Progress [March]

Is anyone else glad to see March go? It seems like March was nothing but one reminder after another that Ohio does not like to give up winter in exchange for spring. I mean, we had snow two days ago: SNOW. I'm so over it. This winter has just been so very long.
I haven't let it stop me though; I have rocked my goals for this year to become a healthier, happier me.

This month I lost a total of 7 pounds and 7 inches. I look at that total for the year: 17.5 inches, and I wonder where the heck it came from. I mean, I know I'm a little smaller, but I sure don't feel like I'm 17 inches smaller.

Okay, so maybe this picture helps me realize that it's came from somewhere. End of January to March...what a difference!

Bye, bye belly!

Three months in and I am still just as motivated and determined as I was on January 1st. I am going to do this, and I have such an awesome support team that I don't think they would let me stop at this point anyway. I'll be posting about how I rocked my goals from March and my new goals for April later this week!

Do you know what day it is?

No, it's not hump day. It's better than that.
It's opening day!

Seriously, though.
For us baseball fans, it has been a long, hard winter of waiting and wishing that it was spring time and that our favorite teams were playing again. We have sat through football, and basketball, and the comments of how football and basketball are better than baseball (don't make me give you a lecture) less than patiently and now our wait is over.
Today my beloved team will walk onto the field at Great American Ballpark, the national anthem will be played, Votto and Phillips will win our hearts all over again (and really, how can you resist with those smiles) and life will once again feel complete.

It definitely doesn't hurt that it's going to be almost 70 degrees today, I have the day off of work, and my Red's shirt is fitting better than ever this year.

Cincinnati ball, that is. Have a great Monday, it's going to be epic in our household!

Easter Printables

Happy Friday!

Easter is right around the corner and I've been busy decorating and planning out all the crafts, decorations, and festivities to go with the holiday. I may or may not already have Henry's outfit bought and ready, and I may or may not have already decorated my house a week ago...

I love Easter. To me it symbolizes spring, and hope, and the truest form of love and victory in our Savior's death and resurrection. I was scouring Pinterest to find a new printable to put in my frame for the season and I just wasn't finding anything that I really loved so I thought I would make a few of my own to fit my perfect style.

I thought you may enjoy them too so I'm offering them to you for free to print and use as well.

You can download these here for free. Keep and eye out because I will be adding the cutest homemade bunny treat bags for sale in the next week for Easter baskets.

Girlfriends

I had the privilege of spending the majority of my Tuesday with my two best girlfriends. I don't really spend a lot of time with 'girlfriends' because I really don't have many girlfriends (and who really has the time?). Growing up, I was always that girl that surrounded herself with guy friends, and after I got married, I realized that having a lot of guy friends was not ideal so I gave most of them up.
Still, through-out the years I have made a couple of girlfriends who I know will be life-long, and although we do not get to see one another as often as I'd like, I cherish every single minute that I do get to spend with them.
Among the laughter and deep conversations and reminiscing, I realized something wonderful yesterday.
These girls know me. They know me at my best and at my worst. They know me all jazzed up and right out of bed in the morning. They know my likes and dislikes, my life-goals, my dreams and desires, my insecurities and disappointments. These girls are real life, and I can be real with them.
That is my biggest issue with making friends. I refuse to put on a face or a front. I am who I am, and I'm not going to pretend that I'm something that I'm not. I've always been a quality over quantity person, and my friendships ring truer for that fact than most anything else in my life.
I would rather have one good friend, one good girl, who I can be myself and completely real with, than to have even two or three more.
One of them made her way back to Wisconsin yesterday while the other is about an hour away. No matter what I'm doing or where I'm at in life, I know I can count on these two girls. They hold a piece of my heart and I truly believe that we are a sort of soul-mate.
One day I may have more girlfriends. Or I may not. I don't know. But the truth is, I have all that I need in these two and they've really changed my life for the better.

A Day in my Life [March's Bathroom Edition]

From nothing to something...

...it's getting there.

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Now go check out Sara's post and follow our little circle around!

Purpose & Balance

There's a constant struggle in my life to find balance between all of the things that I have to do, need to do, and want to do. Just when I think I've caught up and have a moment to relax, things go and get all crazy on me again and before I know, I'm behind. Again.
My one word for 2014 was purpose, and while there have been certain aspects of my life that I have found easier to find purpose in, there are others in which I am completely lost. I just have a hard time identifying the most important parts sometimes.
Sometimes balance comes in the form of staying up too late and losing a little sleep, or going to bed early and sleeping in for way too long. Sometimes balance is simply finding enjoyment in all that you do, whether that be work or play or both. It's more than just knowing that you were able to mark off each item on the to-do list, or get in that morning run, or make it to the kids play-date while looking like a mommy rock-star.
It's about living to the fullest potential, taking moments to create memories, and knowing that you've put the important things first, even if they're not as important to anyone else.
Maybe the best part of this mess is that I've accepted that maybe this is the way it's going to be. At least for now. Maybe things are suppose to be a little crazy, a little busy. Maybe I'm going to be a little behind, and then a little ahead. Maybe we all get too caught up in the pursuit of perfection that we forget that the here and now is all the really matters.
Perhaps my purpose is to keep searching for the purpose, and in the meantime, enjoy the journey.

March Mid-Month Update

Hooray for progress, right?

This month has had a lot of ups and downs for me. The first week I was just as sick as could be and I still haven't completely gotten rid of the upper respiratory issues I was having but I've tried not to let it hold me back.

I finally got out and started running. I won't lie and say that I'm running an entire mile. I incorporate a lot of walking into the days that I get out and go, but every day I add a little more and a little more. Eventually I will get there - I just know it. I've found that the only time I can get out by myself is before Henry is up in the morning and Jeremy leaves for work. I hate getting up early, but it's worth it.

My first solo-run clocked in at at 15:34/mi pace so when I got out this morning and ran and saw that my time was 11:54/mi when I got home, I was thrilled. Like I said, about half of that was walking. Most days I take Henry with me and I pull him in the wagon behind me as I walk and run. Once we get to an area in which I don't feel like I need to be right next to him the entire time, I'll branch out and run a bit ahead and then back. Henry likes to run with me too as long as I hold his hand. He usually insists on pulling his wagon home himself so I consider that my 'cool-down' time. We usually clock a mile in 18-22 minutes, depending on how cooperative he is being and such. It's definitely not a great time but it is what it is and a mile is still a mile.

Hopefully this progress will continue into the rest of the month. I have a lot of big and small goals floating around in my head right now, and I had set a goal of 40 pounds for my challenge at work (which was huge, I know) and I only have about 6 weeks to lose another 12 pounds. Two pounds a week is doable at this point, but I've gotten to a point where 1 pound a week is very comfortable for me and anything more tends to be pushing myself too hard. So...we will see.
Thank you all for your continual encouragement and support!