at Perkins (and ate lots of muffins), saw a comedian, and drove to Green Bay for a night.

Caught a Packers-Vikings game in Green Bay (and froze).

Celebrated Christmas Eve with a nice dinner at Manny’s Steakhouse in downtown Minneapolis. Tried to get a selfie and failed.

Saw Star Wars on Christmas Day!

Went back to work 😩

Have had a pretty low key New Years Eve weekend, which isn’t too bad considering I’m buried in post-vacation laundry! Looking forward to the Rose Bowl on Monday.

Guys, it’s been a good year and I am full of gratitude.

The Lord is always good and always present. He was evident in so many particular ways in my life this year. When I consider 2017, I am full of gratitude for all He has done and is doing.

This year closes on a high note for our little family. That hasn’t always been the case. Adulthood has certainly taught me the ebbs and flows, ups and downs. Yet through it all, the Lord continues to guide us and provide.

As this year closes and another begins, I trust Him with whatever comes and look forward to what’s in store. His will be done. ❤️

It’s true.

If you’ve read for a long time you probably know fitness is a big part of my life.

A year ago, the thought of not regularly attending a gym would have caused immediate hyperventilation and hives.

You would’ve needed to break out the big guns to resuscitate me.

Like waving a big fat stack of pancakes or a frosted chocolate brownies under my nose.

...

Sorry.

Veering.

Back to quitting the gym.

I did it.

I quit the gym cold turkey.

Let me tell you why and what I’m doing to stay healthy.

Oh- and before I begin I should tell you I’m NOT selling you anything. I’m NOT in any way affiliated with what I’m using now or anything like that. I’m just a satisfied customer that has benefited from the content they provide.

Moving on-

For the last few years I’ve only be going to the gym once a week. .

The rest of the week, I’d do at-home workouts.

They varied between my own manifestations (Yes. Manifestations. 😂) or YouTube workouts.

Regardless, I found I was able to maintain my desired level of fitness using these tools.

Don’t get me wrong. I loved my gym days. It allowed me the opportunity to lift heavier weights, have access to a big mirror to make sure my form was on point, plus access to lots of equipment like benches, barbells machines, etc. I don’t have a home.

However, when I looked at my yearly investment against my yearly visit total, it wasn’t a good return.

Adding in another onsite session wasn’t going to work with my current schedule, so I had to give some serious thought about what was important to me.

I decided being healthy and staying fit was important to me.

Yes, I realize that sounds like a no brainer, but hear me out.

Would I love to be stronger, or be able to finally shoulder press 40 lbs, or master my squat?

Yes.

However, if I could achieve the same physique without it (though achieved differently) and have a workout regimen that fit my life right now, that’s what I decided was most important.

Around the time I was kicking around what to do with my membership, my blogger friend Erin invited people to give Beachbody on Demand a try.

I was able to do a free 14 day trial and joined a 7 day workout group with her and some of her friends and family.

I already knew about “BOD,” as they call it, and was very interested. I thought this was the perfect time to give it a shot!

I did, and there was no going back.

Long story short, my free trial was enough to convince me I was ok relinquishing my gym membership.

The one I hardly attended anyway.

So yeah! I broke-up with the gym and am saving about $450 a year because of it!

I wanted to share all this because we’re nearing the end of the year and people will soon begin thinking about possible 2018 health goals. BOD is a fantastic gift to give someone or yourself this year for so many, many reasons!

Now that I’ve been using BOD for 6 months I definitely feel like I can share some pros and cons of it versus a gym membership. I thought it might be helpful for others interested in doing the same thing!

Cons of BOD

1. You definitely need to have a decent internet connection.

You stream the workouts, so if your internet stinks, you’ll probably lose your mind.

2. If you’re a social butterfly, you might miss the human interaction a gym membership offers.

3. While this isn’t necessarily a “must” depending on which workouts you choose, you’re most likely going to have some upfront costs getting your workout space setup.

I had to buy some extra dumbbells. While I’d love to add to my “home gym” (read: my living room), it just isn’t really realistic in our current space. Therefore, I make what I have work.

4. Speaking of space- you’re going to need it.
I’ve found a small little area does the trick, so while this is listed as a “con,” I’d be hard pressed to find someone that doesn’t have a tiny square in their living room that would work.

5. Instruction
That’s definitely one element BOD lacks. Sure, a person on TV can tell you how to do a difficult exercise, but if you’re a novice and have no idea what you’re doing, you can risk injury.  I’d say this is probably one of the biggest cons.

With that said, I suppose it can happen anywhere, but it just seems riskier streaming a workout versus doing one at the gym with mirrors and access to helpful staff.

6. Possible strength loss
Possible.

It really depends on your goals and at-home equipment.  If you’re squatting mad weight and have access to a barbell at home- disregard.

However, for the rest of us, there’s a possibility of losing some of the strength we attained at the gym.

For example, my workouts are completely different now. While I do strength training multiple times a week with weights, I’m no longer working isolated muscle groups each time, increasing to super heavy weight, using machines/equipment, etc.

My workouts are more functional to what I have on hand. While I definitely can no longer leg press 315lbs, I find I’m fitter and have greater endurance.

It’s really about your goals.

So yeah- that’s a possible con to consider.

So let’s talk pros!!

Pros of BOD
1. As long as you have an internet connection, you can workout anytime or anywhere.

Midnight? Check. Christmas? Check.

Yep. No more waiting for the gym to open or wishing they had more convenient hours. I love this perk!

2. Come as you are

I’ve made my excessive man-sweat abundantly clear over the years. I can’t tell you how much time I’ve saved not getting ready to workout compared to when I went to the gym.

Granted, I didn’t get all that ready when I went to the gym either, but now? I can workout in whatever I want and it doesn’t matter one iota. Man sweat and all.

3. Not having to deal with sweaty people who don’t wipe off their equipment

I’m now the only “sweaty people,” and I don’t own any equipment. Problem solved. Haha

4. No dealing with meatheads, inappropriate gawkers, sweat flingners, people who hoard equipment, people who sit on weight benches and check their phones whilst others impatiently wait nearby to use said bench

Should I go on?

Basically- you don’t have to deal with people.

5. But if you wanted to!

Deal with people, that is…

I’ve found there’s a great community on BOD. I don’t participate in it, but if one wanted to, there’s plenty of ways to get involved. From boards and forums, to organized workout sessions, and Facebook workout groups- there’s as much (or as little) interaction as you want!

6. Cost
The cost is kind of ridiculous. For one year, I paid about $175, which also included a couple guides and cookbooks, food portion containers, and a month of Shakeology (but I ended up cancelling my Shakeology subscription).

If you didn’t want to do all that, you could pay $100 for a one year subscription, which is what I’ll do next year. They even have shorter duration/cheaper options so you can test it out for 3 or 6 months.

7. Content
Y’all, their content is straight up fire.

They have something for everyone. Family/group workouts, yoga, Pilates, high impact, bodybuilding, weight loss, the kitchen sink…

There’s something for every fitness level and interest- and they’re always adding more!!

From P90X, to 21 Day Extreme, PiYo, and everything in between…

I love all the options. It makes staying on track so so easy. I can do high impact HIIT workout and match it with a low impact cardio session.  I can do weights and then find a quick 20 minute stretch afterward. The options kind of feel endless.

I LOVE the versatility. There’s honestly something for everybody. Or everyBODy (see what I did there?).

It’s a program to follow with all the workout guides associated with whatever program you choose AND the nutrition plan. They include those details, too.

Real life.

8. Goals Achieved

Y’all, I’ve done more pushups in these last 6 months than ever before! While I’ve lost strength, I’ve gained a ton of endurance, agility, and am so much better at functional movements.

I am such a better “athlete.” My core is nice and tight because of all the different challenging workouts I’m doing and switching it up (um, but no popping “abs” because I love junk food too much 🍪 😂).

Will even commented on me being “firmer” the other day. 😂

Y’all- this thing is the real deal and such a good gift to give yourself or others.

So yeah! I broke up with the gym, and as you can see, I’m not too sad about it.

If you guys want to do a 14 day trial in January let me know and maybe we can get a Facebook group together or something.

Like I said, I’m not a coach and I’m not sure how it would all work, but it might be fun to have some accountability in the new year! Plus maybe after reading this little commercial I ought to become one? Haha

Think about it and let me know in December.

That’s all for now.

More to come!! ❤️

(And here’s me being silly after a BOD workout for prosterity haha)

From my family to yours, happy happy Thanksgiving!

I’ve got a roasted autumn vegetable medley in tow, which seems like the perfect accompaniment to all the unhealthy things I plan to eat today.

Primarily pecan pie and lots of starchy carbs.

All the starchy carbs, in fact.

Today we’re headed to celebrate with Will’s family. It’s a tradition I look forward to every year and cherish.  I know the preciousness of grandparents and how blessed we are to have them at our age. I hope to get to see mine soon, too.

Will prefers to drive because he thinks I’m a bad driver he loves it so much. The drive home gives me plenty of time to rest and digest and prepare for round two. 😂

(Will’s grandma always sends us home with leftovers 😊)

I have much to be thankful for this year (and every year), and I feel especially grateful for God’s provision and goodness. Not just on the good days, but the bad ones, too.

I’m looking forward to an alternating weekend of relaxation and fun spent with people I love.

I hope you are, too.

Thanks for dropping by, and happy Thanksgiving!

Now let’s go raid the deserts…

Cherry Kool-Aid For Life

Hello friends!

It seems as though my updates are seasonal these days, offering super long recaps of life as one part of the year closes and another begins.

Lots has happened since I last wrote.

In fact, this should be a two volume post, but it won’t be.

Just pretend it is and take a break from reading and come back later to finish it. 😊

But don’t forget to come back!

I began writing this on the way to Dallas for OU-Texas weekend, a longtime tradition in the B-Love house and one of our favorite yearly football trips.

We always have a very strict tradition for how this trip unfolds, especially on Friday:

-Drop dogs off at the kennel
-Leave for Dallas as early as possible
-Stop in Marietta for a free Bevo Burger at the Bevo Bash (Bevo is the Longhorn mascot, incase you’re wondering)
-Arrive in Dallas as early as possible
-Nap (well mostly Will since he does the driving, I usually end up working a little)
-Enjoy a nice dinner at Ruth’s Chris

Only, this year we’ve completely turned everything on it’s head. I’m a creature of habit and always enjoy looking forward to the repetitiveness of this trip, but it was nice to change it up.

We got in early and, as usual, Will napped. We had giant burgers for dinner at Gas Money Bar & Grill, and were shocked to watch Clemson lose to Syracuse that night.

Saturday was among the hottest OU-Texas weekends on record. It was misery.

So miserable I didn’t even stand in line for a fried snickers.

I KNOW!

Ya’ll, you know that means I was hot puddle of sweat.

Here I am forcing a smile while sweating profusely. haha

Since we’re on the subject of football, let’s just get it all out of the way.

I totally drank the Kool-aid and bought into the OU hype this year, for which I’m guilty.

Will knew better, as usual.

So when we watched them lose to Iowa State, in what they’ve deemed the worst loss in Sooner history, I kissed my high hopes goodbye.

Those guys…

Although, there have been some updates lately so maybe, just maybe we’ve still got a chance.

Pass the Kool-Aid…

Life things
Probably the biggest “life thing” since I last wrote is that Will started a new job this summer, and it’s been a huge blessing. It’s long days and hours, but thankfully weekends off.

I thought we were oldies before, but now we REALLY are! Many week nights we’re already in bed by 8:30!

It’s hard to reflect on everything right now, because it’s still fairly fresh, but I am thankful for the Lord’s faithfulness during this time.

When everything first unfolded with selling the business, I felt God was going to do something big and miraculous through it all. The truth is, nothing big really happened (though the circumstances surrounding how Will got hired and how it all worked out were definitely the hand of God).

I definitely know firsthand the Lord shows up in mighty ways, however sometimes His faithfulness seems less evident to our untrained eyes. The truth is, He sustained us and strengthened my faith in ways that never would have happened had I not gone through this trial. Perhaps that’s what’s “big.”

Anyway- there’s that. But wait! There’s more!

P gave birth to Gemma Grace (GG for short- how adorable, right!?) on October 12th.

What’s crazy is here’s a picture of me holding P, and now P has a daughter old enough to hold her baby sister nkw just like I did! WHERE IS THE TIME GOING!?

More fun stuff

Because we’re crazy football fans, we’ve had the September 2019 marked on our calendar forever. It’s when the Sooners play UCLA in the Rose Bowl, which naturally means we have to attend!

With so much time between our last major trip and then, we decided to take a small vacation in between. He threw out an old favorite, which I sort of dismissed quickly.

Will’s vacation policy isn’t as generous as we’d hoped, so we had a couple options- either take a trip at the end of the year, or wait until the summer. Will left the decision up to me, figuring I’d pick something next summer.

Which is what I started doing!

The truth is, though, I kind of felt lost planning a trip in July or August.

For one, I hate summer.

Two, it just didn’t feel right.

For our 13 years of marriage, we’ve always planned trips around fun football games, and for 13 years I’ve always ribbed Will about it.

Only, when it came down to it, I kind of couldn’t see us doing anything else!

(Did this guy wear me down or what!?!)

Stay tuned for more on that. I suppose it will be in my winter update! 😊

In no particular order...

- Guys- they are ending NBC’s The Middle after this season!! It’s hard to find family friendly comedies, and I have come to love the Heck family. WHAT THE HECK AM I SUPPOSED TO WATCH NOW!?! (Pun intended)

- Mason Jar Mania continues! If it can be made ahead and go in a jar, I’m basically going to make it for lunch these days. 😂

- Speaking of food, my mom, sister, and I had a Freezer Meal Crockpot Day a couple of weeks ago and it was so fun! We each picked a few recipes and brought enough to share, made them into easy to dump portioned recipes for the crockpot, and then each took home what we made. So smart! Convenient for P with the baby keeping her busy, too.

- Have you ever heard of a foot detox?

I’m always super skeptical about “detoxes” but Will heard all these interesting things about them and really wanted to give it a try.

So, he challenged me to a foot detox contest to see whose water was the best.

While technically you could say I won, I would argue there were definitely no winners here.

As you can see, the results were HORRIFYING! What’s fascinating is that there’s a color chart that helps you understand what the toxins mean, and they are shockingly accurate. Will’s water was dark brown and bubbly, attributable to poor diet 😂 and mine was mostly orangey which is tied to joint health and likely from intense workouts and lactic acid buildup. Check and check. I also had fatty triglyceride buildup. So crazy!!! 😳

All things Jude

I finished my James study at the end of September and plan to devote the rest of the year to Jude.

The book is essentially a single chapter of 25 verses, and while it’s short, I have no doubt it will take me the rest of the year to complete.

I suppose before I get into Jude, though, I ought to backup and share a little on James for posterity sake.

I never thought it would take me 9 months to get through the five chapter book of James.

I knew it would be full of rich content that would challenge me, but I completely underestimated how much it would flip my heart upside down as I examined what was within.

Every single passage full of a variety of elements that pricked my heart. Constantly convicting and humbling me.

While I didn’t realize it, I approached James with a degree of pride. I didn’t mean to have it, but I certainly did. It didn’t take long for the chair to be knocked out from under me! Chapter one started with a loving gut punch and things spiraled from there. Haha

I act as though I came out of James bloodied and miserable, but that’s not the case.

James was a study I so desperately needed in 2017. It challenged me in ways I expected, and in others I did not.

The Lord used it to strip away more of myself, though there’s still a lot of work to do!

I am so thankful the Lord led me to study James this year. I can look back and see how much I needed it!

At the start of the year I was eager to study Jude, too.

You ought to do a quick read of it today. It’s mind blowing how pertinent this book is today.

Just as urgently needed today as it was when Jude first wrote it.

I am excited to do a deeper dive into this book because I already feel a sense of urgency over so much of what he shares.  I know it will strengthen me all the more to study it in-depth.

Wherein a put in a plug for my new “blog
And by blog I don’t mean blog.

I mean Instagram.

It’s pretty much the only place I consistently post these days.

I share various content, but mostly what’s going on in my life as well as spiritual devotional type things.

Each picture essentially comes with a mini blog post, if you will. 😊

While I’m not posting as regularly here, I am there, and would love to become Instagram friends. Haha

Is that a thing?

Anyway, you can find me here

So yeah! That’s the update!!

More to come, but for now, tell me what you’ve been doing! 

Hello Dearies!

Let’s catch up!

How have you been?

Are your kids on summer break?

Are you taking any vacations?

Fill me in on everything.

As for things here, it’s been busy in the B-Love household!

Here’s a quick look at random and (not so) noteworthy things:

Home Improvement
Since we’re not in the throes of football season, we have a little time on our hands during the spring and summer weekends.

We decided to undertake some of the many projects we’d been putting off, pacing ourselves over the spring and summer months to get lots accomplished without burning ourselves out on the first project and never accomplishing anything.

Because we’re totally prone to procrastinate.

Well, mostly Will. Never me. (Haha)

We’ve redone our closet, done major yard work, and restarted our Aerogardens. We’ve got some more projects lined up this summer so here’s to keeping the momentum!

Oh and the Aerogarden? I’m growing kale and it’s the best decision I’ve made with this thing! I use greens everyday for my morning smoothie and it’s thrilling (yes, thrilling) to get to pluck my own leaves from my own garden.

Oh and since we’re still talking home stuff we had another snake sighting.

Pretty sure we’re officially selling the house now. 😂

Softball is in Full Swing!
Well, actually, it’s kind of winding down.

Spring ball was lots of fun for Will. I didn’t go to several games because many started at 9:30.

As a complete granny, 9:30 is past my week night curfew.

I’m sure you don’t understand.

Summer ball is around the corner, and I know Will is playing. He’s cute because he’s pretending to be somewhat on the fence about playing- but we both know he totally is.

Funny story.

Will plays coed softball and they’re always short girls. You have to have a certain amount of girls present in order to play.

One week they were short, as usual. They were desperate and it was a few minutes before the game.

I felt them staring me down, contemplating how they could legally physically drag me through the dirt and lay me in the outfield as their token final required girl.

I felt my body begin to tense as they approached.

Oh- and as a side note, incase you’re wondering why I dreaded the thought of playing?

It’s because I don’t play.

I’m a wilty flower.

No concept of sports.

Do I need to remind you I HATE BEING HOT?

Also, I have complete hands like pans.

You’d find me ducking to avoid the ball rather than diving to catch one.

I’m that girl.

Picking flowers in the outfield.

Afraid to get dirty.

No concept of batting or catching.

Please, for the love of God, don’t make me play!

Anyway, they approached me and another girl beside me I knew with the dreaded request.

A daughter of one of the players was sitting with us. A big tomboy and softball fanatic herself. She looked at them and said, “ She’s not going to play! She’s too pretty to play!”

I’m pretty positive that was not a complement, but she was right- I was NOT going to play.

I do, however, go and show my support. That counts for something, right?

Curly-Q
34 years into life I decided to master the curling iron.

I used one occasionally “back in the day,” but for the last 13 years or so only used a straightener to curl my hair.

Yes, I realize it sounds counter intuitive.

Anyway I did tons of research and ended up with a regular old gold Hot Tools one inch barrel curling iron.

It’s fantastic, and super affordable. Plus my stylist said it was a good choice. So yeah! Mid-30s and curling my hair with an actual device made to do just that. Go figure!

Wherein I rave about grocery store food
I went to Boston last month for work. Aside from one night, all my dinners came from the Wegmans deli.

Yep, the local grocery store.

If you have a Wegmans, you get it. If you don’t, you probably just think I’m weird.

All About That BOD
Are any of you guys Beachbody On Demand subscribers?

I signed up for the free 14 day trial to participate in Shaun-T with my blogger friend/Beachbody Coach, Erin.

It was so much stinkin’ fun! Well...fun if you enjoy being miserable and sweating your butt off during workouts, that is. Haha

I still have my gym membership but workout still home so much these days and could easily see myself buying a year subscription to it.

It’s got something for everyone and content is always updated which is good too. Definitely a win!

Other randomness
*We took an impromptu trip to Tulsa this month just to eat lunch at this delicious Mexican restaurant we enjoy.

We’re old fogies, so to up and decide at 10:00 on a Saturday that we’d go up there was spontaneous and fun. Haha

*We finished Fraiser for the second time and are back to The Andy Griffith Show.

Yes, real life. Black and white and all. We mostly only watch one a night as a “filler” with all our shows on break.

What I love most about watching Andy is that Will grew up watching them and knows so many of them. It’s so cute and reminds me what an oak tree he is.

*Amazon Prime music had pretty much been the best thing that’s happened to me.

In terms of music, that is.

I have the unpaid Spotify version which is nice, but I love Amazon because you can skip as many songs as you want- and no adds. The only downer is their selection is more limited than Spotify.  But.No.Adds.And.Unlimited.Skips

*Mason jar salads have changed my life. I realize I’m about four years late to the party but…

Good old Jimmy continues to kick my tail, & other related things

Guys, it’s JUNE and I just now reached chapter 5 in my study of James.

This book…

When I first felt the tug to choose it as my 2017 study, I honestly didn’t think there’d be much new to glean.

You know, since I’m so perfect. Ha!

I’ve allowed myself days upon days to sit in some of these passages, digging deep and really meditating on just how much I needed to read the words before me.

I’ve been so convicted over how I approach my life, how I speak, how I see others, and more.

If you want to be humbled in virtually every major aspect of your personal and social life, study James. I say it jokingly, but also seriously.

Wherein I started this in June and now it’s July. Ha!

Other randomness to catch you up:

So I started typing this last month and am already behind. 😊 Layla turns (or turned depending on when I get this up!) 5 on the 5th, so I’m pretty much dead she’s already a kindergartner.

And- P is prego again! 😍😍😍 Real life.  Another girl too. Watch our world!

I took off a few days for the 4th and while I worked, it was still nice just to be home. We also made another quick trip to Tulsa to eat dinner at a place we enjoy. Crazy kids!

I signed up to be on our neighborhood welcome committee which I think will be a good thing, right?

So yeah- a huge, giant, slightly random and boring update.

It was necessary.

More to come- I promise.

Until then, I’m off to figure out how I can legitimately make s’mores fit into macros the rest of summer…

Hello friends!

Today I’m 34.

Officially “mid-30s.” (Face palm)

Side note- can you believe I started this blog when I was 21!? Who chronicles anything that long these days? I feel like my posts should be encyclopedia-ed in a library or something.

Anyway, in years past, thought I’d share some deep thoughts (ha) as I head into this new year.

1.I’ve been very blessed to have my grandparents in my life as long as I have/did

I lost one of my grandparents last month and realize how truly blessed I’ve been to have three of the four alive up to that point.

I was able to see my grandma just a couple weeks before she passed, for which I’m thankful.

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Will and I also made a road trip to Iowa last fall to see my Gran. I'm so thankful for that time and those memories!

I’m also very close to Will’s grandparents, and treasure them as my own.

To be 34 and have 4 special grandparents in my life (my grandpa, gran, and Will’s grandma & grandpa) sure is special, and I’m very thankful.

2. Will is genuinely surprised by my OU fanaticism.

A few years ago, when OU was struggling, Will opted to sell our last two home game tickets.

That’s blasphemy, y’all.

You don’t just sell your tickets because your team stinks!

Will was completely shocked by how strongly I felt about going.

See, Will is what I consider a “real and educated” fan. He loved them in the 90s just as much as he does now, guys.

If you know OU football in the 90s, you know that means a lot.  He knows seemingly everything about OU football, and I love it.

Anyway, he also listens to a radio during the game so he can hear the play-by-play.

Since he listens to the radio, he never realized how colorful my commentary is for the poor souls that sit behind and in front of us.

Nothing inappropriate, of course, but I’m rather talkative and lively.

Confession: I even sometimes annoy myself.

All this time he had no idea. Haha

The people around us, however? Yeah, they knew.

So yeah, while I’ve always been an OU fan (I say that loosely), I mostly married into the crazy.

However, my love for OU football has honestly become all my own over the last several years. It makes it that much more fun!

3. I’m harder on myself than I realize.

I never give myself enough credit. I’m always convinced of the worst. Quite a pessimist at times, which is strange because I generally try to think positively!

I honestly need to cut myself some slack sometimes. Take a deep breath. Not be so darn tightly wound.

For some silly reason I feel like I work for the Counter Terror Unit (that’s for all my old Jack Bauer 24 fans out there 😊) where I can’t take a single day off without the nation going into a tailspin.

It’s ridiculous, really.

One of the things about coming back to this job was that I knew I was going to have to be better about not driving myself crazy. Not putting too much on myself or worrying about everything.

I’ve done better, but I’m still not there. I’d like 34 to be the year when I do better and let go of some of those things. To pray more and just let go of so much of what I can’t control.

In fact, things are crazy at work right now. The old me wouldn’t have taken today off. The 34 year old me took it off anyway even though I’ll be checking email all day. I’d say I’m off to a good decent start!

4. Two Words: Mascara Primer
I’m not kidding. I discovered the fantasticness of daily mascara primer at 33 and I will never.go.back.

What’s a mascara primer? It’s basically a bra for your lashes.

Real life.

I honestly thought it was an unnecessary splurge, but guys- it’s kind of a must, especially if you’re like me and never leave enough time in your morning to apply eyeshadow.

Not all primers are equal.

I’m a Mary Kay girl through and through, but honestly you can’t beat the Lancôme CILS mascara primer.

Line your eyes, curl your lashes, prime them, & add mascara. Trust me here. Game changer.

5.I actually think I’m pretty good at what I do
Coming back to my old job kind of fit like a glove.

I know what I’m doing, and I’m comfortable doing it. In fact, I was blessed to even get a promotion after being there less than a year.

Remember #3? I’m often too hard on myself and I need to remember I’m doing a good job and it’s ok to take a breath every now and then. I need to pray more, worry less. Trusting God with my job.

As crazy as it may seem, I distinctly remember praying for my future job when I was a teenager. I had no idea what I was going to do (Um, and I still don’t) but I remember praying for the job I’d have one day.

Guys, He is so faithful.  I honestly had no idea how 15 years later He would so richly answer my teenager prayers.

I could tell you it’s all because of my awesome smarts (um- it’s not) or communication skills (again no) or my “can do” attitude (nope, nope, and nope), but it unequivocally is none of those things.

It’s completely God’s faithfulness and provision, equipping me and helping me each and every step of the way.

6. In follow-up to #4
Since I already talked about my must have primer, I might as well share some more of my favorites for with my favorite 30 something gals.

Smashbox Primer Oil
I got this as a sample in my Ipsy several months ago and kind of forgot about it until this year.

Oh.My.Stars.

For my dry skinned girls, this is the bees knees.

My skin is super dry and makes me look way older than 34. My eye lines and forehead lines get so dry, and translucent powder atop my foundation just magnified the problem.

This primer is aces to help give extra moisture for these areas and hydrate all day with a beautiful but subtle glow.

I’m not going to lie, it’s expensive, and was a birthday gift to myself this year (plus a tube of mascara primer 😊). I bought it for my “free” Sephora birthday gift.

For me, it’s a luxe item, but I think it will last forever.

Knock-off Beauty Blenders
I usually tend to these things are sort of unnecessary, however a lot of the cheap ones work really well and give a beautiful, air brush flawless coverage. I got a Mint Pear blender in my Ipsy and really like it because it has a more contoured side for eyes and nose, but a larger side for the rest of the fact.

Mary Kay Repair Eye Cream & Night Treatment

I’m Mary Kay through and through when it comes to skincare. As a consultant,my loyalty lies with all their products, especially their skincare.

Their new line for “mature” skin is out of this world.

I don’t use all the products in that line just yet, but I have incorporated a couple of them into my daily routine and THEY WORK.

Their night cream is ridiculous. It has retinol and a host of moisturizing goodness to improve texture, lines, age spots, and damage.

It is pure fantasticness AND cheaper than the currently popular Rodan & Fields.

Their eye cream is equally potent. Sadly, due to the fact I treated my skin like crap in my teens (hello tanning beds!) plus genetics, there’s not a lot of hope for me here to some degree, but I’m thankful for the options I have that help!

7. I’ll never enjoy hot weather

Ever.

I hate hot weather.

I wither like a wilty flower.

I melt like a sno-cone in Phoenix.

I turn into a puddle of humid-y sweat and become quite the grouch!

It’s awful y’all.

It’s already been near 90 this year and everyone’s all,” It’s gorgeous outside!”

No. No it’s not.

A couple of us have been taking a quick break to walk a mile during the work day. It’s been so wonderful!

We sit hours on end each day, and many doctors claim desk jobs can be just as dangerous as smoking!

It’s been good to stretch our legs, get moving, and reduce stress, even if it’s just a few minutes.

The problem is...summer is approaching.

I’m not into sweating in work clothes (um or ever aside from the gym)…

But, I’ve come to crave my daily walk and can honestly attest to the benefits!

So I might have to see about going earlier.

This heat thing isn’t something I learned over the year, but it’s definitely been reaffirmed.

If it hasn’t changed now, it never will.

So if you invite me for a summer BBQ, let’s pretty please eat inside. Or at midnight.

(And as an aside, turns out I shared this exact same thing on my 32nd birthday. 😂 See? Some things never change)

Drinks are my jam.

Over the last year, I’ve become quite the drinker.

Hot flavored teas, cold flavored teas, coffee with a smidge of creamer…

All the caffeine-y drinks.

Don’t worry, I realize these can become a calorie trap. It’s all about moderation, and I find a sweet drink treat can help fend cravings in the afternoon.

My current favorite? Celestial Seasonings peach tea with a shot of Coffeemate Italian Sweet Cream. At 30 calories it keeps me from donuts that abound in the break room!

9. Keep it Short & Sweaty

My workouts completely changed in my 30s, especially last year. While I enjoy longer workouts on the weekend, I’ve really begun to emphasize short and sweaty workouts.

I choose not to make time for long sessions during the work week but have not at all seen my weight go up.  In fact, I’ve read lots of reputable articles that attest to the value of short, quality workouts.

I limit them to 30-35 minutes and move pretty much the entire time.

My favorite right now? Les Mills GRIT Strength. Look it up on YouTube and take a “class” at home.

It’s awful in the best way possible.

10. By and large, I’m done with today’s Christian literature

Since entering my 30s, my heart has shifted regarding Bible study.

There was a time in which I relied heavily on today’s Christian authors to help me understand the Bible. However, a lot of books being published by “Christian” authors today are misguided at best, and heresy at worst. Quite frankly, it’s alarming.

The Lord has certainly raised up pillars of the faith who speak Truth. Their words, books, etc. can certainly be edifying to the church, but they are no comparison to the Bible itself.

It’s in knowing the Word of God for myself I am able to test the spirits, to know the Truth for myself. Not because some famous Christian author told me their interpretation of the Truth, but rather because I read it and study it myself.

I am burdened for the increasing biblical illiteracy within the church, and especially in my generation. We must get back to Truth. Testing “Christian” books against Scripture. Knowing the Bible ourselves. Not solely relying on others to spoon feed us. I desire meat, not milk, as scripture says.

33 brought an entire year devoted to the Gospel John & his epistles.

It revolutionized my Bible study. 

When I started, I wondered how I could ever study such a seemingly small piece of the Bible for a whole entire year. However, as December approached I began to wonder if I’d even be able to finish!

While I certainly relied on several resources during that year to compliment my study, the Bible was the main star. I realize that’s how it should be, after all, it’s Bible study, but that hasn’t always been the case.

Anyway, 33 was a huge year for me spiritually. I’m trusting 34 to be the same.

So yeah! “Deep thoughts” from a 34 year old blonde. Ha!

Switching gears, I also want to take a moment to acknowledge today. Good Friday.

It feels odd celebrating today when I generally find myself more somber and contemplative on this day.

When I consider Jesus was my age (well, my age yesterday) when He died, it adds an entirely new layer for me.

I consider His life as I consider my new year, but today I also consider His death. His sacrifice. His cross. The atonement and only acceptable payment for my wretchedness.

As I consider the magnitude of today, the depth of Good Friday, I am reminded that all I have to offer is my life. To dedicate each and every day of 34 to the glory of Him who gave me new life. And on that note? Here’s to 34.

You taught me about gardening.

You taught me about cooking.

You taught me how to be tough (though I’ll never be), but also tender.

I’ll miss your rye bread, strawberry-rhubarb jelly, cabbage pockets, and cookies. Your fresh fruits and veggies, your beautiful flowers.

I’ll miss being your “little helper"- even well into my 30s.

I’ll miss seeing you fall asleep in your chair with a crossword puzzle across your chest, or hearing about all the books you’re reading.

I’ll miss talking about so many memories, and just having you in the same room.

I will miss so many things about you, but above all, I’ll just miss you.

Today Will and I celebrate our 13th anniversary.

We were babyfaced kids the day we married. I was a month shy of 21, and he was 23.

We’d both never been on our own.

We hadn’t a clue how to do anything!

All-in-all, it was wonderful.

We were shiny-faced kids navigating this huge, serious thing called life with enthusiasm. Untainted by the world and invincible.

Many say the first year is the hardest, but it was so fun for us!

On our own for the very first time, and figuring it out together.

Then at some point reality sets in.

You grow up.

You aren’t kids anymore.

Life happens.

You have grown up problems and responsibilities.

You stay the same.

You change.

You endure a lifetime of ups and downs.

Some days you feel like that shiny faced kid.

Other days you feel ancient.

Some days you laugh until cry,

Other days the weight of reality feels too heavy to bear.

Let’s face it, “adult-ing” is hard. 

Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, you quickly realize you don’t!

I’m incredibly blessed I have Will to walk alongside me through the ups and downs.

I can’t believe I get to be married to him and journey this crazy life together.

It honestly feels too good to be true.

I remember being a young teen, writing letters to my future husband, praying for him and hoping the Lord would answer my prayers.

Through I’m incredibly underserving, the Lord heard my prayers and blessed me far beyond my dreams. I definitely got the better end of the deal.

We are so deeply intertwined and not only spouses, but best friends.

I was over the moon for him 13 years ago, and I still am today.

Only now it’s deeper, more powerful, and wrapped in a lifetime of real life, not happily-ever-after fairytales.

It hasn’t been perfect. Not even close. I thank God every day for His grace.

So here’s to lucky number 13, on March 13th no less!  Certainly no luck involved here. Rather God’s provision, mercy, and blessing.

Cheers 13.

Hello friends!

We survived the doldrums of January!

You may think I’m crazy, but aside from the longer days, which I love, I prefer winter to summer.

I mean, either way I’m working.

When I was young, summer meant no school, going on vacation, and fun!

Now it’s just hot, steamy, sweaty, and miserable. And the grass has to be mowed a million times.

Which is more annoying for Will than me, but still…

Anyway- summer is basically the long, hot stretch that gets us to football season.

Hopefully I’m making you more optimistic for February. 😊

How did I get off on this tangent? Let’s get back on track.

It’s February!

Are you stocking up on chalky candy hearts and Barbie valentines?

Gosh those days were fun/awful.

Spending time with my girlfriends and reading way too much into the valentines we got from boys.

You know, because a super hero valentine that said nothing but “Have a Super Valentine” signed by said boy totally meant we were going to get married.

Sigh.

I sure am glad those days are over! I’m not even sure Will and I got cards for each other the last few years. It’s just not our thing.

Awful chalky conversation hearts? Totally my thing.

Kind of.

Except not really.

I guess I like the conversation part more than the taste, you know?

They’re so darn cute!

We did, however, decide to buy delicious giant boxes of Godiva “for each other.” We braved the mall last weekend and bought ourselves a generous gift.

Will thinks we can just eat one each day and savor it most of the month.

I think he’s crazy.

Anyway, let’s talk life stuff.

Like how my poor husband almost fell apart last month.

He hurt his back in high school, and from time to time will have issues, but nothing major.

Last month, I kid you not, he sneezed an epic sneeze.

The sneeze of all sneezes.

A violent one that nearly shook the house.

And it literally brought him to his knees. The darnedest thing!

Then he couldn’t get up.

Yep, the guy threw out his back.

With a sneeze.

Real life.

He took recovery super seriously, lots of nights lying on the floor and on a heating pad.

Guys, we’re getting old.

Like actually old.

My wrinkles are for real, and Will hobbled around for a good three weeks.

Old.

And I’m pretty sure this year I enter “mid-30s” and Will enters “late-30s.”

HOW IS THIS HAPPENING ALREADY?!?

If we ever did have kids, we’d have to hire teenagers to play and chase them around. We’d be too fragile.

So yeah. Happy 2017!

Speaking of oldness, one thing that hasn’t gotten stagnant are my workouts.

I took a recovery week in January, which was long overdue and wonderful.

I’m always recharged and refocused coming off a recovery week.

This year I’m working on increasing my workouts. I workout four days a week, and I’d like to increase to five days or find ways to sneak in extra workouts during the week.

Did I tell you a few of us at work are walking a mile every day? It’s wonderful! I can’t even tell you how good it’s been for me mentally and physically.

Most of us who have a desk job know we’re supposed to get up and walk around once an hour of so. The reality is, however, that it never happens.

Having accountability just to take a few minutes each day to get up and walk has been great!

Until summer for the aforementioned reasons.

Maybe we can go earlier?

Walk inside? Hmm…

Anyway, it’s been such a great bonus exercise.

Not only that, but up until Will hurt his back, he and I were walking every night before dinner. It was so so SO nice.

I’d leave work on time and just take my computer home if I had more to do that night, and I’d quickly change and we’d go before it got dark.

We’d talk about our days and everything in between. It’s a lovely time.

With the days staying a little lighter, it will be easier to do now. It was a bummer having Will hurt. I missed our walks, but things are on the up and we’ll be back to it this week (I think!).

As for actual “real” workouts (I consider the walking bonus ones), I’ve stayed fairly consistent.

One major downer is that I haven’t made it to the gym near as often as I wanted to over the holidays and football season.

Don’t be fooled, I was still working out and doing quality workouts, but I was doing far less heavier weight lifting. I missed it!

With football season over, and schedules more normalized, I’ll be hitting the actual gym twice a week to lift. My other workouts will be done at home and will be circuit training or HIIT with lighter weights.

I’d like to add in a third home workout, so hopefully I can phase that in this month!

Sooo let’s transition into fuel for workouts...

In complete transparency, I’ve loosened the reigns on my diet over the last several months.

And just been glorious.

I’m living life, y’all, and it’s a good thing.

Im not kidding, several years ago I was extreme about eating. I would venture to say it was unhealthy and made everyone around me miserable.

I never, absolutely ever, allowed myself treats no matter the circumstance.

For me personally, I determined that was a really unhealthy way to live. I just ended up binging on junk when I reached my willpower breaking point, and the cycle would start all over again. Great plan! Haha

I’ve found I do heaps better when I just live my life.

I eat healthy and and am mindful of my food and macros, but I also give myself room for indulgences and “flex” calories throughout the week.

I’m not training for a bodybuilding competition, so I shouldn’t be eating like it. Not only that, but I needed more calories, so that’s been good too.

Yay for food and yay for well-planned treats!

Where am I going with this? Basically, not much had changed with my diet in terms of healthy eating, but I’ve become less rigid (read: LESS CRAZY) on indulgences.

The best part of all? Nothing has changed with my overall appearance either. Yay for quality eating.

I’ll have to share one of my favorite old recipes I recently revamped soon.

Oh and if you’re curious about that whole philosophy, Metabolic Effect has some fantastic articles on hormones and keeping HEC (hunger, energy, and cravings) in check.

Welcome to the present

Back in 2013, after a wonderful night celebrating my sister’s 23rd birthday, I was sleepy and not paying attention when I fed the Bigs. My phone fell out of my pocket. Rocky chomped on it. It was ruined. Enter new phone.

Four years in technology feels like an eternity, so it was time to upgrade.

I feel like such a granny learning all the new stuff (read above paragraphs about my oldness). I got the new iPhone 7 and can’t wait to try the new camera! I’m waiting for my case to come in before I start using it.

After feeding my previous phone to Rocky, a case before use felt mandatory. Ha!

James Things

In my previous post, I mentioned my 2017 study on James.

Guys, it is killing me.

It took me the entire month to get through the first chapter.

The last couple of years have included their fair share of trials. Having lived it, and am still walking through it, I know in my heart these are trials the Lord has placed before us.

I have not lost heart, though I’ve certainly had my moments. I know what the Word says and that He is absolutely going to give us the wisdom to take the next step. We’re still fuzzy on it, but some things are finally starting to take shape. I pray these coming days and weeks continue to bring wisdom in upcoming decisions. We would welcome your prayers!

Other Random Things
I’ve entered the world of using retinol products.

(As if you hadn’t already gleaned from the above: I.AM.OLD)

Nothing strong, just a night creme that has some in it.

Why didn’t I make this transition earlier!?

Probably because I was afraid my face would peel off. Apparently that’s possible, but in stronger doses.

Reminder- look into stronger doses.

Our beloved Colts didn’t do so great this season, which was disappointing. I’m hoping with their GM change things are ok the up.

I was rooting for the Packers until they lost, now I don’t really have a dog in the fight.

So I’m Falcons all the way.

But mostly I’m rooting for the Super Bowl food.

Obviously.

Are you an Amazon Prime user? I recently entered the Prime world because I got a discount to join. Tell me all the reasons I should love it!

Ok, I think that’s enough for now. I hope you had a wonderful first month of 2017! Check in again soon. ❤

Happy January dear friends!

How’s the resolution-ing going?

I’m sure you’re crushing it.

I’m not one for making resolutions, but I do like to evaluate my current situation and consider ways to be more efficient, better, mindful, etc.

This year is no different.

As I evaluate the year ahead, I can map out a picture in my head and begin to put it into action only for things to take a completely different turn in the opposite direction.

I’m speaking from experience.

It reminds me of the epistle James when he talked about people who say they’ll do this or that, making their own plans in their own self-confidence, failing to recognize the Lord’s will.

I’ve been there, many times.

I’ve learned to trust the Lord and seek His will more in the last few years than ever before.

Sometimes that means the aforementioned plans take the aforementioned turns.

Speaking of making plans, Will and I are praying for something very specific this month, and I sure would welcome you coming alongside us in prayer!

I find even though we’re making a specific request, I’ve ultimately relinquished myself to God’s will and plan.

Jeremiah tells us the heart is deceitful, and I find in “following my heart,” I’ve made a lot of dumb mistakes.

Not the ones I look back on and say, “Well, that was a good learning lesson” either.

My point is, sometimes my bright ideas are just that- mine.

The closer I’ve get to the Lord, the more my plans change.

The more I change.

So as we petition the Lord this month with a specific request, I ultimately desire His will.

So there’s that!

And speaking of the epistle of James, I’ve decided to devote 2017 to studying James and Jude.

They’re short books, so I’ll probably add in a third, but I’m very excited about this year of study!

I started a year-long study on the book of John and his epistles in 2016 after reading this post.

While I don’t necessarily agree with every aspect of the post (such as contemplative prayer), I found the content incredibly rich. As silly as it sounds, I had never considered only studying one book for an entire year. Quantity seemed more important. How many books could I read? Did I read the whole Bible this year?

Now- I definitely read other books during the year. On the weekends or evenings I’d read through the New Testament or Psalms, but nothing like with my study of John.

I honestly can’t tell you how incredible this journey was for me without my head darn near exploding!

I was able to slow my pace, dig in, research, understand.

So often I just read but don’t soak up the content. I’m like the person who glances in the mirror and then completely forgets what I look like (hey another James reference! 😉)

Devoting a year to focus my attention- one desperately weakened by social media, where information is condensed to nothing but tweet sized details- has been invaluable.

I highly recommend this method and am confident it will be a blessing. 

What else?

I suppose I could unpack fitness, health, professional, and personal thoughts for 2017, but this post is way too long as it is.

Are you even still reading?

I just wanted to do an initial 2017 check in to say hello and let you know what’s going on in the B-Love house this month. There will be plenty of time for those other things...Lord willing of course. (See? We’re learning! 🙏🏻😉)

I hope your month is off to a great start! Check in soon for more updates! ❤