Workout Report!

I've been feeling really good lately with my workouts. I've been doing about 8-10 miles a week 

along with some light strength training. I feel like I always step it up before a holiday because I want to feel and look good during a big celebration!

This week I'm trying to squeeze in all my workouts before the weekend and trying to get in some extras before the holiday's come early next week so I wont have to worry about them. Although I truthfully hate working out (especially running) I always feel AMAZING when I'm done. 

As long as I remember that as soon as I'm done I can just relax and feel good, I can get through the run. But seriously... to whoever says "omg! I love running!..." 

Because every second makes me want to poke my eyes out...

Check out Ash & Heather for their link-up!

Weekend Recap!

Hey everyone! I hope you had a great weekend and are ready for our last week before Christmas! We had a great time this past weekend filled with family activities. 

Unfortunately, Jude couldn't make it because he was in South Carolina for his Grandma's funeral :( Just another reason to love your family and friends, and enjoy every moment everyday. 

Anyways, here are our pictures from the weekend! 

The boys shoveling the driveway...too cute!

 We live in sort of a suburb of the main city, and Santa drives around the whole suburb on the second Saturday of December and throws candy to all the kiddos! The boys loved it! 

My favorite picture!! 

Then the boys got to ride around on the tractor in the snow! 

Later that night we got a hotel and went swimming and spent the night, the boys and Bryn had a blast!! 

 

Bryn was sooo cold from the pool her little lips were blue but she just kept wanting to swim! All of them LOVE the water! 

We had a great weekend! I can't wait for next weekend because I have a hunch that Santa might be making a surprise visit to our house for the babies ;) 

Have a great week!! 

Life is Short...

I think it's a truly amazing thing to be happy. 

5 years a go...wait even 2 years ago, I could not have honestly told you I was happy. I wasn't necessarily depressed, but something was missing. 

Now every single day I really am happy. 

Do I have down days? Absolutely

Do I get sad moments? Yes

But every morning I wake up and every night I go to sleep wholeheartedly happy. 

Getting an extremely scary diagnosis from my neurologist while I was in college completely changed my life. It taught me things that many don't learn until it is too late, and it showed me I am not the person I wanted to be. The good that something so awful has brought into my life amazes me everyday. God will always bring good out of something awful that happens to you. 

-Lessons-

1) God only does good, and is not responsible for bad. However, He will be your strength through the bad 

2) The strength that comes from a positive attitude is better than any medication

3) Things can always be worse

4) I have an amazing family and boyfriend

5) I am stronger than I ever thought possible

6) Learning to laugh at a bad situation really can start to make it funny-I do this all the time about my cyst/tumor/whatever the hell it is and everyone gets mad at me but I think it's pretty funny :) 

7) We are so blessed in the US with amazing doctors and medicine, I can't imagine being anywhere else

8) Life is just way too short to wait

9) Stop giving a shit excuse my language..but not really about what others think

10) Love deeper, speak sweeter, and live like you're dying name the song :) 

  

Seriously though, the problem with the world is that people think they have time. We don't have nearly enough time, even if we do live a full healthy life which is say 85 years. Who wants to waste a second of that 85 years being bitter, mean, sad, complaining, fighting with themselves or others? God forbid that 85 years gets cut short. I'm not saying people should go out and quit their jobs, but take the vacation you've been wanting to take, love your family, stop worrying, enjoy moments and memories. And please, never go to bed angry. 

Let the Festivities Begin!

It finally is starting to feel like Christmas around here!
Since Thanksgiving was so late this year, it felt a lot harder to get in the groove this year.

With the first snow that came last week it definitely looked like Christmas ;)

Then of course we had to celebrate St. Nicks day! We put our shoes outside our bedroom door and then St. Nick always brings us Christmas PJ's, and other goodies. 

Of course Jude and I had to continue our 3 year tradition of a Gingerbread House Competition! 

Oh...what I would give for his metabolism

By the way... For the first time EVER I won the competition! BOOM!

On a side note... please enjoy this video of Brendyn :) I love this baby, and his sad face! 

Such a Happy Thanksgiving!

Remember my Holiday Challenge post? Well Jude and I can successfully check off

Thanksgiving! We had a really great Thanksgiving! 

Wednesday was preparing food for Thanksgiving!

Tayte making snicker salad for Thanksgiving, which I renamed "Taytor salad ;)" ps sorry about the bad quality it's instagram:) 

Thursday was Thanksgiving, we started at Jude's house and then headed to mine! 

Y'all like that food baby I'm rockin'? ;)

My cousin, Julie, was also celebrating passing her CPA exam so we were all celebrating with some drinks too ;)

I mean, I never take selfies so I was feelin good...

Black Friday came and that means our traditional Baking Day! 

As y'all know, I hate baking...so instead I make bows with my fairy godmother Ellie while I watch my sister and mom do all the work :) Oh and the boys put up Christmas lights outside in the freezing cold ;)

Saturday night was game night with Jude's family! 

By the way, playing Catch Phrase with people who can't see the word because it's too small is probably the funniest thing in the world! 

Saturday was Christmas tree chopping with my family! 

We picked out an awesome tree, an just an FYI I was still feeling those 5 strawbeerita's from game night the night before with no makeup and no shower... but ya know it's all part of the family holiday experience :)