the last four weeks

things have been super busy. it seems to be a trend. i'm ready for things to slow down, although that seems doubtful seeing as the holidays are literally right around the corner.

april's pedicure party!
sara, april, me, brandi, denise, kristina, nicole, and stacy

trip to my first ever pumpkin patch with a corn maze!

colbie caillat concert

we finally put our outdoor chimenia to use

we did lots of driving between branson, mo and horseshoe bend, ar

in branson, mo

in batesville, ar

i think that covers the weekends since we got back from albuquerque. details are of course, fourth coming!

strike!60min

ABQ trip

Two weekends ago Chris and I were in Albuquerque. It was a short trip, but we definitely did a lot with our time. We got in on a Friday afternoon and we to dinner at Papa Felipe's with my parents. YUM! From there we went home and cleaned up the back patio for a family dinner planned for the next night. Chris spent some one on one time with my dad watching TV while I colored my mom's hair.
Saturday morning I got Chris out of bed to head to the Balloon Fiesta. I was really looking forward to this as this was my first experience taking someone to this event who had never been. On top of that the weather was perfect, and that morning a world record was broken with 345 balloons up in the air in 60 minutes! Chris enjoyed it, and loved taking pictures.






After the early morning fun, we met my cousin Kari and her husband Larry from some breakfast. Followed by some errands around town we got home in time to relax a little, help my mom get ready for dinner, then off to church.
Saturday night my mom planned a family dinner for everyone to meet Chris and have a little continued birthday celebration for Chris and start an early birthday celebration for my mom.

Cousins: Kari, me, and Cheryl

my mom and I (she had a couple of glasses of wine!)

sisters: Kathleen, Deanna
Patty, Michelle, and my mom Barbara

Chris and my mom and yummy birthday cakes!!

Sunday we went to brunch with my friend's Michelle and Jill. It was a lot of fun.
We did a lot in a short amount of time, and everyone loved Chris! I was impressed as Chris definitely got in some good quality time everywhere and with everyone. He spent time with both of my parents individually. On Saturday he ate out on the patio with us girls, then spent sometime inside with the guys watching sports. Just like one of the family!
I sadly missed the Race for the Cure 5k in Denver. Honestly it was difficult decision to go on this trip and not do this race. The Race for the Cure is my race. It was my thing, and I believe it was that race that got me started on my healthiness journey 3 years ago. I had planned that the race would be an annual tradition. Hopefully next year. Going to Albuquerque with Chris was a great experience. And I think spending Christmas there will be great!

strike! 60min

just me

Chris is out of town. He left Friday late afternoon and doesn’t return until dinner time on Wednesday. This is a little bit of an adjustment for me. More of an adjustment than when he unofficially moved in back in July. I miss his presence and knowing I’m going to see him at the end of my work day. But at the same time I’ve enjoyed doing stuff back on my time. Just doing it…whenever. Going back to my independent self. Not that I’m not independent with Chris in my life or this relationship. I just find myself doing things that I’ve always wanted someone there to help me out with, still doing them by myself. Either because I’m not used to have someone to rely upon or because I’m not yet comfortable with the fact that I have someone there for me or I don’t want to come across as an inconvenience. I figure if this was happening in my life right now and I didn’t have a boyfriend I would have to take care of it myself. So why not just do it how I would have normally done it? Does that even make any sense? Probably not, but I do like to think I know what I'm talking about. Let me give you an example.
About a month or so ago my check engine light came on in my car. I put it off for a while because it kept going off. Then I realized I was leaking oil. I told Chris I wanted to get it checked out, but we’ve been busy etc…and we just never got around to it. On Friday after I dropped Chris off at the airport I went to a new Firestone right by house. They were near closing and said it was ok to have them keep my car over night. I walked home. Saturday it rained all day. Firestone called me and said I could come pick up my car. I walked to go pick up the car in the rain. No fun. I wore a windbreaker and had an umbrella, but it was windy, cold, and raining. Once I arrived I wasn’t soaked, but definitely wet. No fun. I took my car to the local Grease Monkey to get the leaky oil problem fixed and made an appointment on Wednesday morning to take my car to Toyota. Dealing with the initial problem was fine, easy even. Walking in the rain, dealing with driving to Toyota early Wednesday morning, not so easy.
After the fact I was doing some errands on Saturday afternoon chatting with Chris and I'm thinking to myself "Isn't this one of the perks of having a boyfriend?/having someone be there for you?/to rely upon?" But why try and do it the easy way, when I've always had to do things the "hard" way because in the past I didn't have a boyfriend to pick me up from the car place or take me to the car place etc...
I guess all of this is an adjustment. And something have gone easier than others. Like I mentioned living together. Chris unofficially moved in, in July. Officially he moved in, in September. I've had people ask me "how is that going?" Considering that I've lived by myself for the past 6+ years, you would think it would have been a huge adjustment. And prior when I was single and would think about the process and what it would be like to live with a significant other, the idea was always so overwhelming in my head. But in this instant that I'm living, there really hasn't been adjustment. I love that it's been so easy, that we get to see each other everyday.

I've noticed that the biggest adjustment for me, is just knowing that I have someone there. That the next time I need to get my car looked at, I'll make sure Chris is in town to help me out.

treadmill 20min/core 30min

where to begin?

just a pretty picture from the balloon fiesta last weekend.

that is the question. i have no idea. so much as happened, and i just don't know where to start. it's overwhelming. usually when i know i'm going to sit down and blog i'll think of my post in advance and have an idea of what i'm going to cover. well i haven't blogged in so long that even now i'm at a loss. i've known for a while now that this weekend was coming, that Chris would be out of town that i would have a chance to work out, hence giving me the opportunity to blog.
my summer of love has come to an end...the season not the love. and now fall is here and another busy season has begun.
the whole month of september flew by. Chris had a whole month long celebration of his birthday, and as his girlfriend i took it upon myself to spoil him. birthdays are a big deal to me, and Chris is a big deal to me, put that together and you get a over the top celebration.
along with his birthday month we had some of Chris' friend's come hang out with us from Kearney. and the month ended with a trip to New Mexico. this trip also brought us into October.
the summer has been a crazy one. i think about the short time Chris and i have been together, but how it feels like it has been so much longer. and that's because we've done so much. we've had so many different experiences in the short time we've been together and i feel that all of them have brought us closer.
with the end of the summer i've spent a lot of time reflecting, and all of the life changes i've had over the past three years. it's just insane to think about. from being so lonely, alone, depressed, overweight. wanting to change but afraid to change. starting on this journey, going to the gym, losing weight, making friends, creating a life, and now finding love. it's a lot! what's weird is that it seems to have all happened naturally. that maybe what you put out into the world does come back to you.
i do now definitely believe that good things come to those who wait.

strike! 60min

now is the time to play catch up

not just catch up, but work out!

stay tuned my friends, more blogs are on their way!

triple cardio 60min