Make Every Day "An Event"

Good morning, y'all!  I hope your week is off to a great start.  It's the last day of winter break for me, which will consist of some reading/relaxing, cleaning, and getting a head-start on pulling some data for my teachers.  Fun times!

Yesterday morning, I was trying to wake Joe up for church, which involved the following exchange:

Me: "Do you want to go to church with me?"

Joe: "I kind of want to stay in bed."

Me: "Come on, it's the first Sunday of the new year!  We should go!"

Joe: "I like how you always try to make an event out of everything."

Me: "But it IS an event!  Every day is an event; we're alive!  That's reason enough to celebrate."

Joe then wound up getting out of bed and coming to church with me.

He's right, I do try to make an event out of everything.  During our first year of marriage, I'd recognize each of our month anniversaries.  I always recognize the first or last _____ of the year.  Half-birthday celebrations and birthday countdowns are regular occurrences for me.

Quite honestly, though, I have no idea where that last thing I said came from.  I've never really thought about each day that we are alive being "an event," but, the more I thought about it, the more that I pray that I live every day with that mindset!

You see, as much as we may not want to acknowledge it, tomorrow isn't guaranteed for us.  Here is what James 4:13-15 says:

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If tomorrow isn't guaranteed, then why shouldn't we live every day like it's a special event?  We get so wrapped up about what is coming up in the future that we often neglect today.  So today, and every day, here's my challenge for you:

• Praise God for today.  He gave us the gift of life today, so start it off by giving thanks to the Creator for this special day.
• Be PRESENT in the present.  Enjoy the event you are living right now!  Do whatever you need to do to be present in today.  Whether that's unplugging for a while, making time to share a meal with your loved ones, or just reflecting on the day, do it.
• Leave tomorrow for tomorrow. Matthew 6:34 says "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow bring its own worries.  Today's trouble is enough for today."  We can't enjoy the event of today is tomorrow is all we're thinking about
• Find something to celebrate each and every day.  You'll never get this day back.  Today is the only January 6, 2014 of your life.  So, do something that will make you look back and smile for the event it is.

My prayer for you is that we will live each day like it is a special event.  We can't get today back, and tomorrow isn't guaranteed, so just thank God that you are alive to see today and make it worth it!

Question for you: How is today "an event" in your life?
I'm thankful that I have one more day before school gets back into gear!  I'm going to enjoy doing my chores because I have the time and the patience to do them today.

HBBC Week 7 Recap

This week was the final week of the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge.  After essentially taking two weeks off (except for two runs during those two weeks), I wanted to make sure to end the challenge on a high note.

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Activity
I got in three days of exercise this week.
Monday-I ran 2.99 miles in the morning.  I was pretty pleased with this run after not getting in many runs during the holidays.  Plus, I felt really stylish in my new capris my sister-in-law gave me!  VT colors!

I also joined my sister-in-law for an hour-long bootcamp class on Monday evening!  It was a lot of fun, and I really challenged myself with some exercises I don't do very often (tire flips, box jumps, increased weights on many different exercise).  It was a blast, and it made me want to find a similar group in my area.
Tuesday-travel/rest day
Wednesday-in Jacksonville all day
Thursday-2.25 mile run with negative splits.  First run of the new year!

Friday-lazy/rest day
Saturday-I attended the Les Mills new release at my gym.  I went to 30 minutes of CXWORX, 30 minutes of BodyAttack, and 30 minutes of BodyPump.

I've been to CXWORX and BodyPump before (and enjoyed them, as always), but BodyAttack was new to me.  I REALLY enjoyed this class.  it's a high-intensity cardio conditioning/aerobic workout.  You can read more about it frm Les Mills' website.  This is something that I will be looking to add to my regular exercise routine!

Water
I did a great job this week of getting my 64+ ounces of water a day, meeting that goal every day except Wednesday.

Fruits+Veggies
I did not do so well with this during traveling, nor did I get many in this week.  I got 5-7 servings 3 days this week.

Points This Week: 28.24

Overall, I LOVED participating in HBBC!  Amanda does a great job setting up this challenge for people of all fitness levels to feel motivated and successful.  I would make sure to do certain things throughout the day or make a better choice so that I could earn more points.  Added bonus: I was being healthy, too!  I also enjoyed participating in Facebook group for added accountability and encouragement.  Amanda will have another challenge in the spring, so I'll be sure to post when sign-ups are open!

Question for you: How did you motivate yourself to make healthy choices this holiday season?

Goals for 2014

Good morning!  I hope your new year is off to a great start.  Joe and I have still been busy since returning from our Christmas travels.  On New Year's Eve, we went to our landlord/next-door neighbor's party and had a blast.

We woke up the next morning, drove to Jacksonville, and watched the Gator Bowl (Georgia vs. Nebraska) in the rain.

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Then we spent yesterday sitting around and clearing out the DVR.  It was much needed after all of the going, going, going we've been doing!  I also got in my first run of the new year yesterday.

Speaking of the new year, I wanted to share with you my 2014 goals.  I know these posts have been popping up all over blog land, but I want to document these so that I can come back a year from now and

Deepen my Faith
This is a constant goal for me, but especially because I've been in a slight rut with my faith lately.  I saw a sticky note in the bathroom at the Gator Bowl on Wednesday that really spoke to me:

As I deal with some worries and struggles right now, I know I need to deepen my faith so that I can trust in the Lord.  I've signed up for another Bible study already, and I want to establish time in the morning to read His Word before things get busy.

Run 14 in 2014
Last year, my goal was to continue running after I completed the Disney Princess Half Marathon.  Well, with 3 half marathons under my belt in 2013, I'd say I did just that!  My first goal for 2014 is to continue running by committing to run 14 races in 2014!  I saw a bunch of people doing 13 in 2013, so I signed up for the challenge through Jill Conyers' website.

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I chose to run a combination of distances and already have 3 races (2 half marathons and 1 10K) lined up for 2014!  There's still time to sign up if you are interested.  Just click the link above, and it'll take you right to it.  You can do a combination of distances like me, or you can commit to 14 5ks, 14 10ks, 14 half marathon, 14 marathons, or whatever your heart desires!

Reduce the Clutter
I have come to realization that I am a bit messy.  It's not something I'm proud of, and it's making Joe a little frustrated with me lately.  So, my goal for this year to reduce the amount of clutter I leave lying around and actually put things away when I'm done with them!

Make a t-shirt quilt
One way I can reduce the clutter is by getting rid of some of my t-shirts.  I have SO MANY shirts, but I never want to part with them because they remind of things.  Now that my sewing machine is up and running, I finally have a way to deal with some of them: making a t-shirt quilt!

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This is something I've wanted to do for a long time, so 2014 will be the year that I do it!  The picture above is what I'm hoping mine will look like when finished.  This will be a challenge for me, but it's one I'm willing to take on!  I found some tutorials online and have some friends who have made one before that I can use as a reference :)

Attend a Conference (or two or three)
I want to attend a conference this year, either for work or for blogging.  I love the community of like-minded people, the sessions are always interesting, and I always have a blast when I attend a conference!  I've been to a few math teacher conferences in college, but I want to get back in it this year.

Do Something Adventurous
I may just have this planned already, but I wanted to do something that puts me out of my comfort zone in 2014.  I'm THINKING that I'll go sky diving out in Seattle with my friend Kristie, but we will see :)

I originally only wanted to set 2 or 3 goals, but I think these are all manageable.  I'm already taking steps toward completing most of these, so I hope that I will follow through!!

Question for you: Do you set goals for the new year?  If so, what is one of yours?  If not, how do you celebrate the new year?

Top Moments of 2013

Happy New Year, everyone!  I had this post all typed up and ready to post on New Year's Eve, but apparently that never happened!  So, I'm going to go ahead and post it as-is, and you can pretend you are reading it on New Year's Eve :)

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Hey everyone!  Joe and I got back home today.  It's great to be back after about 10 days of traveling all over the Southeast!

Before we enter 2014, I wanted to take a look back and share some of my favorite moments from 2013 with you.  These will appear in chronological order.

1. Beginning the New Year in New York

Joe and I spent New Year's Eve in New York visiting his brother.  Even though the trip was technically in 2012, it was a really fun time.  We even got to see the ball drop without waiting in Times Square all day long!

2. Seeing a Manatee in Person

Also in January, Joe and I went to Blue Springs Park and got to see manatees!  I've been obsessed with manatees since 4th grade, so seeing one in the wild was so very exciting!!  I look forward to seeing them again this winter.

3. Running My First Half Marathon

After randomly deciding to sign up for a half marathon, I actually completed the Disney Princess Half Marathon in February of 2013.  I was not a runner before, but I am so glad to call myself a runner now!  I felt so accomplished after this run, and I look forward to running many more in the future (God-willing).

4. Visiting Kristie and Joe in Seattle

I had a blast spending my spring break out in Seattle with Kristie and Joe!  We enjoyed a day in Bainbridge, rode a ferry, ate some new-to-me foods, saw Mt. Rainier, visited the Microsoft compound, and hung out with a bunch of my friends that live out there.  What a great visit!

5. Taking the SCHS Key Club Officers to the Key Club Conference

I sponsored the Key Club at the school I taught at last year, and I had a great time with the three officers who went to DCON with me.  We learned a lot about the club and how to make it better.  It was great bonding experience, too, and we were all fired up to make Key Club even more awesome!

6. Seeing My Brother Graduate from VT

My brother graduated with his Master's degree this year.  I had a wonderful weekend with family and enjoyed celebrating Eric's great accomplishment!

7. Vacation with My Family at Emerald Isle

Joe and I joined my parents, brother, aunt, and uncle for a week at the beach in Emerald Isle, NC.  It was a fun week of sun, putt-putt, good food, games, and quality family time.  Yay family vacation!

8. Our First Wedding Anniversary

Joe and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary!  It was a low-key day, but I enjoyed celebrating our first year of marriage.

9. Valerie's Wedding and Bachelorette Party

Valerie and Nick got married this year, and the celebrations leading up to her wedding were fantastic!  It all started with the Bachelorette Party in NYC.  It was a perfect girls' weekend to send Valerie off to marriage-land!

The wedding weekend itself was wonderful, too.  It was a beautiful wedding, and I had a blast celebrating with her, Nick, and all our friends.  Congrats, Valerie and Nick!

10. Lots of Visitors
2013 was the year of visitors!  Joe's mom and sister came to visit a few times,  Andrew and Jacqui stopped through on their way to their cruise,

Krista and Josh (and Bubba!) spent July 4th with me,

my parents and brother came to visit,

and Kristie and Joe also came to see us!

We loved all of our visitors this year.  I hope there will be many more in 2014!

11. Starting a New Job

2013 brought about a new opportunity for me.  I took a job as a math coach!  Even though taking the job brought some turmoil, I believe I made the right decision in taking the job and have enjoyed the new challenge!

12. Fall Travels for Football

Joe and I got to see football games at both of our alma maters: Georgia and Virginia Tech.  In doing so, we got to see lots of friends and family, which is always a good time!

13. Attending the Living Proof Live Event

Beth Moore, one of my favorite Bible study writers and Christian speakers, came to Daytona Beach in November.  I was blessed to be able to attend the conference.  God spoke to me about many things, and I hope that I will carry those lessons with me in to 2014!

There you have it!  There were many, many more awesome moments of 2013, but I wanted to do 13 of them for the year.  I hope you have a wonderful time ringing in the New Year!  I'll see y'all next year! (hehe, favorite New Year's joke)

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I'll be back later today (or tomorrow...lots of cleaning to do today!) with the regularly scheduled posts :)

Question for you: What was your favorite moment of 2013?  I'd love to hear about it!