Thoughts As I Turn 26 | Personal

Thoughts As I Turn 26 | Personal

This past Tuesday was my birthday, and I turned 26 years old. This year I couldn't help but remember how un-gracefully I turned 25 last year. It was the first birthday I hadn't looked forward to my entire life. I think in hindsight I thought both since I had been married and for the past few months that I would be a mother by the time my birthday rolled around, and when I wasn't that hard fact made me dread turning one year older. I have always loved my birthday beyond reason and didn't want what happened last year to become a trend.

Thankfully, it didn't. I have been looking forward to 2017 for so many reasons, not the least of which is putting 2016 behind me. Of course I had wonderful things happen last year and I don't want to discount that, but it was also the hardest year I've lived. I'm not someone who generally picks a 'word of the year' but as I was praying leading up to New Years Eve, the word peace popped into my mind.

This year, the year I turned 26, I will seek peace...

What We Do to Reconnect | Monday Musings

What We Do to Reconnect | Monday Musings

As it turns out, any relationship can grow old, stale, or contentious if you let it. I'm only six years into marriage and I still have so much to learn, but one thing Nathan and I found out quickly is that investing in our relationship always pays off in dividends. I know this looks different depending on what season of life you're in (dating, engagement, marriage, children, empty nesters, etc.) but I think it's a universal truth that the most important thing you can invest is time.

Believe it or not, Nathan and I fight from time to time ;) On most occasions we (thankfully) fight about little things that are simply a reflection of our frustration with another area in our lives, a result of being tired after a long day, or just the fact that we are human beings and things will always come up no matter what. Nathan has always been good at checking in on our marriage - how we're doing, how we feel towards each other, how life is outside of our home - and making sure we are on a good track.

Most of the time we are, but there have been times when we've sat down to look and realized our fighting and frustration is much higher than normal...

Indian-Spiced Guacamole | Foodie Friday

Indian-Spiced Guacamole | Foodie Friday

Hello and welcome to another edition of Foodie Friday! Last weekend was the Super Bowl and I used it as an excuse to make something creative and photograph it - then taste test it, of course, before anyone came over. Every year we make a big deal out of the Big Game, and our families usually come together to half-watch and half-chat the whole way through.

Because we have such a variety of people, I try not to stray too far away from the staples - chips and guac, salsa, chili, salads, and something sweet. My challenge this year was to keep it as Paleo as possible without anyone noticing, and I'm proud to say I achieved my goal. My brother told me at the end of the party that he had never eaten so much snack food and felt so good about it afterwards. Mission accomplished!