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.

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

busy busy busy

well it's been quite a while since we've had an update on here and it's about time! life is wonderful, crazy, and never a bore. being married to your best friend is a great adventure. you don't think you have more to learn about eachother until you live together, then boy do you learn! there are times when you have to stretch yourself, rise above your habitual ways, and really take a step back and take a look at the bigger picture. not that marriage is a trial, it's not :) but if you plan to learn and grow together you have to be willing to actually do so. nhat may mean some discomfort, perhaps some arguing, and maybe a slight feeling of insanity of times. BUT this is all good for us. not to mention all the simple joys that come from married life, it's just overall a great deal. now, words of wisdom aside, here is what is new with the Shepherds! the wedding was great and the reception was such a kick butt party! Of course small details fell through but it was too late for anyone to really care and spending the night with family and friends was priceless. the next day steven and I left for Vegas where we flew out to cabo san lucas, MEXICO! our resort was right on the beach and it was gorgeous!! I will forever wish to wake up to the sound of waves outside my window. my favorite thing we did there was snorkeling (although I did swallow some salt water in the process). SO awesome. poor steven got sick while we were there though so we spent a decent amount of time aroung the resort. we still squoze in time for horseback riding, massages, and a dinner cruise though, yay!

well eventually the honeymoon ended and the reality of real life sunk back in as classes started up again. while the apartment came together fairly nicely as we got settled, it just hasn't been a great fit for us and we decided to look for someplace closer to school and work, in a student complex, and with a dishwasher :) and we found one! so, we will be moving in the beginning of december. oh, and did I mention we can paint the walls WHATEVER color we'd like? double bonus.

besides the big stuff, I crashed our scooter last week and am currently recovering. in reality I didn't get it too bad but my right let did get pretty banged up and some of the cuts are getting infected so thursday the doctor gets to check that one out. but no broken bones or serious trauma so i'll take that as a win.

Steven is working hard to wrap up his midterms this week and then we might get to relax for a weekend until my second round of exams starts up. sometimes it feels like we just run non stop until christmas. speaking of which I AM SO EXCITED FOR THE HOLIDAYS THIS YEAR!!! not sure if it's just that it's our first round of them together as old married people or if its because it means visiting everyone i miss and love. in a few weeks, we'll be flying to Colorado for my sister-in-law's wedding so we'll get to see all of Steven's family. Then thanksgiving in st. george with mom, the boys, and lots of grandparents, cousins, and aunts and uncles. then christmas in nevada with daddy-o then off to Portland for a friend's wedding!

so a book and a half later, here we are, decently up to date, just getting to the good stuff <3