goals for 2014 and the zone perfect blog forward challenge

it's that time again! time to make some goals for 2014!

this year i've joined up with zone perfect for their 2014 blog forward challenge. i love a good challenge, so i'll be posting throughout the year as the challenge progresses. our first challenge is to share our resolutions and also post a letter to ourselves, so let's get to it!

.: fitness :.

• join the 100 club at pure barre by the end of march. 
• continue to work out at least 5 times a week until the big day. 
• i don't want to make a bunch of post pregnancy goals as far as this category goes. i've never had a baby before, and i'm not going to pretend i know how i'll feel afterwards. i hope to get my butt back into pure barre for the bounce back after baby program. and i hope to run some races in the fall. but we'll see. 

.: health :.

• stay within a healthy weight gain range for me (15-25 pounds). 
• join weight watchers after the baby is born.
• aim for 100 ounces of water a day. 
• keep a healthy snack on me at all times!

.:  spiritual :.

• finish reading the Bible. 
• join another connect group at church.
• begin volunteering at church.
• find a book about praying for your children and put it to good use. 

.:  everything else :.

• date my husband. life gets crazy, we get into routines, not all of them good. i want to make more of an effort to make him feel special and loved. 
• journal about my pregnancy and then the baby's life at least once a week. i might do it on the blog, i might just type it in a word document, i might just write it down in my planner... but i want to write it down. 

dear future self,

whatup!?! this is your january self. you know, the all excited, ready to make lots of goals self? so wherever you are in 2014 when you read this, remember how important these goals are to you. you spent a lot of time thinking them through, and they are extremely realistic. so when you want to get lazy and quit, suck it up, buttercup!

disclosure:  as a part of the blog forward challenge i will be receiving free product and other promotional items from zone perfect. but as always, all my opinions are my own, like them or not ;)

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looking back at my 2013 goals...

.: 2013 goals :.

.: running :.

• finish a 30k to celebrate turning the dirty thirty [completed 1.13.13]
• run a sub 2 hour half marathon
• run a sub hour 10k 
• finish a full marathon [completed 3.3.13]
• maintain my mileage around 15-20 miles per week after the full. 
• find my happy place again. [added 7.2013]
• run consistently. [added 7.2013]

well, running in 2013 was a hit and a miss for me. i started strong, coming thisclose to my sub 1 hour 10k (seriously, i finished in 1:00:00), completing two 30k trail races and my first full. but while i finished that full with a smile on my face, it marked a huge change for me. i didn't crave the run like usual. i found myself dreading the run. so i made a choice... i took a step back. i hope that i'll find that desire again soon, but it's just not there right now. it is what it is. 

.: weight training :.

• after the marathon, get back to a full out weight training plan [i've been doing a modified plan while my mileage has been increasing]. [back on track july]
• i don't really care about lifting PRs, i mostly want to get back to the consistent schedule that i was in before i started bumping up my mileage. 

i started a new plan (with the same people i'd worked with before) in july (a back injury kept me out for a while). it sucked a big one. brad did the plan with me and we went to the gym at night. there were too many people there. there were too many weirdos that were super chatty that would not leave us alone. and beyond that, i didn't see the results i wanted. i wanted to lose weight and gain lean muscle, not compete in a figure competition. my coach wasn't helpful at all. just like he wasn't helpful when i started stepping up my mileage for marathon training earlier in the year. when i got frustrated i got some really a-hole type emails back from him. and i was done. that's not how i do things. 

.: reading :.

• read at least 12 books from  the Modern Library's Top 100 Novels list.
• finish reading the Bible [in daniel now]
• read at least 10 non fiction books. 

it's almost laughable how terribly i failed at this whole category. i didn't read a single book from the top 100 novels list. i'm still not through the old testament of the Bible. i did read 10 non fiction books, so there's one :)

.: spiritual :.

• join a connect group at chuch [sunday school class] [we're connected!]
• finish beth moore's 'john:  90 days with the beloved disciple' [completed in april]
• pay more attention to where God's leading me. 
• make spending time in the Word a priority. [added 7.2013]

we joined a connect group in january and it was great. then our teachers moved and we went without a consistent teacher for over 3 months. it kinda sucked.  hopefully we can find a new group in 2014. 

but i was really happy with everything else in this category. not all of the goals were measurable, but i feel like i made a lot of progress. 

.: everything else :.

• limit computer time to 30 minutes a day on work days, an hour on any other days. [i'm doing pretty good on work days, but with blogging and other responsibilities, an hour just isn't cutting it when i'm off]
• lose the last 5 pounds... then MAINTAIN. 
• get my butt back to where i was last december. [added 7.2013]

the computer things was a good idea, but was a LITTLE extreme. on the days i worked, it was good though. i just want to find a goal that helps me balance the time i spend on my laptop. any ideas? 

i managed to get within 5 pounds of where i was last december. i found something that worked for me, and that was a combination of weight watchers and pure barre. obviously, i couldn't continue weight watchers once i realized i was pregnant, but i was really happy with the progress i made in this area. yes, i wish i'd gotten my sh*t together sooner, but i didn't. 




all in all, i don't feel like i accomplished all that much in 2013. which is weird, because i did do a lot of things. either way, i'm pumped and ready for 2014. and that post will be up and ready to go tomorrow :)

five things friday

what better way to ease back into blogging than an easy list? :) i've missed posting, but let me just tell you, falling asleep between 830-930 every night is not conducive to blogging!


first….
this has been a crazy week at our house. on saturday i was on my way home from work when brad called and asked if our vet's office was open (side note… isn't this such a guy thing? call me to see if the office is open rather than just calling the office. ahh, i digress). immediately i'm ask what was wrong. long story short, lyla had ripped off an accessory pad on her front paw while playing with riley in the back yard and was bleeding like crazy.

we took her to our local emergency vet and they stitched her up, good as new. she got a cute little leg bandage that brad claimed make her look like a filly ready for the races (can you tell we're from KY?). 

unfortunately, for her and her mischievous ways, she also came home the owner of a brand new cone of shame. it's been a big old pain in the you know what, but oh how we've laughed at her. (keep all your comments about what horrible parents we're going to be to yourselves ;) )

i mean, come on. that's funny. 

second…

we're doing a challenge at pure barre asheville: 20 classes in 30 days. just what i needed to give me some extra motivation to get my butt to the barre. my inner teacher's pet loves getting to put a star by my name before every class. yes, i'm weird. 

i've completed 5 so far (it was my on week at work), and am hoping to complete 7 in the next 7 days, wish me luck!

third…

i celebrated my 31st birthday on monday! brad totally spoiled me and even sent me these beautiful flowers:

my awesome brother sent me some super comfortable socks and a gift card to sonic (he knows of my major addiction to diet cherry limeades). i know i brag on him all the time, but truly, he's the best. i'm so proud to call him my brother  :) i'd love the show you the picture, but my computer is being STUPID and won't let me upload it.

my friend shannon also sent me these awesome forever stamps:

LOVE them.

fourth...
i'm still in love with pure barre. it rocks my sticky socks. and speaking of sticky socks, check out the ones that brad put in my stocking:

fifth and final...

aren't they the cutest??

Christmas Whirlwind

thank you all for all the well wishes and congrats on this post.  i really enjoyed reading all the comments! i've also really enjoyed reading all your Christmas posts. It's always fun to see how everyone else celebrates.

This year we had a week long Christmas :). Brad's family came in the weekend before Christmas then my family came the weekend after (and Brad, the pups, and I had our Christmas on the actual day).

It was great to see everyone, but of course now I'm worn out! And I do NOT want to put all these decorations up!

when i finally got the tree up with ALL the lights! 

only sweet when they're asleep :)

 lyla with her fancy poinsettia scarf after her bath.

she was also my wrapping assistant... aka miss try to eat all the bows. 

one of my favorite Christmas traditions.... Christmas eve candlelight service at our church.

lyla "helping" riley with his stocking.

and she's down for the count!

in case you missed it...

i'm so excited to finally share this with y'all! this is something we've been praying about for a long time, and we're beyond pumped that it's actually happening!

Just a reminder...

If you haven't already, please ship out your gifts for the sock swap! Please communicate with me or your partner if there are any complications!

When you all start receiving your packages, please post to social media and send me the link. I'll do my annual round up post when I get the majority of your all's links!

summary sunday and hbbc week 2

sunday:  rest
monday:  2 mile run/2 mile walk (4 miles total)
tuesday:  rest
wednesday:  pure barre
thursday:  3.1 mile run
friday:  pure barre
saturday:  rest

freggies & water:  all 7 days
plus a few FB points

31 points for the week

goal for next week? break 40 points! 

i was very proud that i managed to get my butt out of my warm bed on wednesday morning for pure barre at 6am. 

i love the accountability that i get from being in a group environment. i had also signed up for the class so i knew our instructor would be braving the weather to come out for us and i wasn't going to wimp out on her ;)

ps - i know i promised y'all a pure barre review... it's coming i swear! i'm trying to time it with my 50th class, so it should be in the next 2-3 weeks.