Holiday Mishaps

This holiday season has been....eventful. To say the least.

Back in October, we unexpectedly found the house that we'll be officially purchasing this Friday. I almost said the house of our dreams, and while it isn't exactly one "of our dreams" it's pretty damn close because it's the only house that met literally all of our requirements and stayed in our price range. So over the last (almost) two months, we've been brainstorming, packing, and planning our move. Only to get a call one week before our scheduled closing stating that we would have to push it back to an "undetermined date" due to some type of paperwork something or another.

Well if that didn't throw fifty wrenches into our future plans, I don't know what did. We had to totally change plans for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. We had to come up with a plan with our respective jobs to orchestrate days off. We had to call our landlord and explain that unfortunately we wouldn't be moved out by December 1st and could we please pay a prorated amount for the time that we'll stay over our predetermined move-out date?

To say that I was upset is an understatement.

On top of all that, one of Derek's elderly family members fell and broke her hip the day before Thanksgiving so our original plans of having a big family get-together were cancelled.

Due to scheduling changes, I ended up being at work the entire holiday week rather than having three days off to relax and spend with family.

But you know what? After stopping and thinking, and remembering a sermon I recently heard about oppression, I realized I didn't really have it all that bad after all.

Even though our closing date got moved back, causing us to postpone and even cancel a few of our original plans, we are still going to be homeowners.

Even though I had to work all week, I took advantage of the weekend prior to thanksgiving to visit my own parents (since we would no longer be packing/moving) and got to seen an aunt who was in town from Texas. I got to see my parents' newly renovated house (it looks awesome!) and visit my grandmother and see another aunt who I hadn't seen in a long time.

Even though our family member was injured and hospitalized, she was able to have surgery right away, and because I was working on thanksgiving, I got to join them in the hospital and give some company when they wouldn't have had any otherwise. Our big Thanksgiving meal turned in to lunch with just my in-laws, and the afternoon spent napping, relaxing, and talking about our future house plans.

Always a good idea to wear loose fitting clothing on Thanksgiving.

Even though I had to work (yet again) on Thanksgiving, I was there to visit with the residents who's family members were out of town and unable to make it for the Holiday.

I know it sounds cheesy, but never forget to look for the silver lining. Even though a situation may seem totally horrible or unbearable, there can always be some good to come out of it. Whether it's tangible or just a change in perspective or a lesson learned.

And if you still have a hard time finding the silver lining, there's ALWAYS wine.

Cheers until next time,

Adjustment

Adjusting to change is tricky. You get some news and you prepare like heck for whatever change is going on in your life and you think you're ready. Then out of left field, this thing you aren't even anticipating comes and knocks you all out of whack and that, my friends, is exactly how I feel today.
Let me back up a little, and explain myself better. You all know by now that I've had a recent position change at work and now, instead of working three to four 12-hour shifts throughout the week (and weekends) I am now working a good ole Monday through Friday 9-5 like the other 90% of working Americans (I made that statistic up). I thought it would be great! I thought I would love having every single weekend to to whatever I pleased and that I would get off work and come home to cook dinner and relax with my boyfriend. 
I didn't think I would miss the random Tuesday I had to myself to go grocery shopping or lay by the pool. I didn't think I'd miss those Thursdays off to catch up on laundry/dishes/general housework while having a Harry Potter marathon. I thought - this is what everyone does, it can't be too hard! Well my friends, it ain't easy. I've got a pile of (clean) laundry up to my ears because I can't find the time to put it away. More times than not, my dinner has consisted of mac and cheese or a pop tart or chips and salsa than a home-cooked meal because I'm so exhausted after work to cook anything too great. Not to mention the neglect I've been giving this blog.
Believe me, I know I sound like some huge nag right now and you're probably telling me to suck it up and get over it, which is basically what I've been telling myself over the last week. I'm working on it. I'm working on adjusting my routines and I'm working on saying goodbye to those Wednesday afternoons reading books at my leisure and saying hello to spending weekends with my friends and loved ones and not being on my feet for 12+ hours a day. 

Body Talk: Loving yourself no matter what

If you follow me on instagram (how many times have a led a post with that?) then you'll notice that I occasionally post some type of "progress picture" or "gym selfie" in which less of my body is covered than not. Not because I love showing off or talking about my body, because that part actually gives me heart palpitations, and not the good kind. But I do like to talk about loving myself, and not in a big headed, egotistical kind of way, but the soul-fulfilling, confidence-boosting, heart-warming kind of way. 

Because don't they say, If you don't love yourself, then no one else can either? Or something like that.

Loving ourselves is something that doesn't come easy. In fact, I think it's one of the hardest things we can do, and it took me a long time to get where I am today. And today I am nowhere near perfect.

When I say I love my body, it doesn't always mean I'm happy with it. I think people think that when they "love themselves" that they are settling for what they already have. I think people assume that when you work out or want to lose weight or become healthier, it means we can't love our body - because we're trying to change it. I completely disagree with this notion.

I feel that we can love our body before, during, and after changing it. I feel that we should actually love our body no matter what, not because of how it looks, but because of what it can do. I wrote earlier this year about going on a diet for my soul. It's been hard work, but I think I've finally arrived at a place of contentedness. I wrote the following:

We sit here day after day and beat ourselves up and compare ourselves to others, always thinking we could do better. Look better. Be better. But in reality, we need to focus on the ways that we are already beautiful. Instead of focusing on ways we can improve, lets focus on the things we have already mastered. 

I really have tried over the past few months to focus on the good instead of the bad, and to feed my soul the things it needs for happiness. Loving myself is hard. It doesn't mean I'm always happy, or that I don't strive to be better, it means that no matter what, at the end of the day I can still look at my body, know that I have worked hard for it and I can still love it.

Those pictures were taken only a few days apart, yet they look significantly different from each other. But you know what, I love both of those bodies. I love the one on the left: the bloated from good food, fish catching, bare footed, hasn't-showered-dirty-haired and ready to take a nap body. I love the one on the right: the lean, clean, swimming and running machine, fresh out of the shower and ready to take on the day body. Though they are different, they are the same. Though they have different stories to tell, the ending remains unified: they are both mine, they are both healthy, and they are both something I've worked hard for.

In what ways do you love yourself and your body?

Treating myself with Treasure Tromp!

I hope you read this in your best Usher voice

-I can't stand it when people live tweet the Bachelor. Or awards shows. Really any kind of live tweeting (except when Juliette did Harry Potter - that was okay). It makes me want to unfollow you on twitter but I'm a nice person so I don't.
-I'm writing this post while I'm supposed to be studying/writing a paper. For some reason my blog writing skills are at their highest point while I'm supposed to be doing something else important.

-I don't recycle. I don't really have an explanation for this one and I don't really know if it makes me a terrible person or not. It's not that I'm against it, I just never think about it. -Sometimes I would rather not hang out with my boyfriend. Like when I wan to paint my nails or write a blog post or read a book or drink wine and watch countless episodes of New Girl. He can really ruin those moments.
-I live with my boyfriend's parents and the part I hate about it most is their dog. It's a pomeranian and it never. shuts. up. It is the only dog I've ever wanted to physically harm (don't worry I haven't) .

It really makes me miss my sweet Piper girl, who loves to cuddle and rarely barks.

-Sometimes I give myself a minor panic attack wondering how many people in my real life read my blog that I don't know about. I mean, I know most of my family reads it but what about people from high school? Or heaven forbid, from work? Not that I've ever said anything negative about work but I just don't want people snooping.
-I tell Derek that it's okay, I'm not in a rush to get married right away, when in reality I want to be married to him yesterday. I try to be passive about it but sometimes I slip up and we get into an argument about not being engaged yet and I feel like that awful, naggy girlfriend that gives ultimatums and no one likes her because of it. I know he wants to marry me and he wants to ask me "in his own time" but sometimes I'm like, WHY HAVEN'T YOU ASKED ME YET??
-I really really enjoy catching someone check me out - at the gym, at work, wherever - some people get creeped out or offended but I like to think of it as a compliment. As long as the person doesn't touch me or say something disgusting, I'm okay with it.
Do you do any of these things?  (Please tell me I'm not alone!)
Linking up with Whitney for #backthatazzup Friday

This song has been on repeat for days! So pretty.