Showing posts with label commitment. Show all posts

Happy Anniversay | Nine Years


Nine years ago on this very day, I married Ryan Hollen. We have been together for a decade now and it makes my head spin a bit when I think about how fast the past few years have gone. Swiftly. I blink and a decade has come and gone. A decade!

 He was the person I wasn’t looking for when we met. Meeting another guy, a potential love interest, was very low on my list of priorities at the time. I was broken and broken hearted but there he was being introduced to me in a local coffee shop, the very coffee shop we would have our wedding reception a little more than a year later. I had only been back in Colorado a grand total of about four days. I had a camera in my hand and a bruised and broken spirit from the season I had just moved away from. We were surrounded by friends, music, and coffee. My happy place. A mutual friend introduced us and my life has never been the same. Somehow, in the depths of my soul, I knew that one day I would marry this bearded man, and I did. I’m so glad I did. 

Happy Anniversay, Babe! I look forward to many more years of winding down on the couch and having dinner after long days at work, once the kiddos have had tubby time and are tucked away in bed for the evening. I look forward to many more years of building a home with you, one project at a time. I look forward to many more years of going to see movies and getting to actually go have date nights. I look forward to many more years of little getaway trips, going to concerts, and just going out for breakfast every once in a while. I look forward to the day to day, the laundry folding and the emptying of the dishwasher. I look forward to playing more music, in whatever capacity that we can in the different seasons of our lives. 

I’m so glad I was at that coffee shop that day, all those years ago. I’m so glad I said “I do” in front of our friends and family nine years ago. Ryan, you are my person forever and always. I love you! Thank you for taking care of me and our kids so well. 

WHOLE ME | Whole 30 Week 3

I only have about one more week until I have officially completed my first Whole 30. It feels like it's gone fairly quickly and I feel like I could eat like this on a continued basis, with some alterations. I haven't been nearly as hungry this week. I've snacked less, which is good because that's one of the things they stress about in the book: minimal snacking. I've landed into a routine of cooking the same meals over and over again, but I really don't mind. I've found a few that I really enjoy and I just keep going back to them. 

I am now starting to research my reintroduction into the world of food once my 30 days is over. I haven't completely decided what I will bring in to my diet yet or not. I know that I will be way less strict at family get togethers or when we go out to eat. I want to still be able to enjoy my life with food. But, I also am realizing how certain foods make me feel and I don't know if I will reintroduce certain things back into my life. 

The reintroduction process from Whole 30 looks like this....You can find this list here....


Here is what I ate this past week. Some of these don't look very glorious, but I assure you, these meals were all delicious. 



B: Banana, Blueberries, Almond Butter, Coffee
L: Lots of Veggies, Ground Beef, Compliant Tomato Sauce, Tomatoes, Garlic, Spinach, Mushrooms
D: Snack Tray. HB Eggs, Plantains, Dates, Guac.


B: Sweet Potatoes, Chicken Sausage, Fried Egg, Hot Sauce, Coffee
S: Strawberries, after my workout
L: Same spaghetti sauce creation and veggies
D: Chicken, some paleo mayo with hot sauce, guac.  


B: Sweet Potatoes, Chicken Sausage, Fried Egg, Coffee
L: CHIPOTLE!! My favorite thing ever. 
S: Grapes and Turkey
D: Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken, Asparagus, Fried Eggs, Hot Sauce


B: Smoothie with Mixed Berries, Pineapple, Spinach, Almond Milk
L: Chicken Sausage, Spaghetti Creation, Veggies
D: Snack Tray: Grapes, Turkey, HB Eggs, Guac, Plantains 


(Sunday Morning, at work) 
B: HB Eggs, Larabar, Banana, Coffee
L: Shrimp Stir Fry w/ Coconut Aminos 
D: Birthday Dinner at FIL's. Chicken, Salsa, Salad, Grapes, La Croix. (He grilled me special chicken for the occasion. Everyone else had really good looking burritos...) 


B: Sweet Potatoes, Yellow Bell Peppers, Fried Egg, Coffee
L: Spaghetti Creation, Chicken Sausage, Lots of Veggies
D: Snack Tray (again.) Snap Peas, Grapes, Guac, Plantians


B: Sweet Potatoes, Chicken Sausage, Coffee
L: Shrimp Stir Fry w/ Coconut Aminos, 
S: Grapes and Coffee while working at a coffeehouse
D: Lots of Veggies, Spaghetti Creation, Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken. 

What I'm Learning This Week: 
1. I have been having insane dreams lately and sleeping like a rock. 
2. I'm snacking less, which is good. 
3. I haven't been nearly as hungry as before. A lot of dinners are just kind of snack trays. It's probably so I don't have to cook something. 
4. My spaghetti sauce creation is delicious but I'm pretty sick of it now. 
5. I can't wait to go to COSTCO today and restock on a ton of stuff. 
6. My allergies have been super bad but I think that's just how it goes for me. 
7. I can't wait to weigh myself next week. 
8. I've been pinning a lot of recipes for moving forward on Pinterest.