Friday's Letters

Dear Friday, you are off to a great start! I finally got up for a 5am workout and I'm beyond pleased! It's taken a month to do an early one, but it's so much better than going to the gym after work! Also, I had time to style my hair so I actually look cute and put together for work! Dear Meredith, thank you for being so faithful to text me every single morning! I was so proud to be able to respond this morning telling you that I was actually up for the gym! By the way, I now look forward to those morning texts :) Dear family, I'm a comin'!!! I cannot wait to see y'all! I'm so glad I found a window to come home! I cannot wait to have a Dunkin coffee in my hand, smell the ocean, eat at some of our fav local places, and most of all...spend time with y'all! Dear husband, once again I'm so proud of you for eating healthy and working out! I'm especially grateful to you for working out with me! It's been so nice to have an exercise buddy! Dear dream last night, you were way too real! As sweet as it was, I'm not ready to be pregnant (yeah I totally found out I was pregnant in the dream...while visiting with my parents...which is coming up...NO.) so let's just say I ate dinner too late and it messed with my head. Dear God, you know the desires of my heart right now, and once again I ask that you help meet those desires if they align with your plans for me. Dear husband, (yes, again!) happy early birthday! I can't believe that you'll be 24! I know it's not old or anything, I just remember sending you a gift for your 18th birthday when we still lived so far apart...crazy how time flies! I hope you enjoy this pre-birthday weekend!

So those are some of my letters on this lovely Friday. Who are y'all writing to today?

-Kate

It's OK

Yay for Thursday!! Nothing particularly exciting on today's agenda, but it's almost Friday, so that's exciting enough.

 

Linking up with Neely and Amber for It's OK!

 

It's OK...

 

-that I'm finally going home to New England soon!!!

 

-that I've yet to wake up for my 5am workouts in like a month, because I still workout daily (just after work)

 

-that I won my first ever giveaway!

 

-that I'll be home just in time for my bestie's birthday!

 

-that I had NO desserts or coffee at Bible study last night! Who I am, besides crazy?

 

-that my first car is officially sold and I'm slightly sad about it

 

-that daily on my way to work I ask God for his favor and grace for me today

 

-that I really want to buy Macy (our cat) a Halloween costume this year (I found a shark costume at Target that would be so cute on her!)

 

-that my hubs turns 24 next week! Crazy! I remember when he turned 18! first gift I ever bought him :)

 

-that I REALLY want a heart rate monitor (with calorie counter) for working out AND a nice camera to take better blog pics with--anyone have advice on either product??

 

-that blog comments really do make my day!

 

-it's ok that I said "understanding" in a Boston accent yesterday (accidentally). I think my body knows I'm about to go home soon! FYI it's pronounced "undahstanding"

 

 

 

Ok, so those are some of the things I'm OK with this week! How about y'all?

-Kate

 

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

I'm so very grateful it's Wednesday! Even though I thought it was Wednesday most of the day yesterday...whoops! Here's what I'm loving this week!

I'm loving my sweet cinammon pumkin wallflower! Every time I walk in my house it smells like the essence of fall and it's AMAZING!

 

I'm loving my new Essie polish from the "All Laquered Up" nail polish swap! The color is a perfect Aggie color!

 

I'm loving that I won my first ever giveaway yesterday! Post will follow when the prize arrives ;)

So Excited!

 

I'm loving that I'M GOING HOME NEXT WEEK!!!! Yes, this has to be all caps because it's been 10 months since I've been home to Massachusetts (yes my hubby and I live in Texas but my sweet family still lives in Mass...where my heart is) I CANNOT wait!

 

 

 

 

I'm loving that my bestie and I will be baking pumpkin goodies when I go home because...it's what we do!! Here's what I'm thinking...

 

 

 

 

I'm loving that the hubs and I have been running together lately and getting back to biking! It's so nice to have a healthy eating/exercise buddy!

 

 

I'm loving this Polar heart rate monitor. I've really wanted a heart rate monitor for a while, but can't seem to decide on which one. Any personal recommendations? I also want it to have the calories burned feature!

 

 

And of course I'm loving my husband!

What are you guys loving this week?

-Kate

 



 

 

 



All Laquered Up: Reveal

Ok so I tried to do this post on my iPad on Friday the blogger app is really an iPhone app, so it doesn't work great on the iPad and I was having troubling putting my pictures up, so now it's Monday and here we are!

I recently participated in this awesome nail polish swap called All Lauqered Up! hosted by Megan and Angela and it was so neat! They assigned each of us partner and then (based on what they like and prefer) sent them some nail polish! My partner was the lovely Jennifer and here's what she sent me!

She sent me 2 Essie polishes and 1 OPI!

 



I put the Essie colors on my finger nails and the OPI on my toes!

 

This was such a neat package! I absolutely love the makeup bag and the nail file is so cute! I would highly recommend participating in a swap if you've never done one! It's neat to get to bless someone else and then one day open your mailbox and find a neat goody for yourself!

 

Have you ever done a swap before??

-Kate

Letters!

Dead husband you have made me so proud this week! I know I've said it all week long, but I really mean it! You have been so dedicated to your new healthy eating plan and your determination to exercise is great! I loved going on a run together and hope for many more! It was so nice to have a running buddy and even better that that person was YOU! Dear bestie I loved talking to you on the phone yesterday while I was working out! Even though it nearly killed me because I was doing cardio and trying to chat (struggling for air and my HR was going crazy) and people kept looking at me, but it was worth every minute! If only we lived closer! *someday*! Dear nails you FINALLY got painted last night! You were looking pretty sorry and now you are pretty and decorated with the gorgeous polihs I got in the nail polish swap (post for that coming later today!). Dear Starbucks why have we not reunited in weeks? I have two gift cards and they have not been touched! What is wrong with me?? Dear weather you have been amazing!! I love leaving for work and it's 59 degrees outside! Reminds me of fall back home in New England. Doesn't help the homesickness but I still love it! Dear Macy thank you for constantly meowing this morning while I was in the bathroom because you were alerting me to the giant roach on the ceiling. That woke me up REAL fast! (special thanks to the hubs for eliminating him). Dear God thank you again for always being our provider and longing to give us the desires of our hearts. You know some of the things that are on mine and Andrew's hearts right now and I'm continuing to ask that you help bring those desires to fruition. Finally...dear weekend here we are again! Please full of fun, rest, and productivity!

Thanks for reading! Who's on your letter list today??

-Kate

 

It's Okay

It's OKAY...

 

-to be really homesick...It'll just make the next visit so much sweeter!

 

-that I skipped my linkup for WILW...I couldn't think of anything I was loving this week

 

-that my in-laws are moving to South Korea in less than two weeks! they have such a neat adventure ahead and tons of memories!

 

-that despite Meredith's help, I have not been able to get up at 5:30 this week! Today I woke up around 6, so I consider it progress!

 

-that I ran 2 miles yesterday with the hubs! It's not a lot for normal runners, but it was certainly a nice change from interval running on the treadmill

 

-that I ran for 25 minutes straight on the treadmill this week (felt amazing and a personal best!)

 

-that I was so late mailing my nail polish swap (so was everyone else) and the post for what I got from my swap buddy is coming tomorrow! Super cute package!

 

-that the hubs and I cook dinner together almost every night now and I really look forward to it

 

-that I wasn't home for my brother's birthday...actually it's not okay, but we did facetime it, so it was ALMOST like being there...almost.

 

-that I'd rather create an "It's NOT okay" list because I can think of so much more that I'm just not okay with...nothing big, just random little things this week

 

-that most of my pants fit big or amazingly flattering now since I've been working so hard for the last few months

 

-that the gym is my therpay everyday!

 

 

What are y'all okay with today? 

A weekend at the Lake...

Lake Charles that is! You see, our plan originally was to go NOWHERE this past weekend because for the last 4 weekends, we have been in Houston for some reason or another (and it's getting realllllly old.) We love visiting and all but when you work Mon-Fri, all you want to do on the weekends is be home. So that was our plan, but when our friends called us up on Friday night and said they were doing a quick overnight in Louisiana and asked us to come along, we thought well it's not Houston  why not? Andrew and I also didn't really get to go anywhere this summer and we've been itching to take a trip just the two of us, so this seemed pretty neat!

We took a nice scenic route there, grabbed Subway for lunch (sticking to our health plan!), and OMG we found a DUNKIN DONUTS! (yes this has to be in all caps because they are so rare in Texas and I was on cloud 9!) Once we got to the hotel and settled in, we headed to L'Auberge. For those who don't know (I didn't till this weekend), it's a casino and resort in Louisiana. I'm not a gambler and we definitely didn't plan on losing money so Andrew and I took a few hours together and saw the full sights of the resort. They have an amazing pool, a man made beach where we sat for a while and just enjoyed some relaxation, neat shops, and even an arcade. We met back up with our friends for an amazing buffet dinner (I say amazing because the food was out of this world and the buffet was HUGE). That night we went back to our hotel, swam, and relaxed some more.



Got me some Dunkin!



We found the beach!


 

ahhh Relaxing...



Biggest gummy bear EVER!



Michal with the gummy bear!



Arcade time!



On Sunday we headed back to good ole' Texas, stopping at a hole in the wall place called "Starvin' Marvins". I kid you not. It was sooo good and definitely one of those restaurants you would find on the food network. We also found ANOTHER Dunkin Donuts (me on cloud 9 again!) and headed home!

Although we didn't stay home like hermits like we originially planned, it was nice to do an overnight together and go somewhere the two of us had never been before. We decided we need to start taking (and planning) more trips just the two of us. Since we did get married young, we're trying to value all the time we have just the two of us before we add anyone else to our family (if you get me) so hopefully more neat getaways will be in our future!



Our sweet baby was happy we were home!

Dear...

It's FINALLY Friday!! (cue "The friday song" from 98.1 back in Mass) I'm so very glad! I think *fingers crossed* we are actually going to be home this weekend and I've never been happier! I'm looking forward to time with the hubs, sleeping later than 7, football, and general relxation! I'm linking up with Ashley's blog for my letters this week! Here they are!

Dear Friday you're here!! Thank goodness! Dear Massachusetts/New England, I miss you more than words can express. It's been far toooooo long (9 months to be exact!) since I've been home and seen you and I hate that! I'm coming as soon as I can! Dear brother, I can't believe you will be 14 on Monday! What the heck?? I know we're 9 1/2 years apart but still, how can you be that old?? I love you and miss you so very much! I know we're 2000 miles apart but you will always be my brother and I will ALWAYS love you! PS We need to start face-timing more often! Dear husband, I know this life of ours has been challenging this past year, but I'm so glad we are in it together! Between you trying to start a business, me finding my breast mass (and that 6 month ordeal), me finishing school and working full time, and everything in between, it's been...well, kind of a nightmare. Having said that, I know this road has made us stronger and helped us realize the importance of God in our lives. As we enter this fall season, some GREAT things are on the horizon for us (only you and I need to know what they are for now!) and I'm excited for some new adventures with you and fresh starts! Also, I'm so proud of you for venturing on this health journey! You've been doing great this week! Dear blog, I feel like I don't devote enough time to you. I only post on the linkups and I'm ready to start updating about our day to day a little more! Dear God, thank you for knowing my heart and the desires of my heart. I know you long to give us what we want if it's what's good for us. You know the things I desire right now and I'm trusting you, hoping they are in Your plan too! Dear bestie (Andrea), I LOVED catching up with you this week. You will always been my best friend and I love how we can go awhile without talking (on accident!) and catch up like no time has best! You are always so supportive of me, encouraging, and know just what to say! I am happy when I am able to return that favor! Love you!!

So those are my letters! Thanks for reading! What are your letters today?? Anything sweet or maybe comical? Do tell!

-Kate

It's OK!

I am so glad it's Thursday! This week has felt incredibly long and the sad part is that I woke up this morning and totally thought it was Saturday for a minute... then sadly realized it was Thursday and I had to be up for work (o and my alarm didn't go off! Yeah, I set 4 alarms every morning-I'm a freak, I know- and not one made any noise I swear...thank God I have a body alarm that works!) Today I'm linking up with Amber and Neely for yet another "It's OK Thursday!"

It's OK..

-to have a slight obession with Bath & Body Works candles (at leasy my house smells good)

-that the entire face of one of my kitch drawers came off when I opened it the other day. Thank goodness for landlords who fix things!

-that I'm still not back to my 5:30am gym routine...o well, at least I make up for it after work

-that my alarms (yes all 4) did not go off today and despite construction I still made it to work on time!

-that I'm really behind on my graduation thank you notes! hopefully people will have some mercy on me since I had surgery the week after (it really throws a girl off!)

-that I ache and I mean ache for home...it's been 9 months since I've been back in Massachusetts and my heart truly longs to be there! My sweet husband the other day said "Do you want to move there?" in complete seriousness and I almost died...tears began to stream from my face and I realized just how home sick I am...

-that I'm obsessed with Kari Jobe's song "Steady My Heart" and listen to it a rediculous amount of time each day

-that I'm so over being gone EVERY weekend...seriously, we haven't been home in 4 weekends so this weekend *crossing my fingers* we will be home relaxing and not on the road to Houston!

-that I am tired of people opinions and thoughts about my (and Andrew's) life right now (where we should be working, living, etc)...unless I ask your opinion or you have something encuoraging to say please keep it to yourself :) thanks.

-that this verse spoke to my hear this week "The fear of human opinion disables;
    trusting in God protects you from that." Proverbs 29:25 (MSG)

So that's my list! What are you OK with today??

-Kate

What I'm loving!

I am so happy it's finally Wednesday! This week has been fairly uneventful except for the fact that the hubs and I started a 3 day fruit flush (check it out here) on Monday and it's been crazy challenging! My best friend and I used to do this same flush in high school (yeah we were weird health freaks our senior year) and I never remembered it being so hard...my poor husband has soldiered on and we made it 2 days! The prupose of doing it for me was to just clean out my system and help me refocus on eating REALLY healthy and for Andrew to break the cycle of eating sugar and prep his body for eating better. Now we're not giving up, but today I'm getting back to my normal counting calories, writing food down, making healthy choices, and he is embarking on a new healthier diet that we got from a friend (super simple and man friendly!). I really feel good after having done the flush despite it being challenging. It took me off of my daily caffeine which nearly killed me at work and helped me eliminate ANY processed foods which definitely can't be bad for you!

I'm really excited to have my sweet husband on this health journey with me because it's so much better to have a partner, especially the one you live with, on the same page as you! As I said, the week really has been uneventful which is nice, so onto my normal Wednesday routine...here's what I'm loving this week!!

I'm loving blog swaps! I just did a nail polish swap and loved the polish I received! Even got a cute make up bag and nail file! Will post picture later!

I'm loving my blender bottle! I've been using it for a while now, but this week I got the hubs one too and we mix everything from protein drinks to crystal light in it! Love it!

I'm loving these pinterest finds:

                                                    

I'm loving bath and body's work new pumkin hand sanitizer! My MIL and I tried some this weekend and I was in love!

I'm also loving those in our life that are encouraging, supportive, and kind to us. I know that's random, but after a long convo with the bestie last night, her and I established just how important it is to have those kind of people in your life. Lately I've felt very weighed down by life and many around us have been less than encouraging...at this moment only positive opinions, suggestions, and words are welcome and of course prayers!!

Finally I'm loving this song! Kari has an amazing voice and the words have spoken to me so much this past week! Seriously, in love with this song!

So that's what I'm loving! How about you??!

-Kate

It's OK!!

I'm so glad it's Thursday! Especially because I thought it was Thursday yesterday too, so now I can officially rejoice that tomorrow will start the weekend (well, after 5 that is)! I'm linking up with Amber and Neely again for It's OK! So here's my list!

It's OK...

-that I still can't get back to my 5am workout routines...at least I've been working out at night so I'm not skipping days!

-that my tape is still on from my surgery...dr said to give it two weeks (which was yesterday), but I may give it a few more days just to be safe!

-to finally wear a normal pretty bra and stop living in my sports bras!

-to be overly excited to leave work everyday because I get to walk out to my beautiful car

-to fully recognize that the gym is my therapy and without it, I start to go crazy

-that my hairdresser from Great Clips saw my drive by yesterday as she was walking out and stopped me to make sure I wasn't coming to see her & then asked how I was recovering! That's the moment when I love a small town :)

-to a have a mini-panic attack when the hub's phone has been dead all day and I haven't heard from him

-to long to visit home (Boston) and really enjoy the Fall weather...maybe soon!

-to try new Pinterest recipes all the time (behold my lasagna cups from last night!)

That's my list!

What are you OK with today??

-Kate

What I'm Loving!

Happy Wednesday! Thanks to the holiday this week feels like it's flying by! I hope y'all had a great Labor Day weekend! We spent the weekend in Galveston with some friends at their beach house and had a lot of fun! We went fishing, relaxed, ate (and ate and ate), and just hung out. Definitely a nice way to end the summer. Now, onto typical Wednesday business...It's What I'm Loving Wednesday!

here's what I'm loving this week!

I'm loving that football season starts tonight! I just wish my Pats were playing in the season opener, but I'll get to watch them dominate soon enough :)

I'm loving the beach! I'm gonna miss beach trips and certainly didn't have enough beach time this summer, but this weekend made up for some of it and I'm reminded how much I love being by the water!

This was a quick shot I snapped as we were leaving the island

I'm loving the today marks 2 weeks since my surgery! I'm feeling good and today I can start being a little less careful, but I'm still gonna take it easy. It's totally God and all the prayers that have made this recovery so smooth!

I'm loving this lock screen that Hannah made for me! This verse was on my heart and she did such a good job with designing it!

I'm loving that my brother started 8th grade last week! I can't believe he's in 8th grade! We're 10 years apart and he's like my child...they grow up tooooooo fast!



This is Cam on his 1st day!

I'm loving  my new car!!! Our sweet pastor and his wife sold us their car and it's been in the works for a few weeks now, but we finally got all the financing done and I was soooo excited to take it to the beach with us! God really blessed us with this car! It's dependable, runs great, and gets great mileage!

And as always, I'm loving my sweet husband! Yesterday I came home and he cleaned our whole house! I'm talking laundry, vacumming, made the bed, cleaning the cat box, the whole nine yards!! The best part was that I didn't ask so it made my day :)



Here's my handsome man as we were leaving the beach!

So that's what I'm loving!! How about y'all?!! I linked up with Jamie and if you have a blog you should link up too!!

-Kate