Monday, July 27, 2009

Starting over...

Everyone needs a fresh start every now and then. It could be something little like weight loss or perhaps something much bigger like a start over in life. In any circumstance, everyone deserves a second chance at starting over. Sometimes it seems too hard to do even if you know it is the right thing to do, but with a good support system behind you 100% you can accomplish anything! Trust God in all His ways and He will make your paths straight.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

He makes me happy

This week I feel seriously lucky! I have a wonderful man who loves me so much and will put up with my shenanigans. He lets me wear his clothes when I can't find anything to wear and runs to the store when I, for some unknown reason, am craving potato salad. He spoils me, really he does. So, I would like to spoil him. You see, my boyfriend loves the weather. Tornadoes, thunderstorms, and especially blizzards make him really happy. I've been thinking for a while what I can do to surprise him. Here's what I've come up with so far...

A tornado cake! Now, I'm not so sure how I'm going to do it, but I think that if I research it enough, I can make it happen. If you have any suggestions please let me know!

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

On Settling...

Since moving into my own apartment there have been many things that I want. Basically, things that will make my apartment feel like "home" to me. It drives Phil a little crazy because it seems like I constantly want to buy things for the apartment and that involves spending money on things I don't need. I argue that my place has to feel right to me. It should make me happy when I come home to look around and see how comfy it looks. My latest wants for the apartment are new sheets to match the quilt I got, throw pillows for the couch, and kitchen curtains. This last one is particularly difficult because I am determined to have his mom teach me how to sew them instead of buying them from the store.

I have the fabric for the curtains, but I just don't feel they are right for my place. Phil's mom went to two different stores to find the fabric with me and she really liked it and I liked it, but I didn't love it. Because of vacations and just our schedules, we have been unable to start sewing the curtains and now I am at the point to where I want different fabric for the curtains. I feel like I am settling for something that is good, but not perfect.

This led to a discussion that Phil and I had. People tend to get the impression that I am hard to please. I want very specific things for a decent price and I do not want to pay more to get that and break my budget and I don't want to spend less and get something that is just ok. I would rather continue searching for exactly what I want then to settle for something that I feel is not good enough. I know some people see me as being too particular, but I would know what I want and I see that as a good thing. Seriously, aren't you supposed to know what you want and settle for nothing other than the best?

Monday, July 20, 2009

Are you ready?

It's frustrating to watch someone you love going through something so difficult and all you can do is stand back, pray, and hope for the best. It's amazing how we can be so ready for change, but not ready enough to make the changes happen. I know I've been like that many times in my life with weight loss, going back to school, getting out of debt, and leaving unhealthy relationships behind. Sometimes it took that extra push from someone I love to help me make the change and sometimes it was something I had to do all on my own. With the weight loss, Phil had to sit me down and tell me that it was something I needed to do. No, he wasn't calling me fat, but he didn't like to sit around and see me get depressed about my weight all the time. Finally, he told me that we needed to do something together. At that point I honestly looked him in the eyes and said that I did not want to put in the effort to work out and eat better. It was just not what I was going to do...or so I thought.

Later that night we prayed about a lot of things. He told me that other people were commenting on my unhealthy habits and he could see that I was not happy being how I was. The next day, I decided that it was do or die time. I stopped giving excuses and started by eating better one thing at a time. I chose moderation with foods I like and incorporated more fruits and veggies. We also got a gym membership as a student special for the summer and started working out. The first two weeks were great. We went about four days each week and I played softball on Sundays. The last couple of weeks has been a little harder. I've been exhausted from the new work schedule, but we still managed to make it two or three times each week with softball on Sundays. We are looking into continuing the membership after the summer is over so that the good habits will be able to continue and not just end because it's the summer.

I know this all seems trivial, but it really isn't. No one is really ready for change until they go through the hard, real emotions of it all and are going to do everything it takes to make that change happen. You must first realize the situation you are in and know that you deserve better, want better, and are going to go through the good and bad to get there. It will get better, it just takes time. Everyone deserves a second start, what about you?

Monday, July 6, 2009

June 11, 2009




We officially had our one year anniversary last month! It seems as though time has flown by, yet still as if it has been forever. I still think it is crazy that we met online last April. I can remember looking at his pictures and reading his profile thinking, "He's cute...Hmmm...is that picture a before picture and the two others are 'after' pictures?" Lol. He had two pictures up that were great and one that was so nerdy (think hair flat down, unibrow, roundish glasses, and a hideous button up shirt that was buttoned all the way to the top).

We started off by sending free smiles to one another and after a couple of days I decided to try to find him on myspace so we could talk. Neither of us had paid for the dating site so there was no chance of talking to him unless I stalked him on myspace or paid the fee for the site. Clearly, I chose stalking ;) Apparently, he didn't mind too much.
Upon him seeing my profile, he got to see this lovely picture where I'm sure he just thought I was the cutest thing ever...ya right. Luckily my online dating profile picture was much better and he totally had to see what he was getting into right? Of course he saw this picture and just had to get to know me. He said it was because I look like I have a lot of fun and I could make his life a little more interesting. I have to think that was a complete understandment on his part. I don't know if I know how to not make things interesting...haha.

We talked every day for hours on end for two months before we decided to meet up. We met at a Washington Nationals game on June 6, 2008. I went with two of my good friends and got there on time...he on the other hand was late. Really late. Apparently his best friend had been held up at work and the metro was taking forever. He kept calling to assure me he was on his way and did manage to show up wearing a ketchup shirt and carrying a camera bag *which I totally thought was a man purse*.

We decided to meet up again five days later and walk around D.C. for the day. It was perfect and we were totally acting like jr.highers-pushing eachother and flirting all day. At the end of the night we made it official and were exclusively together!
I lived in Virginia for the first six months of the relationship. It was a series of ups and downs. The distance made it hard, but it was worth it. I would drive up every weekend to see him (since he works on weekends) and he would drive down during the week any chance he got. We both put in a lot of effort to make sure that we could continue the relationship and see each other as often as possible.

On the last day of December 2008, I moved up to Maryland to be closer to him. I got an apartment and I live only ten minutes down the road. We get to see each other daily and have been able to continue to make our relationship grow over this past year. In March, we went to California where he met my mom and two sisters. It was our first big vacation together. It was nice for him to be able to meet some of my family even when we are so far away. I really feel that he is an incredible man and I love him with all of my heart. Through the ups and downs I know that I am truly lucky that God brought him into my life and I couldn't be happier.