I already miss randomly belting out, "It's the MOST wonderful time of the yeeeear!" Christmas? Come back!
Let's talk about the undeclared resolutions that happened to yours truly in 2014:
1. Zucchini, broccoli, sweet potatoes? I never had it in my plan fall in love with, let alone, eat more veggies!
2. Personal development. I seriously jumped right in! It's been a total game changer! 20 minutes while getting ready (thank you Audible) and throwing in a Jim Rohn CD in the car!
3. The 6 pack I somehow acquired at the end of Spring. I'll be working even harder for that this year!
4. Starting CrossFit. One year ago, I wasn't even thinking about CrossFit. I knew very little about it. With that: competing!
5. Moving and eliminating television from my life. (You'd be surprised how much crap is in the news!)
Now onto, what I would love to see in 2015. These are things I will work on, but let's be real here, these may not happen and other (possibly even BETTER) things may arise.
1. We know traveling won't be an issue considering Colorado, Hawaii, and St. Louis are all in the picture.
2. Priorities. Really figuring out what my priorities are at 24/25 years old.
3. Really being in the moment on the travels I have in 2015. Documenting every moment, taking notes, and exploring!
4. Working on my weaknesses at CrossFit: rowing, pull ups, snatch to name a few!
5. Stretching more! I'm fairly flexible, but I could always be better! Plus stretching will release tension in other areas (back, neck, and better recovery).
I was going back through my recent posts and I didn't realize I forgot to fill you in on a couple of things!
First off, the Saturday before the holidays is when my family had Christmas. First stop: tattoos with my mom and sister!
There is one thing that can get my heart to stop and my sweat to be uncontrollable and that's getting tattooed! This one wasn't as bad as my wrist...but maybe that's because my friend Tracy did them! Go visit Heroic Ink in Ames (precisely right around the block from my apartment)!
My mom was such a trooper. Not only did she go first of the three, but her first words, "...That's it?" TROO-PER.
Somehow my mom and I were so distracted that we didn't get a photo of Andrea getting her new ink. But my sister did a good job of making sure she got photos of our finished product!
These sparrows signify myself, my sister, my mom, and the pink as my mom's mom (my grandma Cookie) who passed away from breast cancer. When she was going through treatment, she had a small glass sparrow that had a story along with it. After she passed, my aunt and my mom both got a sparrow to remember her by. It has since become the Laubenthal girl emblem. (Cindy and Jenn, you're next! :) )
What a treat! We had so much fun that day. Eventually, I'll get to posting more about that day. :)
Then, we proceeded back to EG where we had Christmas with my dad's side of the family. My dad and Sandy have a rather LARGE house...and just those two and 4 pets live in it, and it somehow is getting smaller every holiday! :) We enjoyed jokes, watching the kiddos peek into their presents, and a "Chinese" gift exchange. Don't get me wrong when I tell you I didn't hold back on my present. So when you put in a gift at this exchange, you get one out based on a number you draw. I gave Chocolatarie Stam Chocolates (seriously, DIVINE) and Starbucks gift card. What did I get?
CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY! Hilarious! Collin and I have played just us two, trying to come up with the most obnoxious statements or answers. I can't wait to play in a group!
That night, my dad and Sandy's bar had an 80s party...
Motley Crue? Twisted Sister? We'll never know...
I'm not the best at dressing for the 80s...but I took what I could get!
Sunday was spent with my mom's side of the family, including my aunt Cindy and uncle Larry! I love hanging out with them!
And that's a wrap of my family's holiday weekend!
Oh, right before this holiday craze we received some news...Collin and I have been working our booties off in 2014. So what happens when hard work pays off?
Finding time to update you on the holidays was quite a task! Apologies!
I didn't realize I would have so much going on.
Christmas Eve was spent working until 5pm and then heading out to a celebration with Collin. We met up with some friends and enjoyed a few hours of casual convo.
After leaving the party, Collin and I got the idea that "cruising" was definitely a good one! Remember when you would do that in high school? It twas the thing to do! So Ames, on Christmas Eve, is not an eventful time to "cruise." But we made the most of it by checking out holiday lights and walking around Target for some time and walking out with a jar of pickles and salsa........
We opened eachothers gifts and what can I say? My guy knows me so well! :) We really try to go for more practical gifts and then throw in a surprise gift that isn't so practical. These would be things that I really want or like...or need, but don't want to buy myself "just yet." It's awesome to look at how practical varies from person to person!
A new pair of slick CrossFit shoes to kick off 2015 was perfect.
Out with the old, in with the new! Plus, they're my favorite color! GREEN. <3 These were a deadly (steal of a) price that I know was irresistible. Lucky girl!
And then there was this! While I was gone, in NJ, Collin picked up these gems, hung them, and then "wrapped" them while they hung on the wall for another two weeks. It was hard not to peek, but I was definitely surprised...LOVE! Like, really, he is SO thoughtful! And I am so proud of him for making such awesome use of the conduit!
Christmas day was spent traveling, eating delicious food, and Collin, his mom, and I went to 'Unbroken.'
The story of (olympian) Louis Zamperini during WWII, after a near-fatal plane crash, spending 40 sum odd days in a raft with two fellow crewmen before he's caught by the Japanese navy and sent to a POW camp. It was pretty raw, I won't lie, but seriously, one of the best movies of all time! I get a (some-what weird) sense of nostalgia when I see WWII movies. Not that I lived during that time (obviously...maybe?), but I really admired my Grandpa Don and his brother who served in that war. I have always been super interested in that time period. I would give it 5 stars...and I'd go see it again!
The weekend was spent catching up, attempting to regain my endurance at CrossFit, scratching off the scratch tickets (which I won $14.00 with!), and a UNI WRS reunion during the UNI basketball game on Sunday.
What a wonderful time of year! Besides Home Alone 1 & 2, my favorite party has to be the ambiance of the holiday season...Dec. 1 to the very day of Christmas! The rush, the hustle, the planning, ect. I love it!
I am grateful for so many things this holiday season! Health, functionality, my job just to name a few. Obvious ones being my friends and family! But one particularly sticks out to me this season. And that would be the family I have become a part of at Max Oxygen. The very first day I stepped into that facility, something was different. Not in a bad way, but I knew it was where we wanted and needed to be. I have become a better athlete, discovered my weaknesses (hello gymnastics!) and my strengths, developed the best of friendships, become a family with these people, and really learned what accountability is all about. I have to give a shout out to all of the members I go to class with, they put up with my obnoxious dancing and singing! Much appreciated!
On a different note, this season I realized how much more I loving giving gifts than I do getting gifts. I spend about 90% of the time (during the holiday season) planning and organizing what I am getting my loved ones, 9% actually shopping, and 1% answering to others what I want when they ask.
I hope you have the best Christmas season yet & a wonderful 2015!
Something has completely clicked in my head as of recent.
It's like my mental/emotional strength has really stepped up its game.
I feel it, I can see it, I am overly joyed about it.
While constantly trying to battle image issues, I have found the beauty in my journey physically. And please don't give me the, "oh my gosh, Mollie, you are so ____________." I don't respect the person that comes back saying you're skinny, you're perfect, you're yada yada. Like, no, you don't know, at all. I might be different from you, but I wasn't asking for a pity party. I have goals.
No, I don't look like I did in April when I was rocking a solid 6-pack---1st time ever in my life, but I am stronger now then I was when I had that 6 pack. Do I want it back? Abso-freakin-lutely, but I have other goals to reach before I begin to cut again. Things like: 3 set of 3 reps of 210lb back squat. My 1 rep max is currently at 195 lbs ...Or 1 ring muscle up, 100lb snatch, and consistent butterfly pull ups.
I have so many things to do! Currently, I'm building. You might also hear this as "bulking" for some people, but I'm not going rogue on my eating habits. That's usually what they're doing. But I'm more so consistently feeding my body of the right things (fruits, veggies, fats, proteins) more often. I have more beige food than an ideal (lean) person might have, but those are easy for me to cut out.
But I am so happy right now. I am surrounded by the people that I know will:
1. push me
2. help me
3. encourage me
and 4. have two hats: a friend hat and a I know you can do better than that (coaching) hat.
I appreciate these people more than I can ever say.
My list(s) were SO LONG. Ridiculous toys, things I "NEEDED", ect. Like, I totally took for granted whenever my mom bought be clothes for the holidays! DANG IT! Now, I'd love if someone else bought my clothes, right?!
Now that I'm older...like way older than when I'm talking about above, I have a hard time coming up with anything when my parents, sister, boyfriend, whoever, ask me what I want for Christmas. I mean, besides paying of my car and student loans...anyone, anyone?!
Let me show you a few toys I had or that may have shown up on my 6-10 year old Christmas lists...prepare for nostalgia:
Dinky Dino, anyone? I had the yellow one!
Mermaid Barbies?!
And I loved these dinosaur toys more than I loved Barbies. Truth.
I usually wrote how mad I was at my sister if she forgot to pick me up from school.
I couldn't have been the only one obsessed with Aladdin, right?
I know Brittney Pamperin will love this one!
Similar to photo one, but with a more popular name: TAMAGOTCHI!
So jelly of their bling suits!
Quite possibly the most messy thing ever.
If I knew what I know now, when I wanted these Happy Meal toys....
Brittney Pamperin strikes again! I got one of these from her for Christmas in elementary!
My sister and I could seriously have a pretty sick throw down with these still to this day!
And disclaimer for how inappropriate this post is going to be: learning the form of HJs since 1994. GAH!
I would always leave a message on this for my grandpa and put it in random spots. He would do the same. What a guy!
As an adult, I can laugh at all of the things I thought I would be dead without. I mean, now, it's more about getting to see my family, seeing my nieces and nephews faces when they open their gifts, seeing how excited my parents and siblings are when they get something that means a lot to them, and just the overall feeling of the holiday season is enough for me. I enjoy giving gifts more than getting them...it's been that way since I started college I'd say.
Take this time of year to appreciate the time you get to spend with family and friends.
Happy Transformation Tuesday, Ya'll! Don't worry, you don't get ONE post today...but TWO!
Oh...
My...
Goodness...
Ok, busted. I thought I was "pretty fly" 2.5 years ago (left photo...say 'hello' to Mollie 2012). I remember this photo well. Because I photoshopped it. PHOTOSHOPPED. YEP, you read that correctly. I don't have the original photo, but boy do I wish I did! I remember YouTubing tricks to nail a "slim" body look in Photoshop. I don't think I did too well, but at the time, it was right.
Now, I'm not saying I did this to all of my photos, but I did it to some...the ones I posted, more than likely. I miss that shirt (on the left), I wonder what it would fit like now. But, in a way, I'm glad I donated it. I didn't need that shirt of bad, unfortunate memories in my closet anymore.
The photo on the right? Not Photoshopped, no filters, nada...Just a photo taken with my phone. *Disclaimer* I know it says pic lab in the corner, but that's the App I used to put these photos side-by-side.
I mean, besides the figure, LOOK AT THAT SKIN! Yooowza! I was known for my ridiculously 'oily' complexion. Yes, I still get zits occasionally, but my face on the right is fueled by Herbalife's SKIN line. Simply amazing!
There are days that I feel like I'm constantly in a bragging state about my transformation(s). But in reality, I'd be selfish NOT sharing it. Seeing these photos side-by-side has completely changed my inner talk. And it has inspired me to HELP OTHERS.
HELP OTHERS reach and achieve their goals. That is such a gift. I am so thankful I was where I was 2.5-3 years ago...I'm such a better person now. If I can do it...YOU can do it.
This trip to the East Coast has been fun! Let me tell you two things about this trip.
1. Have you been watching the news?
I have officially experienced a Nor'easter. WHAT IS A NOR'EASTER?!?! All week, I was like, wha? Wha? Wha? huh? What's that?! Is this something that I should be worried about? Turns out, not really.
We-he-he-heee-lllll.... According to Wikipedia---total reliable source.
A Nor'Easter is a macro-scale storm along the upper East Coast of the United States and Atlantic Canada; it gets its name from the direction the wind is coming in from the storm. The wind on land, therefore, will generally blow from the northeast. The usage of the term in North America comes from the wind associated with many different types of storms, some of which can form in the North Atlantic Ocean and some of which form as far south as the Gulf of Mexico.
2. Yesterday was the final day of the trade show and I had a late lunch. No biggie, I usually do. I sat down in the dining area of the show and there was one other person at the large circular table. She had a thick Jersey/East Coast accent. She was wonderful. She just told me she needed 3 chairs of the 10 at the table for her friends. In a few minutes, after she asked me questions about what our company was, her friends made their way to the table. These ladies had an even more "thick" Jersey accent! I was silent from then on. I was in a trance listening to them! They were so entertaining! Great convo! I felt like I was a part of this family.
Two more Jersey men sat down at the table...making 6 Jersians and myself. Then another lady sat down. They all knew each other...or each otha. :) They turned and asked me why I was so quiet (only the one knew where I was from) and the only thing I could put together was, "Can you all come back to Iowa with me?"
Good one, Molls. But they loved it. We laughed and talked business and we talked just about life things. They were so so so wonderful. How they depict people from Jersey in movies is almost SPOT ON. Some had the crazy, gaudy eye shadow and tans, and some were elegant with long, acrylic nails, the men had their hair slicked back or styled with lots of hair spray. I just ATE. IT. UP.
Back to it, I felt like I was sitting at the family dinner table on the East Coast. It was fabulous. I would sit at a table with people from Jersey (like that) again, any day.
Let me tell you about a time when "The Real Housewives of ______________" was my guilty pleasure.
Orange County, Beverly Hills, New Jersey, Atlanta, Miami, New York...you name it, I loved it.
Especially the first three.
I knew all of the characters/stars by (first & last) name.
That was when I had cable...and free time. I'm completely OK with not really having either anymore.
Well, on with it. Today, I met Albie and Chris Manzo from New Jersey! Their family was on the Real Housewives of NJ! They have a different show called "Manzo'd with children."
Had I known some TV show studs were going to be in the house, I would have primped (a large amount) more!
The weather hasn't been ideal on the East coast. We spoke with realtors that traveled from New York and had a hard time making it down to NJ. Snow, rain, both...bummer!
Can you see what I mean?
Simply a (bitter) breathtaking view. It's like I stepped into an eerie movie scene. I closed my eyes and imagined how beautiful this same scene would be in the summer months. Seagulls screeching, greenery, blue(r) waters, hot summer sun, a slight warm wind, the sound of chatter and roller blades and wheels on the boardwalk...
I have always wanted to travel to the East coast. Hopefully I can return again, someday, during warmer days!
Here I am. Declaring my next move in my health and fitness journey.
I have been stagnant with my health goals/journey since May. May is when I decided that the competing world wasn't for me...yet. Perhaps some day. But I have been on a teeter totter since.
Until now.
I am bravely tell you this to hold myself accountable and to be a complete open book about my next declaration. When I started Herbalife, I was sitting at 165lbs ish. Give or take.
I have since lost 30lbs, respectively, and gained 15lbs of lean muscle. Technically, I have lost 35-40lbs and fluctuate between 140 and 145lbs.
Gulp. There, I said it.
Now, my next goal is to shred about 12-15lbs. Putting me at a weight that I think I skipped from a stick 72lbs in 4th grade to 140lbs as a freshman in high school. Putting me at the lowest I have ever been that I can remember.
I will do this. There is no 'try' 'might' 'could' 'should' 'need' 'want'...
(More) Greens.
(More) Herbalife.
(More) Sleep.
(More) Energy.
(More) Positivity.
(More) Food prep.
(More) Personal Development.
(More) Seclusion from toxic things or people.
(More) Compliments to others.
(More) Hugs.
(More) Love.
(More) Passion.
(More) Purpose.
(More) Dedication.
(More) Focus.
(More) Strength.
(More) Control.
(More) Pampering.
All of things I implement to reach my goal(s).
I am powerful.
I am beautiful.
I am strong.
I am dedicated.
I am energetic.
I am loving.
I am caring.
I am focused.
I am pampered.
I am passion.
I am driven.
I am goal-oriented.
I am teachable.
I am learning.
I am intentional.
I am in control of my life.
I am positive.
I am changing.
I am changing the lives of others.
I am a listener.
I am an advice seeker and an advice giver.
I am grateful.
I am successful.
I am Mollie.
Those are my daily affirmations. I say them to myself ((in my mind)) twice and (((out loud))) 3x while getting ready each morning.
Tell yourself what you believe you are every day. See what happens.
Interesting read I found...Although I follow a cleanse system created by Herbalife, I stand by the fact that a cleanse and detoxing are completely different. No, the Herbalife cleanse does not make you poop weird and whatnot, but it helps build healthy bacteria you need in your digestive system and keeps "movements" happening--which is healthy! It is never an excuse for a "hiccup" of a weekend. Ever.
Whether it’s cucumbers splashing into water or models sitting smugly next to a pile of vegetables, it’s tough not to be sucked in by the detox industry. The idea that you can wash away your calorific sins is the perfect antidote to our fast-food lifestyles and alcohol-lubricated social lives. But before you dust off that juicer or take the first tentative steps towards a colonic irrigation clinic, there’s something you should know: detoxing – the idea that you can flush your system of impurities and leave your organs squeaky clean and raring to go – is a scam. It’s a pseudo-medical concept designed to sell you things.
“Let’s be clear,” says Edzard Ernst, emeritus professor of complementary medicine at Exeter University, “there are two types of detox: one is respectable and the other isn’t.” The respectable one, he says, is the medical treatment of people with life-threatening drug addictions. “The other is the word being hijacked by entrepreneurs, quacks and charlatans to sell a bogus treatment that allegedly detoxifies your body of toxins you’re supposed to have accumulated.”
If toxins did build up in a way your body couldn’t excrete, he says, you’d likely be dead or in need of serious medical intervention. “The healthy body has kidneys, a liver, skin, even lungs that are detoxifying as we speak,” he says. “There is no known way – certainly not through detox treatments – to make something that works perfectly well in a healthy body work better.”
Much of the sales patter revolves around “toxins”: poisonous substances that you ingest or inhale. But it’s not clear exactly what these toxins are. If they were named they could be measured before and after treatment to test effectiveness. Yet, much like floaters in your eye, try to focus on these toxins and they scamper from view. In 2009, a network of scientists assembled by the UK charity Sense about Science contacted the manufacturers of 15 products sold in pharmacies and supermarkets that claimed to detoxify. The products ranged from dietary supplements to smoothies and shampoos. When the scientists asked for evidence behind the claims, not one of the manufacturers could define what they meant by detoxification, let alone name the toxins.
Yet, inexplicably, the shelves of health food stores are still packed with products bearing the word “detox” – it’s the marketing equivalent of drawing go-faster stripes on your car. You can buy detoxifying tablets, tinctures, tea bags, face masks, bath salts, hair brushes, shampoos, body gels and even hair straighteners. Yoga, luxury retreats, and massages will also all erroneously promise to detoxify. You can go on a seven-day detox diet and you’ll probably lose weight, but that’s nothing to do with toxins, it’s because you would have starved yourself for a week.
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Then there’s colonic irrigation. Its proponents will tell you that mischievous plaques of impacted poo can lurk in your colon for months or years and pump disease-causing toxins back into your system. Pay them a small fee, though, and they’ll insert a hose up your bottom and wash them all away. Unfortunately for them – and possibly fortunately for you – no doctor has ever seen one of these mythical plaques, and many warn against having the procedure done, saying that it can perforate your bowel.
Other tactics are more insidious. Some colon-cleansing tablets contain a polymerising agent that turns your faeces into something like a plastic, so that when a massive rubbery poo snake slithers into your toilet you can stare back at it and feel vindicated in your purchase. Detoxing foot pads turn brown overnight with what manufacturers claim is toxic sludge drawn from your body. This sludge is nothing of the sort – a substance in the pads turns brown when it mixes with water from your sweat.
“It’s a scandal,” fumes Ernst. “It’s criminal exploitation of the gullible man on the street and it sort of keys into something that we all would love to have – a simple remedy that frees us of our sins, so to speak. It’s nice to think that it could exist but unfortunately it doesn’t.”
That the concept of detoxification is so nebulous might be why it has evaded public suspicion. When most of us utter the word detox, it’s usually when we’re bleary eyed and stumbling out of the wrong end of a heavy weekend. In this case, surely, a detox from alcohol is a good thing? “It’s definitely good to have non-alcohol days as part of your lifestyle,” says Catherine Collins, an NHS dietitian at St George’s Hospital. “It’ll probably give you a chance to reassess your drinking habits if you’re drinking too much. But the idea that your liver somehow needs to be ‘cleansed’ is ridiculous.”
Have you ever told yourself there is no way in heck that you will do something?
Because it is hard?
Because you cant do it?
Because you were told you couldn't do it?
That you might get hurt?
One week ago (last night), I was at CrossFit, Collin was teaching, and we were working on rope climbs. Excuse me for being the girl in high school that, #1: hated anything upper body that didn't require poms in hand, and #2 that couldn't do a single upper body strength movement for the Presidential fitness test in PE.
Truth be told, a week ago, I told myself that climbing my butt up a rope was NOT about to happen. It was too hard, I couldn't get the footing, my hands hurt, ect. ect.
Even another member helped me up for my very first climb. It didn't settle well with me.
I looked up the workout for Tuesday on Monday and rolled my eyes...more rope climbs. 10 OF THEM!
Last night, before the workout, I tried and tried and tried to climb the rope. I couldn't get past half way. But, at the same time, I was putting myself back into the mindset I had about them last week.
I changed my perspective quickly. I was going to get on the rope and I couldn't let go until I reached the top. A few more practices and I was to the black rubber (towards the top of) the rope.
We started the workout and I crushed all 10 climbs. I was pretty positive my shoulders looked and felt like balloons, but I wasn't about to let myself scale this part.
So then this happened...I added some music for your viewing pleasure.
My heart was literally bursting with joy every single time I climbed the rope. I was so happy, I wanted to do MORE! Give me more rope climbs, Tittle brothers! (Gym WOD programmers from Colorado!) Disclaimer: I think it's a lot harder getting down than it is going up. :)
Sure, there are people that can do "no leg" rope climbs, and trust me, that's on my list, but I am pretty darn proud of this. This change in just a week!
Humans fight themselves so hard on tasks. Yes, they may be hard, but the only reason we can't do them is because we say we can't. We get in our own way!
My most favorite quote ever ever ever, I heard for the first time when I was on the Dance Team in high school (shout out to the EGDT at State this weekend!!!)
"If you say you can, you will, if you tell yourself you can't, you're right!"
"All that we are is a result of what we have thought."
Are there things that really just get you pumped?
Like so pumped that no matter what you're doing during the day, it flies by because you are just so happy and everything seems to go a million mph?
I've experienced this in different situations lately.
Like, literally, pay day. Pay day. I was so excited to get paid! Even knowing that I was going to have to pay bills didn't hold back my excitement!
Or Christmas. You knew I'd say it. I decorated for Christmas/winter! Hello! SO exciting.
OR...that one thing that you are super passionate about. That one thing that you're not sure if you're good at it or not, but you just really love it.
Well, let me say, you create your excitement. You could be excited about anything you wanted to be. You ALSO choose what to be angry, sad, mad, depressed, annoyed, ect. about/with.
The vibes you give off are what come to you. If you give off excitement/happy vibes, that's what the universe brings to you. If you experience the opposite...that would be a good indicator of the vibes you put off.
So pay attention to the vibes that you put off...if you want goodness and luck to come to you, put off good, exciting vibes.
DISCLAIMER: There is Christmas/holiday talk in this post.
You were warned.
Now, I decorated for the holidays/winter this weekend!
I owned a lot of these decorations from my old apartment that had a gray and gold theme. I painted the glitter deer and dug out some holiday lights that I found during my move to the "new place." (Like last February "new" so almost not new.) I'm huge on GOLD if you couldn't tell...gold jewelry, gold everything, including Christmas decor.
I have gotten a few mixed responses to my telling people what I was doing this weekend...HEY now, I'm one of those people that takes down the holiday decor thee day after Christmas...it's depressing.
I didn't have a lot of space to work with surface-wise. But as I danced around the apartment singing "It's The Most Wonderful Time...Of The Year," in a terrible key, I might add, with a chasse and turn here and there, I made it doable. The first photo is on top of a book shelf, the second photo is the coffee table (like the dinky/cheesy lights on the TV touch?), and the third photo is the shoe shelf.
Saturday was spent relaxing post-decorating and preparing for Project Mayhem at the CrossFit gym. (A pretty tough 2 hour workout sesh. I was dead to the world as soon as I hit the pillow last night. More to come this week.)
But before I hit the pillow, last night was perfect. A light, beautiful snow fall and we were invited out by some friends we haven't seen for a while. We didn't have to go far...since the bar is right down the stairs and to the left of the apartment! We got to catch up and listen to the Best of the 90s. What a treat!
It seems as if winter has arrived. Earlier than usual, if you ask me...but what do I know? I'm no John McLaughlin!
One thing I have enjoyed about this season/weather change is that the City of Ames puts up holiday decor on the light poles (much like my hometown does). And instead of being a good distance away from the lights/decor, there's a lighted (?) SNOWFLAKE right outside our bedroom window!!! Ok, that might be cheesy, but last night as the snow fell ever so lightly, it was so comforting to be in a warm bed watching it fall around the pretty (lit) snowflake.
I think I jinxed Iowa. That post about Christmas and winter last week...I mean, winter came quickly wouldn't you say?
Wedding season 2014 is wrapped up and my weekends are officially available. Weird. Except for a few here and there (Hi, Herbalife!!!). I'm sure Beebs will appreciate it. But it's a little bittersweet for 2014 to be coming to a close for me. I got to spend a lot of time with people that I don't get to see that often. Four friends that got married and have lives of their own, and I was lucky enough to have a part in all of them. I am so thankful for that. It's tough to get together with friends as you get older. One of my friends and her new hubby are starting a family, too! How exciting! Here's a quick summary of what went down from July to this past weekend!
I am still in awe of how beautiful and uniquely different each one of them was. I am so impressed with how all four of them handled any stress or obstacles that were thrown their way.
And I'm very thankful for how supportive and patient Collin was during all of the "long" weekends I had and attending some of the weddings with a great and fun attitude (as he always does)! :)
Cheers to an amazing 2014 spent with amazing friends and family and celebrating the "bringing together" of two families!
Followed by some photos done by thee awesome Justin Meyer (http://www.justinsalemmeyer.com/), the ceremony, and post ceremony photos.
We found our way back to the hotel to catch our shuttle. In the mean time, toasting to the bride & grooms dogs. <3
The rest of the night was spent dancing, laughing, photo bombing, and watching some elders bust a serious move!
I ended the weekend with a workout and photo shoot with the gym I am a member of with other members and a birthday party for a good friend of mine and Collin's.
I fell out of this multiple times before we got a good shot.
Some of the members that came for the photo shoot.
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