10 months later.

this post is a day late, but i still wanted to get around to it.

with great joy i can say "i have been happily married ten months!" it is absolutely mind-blowing how fast time flies. i remember when i was young my grandma would say don't let time run away, enjoy your youth. the word youth itself perplexed me.but, it was not until time started running away that i actually understood her. now wonder the wise adults continuously tell kiddies to enjoy this time because its gone in a flash.

(yes i know i am not that old, but still time is flying!)

well, back to the point. ten months ago i said "i do" and i am so glad i did. these last ten months have certainly been a growing experience in the best way possible. one of my dearest friends told me marriage comes with seasons and i think this has been some of the greatest wisdom i have heard. when times are dull i remember this is a season, and when times are wonderful i enjoy the season. these ups and downs allow us to truly enjoy the good times.  

here's a short recap of our last ten month (list form):

• created a home, which is a work in progress still
• we work on encouraging each other to be the man/woman Christ calls us to be
• we learned to enjoy the little things 
• decided cuddling each other all night is cuter in the movies 
• learned i go to bed earlier then average twenty-something
• expanded my cooking skills
• working on being gracious and knowing sometimes the other person is right
• became doggie parents (biggest transition of all)

as i look back i cannot help but smile, i am elated to be the wife of david de la hoz. i am endlessly grateful the Lord has blessed me with him. 

here are our three attempts at a family photo, 

yes i just finished running which adds to the beauty

1. Flynn attacks with kisses

2. blurry

 3. perfect smiling faces

march 23, 2013

this lovely friday morning mr. flynn decided he should bug his incessantly unhealing tail until it bled. that was a glorious thing to wake up to at 5:30am as i dash out the door to run. sadly, someone had to spend time in his kennel so i could accomplish my workout.

after taking his medication (that supposedly sedates him for eight hours) he knocked out on his bed so i could enjoy a peaceful breakfast. my morning routine is like clock work, so as normal i left him sleeping peacefully to get ready for work...big mistake. when i came out of my room to leave for work mr. flynn had a peculiar look on his face. low & behold the shreds of two zip lock bags lay on the kitchen floor. he ate my almonds and mixed nuts! the audacity of this dog. luckly he spit out my motrin & vitamin powder, how kind?!

i left him peacefully in his kennel and am just awaiting a text from david reporting mr. flynn's latest dilemma

transition.

after continuously thinking about the idea of transitioning this blog to a more health and fitness minded blog i finally took the plunge thanks to my dear cousin.

my life post freshman year of college has been a continuous journey into the healthiest lady i can be. this journey has included ups and downs that have brought me to where i am now. most recently i have evolved into a "clean eater." here i intend to document my continuous adventure/struggle with  maintaining a healthy BALANCED life that doesn't compromise my happiness. here you will also find some recipes david approves of,  the daily workouts i enjoy, and many other fun topics thrown in.

to truly enjoy peace of mind there are certain elements i need in my life, these include:

1. daily time spent with the Lord in prayer and reading
2. a kiss each morning from my husband 
3. a workout, typically a run
4. moments watching my pup be completely crazy
5. my time spent with kiddos
6. delicious and clean foods that keep my belly full
7. and lots of friends and family to share all these moments with

in a nut shell those are the main topics that will consume my nook in cyberspace, so stay tuned. 

fast-forward. rewind. pause.

The past month had been a whirlwind in the most positive way. We had family visiting, got married, went to a dear friends wedding, honeymooned in Hawaii & now are in full remodel mode at home. Seems like a tiring month but I enjoyed every second and each emotion we have felt through the process.

David & I are settling into the swing of being husband & wife in the real world. Its been an enjoyable transition filled with laughter, team work and learning. We are only one month into our marriage and I feel like I have learned numerous lessons, I can only imagine the lessons ahead. We are excited for our remodeling to be finished so that we can live in the house comfortably and have friends over more frequently.

Here is a bit of a recap on the past month: 

Taylor & Jen's Wedding- June 30, 2012

 

 

hawaiian honeymoon-july 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

currently.

shane's birthday bbq.

 

beauty.

As our journey into marriage continues so does the hectic lives we currently live.

On our to do list:
     -Emptying out the living room & bedroom to prep for priming
     -Starting priming and paint the living room
     -Put paint on the walls of the bedroom
     -Empty kitchen  cabinet so that we can tear them out
     -Start boxing things that will be donated
     -Get wedding invitations in order and sent out
     -Graduate college!

We could not get all these things done without the help of friends and family, so I am endlessly thankful for the help we have received thus far. Everyone has been so willing to come help. We are very blessed and I feel like we say that all the time but each time we mean it.

Despite the joy and the blessings we have also been faced with difficulty as my grandmother (who's home we are moving into) had been admitted in the hospital. It brings a new perspective as we are beginning a new part of life so is she. I have been saddened as we move through the house and I think of the memories I have there with my grandparents. I am honored to walk in their home and call it our home in the near future, but I am saddened that my grandmother had to leave her home behind. She is a beautiful, talented and rambunctious woman that I hold so dearly to my heart. I have been beyond blessed in the times we have spent together and the happiness she has brought to David & my life. Whoopie is such a great grandmother to myself and my cousins. We have set other plans aside to bask in the times we have to spend with her. We are unaware of what the future holds but one thing my family has always taught me is that family comes first and in this time we are holding her dear to our hearts. Please keep her in your prayers in the days to come.

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

-Isaiah  41:10

Busy busy bee.

Once school starts it turns out to be harder then I imagined to balance wedding planning, work, and graduating. However, I also think if my life slowed down I would be lost in the lack of chaos. Here are a few recaps on the past few weeks of life.

Slowly David & I have been realizing the process of moving out and making our own home is reality. I know this is a common theme through all my posts but its a process to work through. We are now spending money and time planning and purchasing home goods. We have collected enough furniture over the past weeks to furnish our bedroom which is exciting news. But we are still working on the rest of the house. Paint is our next venture and I am terribly excited to begin the process. :)

Today I am thankful for all of our friends, they have been nothing but supportive of everything we are planning. Each and everyone of them offers their help as we enter the world of remodeling/repainting/redecorating, but also in planning the wedding. We are ever so thankful for their hearts of service. David & I both share the desire to make our home a place of welcome-ness where we can bless others as we have been blessed. Hopefully the Lord honors this desire.

3 months & 18 days til' the big day! 

Here are some pictures of my fabulous friends over the past few weeks.

Hannah endured coming with us to buy our bed frame but fell asleep.

 The Baker couple accompanied us on a double date to Ikea, coupled with the most amazing meal for dinner.

My Matron and Maid of honor hopped to planning my bridal shower while Jen was home for the weekend.

Making our home.

Brain on overload with ideas of how to decorate my very own home in a mere 5 months, this is my current inspiration for the bedroom. Still on the hunt for that turquoise quilt.

While we were in Arizona I came across some fun pieces to add to our soon-to-be home! Here they are:

Our breadbox: We found this at a lovely little antique store. The funny thing is that I liked it, but David fell in love with it. As we were leaving the store he turned to me and said, "let's just get it!"

Vintage Tins: So, I have been on the hunt for some of these old tins, but all the ones that we have found are filled with rust. Not these! They are in mint condition & I was THRILLED to end my search.

Our trunk: This is definitely what I was most excited about! This old trunk was a mere $59. I want to put it at the end of our bed. However...we could not fit it in my tiny Honda Civic and it is temporary stuck in Arizona until my brother and sister-in-law come for the wedding.

Everything we found was on the same street in Phoenix, Arizona. There were multiple antique/vintage stores and I was in heaven.