Why We Decided to Get Married

Almost three years ago, Cody drove me out to Pine Hills in Southern Illinois and purposed to me.  I accepted almost before he got the words out of his mouth.  Pine Hills was the perfect place and I was there with the perfect person.  

View from the top of a bluff in Pine Hills.

Fast forward, after such a long engagement we were getting a bit antsy about finally tying the knot.  We had tried to plan a wedding a few different times, each attempt was more unsuccessful than the last.  Time, money, location, lack of vacation days saved up at work.  Take your pick and we've probably dealt with it. 

Hiking trail near the top of the bluff.

Two weeks before I flew up to see Cody I was chatting with my grandmother.  We started talking about the wedding, or lack thereof, and she suggested we just go the courthouse route.  Save the money and put it towards a big reception that we could plan at a much more leisurely pace.  That night, when I talked to Cody on the phone, I put the suggestion to him.  He took to the idea wonderfully.  

Revisiting the spot where we got engaged!

The planning started ASAP.  I didn't have anything.  No marriage license. No dress, No shoes. No minister.  No witnesses.  It all came together in the end.  The license, minister, and witnesses all fell into place.  Our minister was a good friend of ours and two of our BFF's agreed to be the witnesses/paparazzi. The dress ended up being a $40 cutes-y number (that I fell in love with) from Urban Outfitters.  I wore my Xtratuff rainboots as footwear.  It was perfect. 

Your turn...How much planning went into your wedding?

Currently listening to...Dearly Departed- Shakey Graves feat. Esme Patterson

Surprise!

So, I have been on a little blogging hiatus the last week or so.  Partly because I was in Alaska visiting Cody and partly because...

We got married!! Cody and I finally (after almost three years of being engaged) tied the knot in a small, intimate ceremony in Alaska.  I plan to do a full write-up about it this week.  I am also planning a few great posts about my trip.  Stay tuned for the scoop! :)

Outdoor Workouts: Mt. Pisgah

Mt. Pisgah is a 700ft sand dune that Specks and I frequent here on the island.  It's a pretty steep climb so I like to use it for working out.  Running uphill...in sand...is a chore.

We love it though! Specks and I will usually climb it multiple times in a row.  We climb our way to the top and then run down, at full speed. I always feel like such a kid running down a giant dune at full speed.  After catching our breath for a few minutes we repeat the task.  It takes me about 15 minutes to climb to the very top and back down with Specks.  We like to do the climb at least twice.  It's a seriously intense workout.

The views from the top help make this one of my favorite workouts.  On a sunny, clear day you can see all of the islands surrounding ours.  It's really beautiful to witness.  Michigan has such blue, open skies. On a snowy day there are beautiful views too.  Drifts of snow mix with the sand making for some interesting terrain. It makes the climb super varied and worth it.

Your turn...What are some of your favorite outdoor workouts?

Currently listening to...Sons & Daughters- The American Spirit

Weekly Schedule

The week I've been waiting for is finally here!! This is the last week of school before spring break and on Thursday I start my trek up to Alaska to visit Cody.  I'm really only planning out Sunday-Wednesday this week.  I'll be on planes and in airports most of Thursday and Friday.  Seriously though, I'm not complaining.  Especially after Cody sent me a couple of beautiful pictures of Juneau this week.  The mountains, the ocean, the overwhelming amount of green! I miss that place so much...

Ok, back to the schedule.  For the most part I'm just using up random stuff that I have in the house because I will be MIA from the island for a whole week. Don't want to come home to a fridge of moldy food. Here's my plan for the week! 

Weekly Eats

Sunday: Spaghetti, Salad

Monday: Veggie Pizza

Tuesday: Cheesy Baked Macaroni, Green Beans

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: N/A

Friday: N/A

Weekly Workouts

Sunday: Climbing Mt. Pisgah (x2) + 1 mile walk

Monday:  Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred

Tuesday: Hoop Fitness

Wednesday: Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred

Thursday: N/A

Friday: N/A

Your turn...Are you doing any traveling this week? If so, where are you going? 

Currently listening to...Clair de Lune- Debussy 

Birthdays

This is a big week in my household.  All three of its occupants celebrate their birthdays.  Specks is the first to get to celebrate.  His birthday was Sunday (3/15) and he turned six! We celebrated by going for a very long, fun walk and then climbing a 700ft sand dune.  Specks is all about the adventure.  He also ate way too many treats and napped with me on the couch.  Perfection :)

Today, we celebrate another exciting birthday.  Cody officially enters his mid-twenties today...such a youngster! I wish more than anything that he was here to celebrate with me.  We will be spending lots of time on FaceTime today.  I will most likely sing to him, which he will pretend to hate.  He will spend the day working and staying busy.  Luckily, he is in Juneau with all of our friends so they will treat him to a fun birthday celebration this evening. More than anything, I hope this year brings him love and happiness.  I hope he gets to go back to college this year.  I hope he climbs a few mountains this year.  And I hope he enjoys every minute of time with Specks and I this year.

Finally, we will wrap-up the birthday extravaganza on Wednesday with my birthday. This year will be odd for me.  I've never spent a birthday alone, much less hundreds of miles from family or Cody.  I may venture out for dinner with a few of my local friends.  It should be a very low key affair. I'll go home to Specks and get in some cuddle-time.  Not altogether a bad thing.  I'm happy to be a year older and I am happy to have a new year to work on goals and aspirations that I have for myself.

All in all, it should be a pretty nice week.

Your turn...How do you celebrate the birthdays of your furry friends?

Currently listening to...Thinking Out Loud- Ed Sheeran 

Snowshoeing on Lake Michigan

Sunday I went snowshoeing with some friends out on the very frozen Lake Michigan.  It was a nice opportunity to get myself out of the house for a few hours.  I spent most of my weekend in a state of laziness (by choice) and I knew I needed to get in a workout and some socialization at some point.

The temperatures were surprisingly warm.  After weeks of temperatures in the -10 to -30 range having double digit, positive temperatures was a treat.  I never thought that the upper teens would feel like a warm summer day.  I must confess, temperate climates have left me spoiled.

After a short hike through deep snow we came to our destination...Lake Michigan! From there, we hiked out onto the frozen tundra that is Lake Michigan in early March.  The ice was incredible! Huge hunks of blue ice were sprouting from the frozen lake and snow.  It was surreal to see.  The only other time I've seen ice this blue was when we climbed Mendenhall Glacier last winter. It is insane to think about this ice forming in such a short amount of time.

The ice was slick and the cleats on the bottom of my snowshoes were much needed.  The ground was uneven part of the time, which made for a unique snowshoeing experience.  I'm not sure that I would have made it without them though. Overall, it was a great workout and I was glad to get in a fun, unique way to get outside and exercise this weekend.

Your turn...Have you ever seen any blue ice?  What winter activities are keeping you busy?
Currently listening to...Riptide- Vance Joy

Basketball Games and R&R

This week has been crazy.  I've been truly astounded at how tired I have been every night.  It's like a freight train ran me over. After a week of standardized test preparation, professional development, coaching, and life in general I was ready for the weekend.  First, I had to coach and attend the Alumni Basketball game on Friday night.  It was a HUGE community event, complete with a martial arts demonstration, violin performance, singers, and a chili cook-off.  Lots of fun!

Friday at about 9pm...I was ready for a weekend of nothing but binge-watching Netflix and taking naps.  Ok, I guess I'll go grocery shopping and walk the dog.  I am committed to the boring-ness of a weekend holed up in the house though. It will be a glorious thing. 

Your turn...What are your weekend plans?

Currently listening to...When The Lights Go Out-Black Keys