Healthy Wife, Healthy Life: Setbacks

The good news is that Mary and I have only missed one day of the Couch to 5K and two days in the gym for an entire month! This is huge for us!

The bad news is that Mary broke her hand last Saturday, which is why we didn't work out on Monday or Tuesday. The brief synopsis is that she and some friends were in Nashville at the State Capitol and she fell down a hill and landed on it. Now she has an awesome blue cast on her right arm that also engulfs her pinky and ring finger on that hand. She's really had a great attitude about the entire thing! Thankfully, she gets finished with her summer class on Friday so she won't have to worry about note-taking for a while.

In addition to Mary's hand injury, yesterday I discovered I have shin splints on both legs. I guess it makes me feel more intense, but most of all its just annoying. After discussing what I should do about it with running friends, Mary and I are going to ease back our running to week 3 so my legs are not as fatigued, I'm going to ice them after the workout and take ibuprofen. I'm also planning to hang out on the eliptical for awhile instead of the treadmill. Note to self: don't ever get this out of shape again.

Press on!

Healthy Wife, Healthy Life: 1

I love summertime! Now that I'm back in the academic world, it brings a welcome change of pace to my crazy life. Its also a good time to get back into things I enjoy, such as cooking and writing (and spending time with Austin!). I also have more time to do chores (especially laundry). What more could I ask for? However, an area where I have been lacking in my life for the past two years or so has been my personal fitness and health. Having a job where I sit all day doesn't really help with this.So, this summer I've decided to do something about it!

Mary is taking summer classes and she has joined me in the quest for better health! We unfortunately have some family history of cancer and diabetes- this is part of why we want to establish good habits now. Looking back, I can say there has really only been one time in my life where I was fit- 2008. That spring semester I took "Fitness for Health" at Samford, and with the encouragement of my amazing friend, Pamela, spent the semester running and weight lifting. The final exam was a 5K through campus! I barely survived, but I made it! That summer, I taught mountain biking at WinShape Camp for Girls. I was biking about 3 or 4 hours a day at one point! Crazy!

At Six Flags in 2008! Haha!

Okay, my reminiscing is over. But, I think the fact I have been in shape once before has served as more of a frustration to me until this point instead of a motivation. My thoughts have been negative because I have known what it feels like to be healthy and my body cringes at the fact it doesn't feel like that anymore. I have gotten frustrated with myself, feeling like I've "let myself go". Can anyone else relate? Compounding this frustration has been the physical reminder of my favorite outfits not fitting anymore- grrr. Over the past few months I have sporadically tried Zumba, some workout videos and counting calories. Nothing has been consistent, however.

As much as I would like a "quick fix", research consistently proves that the best way to lose weight and keep it off is through changing your lifestyle to a healthy one. This means getting on a workout routine and eating healthier; instead of being frustrated, setting realistic goals. It's so easy to feel pressured by what society says we should look like. Something we need to realize as women is that there is always something we will be lacking by the world's definition. So, why try? Let's focus on who we are in Christ! God's love for us doesn't change- let's care more about Christ being reflected in who we are than about how we look on the outside! Let's take care of our bodies because it is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit and because when we have more energy, we can better serve! Let's reflect the Lord's beauty in how we look, act and in our relationships! This is so much more motivating for me than simply trying to look like a celebrity.

I am such a planner. Having a plan is the only way I can reach goals. So, since one of my favorite things to do after a busy day at work is to plop down on the couch and remain pretty sedentary the rest of the evening, I thought that the "Couch to 5K" plan would be appropriate! For those of you who don't know what that is, it is a running plan that gradually builds you up (in 10 weeks) to being able to run a 5K without stopping (I wasn't even able to do that in my fitness class!). Mary and I are on Week 3, so that means that by mid-August we should be running 3 miles! Woohoo!

Regarding eating, I have had friends get great results by using Weight Watchers online. I have been "using it" for several weeks now, but haven't been faithful to record everything. No more excuses!

Mary and I go to the Wellness Center at Union (such a blessing to have this resource!) after I get off of work  at 4. So far, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, we follow the Couch to 5K plan for running. We also do abs on these days.

Tuesdays and Thursdays we lift weights. This consists of 3 sets of 10 reps on leg curl machine, leg extension machine, and the ab machine. We use 8 lb free weights to work out our arms. I'm already able to tell a difference in my triceps! :-)

I'm so excited about this journey towards better health. I'll be updating on my progress!

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all fathers out there! We had a wonderful weekend celebrating with my dad. He came up from Birmingham on Friday night and went back on Sunday afternoon. As always, it was great having him here! On Saturday, we went to Pinson Mounds (about 20 minutes south of Jackson) and rode bikes. Getting the bikes there was the most challenging part! Apparently, you're not supposed to leave your bike rack on the back of your car for an extended amount of time or else the straps will dry-rot. Learned that lesson the hard way! We did make it though, and despite the heat we had a great time! For anyone who has not been to Pinson Mounds, I highly recommend it!

This picture was taken before the bike rack broke! Haha!

We're on our way! Austin's tire was about 2 inches from the road. It made for an interesting drive there!

Off we go!

This was posed :-)

Mary almost ran over this little guy. He was not happy! Pretty sure he's hissing in this picture

Happy Father's Day!

Mary's creativity display. See the heart on the tree? Cute!

Admiring the tree- there was actually glowing red sap that we were trying to figure out!

On Sunday, we went to church at FBC Humboldt. It was a wonderful service!!! One of the highlights was that the pastor asked all young fathers to come to the front and kneel at the altar. Then, he had the fathers with grown children surround them and they prayed for them! What a reminder of the influence that fathers have in our lives!

Engagement Photos

Now that I've shared our engagement story, I want to share my favorites from our engagement photo shoot. The pictures were taken in early August after we were engaged in June at Fall Creek Falls State Park in East Tennessee. My amazing mother-in-law was our photographer and I couldn't be happier with how they turned out!

This one went on our Save the Date Cards!

Old Hollywood! 

 

This is probably my second most favorite!

Mischief! 

This one went in our engagement announcement for The Paducah Sun

Look familiar? I love to dance!

 

If you want to see more, go to Our Engagement Album on facebook! :-)

Our Engagement Story

Two years ago today, Austin and I were engaged! Where has the time gone? Here is our story, with all the details :-)

Side note, the photos are from a "re-enactment" at Patti's when my mom and Austin's parents met for the first time.

The date was June 12, 2010. Austin had come from Jackson to Paducah to spend a relaxing weekend with me. I was immersed in  the details surrounding Paducah's FSU Chick-fil-A opening about a month later. The last thing I expected was a proposal :-) Because we are nerds, we had talked about watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy straight through, so we decided that that weekend was as good as any. About 7:30 that evening after finishing "The Two Towers", Austin suggested we have a nice dinner somewhere, but he wanted to surprise me. He went back to where he was staying to change and I put on a cute sundress and heels.

About 8:15, while I was re-painting my nails, I heard slight, tapping on my window. I looked outside and Austin was there, throwing little pebbles. So sweet! :-) I went downstairs, said good-bye to my grandparents and headed out the door. Once we passed the exit for downtown Paducah, I knew that the probability for heading to Patti's was a good one. I was proved right when we were crossing the bridge over the Tennessee River and Austin asked me for directions to get there- haha! Being the practical person that I am, I asked if we had reservations, because that is absolutely necessary for Patti's on a Saturday night! Austin looked surprised and said, "I guess I should have thought of that!" I was very annoyed (long waits for eating are a huge pet peeve, not to mention the fact I was starving!) but tried not to let it show. Little did I know that it was all a part of the plan!

A little bit of a back-story is necessary here. Patti's is a wonderful restaurant in Grand Rivers, Kentucky that has delicious food and a great atmosphere. They deck out the restaurant for each season- at Christmas there are lights on everything! My grandparents have enjoyed taking out of town friends and family there over the years. My mom even had her bridesmaid's luncheon there. Each Christmas, the entire family would go, so, needless to say, when Austin and I began dating I knew I wanted him to experience Patti's. It was during March, so there weren't any Christmas lights, but we still had a great time. The weather was gray and cold the evening, so when we walked around the garden area, we went inside the chapel to stay dry and escape the elements. We had our first kiss inside that chapel.

Back to the engagement story...

We arrived at Patti's a short time later. Still annoyed when the hostess asked if we had a reservation, I immediately said, "No!" Austin, being the patient man that he is, said, "Yes, we do. The reservation name is Ward for 8:45." I was immediately relieved, and didn't even suspect anything, still. We enjoyed a delicious dinner and great conversation. When we were finished with our plates, the manager (Elwood) came and cleared them for us. He asked how the meal was and if we would like dessert. Then he added that if we didn't want dessert, how about a tour of Patti's? I laughed, confused, knowing that there are no tours of Patti's. (I thought he was making a joke about walking off our dinner instead of eating dessert, or something like that!) We didn't end up getting dessert, and we got up to leave. As we were walking towards the door, Austin stopped and said he wanted to find Elwood for the tour. I thought he was kidding at first, then when I realized he wasn't, I insisted that Elwood had been joking and that there was no tour!  I was getting frustrated!

Suddenly, Elwood appeared and asked if we were ready to go on our tour! I was surprised but went along with it. I still wasn't suspecting anything!

We walked rapidly around the grounds, which are made up of little shops, a putt putt course, several pavilions, gardens, a petting zoo, and finally, the small white chapel. That, of course, was our last stop. When Elwood left, my heart started beating like crazy! At last I was suspecting something. :-)

We got inside the chapel and sat on the same pew that we had before. 

We just sat there for a few minutes, then I noticed that Austin's heart was beating really quickly. Being mischievous, I made a comment about it and he replied it was just because we had been walking so fast and he was out of shape- haha! Then, out of nowhere, he said, very determined, "I want to run." 

I was totally confused, because neither of us care for running in general, it was about 10:00 at night, and we were in nice clothes. Austin took advantage of my confusion to get the ring out of his pocket and get on one knee in front of me. This time, he finished the sentence by saying, "I want to run the race of life with you! Will you be my wife?" 

I, of course, said yes. :-)

I was in shock for a few minutes, but couldn't get the smile off my face! I didn't really take a look at the ring until we were in the car later! It didn't seem real! Once we left the chapel, we began walking back to the car through the gardens, but we stopped beside the pond. We danced while Austin sang our song, "The Way You Look Tonight". It was so romantic! 

Of course, the "tour" was all a setup that Austin had arranged with Elwood. They were completely successful in surprising me! Here is a picture of us with Elwood.

The ride back to Paducah and the remainder of the evening (and the early hours of the morning) were spent calling friends and family. My favorite moment was telling my grandparents. They were still awake when we got home. We went back to their room and told them the news. My grandmother squealed, and with tears in her eyes, expressed how happy she was for us. Apparently my granddaddy predicted when I left for dinner that night that I would come home with a ring on my finger- he is a very smart man :-) The thing that meant the most was when my grandmother told me that Austin was like my granddaddy- that he has the same kind, caring spirit. This meant the world to me because I had always wanted to marry a man like my granddaddy! 

Here is my ring! It is white gold with three stones: a princess cut diamond in the middle and two round cut ice sapphires on either side. Austin did a wonderful job picking it out! I absolutely love it! 

We were so excited and thankful that the Lord brought us together and couldn't wait to be married!

Vacation

Summer is here! Last week, we went to Atlanta to spend a few much-needed vacation days. It worked out perfectly for a myriad of reasons, but one of them was that my mom and Larry were going to be in Mississippi for the first part of the weekend attending my stepbrother's high school graduation, so we were able to house/dog sit for them and have the entire house (and pool) to ourselves for three days!

We left Jackson after work last Thursday. As always, it seems like there was a rush out the door, hurriedly throwing things into suitcases. Someday we're going to pack for a trip at least a day in advance :-) We drove into Atlanta that night, with a stop in Murfreesboro where we ate dinner with Arica, Adam, Ailidh and Dylan at Cracker Barrel. It was so good to hang out with them! After fighting through an hour long traffic jam (at midnight!) in Chattanooga, we made it into Atlanta in the early hours of the morning.

Friday and Saturday we had the house completely to ourselves and we just relaxed. We hung out in and by the pool (although Donna Maye kept trying to save us!), watched movies, played pool and ate some awesome food! Saturday night we treated ourselves to a wonderful dinner at One Midtown Kitchen in downtown Atlanta. The restaurant is located on the edge of Piedmont Park (where the Atlanta Jazz Festival was happening!) and is very classy and modern. The menu changes every day and the food is unbelievable! Interestingly, my first time at One was right before my senior prom- haha! So, of course, I wanted to go back with Austin for a romantic dinner, which it was :-) We began our meal with calamari with sweet and sour sauce and artisan bread. For the main course, Austin had the special for the evening, the duck, and I had Monkfish! So delicious! For dessert we ordered a heavenly chocolate dish! Here are some photos (yes, we're nerds and took pictures of our food!):

Austin's delicious duck

Elizabeth's marvelous monkfish

Part of the interior of One

Sunday we went to Six Flags over Georgia! Neither of us had been in years, or even gone to an amusement park together, so it was fun to enjoy that experience! We paid extra to get the Gold Flash Pass (we justified it since we didn't have to pay for lodging) which meant that we would "make a reservation" for a ride, then (at most) 15 minutes later, we could walk up the exit ramp to the rides and get right on! We certainly felt like VIPs. This also enabled us to enjoy more rides. We arrived at the park about 11 a.m. and left about 7:30 p.m. In that time span we rode: the Georgia Scorcher, the Log Jamboree, Goliath (twice), Antique Cars, Monster Mansion, Dahlonega Mine Train, Superman, Great American Scream Machine, Thunder River, Batman, Mindbender (only Austin went on that one), the Sky Buckets,  and the Six Flags Railroad. We also ate Dippin' Dots and split a hamburger and fries. It was such a wonderful day! 

Monday, of course, was Memorial Day, and Mom and Larry had returned from Mississippi on Sunday evening. We just hung out with them and then had an early dinner/cookout by the pool with some friends and family. We finished off the evening with watching "The Bachelorette"! We couldn't miss it just because we were on vacation!

Tuesday, Mom decided she wanted to spoil me and so we had a girl's afternoon. We had a delicious lunch at a family run Italian restaurant called Ippolitos, I got a summer haircut and Mom bought me two new dresses and two pairs of shoes! We hadn't really spent time like that together in a long time. 

Wednesday, Austin and I slept in a little bit, ate lunch with Mom and Larry and then headed home! We had one brief stop in Nashville for Tazikis, but we made it home in the early evening. We enjoyed our Atlanta vacation, but it is so nice to be home!

From one servantless cook to another...

This weekend, I watched the movie, "Julie and Julia" for the first time in years. It is so charming that I must conclude that it is one of my new favorite movies. The movie's message about perseverance despite life's many challenges is inspiring. It's also fun to examine how each couple's marriage is portrayed. I found myself laughing when I saw a scenario that closely resembled a situation Austin and I have been through. In particular, the scene where Julie (Amy Adams) drops her stuffed chicken on the floor, and she cries like a "small, emotionally disturbed child" cracked me up! 


Now, not only do I want "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" for Christmas, but I am more inspired to cook delicious food for Austin and me on a regular basis. Ever since we got married, I have struggled with making dinner at night. It pains me to admit it, but I have, on more than one occasion, bought a bunch of groceries with the intention of cooking and then ended up going out. Then, of course, the food from the grocery is no longer fresh so it goes to waste. I could spend lots of time feeling guilty about this, but instead I am choosing to recognize that I now know what is realistic to expect. 


Like many Southern women with super-moms and grandmothers, I thought that when I got married I would: get up at the same time every day, make breakfast, go to work, exercise, come home and cook dinner (promptly ready at 6 'clock), get some chores done, spend time with my husband, then go to bed. It took me a while to realize that this was an unrealistic expectation of myself! I'm not saying this kind of routine is impossible, but it is definitely unrealistic for me right now! Instead, I: get up at the last possible minute, arrive to work just in time, maybe eat breakfast, work, skip exercising (who has energy for that?!), maybe cook something simple (or go pick up something from Chick-fil-A), throw a load of laundry in the washer or dryer, watch a movie with Austin, fall asleep on the couch, drag myself up the stairs, have an unexpected burst of energy, then go to bed much later than I would prefer. Haha! Some of that is an exaggeration, but the point is that instead of holding ourselves to a really high standard (perfected over the course of 20 years by our moms!)  we should focus on one thing at a time, one day at a time, and extend ourselves plenty of grace! In striving for perfection, we miss precious things in life. Besides, having a gourmet meal on the table and an immaculate house is not our purpose in life! Glorifying God with our lives is the most important thing- glorifying him in our relationships, our attitudes, our activities, etc. For me, this very practically means that I choose to spend time hanging out with Austin instead of attacking my house in a cleaning frenzy as often as I would like! 


Now that I've realized what is realistic, this weekend I discovered, once again, how much I enjoy cooking! Thanks to Pinterest, I've been trying out some wonderful new recipes! I really want to share the meal that I made for Austin, Mary and me on Saturday night. 


Menu: Homemade pasta with Pastor Ryan's Bolognese Sauce (from Pioneer Woman) with fresh steamed broccoli and Homemade Braided Bread with sparkling red grape juice to drink. It was delicious!


Here are the recipes:


Pastor Ryan's Bolognese Sauce 







Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup Olive Oil
• 1-1/2 cup Grated Carrots
• 1 whole Large Red Onion, Diced
• 2 pounds Ground Beef
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Oregano
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Basil Flakes
• 1 can (6 Ounce) Tomato Paste
• 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 cup (to 2 Cups) Red Wine
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire
• 2 cans (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes
• 1 cup Milk
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• Fresh Parmesan Cheese

Preparation Instructions: 

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or skillet over medium heat. Add grated carrots and onions and cook for a few minutes. Make a well in the center of the mixture, and then add in the ground beef. Cook for a few minutes until brown, gradually stirring it into the carrot mixture.

Throw in oregano and basil. Use fresh if you have it; if you don’t, it’s fine. When the meat is browned and combined with other ingredients, make another well. Add tomato paste and let it heat. Add garlic and stir to combine.

Make a well in the center of the mixture and add red wine. Stir together. Add Worcestershire and stir. Add canned tomatoes. Finally, pour in milk, stir, and let simmer for 30 minutes to 2 hours—however long you need.

Serve with pasta and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Homemade Pasta

Ingredients: 

• 6 whole Eggs
• 3 cups All-purpose Flour

Preparation Instructions: 

Rule of thumb: Two eggs per one cup of flour

Make a well in the center of your pile of flour and crack in your eggs. Slowly mix together with your hands. Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead (roll, punch, push, etc.) by hand until dough becomes smooth and pliable, adding flour to the board as necessary.

Let the dough rest for a little while before rolling it out. You can sort of figure on one egg per person to determine how much dough to make. Example: Two eggs and one cup of flour would make enough pasta dough for a dinner for two.

When you’re ready, roll it out on a floured surface as thinly as it’ll go. The noodles will plump up quite a bit when they boil in the water, so the thinner you can roll it, the better. Cut the noodles really thin. You can use a sharp knife (if you can keep it in a straight line), a pizza wheel, or a long pizza/bread cutter.

To cook the noodles, just boil them in salted water (very important!) for probably two minutes. They cook lightning fast, so don’t let ‘em go too long.

Braided Bread

Makes 2 loaves

1/4 cup warm water
2 ½ tsp yeast (or one yeast packet)
1 Tbl sugar
1 cup hot water
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbl butter

2 ½ cups flour
1 egg
1 ¾-2 cups more flour

In a drinking glass or bowl, stir together the warm water, yeast and sugar. Set it aside for about 10 min to rise.

In your mixer, combine the hot water, salt, sugar and butter and mix. Once the yeast has risen, add 2 ½ cups flour, 1 egg and the yeast. Mix all together (using your mixing paddle arm.)

Add 1 ¾ cups more flour and mix until a ball forms. If the dough is still too soft, add more flour until the dough feels like squishy play-dough. Take the paddle arm off your mixer and put the hook arm on. Turn mixer on to the number “2” setting (if you have a Kitchen Aid Mixer) and let machine knead the dough for 7 minutes. OR knead the dough by hand for 5-6 minutes on a hard surface.

Spray a large clean bowl with cooking spray. Put the dough in the bowl and cover with a cloth to keep from drying out. Place the bowl in a warm place (like the oven with just the light turned on). A good trick my mom taught me is to turn on your oven for just 10 seconds to let it warm up. Then turn it off and put your dough in there to rise. Don’t let the oven heat for too long though, or it will bake your dough (rather than rising it). Just a few seconds is all you need to get it warm in there.

Let the dough rise for a couple hours.

Punch the dough down and let it rest for 10 minutes. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Using a knife, divide the dough in half. Starting with the first ball of dough, divide it into three pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 14 inches long.

Pinch the 3 ropes together at the top, braid the ropes, and pinch the ropes together at the end:

Squish the braid together slightly and place the braid onto the prepared cookie sheet, sideways. Repeat with the other ball of dough and place on the same sheet

Cover cookie sheet with a cloth and let rise for about an hour.

Using a fork, whisk together one egg and 1 T. water until well combined (also known as anEgg Wash). Dip a crumpled paper towel into the mixture or use a paint brush and paint the egg wash over the tops and sides of the braids. Be careful as you brush that you don’t press too hard or you may deflate the loaves.

Heat the oven to 350º (remove the rising braids before heating the oven!).

Bake for 14-18 minutes or just till they start turning golden brown. Let the bread sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting. Serve with butter and fresh jam. Enjoy!

Note: If you would like illustrated step by step instructions, these recipes are on my Pinterest "Recipes" Board and they will take you to the original blogs. 

The appropriate conclusion to this post must be, in the famous words of Julia Child, "Bon Apetit!"