the unexpected domestic

comparing yourself to yourself.

So, y'all, I have been running almost every morning for 15-20 minutes.  For some reason, even thought I am proud that this is a lot more than where I was a year ago, this time has been disappointing to me.  I never could pinpoint why, though.  I was not comparing myself to anyone else's times.  And when you think about it, running for 20 minutes can actually be a long time to just run.  I mean, it really is.  But I still never could figure out what or who I was comparing myself to.  But then I realized it was myself!  I guess because when I was in my best shape I would run for like, 45 minutes to an hour, so I was feeling like this is where I should be.  But it just takes patience and a lot of hard work!  I'm pretty much starting from scratch now since I have previously done not much physical activity for a while. 

I will get there.  When I'm running, pretty much every time after the third lap I'm usually feeling like my legs are pretty tired and by the fourth lap, I'm done.  I guess since I'm running in the morning before work and lifiting weights in the evening, I feel that stopping after four laps is acceptable.  The other night, though, I wanted to do more.  I've been thinking that if I can get past that fourth lap, then I will be able to keep going.  It's just my mind I have to convince.  So instead of stopping after the fourth lap and going inside, I pushed and did tow more laps!  And Friday night I ran for almost thirty minutes!  That has by far been my best run and it felt great!  I didn't want to stop but at the same time I did.  you can guess which part of me won out.  I don't understand how I can feel two completely different things about the same thing like that.  I did reward myself with a nighttime swim in my in-law's pool!  it was awesome.  I have been wanting all summer to get into their pool after I've been running because I think that would be like the perfect cool down!  and it was.  I can't wait to do it again and again and again!

I definitely feel like I'm on the right track this time!  I have pushed myself to work out every day and even though I have not always wanted to or really memorable, I know doing this has been worth it.  self-discipline is hard y'all.

ttyl!  elizabeth.

moving on.

for the past year, there has been an activity in my life that I have been putting a lot of my thoughts and effort into.  It was something that at one time I really enjoyed and am very good at.  This past week I realized that I no longer felt the same about my project.  It just was not the same anymore and I could feel myself drifting to other things even though I still had not admitted it to myself yet.  

So what do I do now?  What am I supposed to focus my energy on now?  I have gotten on this blogging kick lately.  And I've been knitting some.  However, I think I know what my focus and energy is going into...being fit!  I have exercised every day for the past two weeks.  In fact, I've done it in the morning and then again in the evening.  I know I have already talked about why I love running and all, but y'all.  for some reason all I want to talk about is the latest workout I've been doing.  Luckily, I have some great friends who listen to me ramble on.

Once upon a time, working out and exercising was pretty much all I ever did.  Running and lifting weights and playing sports consumed me.  Looking back at that time in my life, I wish I had embraced it more.  Well fitness, here I am!  Let's do this.  Yoga pants and sports bras are already my best friends.  This past week I have pushed myself running more than I have all year.  You know, it's a lot harder to do mself than when I had a coach pushing me.  Ha!  But I fee like this is something worth putting all my energy into.

And how lucky am I that one of my besties is also just as much into her fitness??  It's pretty great to have someone that I know I can constantly relate to and to be an encourager.  Even though we do not do exactly the same thing, we can still encourage each other no matter the activity.  There are also many other outlets where I can get my fitness fix, too!  I'm hoping to convert my hubby but I'm not sure I want to do that because we work out way different. and only one set of adjustable weights.  ha!  I would love to find more fitness blogs to follow, it is always nice to find inspiration from other people with a similar mindset.

ttyl!  elizabeth

what's up wednesday!

what workout I'm doing:  running in the morning. strengthening workouts in the evening.

what I'm listening to: compass - lady antebellum

what I'm reading: living crazy love by francis chan

what I'm eating: a yummy luna bar! 'nutz over chocolate'

what project I'm working on: knitting a gorgeous purple scarf/shawl

what I'm wearing: blue jean, new navy blue button up, reef flip flops (my fave!)

what I'm wishing for: a pedicure

What I can't wait for: our family beach trip at the end of september!

What's up with you??

watering plants {thoughts}

I've gotten into a new routine of watering plants in the morning after my run and it is such a lovely time to do so! I began this just last week because honestly, my plants were looking pretty pitiful. As I was watering them this morning, I was looking at these plants that were such a pretty green that just a week ago were this brown-green color. This is not the first time that this has happened and every time I am amazed at what a little water and sun can do.
It got me to thinking of how awesome my God is and how he shows us examples of his love for us everywhere! To me, when I begin thinking about how everything works together and I see how everything he created is perfect. All of His creation is modeled after His perfect relationship with the church. Just as my plants thrived under a little bit of water and daily attention, so do we when we receive linking water from Christ. Jesus told the woman at the well 'But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall logive him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.' John 4:14.
Just as plants need water daily, God provides us with everlasting water! God is so amazing how He works out every detail of His creation, no matter how seemingly minute,

Saturdays should smell like clean.

Except today...haha! Just kidding. I am cleaning today. In fact, normally I get started earlier than I did today but I kinda stayed in bed a little longer. But you know what I mean! As a kid, Saturday was always the day to vacuum, clean my room, do yard work, you know, the whole works. Since I have gone to college and then got married well...I hadn't always done that.
However, earlier this year, I decided that around here I wanted Saturdays to smell like clean again! I still don't do it every Saturday but keeping things somewhat clean throughout the week helps a lot. I'm trying really hard to put things up after I'm finished using them. Which, you know what? It's sometimes hard to get in that mindset because this is my house! Shouldn't I be able to do things how I want? But I also want to walk into a room and not see stuff strewn everywhere. Therefore, I put my stuff up after I use it (sometimes). When I don't, I have a big mess to clean up. Like today.
But I'm rambling now, so happy Saturday y'all!

p.s. if you look at the dates when posts are posted, this was supposed to upload yesterday from my phone but it didn't!

goodbye to summer.

summer is wrapping up.  I can feel it in the air.  I believe we still have two more somewhat hot months ahead of us and I am glad for that!  Summer is definitely my favorite season and this summer was so great!  It seemed to fly by but when I think of all that has happened, it seems like summer lasted forever.  I am sad to say that I did not go fishing.  Not one single time did I sit in that boat and throw a line in the water!  I'm still not sure how this happened, but hey, there's always another day.  

We went to the coast both weekends that Kevin was home and that was fun!  For my birthday, we went to The Blind Tiger in Bay St. Louis.  Adam and Katherine drove over from New Orleans to meet us there and we had a good time visiting and eating some yummy seafood!  The fish tacos were the bomb!  The next weekend, we went to Margaritaville with our friends and of course, we had a good time there as well.  My favorite thing to do there is to stand on the balcony and look over the back bay.  We could see the rain coming and it was pretty magical.  I tried to take some pictures of the six of us leaning over the balcony.  The blurry pictures are my favorite by far.  I love how we all look happy :)
I want to do a fall garden and my brother-in-law has agreed to help!  Side note: both my husband and his brother are pretty great.  I know we need to hurry and get the ground prepared.  Kendall is the tractor operator and I am the tractor watcher, lol.  I need to decide what to plant, I know for sure I want to plant pumpkins!  and maybe some snow peas?  What else can I plant in a fall/winter garden?  I'm sure I will find plenty of ideas.

Currently I've begun a late summer garden.  Jessica began some plants from seed but did not have the room to plant all of them so she gave them to me!  I've planted them in a plot of dirt where some of my chickens used to live.  I don't expect much out of them, but I am hopeful that I'll get at least a few tomatoes and/or jalapenos!  This is what my plot looked like when I planted the tomatoes last Saturday and then when I planted the jalapenos Tuesday!

time flies when you're having fun. (or are just super busy)

So here's what happened. I had such a great weekend last weekend, and I really wanted to post some of the pictures and blog about it. But I didn't. And then we have had some great services at revival and I really was gonna write a post about it but I didn't. And then Jessica gave me some tomato plants to plant and I was gonna blog about that. But I haven't and I didn't.
Truly, I have been going full throttle all week and have just been keeping my head above the water. My mind has been completely scattered, I can't focus, I am just doing the task at hand that had to be done or something would fall. But there's only so long you can juggle things before you stop dropping them and you crumble under the stress. Which happened last night...but I will do more on that later, lets just say praise The Lord!
What I want to talk about right now is how I am comfortable and resting because Kevin got the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. That one thing has given me the freedom to take a much needed break and just take an hour for myself to do whatever it was I wanted to do and not because I have to get it done. Just doing one small thing for someone can do so much and make them so happy! I know I am fixing to get up and leave my little quiet time and fix chicken salad for church tonight and do a load of laundry before we leave. But, thanks to my loverly, I have one less task on my mental to-do list!