Recovering

We survived finals!!!! barely, just in time, miraculously BUT we finished the semester on a pretty good note and are so happy to have made it to Christmas break :) Plans for the break include drinking lots of hot chocolate while it snows outside, watching lots of great movies, playing with friends/family and welcoming Josh home from his two year mission in OHIO!! SOOOO excited to have him back soon :)

I also have some fairly big plans for decorating and am super excited to post before, after, and in between photos when I get the ball rolling there. Steven prefers earth tones but I love me some color. To compromise, I'll be rearranging some things and adding on to what we have so our living room/dining area will consist of beiges, grays, creams, and a little bit of black for some contrast. kitchen area is still completely up in the air haha (suggestions are welcome!). our bathroom has been slowly coming together with navy, tan, and lime green and I'm loving it so far but I need to do something with the walls. I promised handmade stone sconces a while back and while i still love the idea... i have not started on that! maybe another project for the break? :) The bedroom will also have a lot of the earth tones but will have more colors thrown in with it and will be less matchy matchy, for lack of a better way to describe what I'm envisioning. Here are pics that capture what I'm going for though I think.

These are similar to the look I'm going for with the living room area. cool neutrals with some plants and crisp white/cream to pop against the darker solids. It should be good.

This picture fits well with the style I'm going for in the bedroom but these colors are not what will be in there.

The colors will be close to what we had in our bedroom before with some beige and cream of course but with pops of plum, dusty rose, dark brown and then some even smaller pops of random colors that will come in with the more mismatched stuff. This is kind of a new look for me because I have such a hard time putting things together for rooms that aren't part of a collection or set that's already been matched for me (unless the pieces I find are super matchy). Designers do this seemingly effortlessly though, and I'd like to get better at it so we'll see how this experiment goes :) pictures to come!

I porbably won't be on again for the next few days as I will be busy busy so MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

<3 K

hellooooo!

Wow I feel like it's been forever since I posted! Things started picking up a LOT the close that the new school year came. Here's what's new with us.

weight loss: After my 8 lb breakthrough I gained and lost a few pounds back and forth and haven't been working out very much since school started so I was afraid I had gained most of it back BUT, when I left the gym yesterday I was between 150-151 which means I've lost about 10 pounds!!!! I was so pumped because that is the absolute most progress i've seen in a straight shot for me. It's deff been hard sometime but I have stuck with this and have integrated this more into my lifestyle and and reaping the benefits of diligence! I still have more to go but, I'm 1/3 through my goal which means I'm deff on track for my abs at graduation. heck yes and booyah.

school: I'm loving school so far this semester. It is keeping me more busy than I would like but I love my classes. Ok, most of them at least. I only have one class I'm not crazy about and I think most of that has to do with the fact that it's an evening class. The reading is interesting though so that's good. Unrelated to classwork, I'm also LOVING seeing people on campus again. Especially friends from freshman year who have recently returned from missions- awesome! so that is school. I'm nervous about applying to grad schools/not getting in but since I'm only applying to a few programs as opposed to as many as I can get my hands on, I'll have to just not be harsh on myself if I don't get in right away.

work: I'm still working at SF and just today told my boss, if he doesn't find a replacement really soon.... I could probably just stay on because by the time he finds someone and has them trained, my schedule will be easing up and I'd be able to work more anyways. so we'll see if that happens. Since another employee just got a job offer elsewhere, he'd have to find 2 replacements ASAP to keep the office functioning which would be hard to do so I'm thinking i'll just hang around here at least until after graduation when I can get a real job in social work or something.

Steven: my wonderful, wonderful husband. He is back in school too and although I don't think he enjoys school as much as I do, he's doing well so far. He's having a hard time finding work so keep us in your prayers as we're hoping he gets one soon! He's having quite a bit of fun with all of his frisbee stuff too. He's captaining at least two teams, playing with 4 teams I think right now although only a couple of them hold practices and such. The others are just for fun. We also recently discovered that he had skin cancer! yikes! He had an abnormal growth in his arm and had it checked out and removed only to find out with the lab results that it was cancerous!!! I'm so glad he had it checked out though so we could nip it in the butt and get it out. Hopefully that will be the last we see of that!

So that's about all that's new with us! I realize this was long, but it had been quite a while. Stay posted on new updates with our apartment as I have been at work decorating and rearranging things :) I wish I could do more though!!

Hope you all are having a wonderful friday and don't forget to cheer the cougars on tomorrow at the BYU-UTAH game!!!

<3 K

perseverance...

that sick of working out faithfully and not eating junk food whenever I want feeling is starting to hit. I need to stay focused, keep my eye on my goals, my progress, and not move backwards, but how?! so that bring us to this lovely post of keeping motivated! I looked over various tips and advice from fitness professionals and here's a few tidbits I liked.

1. Look back to the past- many people trying to lose weight have "tried" over and over with new plans, diets, equipment, medicine, whatever. I feel like I've been there somewhat and so by looking back at what made me fail then can help me prevent setting myself up again. For example, in the past I would stop or cut myself slack when I started seeing results. I would get comfortable with the progress I had made and decided I could afford less workouts or more yummies until I either gained weight back, or eventually weaned myself off my routine completely. So to avoid that, maybe I'll start weighing myself less to shift my mindset more to what I'm doing for my body rather than what a week of workouts is doing for my body. Does that make sense?

2. Relax- whether you're rewarding yourself for your efforts, or simply taking some extra time to do something you like to break up the stuff that's maybe not so fun, it's important! I have to make sure I'm still seeing that my needs are met and not just running myself ragged. Otherwise, I get cranky and stressed out and I'm much less likely to feel up to working out. Seeing as I always seem to bite off more than I can chew- this is a good one for me!

3. Look to the future- so I know I talked about looking back to the past but at the same time, focusing on the things you are working toward, and the reasons behind those goals can help too. I've seen a nike ad a couple of times that says to run from the pain, the problems, the fear, etc. Last night when I hit the gym I was tired, I was hungry, and I really just wanted to go home and bum around. I started thinking about that poster but then I realized I didn't want to think about running away from negative things, but rather running toward the positive things... Running toward the joy, the strength, the satisfaction of overcoming the challenges, the way I'll feel when I'm fit and healthy, all the good things that are slowly coming as I stick to my guns. I liked that better.

I don't want to make this too long so I'll leave it there for now. But what do you guys think? How do you get yourself out of a rut and push yourself to keep going when you're facing something hard?

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend (is Tuesday too late to say that?) and have an even better week!

<3 K

comfy cozy

So with my summertime dwindling, I started thinking about things I want to do before all the craziness of school starts. Mostly, I want to decorate my new place :) I love a blank canvas BUT we can't paint here so I've been trying to think of different ways to bring in color with white walls and all neutral furniture. Also, we're on a tight budget so this is all going to take some creativity. So today I have set off for inspiration and here's some top picks I've found!

I saw this DIY idea for a doormat and LOVED it! I've been racking my brain trying to think of ways to spruce up our front door area but seeing this, I pictured some potted plants arranged next to it and maybe a cute wreath on the door? I then thought how this would actually make a really cool bathmat. think spa... not sure about that one though. what do you guys think??

sorry for the blur on this one but I loved this little vignette and I've pretty much decided to use this navy, coral, turquoise color scheme for our bedroom. I already have a lot of turquoise accents I can move to the bedroom and steven loves orange so I think this will be perfect to keep our bedroom fresh but not too feminine. yeah yeah??

                                                                   

Some feminine is good though. I love this bold floral headboard and am wanting to do something like this with our own head board. Looks like it's time for a trip to the fabric store!

 I really like this room as well- both the colors and the style. Our bathroom accessories are already blue and brown so this may be something we could do to spice it up a bit if we don't go with the whole "spa" thing.










Framed or not framed, I also thought this"Get Naked" idea was funny for the bathroom. At least it's something I don't think Steven would fight me on haha.

 

These were some fun ideas for curtains. The one on the left would be a great way to dress up boring closet doors. The other would be an easy DIY for sewing curtains. Seeing as a few of our windows are currently bare, I very well may be doing this soon!

I loved this idea because it solves my problem of not being able to paint my walls! This came from a pin on pinterest (addiction!) where the pinner claimed to use some corn starch concoction to adhere the fabric to the wall. I'll have to look into it more but if it's easy to undo/clean up, I will deffffffinitely be doing this all over the place :)

and I just thought this was cute. I actually have a monogrammed letter framed like this but I like the addition of the buttons to add some texture and a bit more character.

Any brilliant suggestions from you guys? My main concern right now is color. I need some ideas on how to bring color and warmth into an apartment full of white walls. dark green carpet throughout doesn't help either haha. What do you guys to do make your place feel like home?

<3 K

WOOO!

so I'm not going to take up too much time tonight because I have other things to do... but, just wanted to let you all know...

this is Kayla happy and home from the gym...

I'VE LOST 8 POUNDS!!!! =) 

my "pounds destroyed" jar is filling up and I'm feeling so great! It's amazing. My confidence has soared as I've tackled something so difficult for me and stuck with it. Reaping the rewards from this has been so sweet. Oh, and remember when I bought myself those shorts for summer? Well the part I didn't include is I bought one size that fit comfortably, and the other in the next size down. Those smaller shorts now fit perfectly. it's great. I'm kicking butt. The best part about this whole thing, is it's something that I've been in on with Heavenly Father. Sound strange? Well, it started with a workout poster that quoted the scripture which, to paraphrase, says you can do anything with God. I thought about that and loved the application of that scripture to working out. God wants us to take care of our bodies so why wouldn't he help me take on this challenge for a body makeover/lifestyle change?? So I started praying about it and did you notice I was also focusing on scripture study this whole time? I completely, 100% believe that is what has made the difference this time for me in trying to get back in shape.

Heavenly Father is wonderful. He's been here for me the whole way so far and while I've worked on my 11 weeks left of summer, I've felt his love, encouragement and inspiration so many times. He's helped me push myself and bless me for my efforts. I am so filled with joy right now.

And while we're talking about my "11 weeks of summer"... I feel like I've grown a lot in the past several weeks and become a stronger person. I've felt more like myself than I have in a while, as the stress of school and work and life changes had taken a bit of a toll on me. While I haven't been blogging as regularly in the past couple of weeks I have had a lot on my mind but I'll summarize with this:

     Progression is an essential part of living- truly living at least. There is a bliss that comes from success and growth that cannot be attained from other sources. I'm well known among those who know me well though, to take on more than I can chew- regularly. As I'm coming up on my final year as an undergrad, I've spent a lot of time planning, career studying, test prepping, scheduling, and thinking way way WAY too much. I have some big decisions coming up soon and I finally realized that sometimes, we need to not worry so much about where we are going, but focus in on where we stand. 

Before planning my work as a counselor, my time as a mommy, my vacations for some time in the future, I should come back to my life as a student and a wife and just enjoy it. Life will come when it comes. In the meantime, why not just sit back, enjoy the ride and get to the good stuff one day at a time :) so I won't be posting a new goal every week for the rest of the summer. I'm going to focus on the little lovelies, keep you posted on my journey for weight loss... forget planning. we'll play it by ear and see where we go from there.

<3 K

life.

( I wrote this a couple of weeks ago... sorry it's just getting posted now!)

Hey guys! so again this week, I've had a lot going on and instead of turning to new goals to turn to, I've just decided to keep working on my goal from last week. I figured this is ok because technically I was shooting to do more than one thing every day. I'm proud to say though that I'm still staying on track with them though so yay! They are well on their way to becoming habits! I did miss my workout monday but that was ONLY because Steven let my workout clothes sit in the wash for a couple of days... and then when I re did the load, he forgot to put them into the dryer while I was at work... and we had company coming later that night. but, I got back on it last night ANDDDDDD, after my workout, I weighed myself and realized I have dropped 6 pounds :) Now granted, I think our scale at home is off, and that hasn't all been lost in this last week. But it has been lost since I first started trying to watch my diet and gradually ease into working out again. I smiled the whole way home from the gym. I already had 1 marble in my jar from my efforts last week but throwing in an additional 5 was so satisfying :) i may be getting a little addicted.
Not only am I getting into the whole exercise thing, but I've been faithfully reading my scriptures every day which always makes such a difference (especially when it's how you start your day). I feel like I've been a lot more in tune with what Heavenly Father wants for me right now as I've had a lot of questions on my mind regarding the not too far future. I've also felt more receptive to the blessings he lays before me on a daily basis and that has been such a sweet reminder of his love for us as well as a needed dose of perspective in this crazy life.
Truly though, life is good guys. It really is so much about growth. It doesn't matter who you are, what your background is, or what you believe, if you are not progressing in this life, what else is there? I understand the idea that we're here to live it up, and we should! But what kind of a life is it if you leave this world no better than you came into it? Having left no imprint on individuals you've spent your time with?
That being said, Steven and I have really been trying to be extra thoughtful of each other recently. Partially because we forget sometimes that we're supposed to be doing that always :) also though, because we are coming up on our 1 year anniversary!! and this week in particular is Steven's birthday so lots to celebrate! I'm so excited because I got him something he's been saying for months that he wanted. He has no idea what I picked out for him though and it's driving him a little nuts as he can't stand the suspense of surprises :) it's great. We were also planning on seeing the new batman movie but unfortunately we couldn't get good tickets until next week. I have the 24th off though for Pioneer Day so I reserved tickets at the imax theatre at matinee price- heck yeah!
For those of you who are not familiar with Pioneer Day, it's a state wide holiday in Utah that we hold to celebrate our pioneer heritage and their trek across the country back in the day. It's a wonderful thing. I'll enjoy my day off :)

hope you all are having a wonderful week! any fun plans for the weekend?? Or for Pioneer Day, if you celebrate it?

<3 K

Catching up!

So I realized today that last weeks post never actually got published... so it's late and I never did the 2nd post for that week that I promised. but that's because we moved, and I had way too much to do haha. anyways, we are loving the space in our new apartment, truly, it is great! we still have some things to be put away but overall, things are going pretty good.  AND even with all the craziness of last week I still managed to stay on top of my goal for the week (for the most part) which was to wake up at least 2 hours before having to actually be anywhere. While waking up early isn't exactly fun, I would make sure to get to bed at a decent time and then having that extra time in the morning was SO nice. I had time to eat breakfast, maybe tidy up some things, and have plenty of time to get ready for work and get there early! it was great.

I've checked on the goal for this week but at this point in time I didn't think it was really that important haha. I think it had to do with cleaning a particular part of the apartment every day so that I would stay on top of cleaning easily. Since we are still in the process of unpacking though, it didn't seem to be the right time for that goal. While I hadn't written this down anywhere, I mentally decided that this week I wanted to read my scriptures for half an hour in the morning, say prayers right after, and then get in at least a 1/2 hour workout for the day. that combination of accomplishments was what I wanted to get done each day for this week. On Monday I woke up late so I packed my workout clothes and headed to the gym when I got off work.

 BEST IDEA EVER

 I went to the gym after work again yesterday and I decided this is the absolute best time for me to work out. It does not require me to wake up any earlier, I come home for the night in a great mood and totally energized to either get stuff done at home or do something fun with Steven, and I can enjoy the rest of the evening guilt free because I have everything important done for the day. Also, tracking how much calories I burn right after work has set me up to not want to eat junk all night which is when I typically am tempted by fast food dinners, desserts after a long day, and mindless munching in front of the TV. I'm SO stoked about doing this and so far this week has been great. I've met my goal every day so far and we're halfway through the week. I will have sexy abs by graduation dang it! I finally feel like I have made a break through in my efforts to be healthier and I feel like this is something that I can easily stick to and I'm just so freaking excited to watch my body change as I go through this. I'm going to take a before picture asap but I'm not going to post it until I have an awesome after pic to stick next to it haha- sorry!

I also saw this cool idea on pinterest that I'm totally going to do. You have one jar with marbles representing every pound you want to lose and a second jar to add marbles to for every pound you have lost. What a simple way to visually see where you're at in your weight loss goals! and who wouldn't want to stick a marble from your fat jar to your skinny jar??

pounds destroyed- love it! haha

How do you guys find is the best way to stay motivated when you set goals for yourself?

Here's to being a better you!

<3 K

Week 4

Happy Monday morning bloggers! Life is crazy. Last week we had a tournament for our Orem frisbee league so we had two games on Thursday and 3 games on Saturday. Let me tell ya, by the Saturday afternoon, I was absolutely exhausted. I had a blister the size of a quarter on one of my ankles, I have a bruise on my foot where I got stamped on with someone else's cleats, and my body ached from sore muscles and sunburns. Wowza. We won 2/3 games on Saturday and that final win was sooooo satisfying. with that all said, I am glad to be taking a break from frisbee. I do want to stay in shape though and keep practiced up because I've pretty much decided to play with the BYU girls team in the fall- woo hoo!

After our tourney Saturday we ate lots of food and hung out with some of our good friends. Then Sunday afternoon Steven's parents came to town so we ate lunch together and they dropped off some more boxes for us to use for packing. Steven's dad has an interview today in SLC so we're keeping them in our prayers! Then last night we met with some other friends of ours for ice cream and games. It was great.

As you can tell though, we have been procrastinating with the move. We are so excited but we kept trying to convince ourselves that packing wouldn't take long... yeah. sure. As of this morning, the bedroom was mostly packed, the bathroom is packed, and the kitchen is empty except for what's in our fridge. Most of the things in our closets are already in storage bins or boxes so really, we're mostly done. We'll pack up the truck tonight, clean the place, sleep on the floor, and move first thing in the morning! Boo yah!

After everything is dropped off at our new place, Steven and I are planning to go with his parents to the Manti temple which I'm super excited for because I've never been inside! Then come the festivities for the 4th. I'm starting the morning off bright and early running a 5K with a friend. She signed up and wanted a running buddy. I have never done one before so I thought, heck, why not?? After that wakes me up, Steven and I are meeting with some friends for a birthday breakfast (how cool would it be getting fireworks every year on your birthday?!). after that we'll probably unpack, eat yummy summer foods, and end the night with fireworks. yes, that sounds like a good way to spend the holiday :)

Do you guys have any fun 4th of July traditions? Steven's family wasn't huge on holidays but my family loved them and I'd love to get some fun traditions going for our own little family!

<3 K

P.S. I didn't forget about this week's goal, but with so much going on over this weekend I'll wait to post on that until later this week.

Positive thoughts :)

Last night as I was getting ready for bed a bit of discouragement hit me as I looked at myself and thought about how far I had to go to reach some of the goals I've placed before myself. Again, it's not so much about the goals to me as it is about feeling good about myself, and last night I just didn't feel too great. Later I saw something my aunt had posted to facebook that reminded me that I am a work in progress and that I simply need to keep going. So instead of whining about things being hard, I decided a bit of positivity and inspiration is just what i need to rejuvinate me out of the mid-week slump. And when do we ever not need a little encouragement?? So I thought I'd share. Happy Wednesday everyone!

  

Now go be awesome!

<3 K

Week 3

Well to be honest, last weeks goal was really hard to keep with things being so busy, and then being out of town for the weekend, but all in all, I did try to do my best and will have to keep working on that one as the summer continues. I did manage to continue working out sporadically throughout the week and one of my friends from ultimate commented on how fast I was running at our last game. I told her I had been trying to workout throughout the week and she said the improvement was noticeable. Not only that, but I felt great running on the fields. I wasn't as stiff as I usually am, and I could propel myself faster and longer. Theres still plenty of room for improvement but I'm so excited for the prospect of a kick butt healthy body!

This next week's goal is to read my scriptures and say my prayers daily. This is something that I have a really hard time keeping up with consistently. I'll go through spurts where I do really well and love the difference it makes, but slowly and surely I always find things that keep me from keeping up the habit. I'm super excited this week to be working on this goal as it is one of my goals that will actually be rejuvenating and instantly gratifying. Unlike a body/lifestyle transformation which takes much diligence, hard work, and time, the blessings of reading my scriptures and talking with my Heavenly Father are instant, deep, and most rewarding. 

I have been so blessed in my life, not to say that things have been easy or charmed for me by any means. I just have a strong testimony of the power of the Lord and His care for us, even at times when we feel we deserve it least. He has always been there in my life to provide whatever it is that I need. I think some people look at an imperfect world and wonder to themselves where a God could be in all this. Understanding that life is an opportunity to grow however, there is a need for an imperfect world in which we can reach out, serve, lead, comfort, and stand tall. I strongly believe we all have a purpose in this life no matter where we come from or what opinions we may have. The exciting part then for us is to discover what that purpose is, and then through the strength and guidance given us by our loving Father in heaven, pursuing the beauty awaiting us. 

That being said, I'm exciting to focus this week on getting back in a habit of feeding myself spiritually on a daily basis and reporting back the difference its made on my week. 

Hope you all have a lovely Sunday!

<3 K

Abs for Grads and other lovelies

Guys this week has been a bit crazy. even though we moved not too long ago, I always kind of keep an eye out for apartments because there are a few things I wish were different about our place and good housing is just so hard to find in Provo. I figured if we happened to find a perfect place for us at same or less cost, it would be good to move so we could settle for the next few years or so that we'll be here. Well we found one!! It has 2 bedrooms, a great kitchen w/ dishwasher AND... a washer and dryer in the unit!!! Oh yeah, and central AC. It will cost about the same bill wise but we will be saving some on laundry expenses so that's a bonus. It's also in a newer building and we like the location so we're stoked. the only downside is they're looking to fill in July 3rd which means we have to get rid of our contract and pack up our place asap. However I posted our ad yesterday and already think we found someone who is eager to take it off our hands (keep your fingers crossed for us!)

now to check in on my goals. This weeks' goal hasn't gone down so well haha. Between apartment searching, apartment cleaning/showing, and everything else we do on a regular basis, I've already eaten out twice... BUT, keeping the reasoning behind the goal in mind, I tried to go with healthier options and then got my butt out of bed this morning and worked some of those calories right back off! So I won't beat myself up too much about it. Meeting every goal isn't so important necessarily as is the growth that comes with your efforts to stretch yourself. Plus Steven and I decided to throw in some competition and see who can get to the hottest abs by graduation time next year. (cheer for me!)

I read an article this morning from KSL called "Running Hurts So Good" by Kim Cowart and I just loved some of the things the writer had to say. I'd reword it but it wouldn't do it any justice and I'd probably post more to read than was worth the point being made. Here's a bit from the article:

"I’ve stuck with running long enough to know that all bad moments come to an end. Nothing, not even pain, lasts forever. If I can just keep putting one foot in front of the other, I will eventually get to the end. And the darker the moments are, the more satisfying and rewarding the finish line becomes. Running is a physical, daily reminder to me that I am strong enough to do hard things. This reminder gives me confidence to tackle other challenges in my life that may have previously scared me off. I know if I face those obstacles that are making my life uncomfortable, I will come out the other end stronger and more self-assured."

This was exactly how I felt Saturday, and again this morning as the sweat was literally dripping down my face.

I am strong enough to do hard things

and I'm not just talking about excercise, and this isn't just for me. Life hits us upside the head sometimes but we were made to overcome and learn from our challenges. Sometimes all it takes is a little courage and confidence from within.

So go and be beautiful today!

<3 K

Week 2

So as you know by now I made it past week 1! This week's goal is to make everything I eat, or at least only eat things I have bought from the grocery store. so no eating out period! Today I was tempted to pick something up for lunch because Steven wasn't going to be around to do lunch with me and I didn't want to have to make something if it was just for me. That thought didn't last long though because I couldn't slip up on my first day!!! So instead I went home and had corn on the cob with a cheese pita pizza I made :) odd combo? probably, but it was fresh and made with things I already had at home so totally guilt free.

This week's goal is a three-for-one deal because it's supposed to help me eat better by eating the fresh foods in my fridge more, treat our checking account with a break because we spend too much on eating out, and practicing discipline and eliminating the "need to have now" habits I've somewhat developed. While I've had very little fast food lately, the hardest part I think will be coming up with different date ideas than our standard dinner out Steven and I enjoy. I guess that will be a good chance to be more spontaneous and creative with the time we have together, which should also be fun.

Looking back on last weeks goal I really WANTED to work out this morning, which isn't typical. at all. BUT, after a spur of the moment drive to visit my Dad in Nevada yesterday, a long, late drive home, feeling sick and being up until 4:30 in the morning... I made the decision to postpone my workout until tomorrow (or tonight if I have time after apartment browsing and FHE). Anyways I plan to up my workout limit from last week. 200 minutes maybe? Why not??

Hope you are all having as lovely a Monday as possible!

<3 K

Check!!

Nothing beats a great shower after a workout which concluded you goal of 150 minutes for the week! Guys, I feel so good today. I admit that at least half of my minutes came from our back to back frisbee games this past thursday but I knew I couldn't count that for my full week workout so this morning I hit up the gym at our complex and cranked it out for an hour. While this is normal and a happens pretty regularly for some, it's a stretch for me but I by no means went easy on myself. If sweat is fat crying, mine had a bit of a breakdown today haha. Throughout this week I really wanted to make sure I was thinking about my goals and I found that even though I was only taking one at a time, I still had other goals in the back of my head and ended up doing more than I was "supposed to". The end result is a satisfying feeling that I am on track and then some and it's great!

It's still not going to be easy working out on a regular basis, but after today I know I can handle it and I'm a lot stronger than I give myself credit for. Another thing I kept thinking about this week is that even though specific goals and numbers are good to keep in mind, they are not everything. That's not to say that I should blow them off, because they are important (and it feels so great to have reached any goal!). This week I went out and bought a couple pairs of shorts that are larger than what I ever would have wanted to buy and fit in but I had to stop myself from thinking about the negative. So for the positives: I got them on sale, they look great, they'll keep me cool and most importantly I look and feel good in them. Why should I have to torture myself trying to squeeze myself into clothes just to be in that size, when they look awful and make me feel fat?? The things us women do to ourselves haha. So here's to being healthy, working on becoming a better you, but learning to love yourself wherever you're at in life.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

<3 K

The Good Stuff

Well so far this week has been busy and I haven't hard a workout in yet but I'm guaranteed some on thursday as we have two frisbee games back to back so that should help make up for yesterday and today. Last night Steven and I went out to dinner and a movie so Steven could take a break from studying in between tests (and to celebrate his A!). Tonight we had dinner with some of my friends from freshman year who I haven't seen in quite a while. My friend Karsen got home from his mission in January and it was the first time I've gotten to see him since he got back. There were also a couple of his friends who became my friends who were there with us as well. One even spent a few days with Steven and I in St. George taking all our wedding photos and helping keep me sane while way too many last minute projects were on the table.

After dinner with them we headed over to a surprise birthday party for my sweet roommate Hillary also from freshman year. To start, Hillary is probably the absolute nicest person I know. In fact, it's more than kindness, I honestly could not find one negative thing to say about her. It was so much fun getting to spend some time catching up with her and some other old roommates at her party tonight. Steven left a bit early to go play disc golf with the frisbee team so after the party wound down a bit, I made a walmart run for the new sherlock holmes movie (LOVE) and some haagen dazs ice cream :) Life is good.

11 weeks of summer

So I realize this is two posts in one day BUT, the first post was a draft from a couple weeks ago that never got posted- oops! I really am trying to be better about posting more. As I've been reading more of other people's blogs, I like how many of them take on a focus or a goal but not wanting to just snag all the other cool ideas, I've been trying to think of cool ones on my own. I've had a few ideas but nothing I've loved yet. I probably will change from time to time to keep things interesting and not get bored of myself but I do want something. In the mean time, this morning I was looking over the calendar and realized there are 11 weeks left to summer- 11! That doesn't actually seem very long and I realized all of my lovely summer intentions/goals/plans need to get a move on if I want to be productive this summer. So. I wrote out a list of specific things I will dedicate each of my 11 weeks left of summer to, which in one way or another will help me towards my goals for the summer. While each week has a different specific thing I will do, I'm hoping 7 days will be enough to start a habit so the following week I'll shoot to keep that habit going, while adding the next week's goals to my plate. make sense? I'm posting them here so I can't flake on them. Also, it will keep me posting at least weekly and keep me focused on my goals. So here's to 11 weeks of improvement! 


Week 1: 150 minutes of working out

2 years ago, I was fresh out of my first year of college. Everyone I knew was home for the summer and I was living back at home. I decided to fill my time with two part time jobs which kept me on my feet and busy all day most days. I ate less because I was busy but I never ate too little- I just realized when I am not so busy, I tend to spend more time thinking about what i need from the grocery store, what new recipe to try, what I'm making for dinner/lunch, etc. A couple months into summer, I found a good deal on a bike from Craigslist and started going on long bike rides, especially at night after work. It was a nice way to unwind and deal with any stress I had on my back. By the time I was ready for school again in the fall, I had lost probably 10 pounds and was down to a healthy 125 and was feeling great.
    Shortly after the semester started I began dating Steven who is very athletic but also eats terribly! He was used to eating out probably on a daily basis and loves getting treats and dessert. I started gaining some weight eating out so much with him (and not getting the kind of exercise he was) and was up to about 135-140 when we got married last august. Part of that was birth control and stress but I still wasn't eating much healthier or working out like I should. When school started up again, I would do class from 8-12, work from 1-6, and get home exhausted and very stressed with homework, errands, dinner, housework, and my new husbands needs to all take care of. From that point up until a couple months ago, I gained another 20 ish pounds!!! (YIKES) The day I stepped on the scale to read 160 pounds, I knew something had to change. My 5'2 frame is not meant for so much weight and I couldn't feel good about how I looked or how I felt internally.
   Since then, I've been playing frisbee and getting more active but I still have a long way to go to get back to where I was. While I have been slowly losing weight since the 160, I still have a ways to go before I'm back to that 125-130 range. More importantly though than the numbers, I want to just get fit and healthy because that is what really matters.
   With this novel out of the way, comes the reason behind my first goal. By not restricting myself to days of the week (easier to mess up and get discouraged), I'm going with minutes of working out which will give the same results but will allow for some flexibility when I have busy days. I also realize that 150 is not where I'd like to be at the end of the summer, but when 150 becomes regular I'll hope to increase it as I go and see just how far i end up!

This is scary for me to make this goal public because I have such a hard time sticking with a workout plan! I really want to have a healthier lifestyle though so I'm determined to make it work this time.

What goals do you always find yourself falling back on?

<3 K

I cannot stress enough how much I LOVE not juggling work and school. while I am working full time again selling da insurance (not the most exciting job) it has been nice being able to focus fully on my work again and really put the extra effort into my work. benefitting from more bonuses doesn't hurt too much either though :) since the end of winter semester, we almost went to Florida, stayed up too late on many occasions, played frisbee till my body personally wants to give up all hopes of becoming athletic, and enjoyed some extra time with the fam.
To explain our almost vacay to Florida, we tried the whole standby deal and were only stood up. Our tickets are good for a year so maybe we'll go to celebrate graduation next year, who knows! as we waited to collect our luggage, we plotted last minute options to make a staycation out of the time we had as I already had work off. So we pulled into an adorable bed and breakfast near SLC to stay the night while we decided what to do. Our room was amazing and the breakfast was absolutely delicious. Here are some pics from the themed room we crashed in for the night.

The view first walking into the room. It was supposed to be reminiscent of the Titanic, hence the grand old fashioned decor, color scheme, and hints of boats and such throughout the room

I think sleeping in the round bed was my favorite part!

Steven insisted we find a place with a jet tub :) check!

We ended up deciding that gong to a resort nearby for the weekend, while fun and relaxing, would be frivolous and we'd rather save the money for when we DO end up going to Florida. However having a night away in a fun suite wasn't bad at all.

As far as becoming more athletic is concerned- it's a work in progress! I have spent at least the last two weeks with my shins wrapped and compressed, popping ibuprofen like breath mints, and walking like a gimp as my body rejects all the sudden running, cutting, and flailing of defensive arms. I understand the game much better than when I started last season but it's been frustrating being held back by my body. Last year I was slow running out of breath and such but I am more frequently getting a cardiovasular workout in. The only problem is my joints and muscles haven't quite been ready for all the stress. I think I've hit the recovery stage however which is exciting cause I'm ready to really kick some butt! My little brothers have even come out to a couple of our games and I believe have officially converted to the ultimate ways.

Speaking of family, they moved back! The boys just absolutely love Steven (aka Fred) and it's been so fun having them all around again. Plus before we know it, Josh will be home from his 2 year mission in Ohio and we are all so excited to see him again!

Elder Wilson on the left with an old companion. This picture was taken a while ago, but I just think it's funny :)

Any one else loving summer as much as I am??

<3 K

blessings :)

It's been far too long since I've visited my little blog here but boy do we have updates! since my last post Steven had surgery on his knee (sports injury/prevention), we had our first Christmas together, we moved into our new little apartment (it's so cute!), we've gone through almost an entire semester, Steven changed his major... in short- a lot! For the most part we are settled in the apartment although I feel like I'm always coming up with new projects whether they be decorating or organizing to cozy up more in our little place. Steven has made a good recovery from surgery although he's still going to physical therapy and building his strength back up. I'm just glad he's not having to hobble around on his crutches anymore! It was entertaining however to watch him play basketball over Christmas break with one leg and a crutch haha.
School wise we are soooo ready to be done for the semester so we can take a break and relax for the summer. I'll still be working at State Farm and Steven is going to take some classes but we'll both deffinitely have lighter loads! On top of work I'll be spending some time on a reasearch team at the university studying awesome psychology stuff which should be a good experience to put on a resume. I also was able to get a job lined up with a different professor to work as a TA in the fall! I'm super stoked because I had decided to quit my job in the fall and I let my boss know. There were just things I needed to be able to do during the school year that my current schedule didn't have the flexibility to allow. My boss is great and he understood but I was so glad to be able to get something else set up before I've even left so it won't be something to stress about in the fall. If I am unable to nail down an intern or other TA position for winter semester, I could also use the experience for my senior capstone project (oh yeah, I'm graduating next April btw!!!!!). So good stuff :)
I've been so grateful for how much Heavenly Father has been looking out for us this year. There has been a lot of change and I've been humbled as I've learned more about my own weaknesses. I feel like Heavenly Father has just constantly been there to help us along the way, even when I feel like there's no way I deserve so much love from him. Lately I've been worried about finances while we've been trying to get taxes done and make it to summer when I'll be working full time again. On top of this there was a miscommunication between Steven and I and we had to come up with $400 to cover expenses. Just when we had that worked out a bill came out unexpectedly (we were a month ahead but I forgot to stop the autopay) so we were down another couple hundred dollars. We recently replaced the battery in my car and Steven's is having trouble starting. THEN another unexpected situation came up yesterday that will probably be another couple hundred. I was starting to feel overwhelmed not knowing how everything was going to get covered when today a check arrived in the mail for Steven's financial aid. We applied for this shortly after getting married and had heard nothing back so we assumed he didn't qualify at the time. the check was more than enough to cover all our current expenses and then some. I just couldn't believe it and I still don't think Steven knows how incredibly pleasantly surprised I was when he showed me what had come in the mail. So that's my story for the day. Just getting to the good stuff <3