Life Update

Life has been flying by recently! A quick update on what is going on in the life of the Pickels.

1. I celebrated my 23rd birthday and my older sister celebrated her 30th birthday on September 16th.  We love sharing a birthday but was disappointed because this year we couldn't celebrate together.  Overall it was a nice, quiet low-key day.  As I get older I find that birthdays aren't as exciting as they once were.  All I wanted was to spend time with my husband and puppy, and that is exactly what I got!

2. My GRE is over!  It was exhausting but was surprised how well I did.  After the test I got a score range which was excellent! So thankful all my studying paid off!

3. On the birthday I had an interview, and the next week I was offered a position! Yes, I am going to be a working girl.  My first day is planned for this Friday and I am so excited about the position and the work I am going to be doing.

4. Last weekend I traveled with my parents and younger sister up to Cleveland for my cousins wedding. It was a blast! I hadn't seen many people in over a year since we missed Christmas, so I was wonderful to catch up with all my family.  Plus the bride and the wedding were beautiful! I am so happy for them!

5. I have been very preoccupied this week trying to get my NC registration and license plates before my Missouri ones expire at the end of the month.  The process is extremely frustrating and at this point I am praying I can get everything done this week before I start work.

6. The puppy is doing well and feeling much better.  She is starting to respond better to responds and we are working on some simple training.

7. We finally met some neighbors.  They have some dogs too, which is how we met them.  Although the dogs are older, Lyla still likes playing and I like finding some friends to talk to out here.

8. Still church searching, nothing really stands out yet.

9. I have lost over 30 lbs.  It has been nice to get compliments from those that have noticed, especially those that haven't seen me in a while.  The past two weeks I have been stalled, but with traveling and my birthday it was expected.  Overall, I was in my birthday weight loss goal and only 2 lbs away from the low weight in the range.  I call that a success, and now I am ready to set new goals for myself.

That was a quick update for those wondering what I going on.  Hopefully I can share some pictures soon from the wedding or talk in more details

3 Weekend Recap

Gosh I am behind.  The past couple weeks was very busy for us that I have yet to tell you what has been going on.

Well a few weekends back we had big travel plans .. kinda.  The hubby was in New Orleans for the annual Athletic Training Conference starting Sunday.  He had a great time down there meeting up with some friends and enjoying bourbon street in all its glory.

(Image Source)

And he also learned a bit too since I guess that is the whole point of the convention.  Although I wanted to, there was no need for me to go. I just stayed home and work while suggesting that it would be greatly appreciated if he brought me back some beignets from Cafe Du Monde.

(Image Source)

Side note about beignets - They are some of the most delicious deep fried dough you will ever have in your life.  If you are in New Orleans ever you must not skip out on this local coffee shop!  However, I must note that they do not taste as good when they are a day old and were smashed in a duffel bag all day. Oh well!

Anyways, getting back on track - I had to pick him up from the St Louis airport Wed at midnight.  Yeah, seriously! That's what you get for cheap tickets.  We drove the additional 1.5 hours back to his parents house, arriving nice and late.

We had planned to leave Thursday morning for Cincinnati to hang out with my older sister for the day, but because of a lot of complications and frustrations she was unable to get back to her place like she planned.  So instead we spent some extra time with Nate's family.

Friday we left for Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky and met up with my little sister for lunch.  We spent the afternoon together, bringing my doggie nephew to the dog park.

It was nice to see her since I hadn't seen her since my wedding last July.

Then we got to spend the evening with one of my college friends.  We had a nice dinner, some beer, and just catching up.

The next day we had a wedding for one of Nate's college friends.  So we got to our hotel early, did some relaxing, and even made time for an afternoon movie.

(Image Source)

Oh and I didn't mention I got to indulge in my favorite thing about Cincinnati ...

SKYLINE CHILI!

(Image Source)

Oh doesn't that neon cheese just look amazing.  Seriously though their cheese coneys are just simply heaven!  I was determined to make sure I had some skyline before leaving Ohio.   Mission accomplished!

Then of course we went to the wedding.  It was just beautiful and we had a blast!

I was very excited for my dress I found for the occasion.  Twenty dollars on the clearance rack and a medium size!  Also I was very excited for the alcohol.  I might have had two glasses of wine before dinner and I was definitely feeling it.  Hey, this was my vacation so I lived it up!

The next day we made the long trip back to Missouri, which reminded us why we don't go back to Ohio that often.  We had a great weekend  and it was worth it!

The following weekend was just as exciting.  Another day off of work for me, and another trip back to the in-laws place.  We visited with Grandma a bit since we knew we would be moving farther away. Our afternoon with her was hilarious as she kept telling Nate that he needs to get on "Who Wants to Be A Millionaire."  They were very insistent about it.

The rest of the weekend was spent hanging with some friends, yummy grilling, and Nate sorting through 10 years of Sports Illustrated magazines.

Here is what we started with:

And we ended up just keeping these:

I would say it was a success.

That Sunday we tried to go to St. Louis for some fireworks and a free outdoor concert with some friends, but it got rained out.  Since we were already there we just ate at the Cheesecake Factory and came home.

(Image Source)

And of course we didn't leave without consuming some delicious cheesecake.

Then on Monday it was our anniversary.  We treated ourselves by sleeping in late. Eating some cupcakes (since we didn't have a top tier of our wedding cake to save).

Took pictures of us eating the cupcakes.

Had a "fancy" dinner at McAllister's (don't judge - The Cheesecake Factory the night before was our treat.)

(Image Source)

Then sweating our butts off at the Cardinals v Reds Game.

Literally we were soaked through.  Luckily the Cardinals got us a win!

Those two weekends were just a whirlwind.  Traveling will do that to you.  Maybe that is why I spent most of this past weekend parked on the couch, except for my obligatory daily workout.  Yes, nothing exciting about this weekend although I was pretty happy to see part of the ABC Family Harry Potter Marathon.

We have so much going on this month.  Only 3 weeks left in Missouri then the big move!

These Are My Confessions

I am glad to see that I still have readers!  Thanks for keeping on coming back to visit my blog.  I will try not to leave you hanging so long next time.

Today I have some confessions I need to share.  Sometimes just saying them out loud/typing them on the keyboard helps relieve that pressure from carrying around those heavy thoughts.  Usually I keep things pretty light around here, but there has been a lot going on in my life lately.  I need to unload.  Most of them have to deal with my fitness and food goals, because that is where I am the naughtiest.

And although my confessions do not relate at all to the ones Usher is singing about here, I feel like it still helps to listen to the song.  Music Therapy - I am telling you,  its amazing!



So here we go...

1. I purposely skipped out on going to the gym for 12 days.  It wasn't because I wasn't feeling well, which might have been true at least one of those days.  I have many excuses, none of which are good enough.  This gym membership is supposed to be there to keep my accountable, but it isn't going to work if I just choose not to go because the weather is too nice out or I just want to sit at home on my computer.

2. I may have eaten at least 3 of these delicious margarita cupcakes, all at once and came back for more later.  My self control is almost zero, and I am an emotional eater.  These two factors do not work well together, and have caused me to be at a point I never wished to be at.

3. I am a bejeweled addict.  I blame the hubby.  He got me started and now I can't stop playing.  Sometimes I play so much and I just zone in that I am barely paying attention to what I am doing.

4. I have been sneaking Mt Dews. Sigh.  Not the throwbacks, but the bad-for-you regular Mt. Dews.  It is just so good.

5. I bought two dresses recently, knowing that it was probably going to make money tight at the end of the pay period.  I was right- money got tight, and I love my dresses.  Since I barely ever buy clothes for myself (despite what people may think by the way I talk) I will forgive myself entirely for this one.

6. I have been pulling away from friends and people out here in Columbia.  I know that it is 99% sure that we will be moving somewhere, we just don't know where yet.  It is hard to say goodbye so I have been pulling away from friendships to make it easier.

7. I know what I need to do to meet my fitness and food goals.  I just choose not to do it.  I am comfortable living like I do, this is how I have lived for 22 years.  Change is hard.  I even tried to tell myself this week that it isn't worth being in shape and healthy, and I almost believed myself.  I know what I need to do, but I need to keep that motivation going.

Well how is that for honesty?  That felt good.  This past week has been hard on me in many ways.  However, this week I have been more optimistic and have been trying harder to meet all my goals.  Nothing like getting started again! It's refreshing.  Glad we always have that option.

Positive Outlook and Other Happy Things

Sometimes I look back at the things I have said and they seem really negative.  I don't like to look at myself as a negative thinker, but it is right there in black and white looking back at me.

While we all make excuses for the stuff we do, I know that it is just that I am letting the little (and also the big) things really get under my skin.  Why am I letting stupid things bother me and put me in a bad mood?  There is nothing bad about my life at all.  I have so much going on in my life to be thankful for and there is so much happiness all around me.

Strawberries are finally getting into season and looking gorgeous! I got a 2lb container and we almost ate half of it in 1 day.

We are blessed to have two vehicles so that when one needs repairing, we can still get around.  And even more than that I have a wonderful hubby who let's me use his car so that my windshield doesn't break even more during my work commute.

I have some great co-workers who are easy to get along and caring about my life.  They even make me little emergency kits that they know I have been dying to make, but can't since I don't have a sewing machine.  And they even make it in my favorite color combo -yellow and grey.

I have a great boss who is so supportive and understanding.  She gave me this opportunity to get into higher education administration and has been so patient in training me and answering my questions.  Plus she gives really great gifts for Administrative Professionals Day.

Why yes that is Gourmet Beer Bread Mix from the St. Louis Budweiser Brewery

I have a great group of friends and wonderful life group full of fun people of such integrity and wisdom.  Each week they challenge me to grow deeper in my faith and be a better person every day.  And then laugh at that's-what-she-said-jokes and play Mario until all hours of the night.

And those little things in life that remind you everything is going to be okay.

Thank you Hy-vee Chinese fortune cookie for your wise words!

Blah, Blah, Blah

You know those days that you wish you could just curl up in a ball and sleep all day.  Yeah, today is one of those days.  Actually to be honest the past week has been one of those days.  My energy level has been zero. I have been sleeping at least 8 hours a night but am completely exhausted in the morning. I have been cheating on my healthy eating goals and neglecting the gym.  My emotions are at crazy levels and I can't make a decision about anything.  I don't want to hang out with friends and I don't want to cook (we have been out to eat so much in the past week).  I want to say things just to get a rise out of people.

Wow, reading that back I sound like a world class biotch.  So if you are feeling all happy and positive today, you should probably stop reading because today it is going to be an angry rant.

Things that are pissing me off lately:
1. People who say, "We always say, if you don't like the weather here, wait 5 minutes."

Okay this might sound stupid to get annoyed with that but really people?  This statement applies to the most of the people who live in the United States and especially the mid-west.  Missouri your weather isn't that crazy and isn't that special.  It's spring and can be 70 one day and 40 the next.  Get over yourselves.

2. The phrase "... And we will go from there."

What does that even mean? Go where?  You aren't telling me anything.  Actually try to be helpful, and tell me what the next step is.  Don't act all vague.

3. People who turn in paperwork and it isn't completely filled out.

Do you think I remember every person's name and you just don't need to write it down.  If there is a space for your advisor's signature, that means your advisor needs to sign it.  It would be a lot less work for everyone if you just filled out all the spaces on the form, because they are there for a reason.

4. People who don't think the rules apply to them.

Why should people make special exceptions for you?  Everyone else has to follow the rules and procedures, but you are so special you don't have to.  Grow up and deal with life.

5. Foods that are supposed to be good for you but taste like crap.

I am sorry but foods like tofu or edamame are not appealing and don't taste good.  It is hard to find examples of people who have healthy eating habits that I can model my diet after.  I know I don't eat great some of the time, but I would rather be overweight than eat some of the healthy crap people eat.  Gross.

Enough complaining for now I guess.

On a more positive note, I got my invitation to join pinterest the other day and finally set up my account today.  I am really excited about this! Check it out if you don't know what it is about. And follow my page!

No bun in the oven yet

Just because I don't feel well does not mean I am preggo.  Seriously, I am tired of everyone assuming that.  it is not funny. Yes, I am married and a fertile 20-something year old, but that does not mean I even want to be pregnant.  However, people feel the need to continuously remind me that now that I am married I should be pregnant.

(photo via google images)

It all started before I was even married, at my bridal shower.  My sisters and aunt hosted a beautiful shower for me.  So many people showed up and my future mother-in-law and future aunt drove with me up to Cleveland.  I had an amazing time and just felt so loved by everyone there.  That is until the baby jokes started.

"Ahhh she broke a ribbon. You know what that means ... (wink, wink)"

"Let's save the pink wrapping paper so we don't need to get more for the baby shower."

I was mortified.  Really, I am not even married yet and the baby talk has already begun?

Since then I get it every once in a while from different people.

"Oh you aren't feeling well.  You're not pregnant are you?"

And even one ballsy co-worker told me "If you weren't ready for children, why did you get married?" (Although that man is a head case anyways and I have learned to ignore him.)

I don't get why people think I need to rush into having a baby.  We were only married 9 months ago.  The hubby isn't even done with his Masters program yet.  We don't have a permanent location and are looking to re-locate soon.  I am still planning on going back to school for my masters.  Not to mention I am only 22 years old!  It's not even like I am getting old and my "clock" is ticking.

I see friends and co-workers with kids, and I just laugh at them and all the crap they have to put up with.  They no longer have lives outside of their children.  I am not ready to give up my life.

There are so many things I want to do with my life that I don't want the responsibility of being a mom.
- I want to be able to take vacations to where ever we want.
- I want to spontaneousness go to the movies or a softball game
- I want random week night date nights with my husband
- I want to be able to drive around and go shopping by myself
- I want to have a career not does not include being a "stay-at-home mom"
- I want to be able to sleep in as late as I want on the weekends
- I want to spend my money on clothes and shoes (not on diapers and formula)

This is not saying that I don't want kids ever.  We do very much so.  I just don't understand why we need to rush it.  Right now we are aiming for a puppy and that is it!

So this is your warning.  When I am sick and not feeling well for a few days, shut your mouth and don't mention babies.  Or else I might break out my moves from BodyCombat class.  It may just be a sinus infection, allergies, or stress.  No babies!

(photo via google images)

Monday Blues

At the end of the weekend you should feel refreshed, especially after a good weekend.

That is not how I feel today.  I was dreading the end of Sunday knowing that I had to be back to work today.  It is so hard feeling motivated at your job when you can see the end in sight.  Also, I have been feeling very anxious about changes possibly coming soon, and where it will take us.  My emotions are definitely getting out of control lately and today I just feel ughhhh.

To get me through the day, I just try to think of the great stuff that is going on in my life.

A beautiful weekend which I had the window open all day long, reaching highs of 87!

A fun game night with wonderful friends and yummy food.

(Not taken this weekend because I was kicking butt at Funglish)

A hard two-hour workout, the most I have done yet, and knowing I can continue to push myself farther toward my goals.

Fitting better into a pair of pants that didn't fit last summer.

A late Sunday run downtown to Yogoluv - my new obsession

Knowing that I have the most supportive and loving husband.

And looking through wedding photos all day - reminding me of how dreamy that day was, and how I get to live every day of my life with that man.

(Chris Aram Photography)

Single Lady ... for two days

The past two days I have gotten a little glimpse of what life would be like if I was single.  I have never lived by myself.  Either I lived at home, in the college dorms, with friends, or with the hubby, so when I get the house all to myself for a few days it is a little weird for me.

The hubby is on his spring break and since he deals directly with students (and they are all on spring break) he didn't even need to go into work.  He went home for a few days to hang with his family and some friends.  Unfortunately I have to work and could not take off since things are getting busy in the office.

So, for the past two days I have been living by myself.  It is a lot more scary than I thought and I am glad I have never done it before!  Sometimes I get a little paranoid.  One time in high school I was home all alone in my parents house for a week, and I was so freaked out I slept with the lights on and the land line phone in my hand. Seriously, true story.  Although I wasn't that bad this time, I still scare myself a bit.  I check the locks a million times -even locking my bedroom door, I turn on as many lights as I can, take super quick showers because I feel very vulnerable in the shower, and I stay up really late because I can't fall asleep.  Also, I can't watch scary movie trailers on TV - those suckers get switched as soon as they come on.  Yeah, I am kind of crazy.

There is that crazy side of me that is scared to be alone, but then there is the liberating side that I can do whatever I want.  It doesn't matter what time I get home because no one is waiting.  I can make whatever I want for dinner, and can watch whatever TV shows I want.  I can even watch marathons of SVU with no one judging me!

(Source)

What did I do these past two days by myself?

Well, I woke up and went to work.  Then hit up the gym for class.  Grocery shopped.  Ate dinner.  Watched TV while playing mass games of bejeweled.  Talked on the phone to my sister.  Showered and slept.  What can I say, I lead an exciting life!  In my defense work takes up most of  my days and these were weekdays we are talking about.

So my verdict on this single lady business - Overrated! 

I can't wait for the hubby to come home today.  Things are so much better when he is here!  For sure!

Stress and Life Style Changes

I have been in a funk the past few days so please excuse my absence yesterday in posting.  Work went from doing literally nothing (like one day last week I answered a few phone calls and that was it!), to getting into one of my busiest times with fall registration.  I like dealing with the students but when you bring instructors in the mix, it makes things very frustrating to say the least.  Very much looking forward to the future, which I hope to share with you later on once we start moving in that direction.

Today I would love to ramble on and tell you how much I am disliking my job, but I am not sure if anyone really cares to read all that.  So, I will just say I am bored, underpaid, surrounded by incompetent colleagues, and conflicting values that I feel like is a disadvantage to the students we are serving.  Although this might not be a very stressful job all the time, I feel stressed out.  I take pride in doing a job well done, and sometimes I feel like I can't fully do that and I am so limited.  I know I am lucky to have a job in this economic climate and others will say every place you work has people/policies you don't like, but I know this is a place that is not for me.  For now I will leave it at that.

Now for some positives in my life:

Today it has been over a week that the only liquid I consumed is water.  This is a major accomplishment for me since I was having either a Mountain Dew or Dr. Pepper every morning.  One of the reasons I have been successful in this is I have made the effort to stop grabbing breakfast on the road in the morning.  Instead I have been having my favorite Kashi cereal - Berry Blossoms, whole wheat english muffins with nutella, or scrambled eggs.  Although today I had to stop, I was running super late, I only got the Sonic Breakfast Burrito and no soda!  We have even gone out to eat a couple times and I just ordered water.  This past weekend I even treated myself to a new water bottle that has a counter to keep track of how much water you consume.

(can you see the numbers on the bottom of the cap)

I do have a specific weight loss goal but right now I am not actively losing weight.  I am trying to get a strong grasp on how to live and eat healthy one step at a time.  Maybe I will start losing weight slowly as I try to enact these changes, but I really want this to be a life-style change.  Just doing a diet to lose a bunch of weight all at once but then craving back all the food I deprived myself of is not what I am aiming for.  

So as of now these are some of the ways I am trying to live healthier:

1. No soda.  Mainly water and trying to get the recommended 8 glasses a day.

2. Taking vitamins.  I recently got these gummi vitamins for adults to help me supplement for vitamins and minerals I can not fully consume.

3. Minimize portions.  This is mostly focused on dinner.  I am trying to understand that I don't need as much food as the hubby.  So I have begun eating off our salads plates which are much smaller

4. Incorporating more vegetables into our meals.

5. Limit the amount of times I grab a quick meal through a window

6. Stopping myself before I get too full.  This is especially hard at restaurants, but I have heard that asking for a to-go box right away helps with the urge to eat everything on your plate.

7. Going to the gym 4 times a week for aerobics classes (that I get both cardio for BodyCombat and strength training in Tone It Up).  Or doing the 30 Day Shred at home when I told have time for class.

8. Keep a food and exercise diary of everything I eat and the amount of time I workout.  Also periodically recording my weight and measurements.

I know that there are other changes I need to make but I think for me it is important to slowly ease into things so that these things become long-term habits.  Hopefully later on I can challenge myself more in making new objectives.

On a different note, I have my first follower! Thanks Mal for following me!  Others feel free to follow me as well!  It is nice to know who is reading.

Sorry for the lack of pictures and all the text today.  It just a boring day!