Weekly Recap

I had every intention of blogging Friday afternoon & linking up for Five on Friday, but it ended up being a busy day & blogging just didn't happen.  Thankfully, I didn't let it get me down or make me feel guilty!  I knew the weekend would roll on, be just as wonderful despite my lack of blogging, & I'd eventually get back to my blog this week.

And I was right, here I am :)  Currently blogging to you from our patio, getting a little vitamin D - it's quite perfect actually!  All this warm, sunshiny weather has me itching for spring!  I sure hope this weather is here to stay!  It's been a long, cold winter {I'm sure most would agree}, but this weather sure does a lot for lifting your spirits & adding a little pep to your step!

Last week I really didn't have too much to blog about…more of the same 'round here!  Wednesday I had a little date with Andrea to grab lunch & a mani, it's our yearly tradition :)

Friday, I judged B in the 14.2 WOD…

We coached the evening classes, then we checked out the new Publix by our house.  So far I'm a fan!

Saturday morning, I worked out with the 830 class, we coached the 930 & then ran a few errands.  B picked up a new suit for Puerto Rico {31 days!} from our local little surf shop {I know, a surf shop in Charlotte, kinda crazy} & I snagged these cute shoes from Target…

#targetdoesitagain

I couldn't pass up $19.99, BOGO 50% off for some cute little summer shoes {much cheaper than Toms}!

We babysat for my brother & SIL Saturday night so they could celebrate their 11 year anniversary!  The kiddos were sweet and snuggly, they must like us ;)

Watching a little lego cartoon before bedtime :)

Abel loves him some Huck!

And selfies with Aunt Michelle!

Sunday we woke up feeling awesome, I guess that's what happens when you're asleep by 10, even though you lose an hour & wake up at about 845!  I know, our life is riveting…try not to be jealous ;) Brandon redid 14.2 getting a total of 252 reps!!  I got a total of 15 reps!  Ha, but I did get my very 1st chest-to-bar pull-ups, so still something to celebrate!

Brandon shared with me the joy of the Whole Foods Hot Bar {of which he partakes often for lunches or dinners when on the road} & then we did a little shop lifting at lululemon…

I made out with 2 pair of much needed crop pants & a tank!  So happy to wear spring workout gear!

B got some awesome new shorts!

We did a little work, a little laundry & a little cooking!  I made this super yummy breakfast casserole for the week & we grilled out some amazing turkey burgers...

That plate sure made for a happy belly!  I'm glad we have left overs :)  It's looking like a busy & great week ahead!  Hope your weather is warming up, too!

Anniversary Weekend!

Hello blogland!  Yes, it's Tuesday & I'm just now getting around to recapping the weekend. Whoops! Yesterday was eventful & requires a post of it's own :)

However, today is just perfect!  The weather outside is definitely frightful, very cold & rainy slushy out, but inside I'm baking, the tree is glowing & Michael Buble Chrismas is playing on Spotify!!

We had a wonderful anniversary weekend!  It's so nice to set aside some time to be together & to celebrate another year!!  It started with these bad boys I picked up Friday afternoon…

Gluten Free Salted Caramel & Wedding Cake cupcakes from Gigi's Cupcakes!  So tasty & worth every calorie ;)  We snuggled this guy on the couch & watched some TV…

Saturday morning started early with a special WOD made by one of our members & former marine as a tribute to the Marine Corps for their recent birthday.  Hopefully I'll get around to making the video of their workout one of these days…

I just watched & then worked out with the 830 class, but the guys did an awesome job!!  After classes, B & I headed off for a little spa day!

We got a couples massage & mani/pedi's at a little spa near uptown.  It was still nice & very relaxing, but definitely not the nicest massage we've ever had.  Afterwards we stopped for a red cup & then did a little bit of shopping…

I told B it wouldn't be a date unless we took a car selfie ;)  And red cups must be documented! {Please excuse my hair in all these pictures!  Ughh, too. long.  I finally had an appointment with my favorite hair girl ever on Sunday & she worked her magic, as always!}  We had a little while until dinner so we stopped a World of Beer for a Tour of Thanksgiving…

So good!  We also tried a Blueberry Cobbler beer, so yummy!

We ate at Sullivan's & it was excellent!!  Great service & an even better steak!  On the way home we stopped off & got our Christmas tree!  We sure picked a beauty, so full & now our house smells amazing!  We did most of the decorating Saturday night & finished up Sunday.  This is our finished product…

It feels very cozy & I'm so pleased!  I still need a new tree skirt, but it took me 18 months to get curtains in our bedroom, so ya know.  Hopefully I'll snag one down in Georgia or at least before Christmas is over :)

For some reason, we like to punish ourselves & endure ridiculously long workout sessions on Sundays, so I went to Flywheel with a friend & B worked out with Warren, then we met them at the box for more weightlifting!  I left B home alone Sunday night & ended the day with a delish dinner & even better conversation at CowFish with Ashley & Rachel.  Love getting together with them!  We always just pick up right where we left off!  Down to earth people are my kind :)

It was a great weekend!  We were sad we couldn't work out a trip away this year to celebrate our anniversary.  But we work for ourselves & we're growing a business, so there's great work to be done & we wouldn't trade it for anything.  I'm just grateful to be celebrating another year with B!!  Here's to many, many more!

Five on Friday

Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday!  Happy to be linking up again with April, Christina & friends!  Join me!?

1 - I noticed over on my blog archive on the right side of my blog that I have a measly 50 some posts this year.  Womp womp!  I guess that's what you get for taking 3+ months off blogging!  :( Lesson learned!

2 - How delish do these look!?

Orange Chocolate Coconut Clusters

I just pinned this recipe to my Paleo Pinterest board & I'm pretty sure they just went on my "to make for Thanksgiving" list!

3 - Speaking of Thanksgiving, I'm so, so excited for next week!

Brandon & I along with my siblings & their families as well as both of my grandmothers will all be down in Georgia at my parents house!  It's been a while since we've all been at their house together.  It will be loud, there will be 5 dogs, lots of air mattresses, and my heart will be full because we'll all be together eating lots of yummy food :)

It'll be nice to get away, too.  A mini family vacation couldn't come at a better time!

4 - Thanks so much for all of the kind words & SuperFit love!  I was definitely nervous going into my first competition, especially since it was sprung on me last minute & I hadn't been training too hard for it!  At the end of the day, it was a great experience & I felt so encouraged just to be in that environment!!

I shared my new Front Squat PR today on Instagram…

That was 115 lbs right there, almost my body weight!  For 2 sets of 5, so I was pretty pumped!  As I mentioned in the SuperFit post, I really am not sharing these things to brag, but to encourage anyone out there who might see them!  

There's a Facebook page called Women of CrossFit = Strong that posts tons of CrossFit stories from different women of all shapes & sizes who are doing something for themselves (for once!) and changing their lives, their bodies, their self image.  It's so encouraging!  And that's really what I hope to be, encouraging!

5 - Saturday, Brandon & I are celebrating our anniversary with a Spa Day, dinner & a little Christmas tree shopping!  I've never been so ready to have him home & for a relaxing day together, just the 2 of us!!

Happiest of weekends friends!

Our 3rd Year in Pictures

Today is Brandon & I's 3 year anniversary!!  3 years!  It feels like yesterday and forever ago at the same time!

B's somewhere in the middle of Pennsylvania tonight, traveling, supporting our little family while we grow & develop our dream job here at home.  I'm so excited to celebrate with him this weekend! We have a fun Saturday planned!

I love going back & reliving our anniversaries, but my favorite is rereading each year in pictures!  Our 1st year is here (2011) and our 2nd year is here (2012).  So in keeping with my tradition…

Our 3rd Year in Pictures

December 2012
Our photo booth pics from B's work Christmas Party

January 2013
New Year's Day (barely) on the way home from the party - welcome to 2013!

February 2013
Little date night at the wing spot up the street ;)  Love to be silly with him!

March 2013
Spartan Sprint Finishers!!

April 2013
At our favorite spot in our favorite place - Lost Dog Cafe in Folly Beach :)

May 2013
Date Night on the patio at one of our fav spots in Ballantyne

June 2013
Goofy car pics are our speciality :)  B taking me on a date to the mall!

July 2013
Happy 4th!  Celebrating at our friends' awesome party!

August 2013
In the Mitten at the Double J Ranch getting ready
for a Rodeo  - we're so good at those silly faces!

September 2013
Back to our happy place, Charleston, for some wonderful friends' wedding

October 2013
Oktoberfest!  So much delicious pumpkin beer :)

November 2013
My very 1st CrossFit competition with my boo!

I'm blessed beyond measure to do life next to this guy!  Every year with him just gets better & better. He's the constant in my life, my encourager, my biggest fan, my rock.  I love you, Brandon!  Here's to year 4 & many, many more!

2012 in Review & Looking Forward to 2013

2012 was a great year!!

Of course, it had it's ups and down, but thankfully more ups than downs and the ups were pretty great :)

I tried to keep my year in review shorter rather than longer.  But, let's be honest, we all know I'm long winded ;) I have noticed I have a few more followers, though, so hopefully this will be a better way to get to know me, and I'm looking forward to "getting to know" all of y'all through your pages!

In 2012....

I turned a quarter of a century in March!

In April, we went on a cruise...

And then came home & closed on our house!!

In June, I was one of the MOHs in my cousin Erin & Ryan's Wedding!

And July brought lots of beach trips...

July 4th Week in Virginia Beach!

And my family beach trip in Carolina Beach!

Then at the end of July, we brought this cutie home!

It's hard to believe he was ever this small!!

The fall brought fire pits, football, & B's 29th birthday!  My MIL came in town & we took a trip to Biltmore to celebrate that weekend!

October brought Baby Fever!

My nephews, baby Abel & Wells :)

Sweet Maggie, my friend Rachel's baby girl!

In November we toasted our 2nd Anniversary!

And I got my first tattoo!!

Looking back, I can't help but be thankful for a year of health and happiness!

Looking forward to 2013, I can only hope for the same!

I set a few goals last year.  We didn't achieve all of them to the level we may have hoped, but that's ok.  I'm not huge into resolutions because I think people don't stick to them.  But a goal, you have to work toward a goal.  So that's what I like to set!

In 2013, I hope to...

1 - Finish the Spartan Race.  My goal is finishing!  Haha, I'd like to finish around the 2 hour mark, but I'm not going to be hung up on the time.  (See B's Spartan Race Recaps here & here.)

2 - Complete the Cooper River Bridge Run around the 56 minute mark!  It's a 10K, 6.2 mi, so I think 56 minutes is totally doable, I just need to continue with my running and work on my speed a bit!

3 - Stick to Paleo as a lifestyle.  Of course, I can't do Paleo 100% all of the time.  I mean, I had to have a piece of cake at the gender reveal this past weekend.  But I do want to make sure I'm eating Paleo at least 85% of the time or more!

These are my main goals.  Brandon and I have a few house goals - furniture for the guest bedroom, maybe an outdoor patio this year?  A few spiritual goals - visiting the church that meets at the high school near our house, continuing our devotional.  Some financial goals including paying off my student loans!!  We have a few professional dreams on the horizon as well, so we'll just have to see where 2013 leads us!

I'm so looking forward to a new nephew & niece this year, hopefully a few vacations, a lots of great new memories!

Here's to 2013!!

Our 2nd Year in Pictures

Now that's is two weeks past our anniversary, I thought it was high time I get around to blogging Our 2nd Year in Pictures!  Whoops!

I stole this idea last year from Megan over at Tales of the Trees and wanted to make it a yearly tradition.  You can see last year's post (2011) here.  So to keep the tradition going....

Our 2nd Year in Pictures

December 2011
Cheering on the Panther's on Christmas Eve

January 2012
Playing around with our favorite app one lazy weekend night :)

February 2012
Date night!

March 2012
St. Patty's Day Bar Crawl

April 2012
Spring Break Cruise - Schooner's Wharf, Key West

May 2012
Memorial Day - Post Run, headed to brunch :)

June 2012
Folly Beach Weekend Trip!

July 2012
Carolina Beach - Family Beach Week

August 2012
Boat Cruise on Lake Michigan

September 2012
Asheville & Biltmore for B's birthday & Mama Shuck's visit :)

October 2012
Halloween!

November 2012
Cheers to 2 years!!

And here's to infinity more!

Love you B!!