Lynchburgers List

I'm a list girl, can't you tell? :) After the announcement yesterday, I've been thinking a lot about the things that I want to see or do before leaving Virginia. I know, I know. I just got through hammering in the fact that nothing is set in stone. What can I say? I'm a planner.

With so many people committing to "be local", I've started thinking about making the most of our time here in Virginia. I have lived here for 8 years and there is still so much of Lynchburg I haven't seen! How terrible is that? Part of the goal of this list is to get my hubby out of that apartment more. He is such a homebody that he would totally be a hermit if he could {LOVE YOU, B!}

• Visit Smith Mountain Lake
• Take a picture with the LOVE sign downtown
• Photograph the Lynchburg sign on Wards Road
• Purchase goods from the Lynchburg Community Market
• Walk through Old City Cemetery
• Visit the Peaks of Otter
• Be photographed in front of Downtown Lynchburg graffiti art
• Photograph a model on a downtown photoshoot
• Document Liberty's growth and changes
• Hike up to Sharp Top

I'm sure this list is bound to have some changes and additions, but I can't think of anything else right now. Any suggestions from other Lynchburgers? Yes, that's a thing now. You're welcome. 

Figuring Out What is Next

So the hubby and I followed this guy around last week. 

Let me back up because that just sounds creepy. Josh, the guy in the picture above, is a tour guide. Some of you are aware that for the past few months, B and I have been considering a move. It wouldn't be anytime soon! We are talking 2 years down the road about May/June 2016. [Eek! That's actually more like a year and a half now. Can you believe it's almost October?!] My hubby is working on his Master of Divinity right now -- 94 loooong credit hours, but he's over halfway done. Realizing this, he started looking into what his next steps would be. A lot of people assume that he is studying to be a pastor by default. Although he definitely is the shepherd of this family, his goal is to become a teacher, preferably in a college/university setting. 

The issue is that a lot of jobs in this area require a Ph.D. Typically, you need to at least have one degree higher than what you want to teach. Makes sense. So, B started looking into schools and stumbled across Southeastern in Wake Forest, North Carolina. 

I should have warned you that this post would pretty much turn into a photo dump. [Also, don't mind the watermark. I'm experimenting with it and I'm def not sold on this one] I promise we did more than take pictures, but my hubby was kind enough to let me take some photos of him [rare occasion!!], so I had to take advantage of it. I need all the practice I can get!

Too. Much. Schwag. 

Anyway, we loved the campus and the professors were incredibly friendly. B was able to make a few contacts and check out what this might look like financially. We both had such a peace that this is the next step in the journey for us. 

As I mentioned earlier, this is something we have been talking about/praying about for months. Until now, we've kept it relatively hush-hush. So why the announcement now -- over a year from the time these changes will be made? Well, we covet your prayers. I am the type of person who can be happy anywhere. Until we started thinking in this direction, we were perfectly content to live out our days here in Virginia. Now, we both feel like this is the direction to which God has called us. Even though the peace is there, there are a ton of things that need to fall into place, in order to make this change happen. 

First, we need to graduate. It would be much more difficult for me to get a job in my field with half of a degree. B can't get accepted to the Ph.D. program without his completed Master of Divinity. That brings me to the next thing. B would have to be accepted to the program. There isn't really a reason why he wouldn't be accepted once his degree is complete, but this part is pretty much completely out of his hands. That can be such a nerve-racking thought. BUT then you have to come to the conclusion that, really, everything is out of our hands. If B is accepted, we would still need to get jobs. We would also like to purchase our first home right out of the gate so we don't need to worry about moving twice. From what we've seen, the price to rent an apartment is not much more than an average mortgage payment would be in some areas. However, all of this hinges on us relocating and finding jobs...which hinges on whether or not B gets accepted. He can't even apply until next fall! The next two years are going to be such a time of transition.

Aside from a request for prayer, I also wanted to post this on the blog because I have been feeling more motivated to make some changes, in light of the time we've spent there. There is a great emphasis all throughout the campus on making disciples and bringing the gospel to everyone around us. This is such a great reminder, but it's so easy to get caught up in self. I'll speak for myself, but it is so easy to be caught up in what I want to do in my life. There is not enough of an emphasis in pouring into others. What good is it to be moving up if you're not bringing others with you? What good is it to hold tightly to the gospel if you aren't sharing it with other people? We were so challenged in the small amount of time we visited. We could tell that there is definitely an environment that has an emphasis on accountability and growth.

Although there won't be any tangible adjustments to be made until 2016, it becomes more important to me now to hone my photography skills and develop some DIY/crafting skills. I figure that I might not be able to just walk into a job in my field. So, if I can use these skills for a part time hustle in the meantime, that would be amazing. I'll be showing you my first rehab project later this week. 

I know I have kind of been all over the place with this post, but there's a ton going on. So many changes. Pray for us as we work and pray through this thing. We know that if nothing else, God will be teaching us to trust in Him all the more. What about you? Was there a time you can recall where you made a move on faith, looked back, and realized that it was no one but God. I'm sure your story is encouraging, and I'd love to hear it!

Guest Post: The Hubby

I thought it was only right that the first guest blog post was from my husband. I know this isn't really in line with the main thrust of this blog, but I wanted to do something a little different. I mentioned my stud of a husband earlier in the blog. 

He wrote this during the engagement stage of our relationship, and I figured I would share it with you. A few of you may have read this a few years ago, but it is certainly a good reminder for me, too!

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I don't normally use writing as an outlet as much as My does, but I felt the need to do a post on what we believe and what we're learning about marriage.

Those who are close to me know I am not a fan of clichés. I like going against the grain and looking at things from a different perspective. This is especially true in regards to marriage. The popular teachings on marriage either come from Genesis 2:24 or Ephesians 5:22-33. Though these are great passages and wonderful truths are found in them, they tend to be overused. I believe the Bible has a lot more to say about marriage in passages that are not easily found in the concordance. Admittedly, they may not deal directly with marriage, but there are principles that can be applied to marriage.

For example, 1 Peter 2:18-25 gives us a great insight on how servants should respond to their masters. Peter says that servants should be subject to their masters with all respect -- not just to the ones who are good and gentle, but also to the ones who are unjust (1 Peter 2:18). Peter explains that this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly (1Peter 2:19). I like to call this the principle of being a living sacrifice.

In Romans, Paul appeals to Christians to present their bodies as living sacrifices. In his letter, Peter seems to be giving a practical example of how to do this. Naturally, a servant is willing to serve a master, who is good and gentle. Likewise, it is natural for a servant to be unwilling to serve a master who is unjust. However, Peter commands believers to become living sacrifices by being subject to their masters, despite them being unjust.

This goes completely contrary to man’s sinful nature. Why would Peter and Paul command believers to serve and obey someone who is unjust to them? Should not these masters be punished for their injustice? Peter goes on to explain that obeying unjust masters is a gracious thing in the sight of God because of what Christ did. Christ committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting Himself to God who judges justly (1 Peter 2:23).

If anyone should have been punished it would be those who reviled and abused Jesus. He had every right and the power to do so, if He pleased. However, had He immediately punished those who were unjust to Him, His ultimate goal of redemption would not have been accomplished. Therefore, in Jesus’ suffering, God the Father was glorified. In the same way, God is glorified when we suffer unjustly for His sake.

Now, you may be wondering how this relates to marriage. I would reply that one of God’s purposes in His planq for believers is for them to be conformed to Jesus Christ. One of the main ways God does this is through relationships. Peter gave the example of the relationship between a master and servant. However, the relationship between the husband and wife may be the relationship that most effectively accomplishes this.

Interestingly enough, this is the relationship Peter speaks on in the next chapter. He tells husbands to live with their wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel since they are heirs with them in the grace of life, so that prayers may not be hindered (1 Peter 3:7). Peter’s command demonstrates the distinct roles, yet the equality of the husband and the wife. The husband’s role as the leader is not to be one of dictatorship. An example of dictatorship would be where the husband does what he pleases with the family’s finances. Servant leadership – the ideal role – would be where the husband listens and strives to understand the ideas of his wife and then makes a decision that is beneficial to them as a whole. The husband in the first example treats his wife as a second class citizen, while the second husband values his wife’s opinion and consults with her.

Though I and my very beautiful, smart, kind, and awesome fiancée are not yet married I do admit I struggle in the area of understanding her. She may have a thought or idea and I tend to reject it, without considering her feelings or seeing things from her perspective. This is usually due to my own personal opinion or feeling. However, as a husband in training I need to seek to understand her feelings and opinions before my own. Though naturally my sinful nature will want to say “what?”, “NO”, “that’s crazy”, “why would you do that?” or any other condescending phase or tone that belittles or discourages any idea she may have.

This principle even extends to times where I may feel I have been treated unjustly by her. Again, naturally, I would want to get angry and take it out on her; but, I must remember our relationship is meant to conform me to Christ. One way to do that is by being a living sacrifice. Even if I am wronged by My, I am called to love and understand her (though that may be exactly what I do not want to do). This is what the principle of being a living sacrifice looks like. I am to do this, not because I love My, but because it was what Christ did for me. I have wronged and rebelled against him, yet He died in my place. He suffered the wrath that I earned. Now that I have Christ as the perfect example of love, I should model it towards My.

I should seek to understand her, despite our differing opinions; and I should love her, even if she has wronged me. Though there are differences between the marital relationship and the servant/master relationship, the principle of being a living sacrifice is clearly shown. This is a principle that I will earnestly strive to apply to all areas of my life, especially to my future wife. By this, I honor my wife and glorify God.

Photo Credit: Tom Butler of Seven Hills Photography

Unexpected Hiatus

WARNING: This is going to be a wordy post to get you up to date. If you're new here and want to start from the beginning, click here!

Hey, I'm still here! Sorry for the unexpected hiatus. I've been feeling under the weather and needed to get caught up with homework before I got caught up here. Man, starting over is hard to do! I fell off in a major way!

Of course, once I got sick, all I wanted was comfort food aaand, really, who wants to work out when they're sick??? [...Actually I knew this one guy in undergrad who would go for a run whenever he got a cold. Seemed to work okay for him!]

While I have been away, I have had several people text, email, or just ask me in person about my hiatus from blogging. Thanks for keeping me on track. I gotta stay committed to the mission. 

There are a couple of things that I do want to make clear:

This is not a weight loss blog. Once this goal is met, I will move on to the next goal. This blog is more about learning about myself, building confidence, and following through on the things I've spent far too much time just talking about. I think a lot of women my age [and some guys too] have goals that they would like to meet or bad habits they would like to overcome. For a lot of the women I've talked to weight or confidence are big issues. Some people are just learning a new skill or hobby. This blog is about all of that. It's about learning, growing, and enjoying the journey. 

Right about now, it is time for an update. I mentioned earlier that I fell off in a major way. Yeah, I'm pretty much back where I started. I posted my starting weight here in case you missed it. I weigh much more than I should at my height [5'2"]. To put things in perspective, I now weigh what I should when I'm pregnant full term. Aaand because some of you will read into this what you want: I am not pregnant. Gotta make sure I make that clear.

Even though I started off strong this month, I got lazy and gained it back. This cycle is getting old. Can anyone out there relate to #thestruggle? I thought so. :) So, I am postponing my goal of losing 20 lbs this month. I'm gonna go ahead and make that the goal for October. For September, I just want to finish strong. I'll make a baby step of dropping 10 lbs. by September 30. I went running again for the first time in a while last night and it was rough. I did two miles, alternating walking with running. I used my handy dandy Couch To 5K app. If you haven't already checked it out, you definitely should!

Because this isn't a weight loss blog, we'll move on over to our other updates. I'm still working on updating the blog with a home tour [apartment tour?]. I've been compiling a list of projects I'd like to complete around the apartment so I can update you. I also need to update the pictures I took. For real, for real. ;)

The eyebrows are still looking decent. I've been plucking the stragglers and think I can get another two weeks out of my stylist's work. Yeah, I'll call her a stylist since I haven't been able to pull it off on my own yet. I heard about this NADS facial wand from a commercial. Have any of you tried that? It makes doing your own eyebrows look super easy...I'm suspicious. Anyway, I will be trying it once my eyebrows return to that unruly state. I'll post a review the results when I can!

What else? What else? Oh! Perhaps this isn't as exciting for you as it is for me, but one of my coworkers offered to create a banner and logo for me to use. This will be debuting on the blog as soon as I can figure out how to add them on here shortly :). I hope to have this done this weekend along with some decor projects I've been working on, so stay tuned!

#19. Give birth naturally [Become a mother]

I'm just going to go ahead and open with this. Brandon and I want to have a big family. To be specific, we are talking five on the conservative side, but we would like to have seven children. I've been telling people this for years, so most of you probably already know this. 

We know it will be expensive and a lot of work. If this is not what God has for us, then so be it, but children are definitely part of our long-term goals. Because we are both still in school and want to work to pay off as much debt as possible, we are being patient. It is definitely a struggle, but I am definitely learning to enjoy where I am now. I'm using this time to focus on fitness and try to hone some of the skills I mentioned on my list (sewing, photography, etc). If I can use these skills in the future to supplement our income, that would be great. One of my goals before I turn 30 though is to begin the journey of motherhood. I want to at least have our first child (hopefully, a boy) by the time I turn 30. 

I knew I wanted to be a mother long before I knew what career field interested me. I can thank my own amazing mother for this. I have definitely dropped the ball in appreciating her as much as I should have. My mother is a woman who has always cared. She cared enough about my sisters and I to discipline us but also to encourage us. She cared enough about my father to display loving submission, even when it meant she may have been disappointed at times. She humbly served the Lord for years before she was ever given appreciation or recognition for it in public. She is the kind of woman who, to this day, still rises before the sun to ensure she schedules time to worship the Lord in reading the Word and in prayer. She is strong in her spot, and clings tightly to the faith she holds. She is not perfect, but she seeks to honor God in any way that she can. I would be satisfied if I end up being half of the woman/mother that she was and is today.

My father is and has always been the strong, silent type. I love this about him. He is a rock, and he is unyielding. He has worked hard for years to ensure that my sisters and I had everything that we needed. My father has been a listening ear and a shoulder to lean on. He has managed finances in our home in a way that I hope I can figure out as well. He serves wherever he is needed. He has been a deacon, sound guy, youth leader, etc and is quick to step in if his skill set can be used. He has always emphasized education and pushed us to strive for the best we can. I used to be happy to know that I had a father who stayed, but he is so much more than that. He loves deeply, but reminds us not to be too sensitive to what other say or do. He taught me how to separate the actions from the person and learn to love unconditionally. There is so much of my father that I see in my husband, and this is what makes me so excited that I get to do life with B for the rest of my days. 

Well, now I have the urge to call my parents and remind them that their sacrifices didn't go unnoticed. Have you told your parents how much you appreciate them today?

#13. Graduate!

Forgive the grainy photo. I found this gem on Facebook

Missed you again yesterday! Homework is a beast these days. For those of you who don't know, I am about two years away from completing my Master's degree. I'm working at it one class at a time, while working full time. It is absolutely a struggle, but in two years, graduate school life for B and I will be over! ...it still seems so far away. 

When I think about it, though, I could say this of all of the goals I put on my list. It seems that there is so much to learn and to do. It can be easy to get discouraged or to slack off. This blog may just have been the kick in the pants that I needed to start working toward these goals. About four years ago (maybe five?), I remember having a conversation with my friend Bri. We were talking about her engagement at the time and my excitement to move on to that stage of my relationship with B (which happened a year later). What she said back then was so wise that I still think of it these days. She said that she is learning to be content and enjoy every stage of her life.

I guess that spoke to me mostly because I was eager to skip ahead to the good stuff. I wanted to be married with children and a career (Bri and I were interns at the time) as I'm sure most girls dream about in college. However, rushing through life is definitely not the way to go. If I go through this program and only learn the things noted in my textbook, I will have failed. I want to be the type of person who learns as much as she can from situations and circumstances. I want more than just knowledge. I want to gain wisdom. 

One of the skills I hope to develop during this stage of life is better time management. This would be a huge improvement in many aspects of my life. For one, I'd be able to post on this blog more frequently! I need to get better at staying focused and tackling the task at hand, rather than putting it off. I need this skill in a bad way when it comes to homework. It's easy for me to get distracted by tv, housework, and glancing at my dreamy husband on the other end of the couch. ;) That one was for you, Babe. 

But, looking at B won't get me through the program, sadly enough. I heard of this rule called the twenty-five minute rule. You commit to 25 minutes straight of work and then take a five minute break. It's supposed to increase productivity. I think I will give that a try today and see how it goes. I can move a load of laundry or grab a snack or just streeeetch in the five minute break. This might actually be good. 

What about you? Do you have any tricks to help manage your time? I'd be happy to take some suggestions!

#7. Make a tulle skirt [Learn to sew]

So, in case you haven't already checked it out, I updated my 30 Before 30 list with a few edits. I kept the numbering consistent so that all of the posts I've done thus far still work. So, shall we continue? Today, I'm talking about Making a tulle skirt/learning to sew. I've been wanting to own a tulle skirt for some time now.

Because looking at photos like this:

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How could you not?!

Now I don't know if you've ever priced a tulle skirt before, but they can run anywhere from $50 to over $100! I'm hoping that if I make my own, I can cut down on the price tag a bit. Now, you may be wondering how this item survived when it could easily be yoked in with the new item of developing my own personal sense of style (more on that later). You've got a point. However, I want this sewing skill to extend beyond just making this skirt. I want to be able to sew to help in home decor as well. I have been wanting to spruce the place up with pillows, curtains, and runners for our kitchen table.

In fact, here is the fabric that I purchased from JoAnn's to make my first runner.

It's a nice fall fabric, don't ya think? I bought it last. year. Yes, and I still don't know how to sew. I know fabric is expensive and investing in a proper sewing machine would be costly too, but I could do so much in the long run if I was able to master this skill. Do you know how to sew? How did you learn? What's the best item you've sewn so far?

Just Checking In...

Hey, sorry that I was MIA this weekend. I wanted to check in and let you all know that I'm still here! I've got to start with a heartfelt Thank You to all of you who have been following along. It means a lot to me that you have taken time out of your day to stop by and read through my ramblings. Also a big shoutout to Lillian who was the first to comment on the blog. It gets a little lonely in here talking to the walls haha. 

Before I go any further into this blog, I want to make a few comments about the feedback I've been getting from you guys. Please don't think that the fact that I have started a blog means that I have it all together. If you've been reading along, you realize that the theme of this thing is all about figuring it out. This is why I am loving your feedback. Some of you have emailed or text me or even told me in person that you like the idea of the list and that the conversational style of the blog, which I am happy about since that is what I was going for. Some of you have also reached out to me about being workout buddies. I'm all for accountability!

However, some of you have given me some feedback that causes me to think about the need for further clarification here. Although I have a long list of goals that I've published here on the blog, there are other things that I have set in my heart as goals that I won't include as part of this list. These are things such as growing in my walk with Christ and learning to love my husband in the way that I should -- consistently and unconditionally. These are things that I will talk about on the blog because I don't mind being transparent, but they are not on the list because they can be so abstract. I've even decided to remove that bit about memorizing a book of the Bible. After some thought, I don't believe these things are the types of things that should be checked off as done. 

I'll be making some changes to the list here shortly and updating you with a few posts, but I'm trying to finalize this list first so that I don't mess up the numbering. I plan to have this done and have a new post up for you by tomorrow. I'll check in with you guys then!

#11 Snatched {Eyebrows}!

Hey there, good-lookin'!

Sorry that I'm posting a bit later than usual. It's been a busy day, so let's get right down to it. Here is what I look like on a regular day with freshly snatched eyebrows. Snatched, is that still what the kids call it these days? *shrugs*. Anyway, I've come to realize that some people have a different perspective on this, and that's fine with me. I personally believe that getting my eyebrows done is the best thing I do for my face. I was talking to a friend awhile back about the fact that I was feeling kind of drab (actually about my weight) and frustrated with my look. She asked me what one thing might be that I find makes me feel beautiful and confident. I immediately thought of my eyebrows. I also remember they were looking kind of rough that day! :)

Now, quick disclaimer: I am in no way saying that you need to wax your eyebrows to look nice. I've met people who have really nice natural eyebrows and they are beautiful! I've also met people who have shaved their eyebrows and draw them on everyday. That's not my particular calling, but what God has for you is for you. I kid, I kid. Anyway, I feel like getting my eyebrows done just makes me whole face look more put together. 

However, I know people pay through the roof to get their eyebrows done. I found a place here in town that charges $8, so it's not bad, but I would love to learn to do them myself. I've seen a bunch of tutorials on Youtube, but I figured getting them done and then practicing keeping up with them will be a good way to start. Baby steps. As a side note, this little pulled back fro is my look for the day-to-day. BUT that's a post for another day :)

What about you? What one thing do you do that pulls your look together? Do you manage your brows yourself or do you pay the pound of flesh to have someone else keep them up? No judgment here. I've been there :)

#5 Go out for a night of dancing with my husband [learn to dance]

When I say this song has been in heavy rotation for me, it is no exaggeration. 

Go on, watch the video. You know you want to!

See what I mean? There is something about dancing that is so freeing and fun. I remember sitting as a guest at quite a few wedding receptions and wishing I had the confidence to just get out there and dance. Just listening to the song without the video, you can tell Whitney had fun with this one! So for this item on my list there are a few things at play. 

First [and probably most obvious], I can't dance. Yes, I know I'm black. Moving on. The way I see it, dancing has a lot to do with confidence. It's about having fun and not being concerned with looking ridiculous. That's the part that keeps me glued to my seat in public. I can rock an electric slide though! ;)

The other hurdle to overcome is my someone who loves me. My husband has no interest in dancing. Part of me wonders if he feels the same way I do -- loves music but just doesn't know how to move. Some of you witnessed a different side of B at our wedding. He assures me that it was the first and last time anyone will see him like that. -_- I'm not giving up on this one though. Four years is a long time -- long enough to change his mind. Hey, a girl can hope, right?


P.S. If you haven't noticed, I'm skipping around a bit in the list. *shrugs* I do what I want. :)

#3 Photograph Every Day For 365 Days

This photo is what I would use to earmark the beginning of my photography journey. I didn't realize it at the time, but this evening at work in a call center with a gorgeous view began my love of capturing beauty in scenes, people, and moments. This is just a normal sunset over the mountains in Lynchburg, Virginia. There was no editing and this photo is straight out of the camera. It holds a special place in my heart -- especially since my office has moved and I will never have this exact viewpoint again. It was a sad day when I realized that my office was moving to a different building. I mean, WHO GETS to enjoy this view while working late at night?! Not me. Not anymore.

Anyway, I add this 365 day challenge to my list because I want to see improvement in my photography. I am not starting the challenge until 2015 because I want to get the basics down first. In searching for the best way to go about this, I stumbled across a deal that was too good not to share! On April 5, 2014, my sweet husband bought me this beauty:

It's been four months and I still haven't mastered the thing. My goal is to learn to shoot in manual mode with confidence. I don't have plans at this point to become a professional photographer, but it would be nice if, in the future, my skill level allowed this to be something I could fall back on! My real purpose in all this was to be able to capture moments of my family. The hubby and I are miles away from any close family, so as we go through life and grow our family [eventually -- no, I'm not pregnant], I want to be able to capture photos of our kids and share them with our families. So far, I feel like I've only lucked into a few good shots whenever I have tried to photograph people. I am glad I had the camera to capture the moments and memories, but I know I am not using this girl to her full potential. Oh, in case I haven't already mentioned it, her name is Ruby. Yes, I named my camera. Moving on...

Anyway, I have been feeling at kind of a loss because my shots with the camera were hit or miss. I am big on blog hopping for home decor and kept seeing ads for a company called Shoot Fly Shoot. You can check out their blog button on the side of my page. Since these ads and rave reviews were on some of my favorite home decor blogs, I figured that I would check it out. They have instructional videos for visual learners (!) to help explain the concepts for shooting in manual mode. 

I loved what I was seeing, but the only cringe-worthy part was that it was $67 for a Photography 101 online course. Now, I know that the price isn't much compared to the cost of other photography classes or workshops. A local photographer is offering a one-day workshop in town later this month with an overview of the same information for $150. So, I really can't complain about a $67 price tag for videos I would have access to forever to watch and re-watch. However, I knew I would want to have the Photography 102 course as well, which included editing presets in the package. Normally, this would be about $130, but Shoot Fly Shoot offered both for $97. Again, still less than the one-day workshop in town, but my husband and I are working to pay off debt and I couldn't justify this price tag for something I am doing as a hobby. Then, I found that Kevin and Josh, the amazingly generous guys at Shoot Fly Shoot, were offering a 30% off coupon. The code is "SFS30" for any of you who are interested. I had to act on it. Now, I have access to both courses and the presets for the price of just one course! If you've got a DSLR that you're still trying to figure out, go ahead and use the blog button on the side of my page to take advantage of the discount pricing! 

Now, by way of a disclaimer, I did decided to partner with this company to help get the word out. I've watched most of the videos for the Photography 101 session already and it's all been explained in pictures and easy-to-understand terms. I love that they break it down for those of us who are struggling with the switch from Auto to Manual. Come learn with me! Let me know what you think!

#1 A Focus on Fitness

On Monday, September 1, 2014, I stepped on the scale and this is what I saw:

Yes, I know I just put myself on blast. I mentioned that one of my fitness goals yesterday was to lose 50 lbs. This goal is about consistency and maintenance, rather than just going on a diet. The ultimate goal is more about health than seeing an ideal number on the scale. My job is sedentary in nature and I don't do much to combat this. I am convinced that my neck and shoulder pains are due at least in part to the extra weight I've been carrying and my sedentary lifestyle.

Obviously, health is not measured by a magic number on a scale, but I know me. I know I need a number to measure my progress. Becoming a runner is something that I've been saying I want to do for the past year. How embarrassing is that? I am no closer to reaching this goal than I was when I first started saying it. Anyone will tell you that the way to accomplish these fitness goals is simple:

Establish healthier eating habits
Hit the gym [workout] with consistency

One story I find particularly inspirational is Bubba. I know Bubba from work and he is a testament to what had work and consistency can do. To date, he's lost about 220 pounds in a little over a year. Check his blog when you get a chance!

Of course, introducing these habits is easier said than done. My biggest problems are that I hate working out almost as much as I hate most vegetables and healthy foods. What's a girl to do? I've got to just push through it. The plan is to find healthy foods that I can tolerate and a way to make working out less dreadful more enjoyable. Easy enough, right? :) 

I plan to incorporate Zumba and Couch-to-5k training, in order to keep me on track with workout goals. Yesterday, I restarted the Couch to 5k app on my iphone. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this app, I would definitely recommend it. I love the way this app tracks progress. The bigger beast to conquer is my unhealthy diet. My hubby and I are super picky eaters, but I need to face the music and start incorporating vegetables into my diet, while laying off the sugars. My love affair with carbs will be a STRUGGLE! 

As a smaller goal to tackle first, I am trying to shed 20 lbs by the end of September. Yes, I know this still seems like a lofty goal, but I think the increased activity and introduction of healthier foods will help me to lose more weight initially. Then, I'll focus on tone and maintenance. I've got to take this thing one day at a time. What are your favorite healthy meals/snacks? Show me the recipes [*cough* Chelsea *cough* *cough*]!

Allow me to reintroduce myself

Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is -- well, you can call me My.



Most of you have been here before [Hi, Dad!] because I started this blog yeeeears ago [I'm talking 2011] and struggled to maintain it. Enter the purpose of this blog. 

[My husband and] I have noticed a pattern in my life of making grandiose proclamations of goals and then failing to follow through. If you know me, some of you have noticed this pattern too. Anyway, I figured that it's time that I become a woman of my word. So that's where all of you come in. I've decided to go public with this because I want you all to know about the goals I am trying to achieve. I'm sure at some point, I will need to be called out [in love] for straying off track. I also covet your prayers along the way. I know I can't accomplish this on my own strength. So let's dig right in. Here is the list:

Lose 50 lbs. by the end of 2014

Memorize a book of the Bible

Photograph every day for 365 days

Purchase and decorate our first home

Go out for a night of dancing with my husband [learn to dance]

Host a Thanksgiving/Christmas dinner [learn to cook]

Make a tulle skirt [learn to sew]

Run the Virginia 10-miler

Swim in the ocean [learn to swim]

Write letters once a month to long-distance friends/family

Tame my own eyebrows

Find the perfect red lip look

Graduate from the Master of Arts in Professional Counseling program 

Learn to shoot a gun

Take self defense classes

Learn to do a french manicure and pedicure

Reach a 6 on the Big Hair Bettyy Length check t-shirt [learn to care for my hair]

Start and maintain a blog

Give birth naturally [become a mother]

Learn to type [correctly] and speed read

Build or rehab a piece of furniture

Rollerblade through a park

Host a dinner party

Ride in a hot air balloon

Rock a job interview

Begin a career in my field of study

Become fluent en espanol

Photograph a stranger

Travel to Europe

Plan a 30th birthday bash

September seems like a pretty random month to get started, but if I'm gonna make a change, it's got to start now. One of these days, I'll get it right. I'll look back to this post and be grateful for the day that I started to take my goals seriously. I've already been able to cross off some items off of my Apartment to-do list since I first launched this blog. I've also added a few things :). You can check that out here. I'll have before and progress pictures to post by the end of this week. (hold me accountable for the follow-through)

I know this was a wordy post so thanks for hanging with me. I plan to include more pictures and fewer words. For the next 29 days, I'll flesh out each one of these goals for you while we get acquainted.  I'm so excited about this journey and delighted that you've chosen to come alongside me.