Weekend Top 5 - Road Trip Weekend & TWO BONUSES

Instead of doing a Top 5, I'm going to give you 5 events from the weekend. Let's go!

WEDDING
Obviously we went to Jacksonville so that Jason could be in his friend Cody's wedding. Beautiful wedding. Gorgeous bride. Wonderful food. Now, Mr. & Mrs. Jones are in Jamaica and I'm kind of very jealous.

Mr. & Mrs. Cody Jones

Most awesome groomscake ever.

Me and my handsome groomsman

Us again :)

GRADUATION
My sister Julia is now officially a high school graduate! She did such a wonderful job walking across that stage, not to mention the four years of lots of hard work and dedication. She put in so much during her time at Fort Walton Beach High School and I know that she's just going to love college and flourish at Samford.

"There she is!" That's what my grandpa always says when he sees one of us.

GRADUATION PARTY
Me, Jason, lots of brand new high school graduates, their parents, some friends, and my grandparents. Oh yes, it was awesome.

Grad party photobooth.

Super Sassy, even at 91 years old!

Most incredible people ever. 91 and 92 and they're rockin' this party!

SAMFORD ORIENTATION
My parents and Julia are in Birmingham right now (Carlee is taking classes at home this summer...we MISSED her!) for Samford orientation. It's been great to spend some extra time with them during lunch. For the last two days I've been able to go eat with them in the caf. Since Jason works for orientation, we are able to eat for free. Yesterday Jason and I got asked if we have a son or daughter who will be a freshman next year. Haha...no. 

AN INTROVERT NIGHT
Last night Jason stayed at Samford really late so that he could get video footage of Samford's karaoke night that they have during orientation. Sidenote: I actually remember Jason from my orientation. Anyway, since he was working late, I had a night at home by myself. I usually don't like to be by myself for long periods of time, but I really enjoyed the relaxation and quiet after such a busy weekend. I got to watch my shows, watch a movie, and eat a really healthy dinner. It was kind of a treat.

My delicious dinner for one.

BONUS: 24 DAY CHALLENGE
Today I began the "max" phase of the 24DC. I'm feeling really good and excited to start seeing results. Since last week I couldn't get into a routine of any kind since we were traveling so much, so today was my first day back in the 5Club. I was up at 5:00, at the Lakeshore Trail by about 5:30, and done with my workout by 6:30. When I got home, I was able to unload and load the dishwasher, make lunch, put dinner in the crockpot, and make my delicious meal replacement shake. It was quite a productive morning. I guess that's what happens when I wake up three hours before I have to leave. I'm thinking of making a badge for my blog for each day that I wake up at 5:00.

Lakeshore Trail at 5:30 a.m.

Meal replacement shake packet, 8 oz. water, 3 large ice cubes. Blend. YUM!

Best flavor of Spark EVER!

How about this...I'll make a 5Club badge, and if you get up at or around 5:00 (let's say any time between 4:30 and 5:30 in the morning), comment below the badge! That'll be really encouraging for anyone who gets up early just to know we're not alone!!

Plus, it'll give you another reason to BLOGBACKTOME!

ALSO -

This is an EXTRA BONUS! I'm selling my 13" MacBook Pro. I got it last year and it's the late 2011 model. It's in really good condition. If you're interested in buying it, comment below and I'll send you the tech specs and price.

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Well we're all packed up and ready to go. In a few hours, the Morales wagon will be headed south for the next few days.

After much deliberation, I finally picked out what I was going to wear the the THREE big events this weekend: graduation, rehearsal dinner, and wedding. I usually have trouble dressing myself for one event much less three. But I just chose my newest, nicest dresses and packed them up. It really got me thinking that I could probably handle to give away or sell a lot of my clothes. I basically wear the same six or seven outfits to work, I wear the same five dresses to events, and on the weekends I try to stay in stretchy pants all day. How easy would it be to do laundry if I literally got ride of 3/4 of my wardrobe? That's definitely something to think about.

Maybe Jason and I aren't the only ones who are here today and will be gone tomorrow.

In other news, I mentioned the other day that I'm in the middle of the Advocare 24 Day Challenge. So far, I've lost 3.4 lbs. Is that .4 necessary to write? Yes, yes it is. I have always had so much trouble losing weight, so if I've lost over 3 lbs. in 4 days, I'm totally going to claim it! I'm currently on Day 5, and I really do feel great. I haven't had any coffee in a few days, and that's probably the hardest part. I also haven't had any sweets, and that part has actually been a little bit easier than I anticipated. I'll continue to write updates on the blog. I'm hoping that this weekend proves easier than I think it will be to stay on the plan since we'll be traveling so much. I'll be okay, I know I can be disciplined enough!

I probably won't get to blog while we're out of town, so check back next week to see pictures from our trip and also to see the results of the "cleanse" phase of the 24DC.

As always you can follow me on Twitter or Instagram, or you can just blogbacktome!

Ever & Never Changing

When I started writing consistently, my primary focus was to share about my battle with food that I've struggled with for years and years. I've never labeled myself as a "writer" and I've never labeled this blog as a "health blog" or a "food blog". That was intentional. So I apologize, because even though I do have a recipe to share with all of you (complete with pictures), I'm not going to write about food today.

Life is messy and life is full of surprises. Some good, some bad, and some just...well...surprising. We grow, sometimes willfully and sometimes not so willfully. We stretch beyond our comfort zone through life transitions. And sometimes, we avoid transition at all costs.

Sometimes I'd really appreciate one of these!
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Usually, I'm pretty good with big change. My sister graduating high school has made me reminisce on my own high school graduation, and I didn't even cry about it once. I was super involved in my high school and I loved every moment of it, but I was ready for the the transition from high school to college. Graduating from college was tough because I loved Samford, my friends, and my college life so much, but in the end, I don't recall it being that difficult. I knew it was time to transition out of college and into the world.

Our lives are full of little changes and transitions, and if I'm honest, I don't deal with those as well as I do the big stuff. I think I handle the big stuff more gracefully because of the day-to-day plans that I make and the schedule I cling to. When I lose control of my day-to-day plans, I lose control of everything.

I am constantly reminded that I am not in control. I've written about it before. But when it feels like everything around me is in transition, and I'm having to get used to new thing after new thing, I put a death grip on my day-to-day plans -- I put a death grip on my ability to control.

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Lately, it seems as though nothing is the same day-to-day. Each day there's something new or something different. I'm combining the life that I've been building for 23 years with a man who's been building a separate life for 25 years. Do I want that? OF COURSE! I want nothing more than to get married on September 22nd to the man of my dreams, so please don't think I'm complaining. But I must admit (not for the first time and probably not for the last): this transition stuff is hard work.

Throughout this process, I know that God is sanctifying and stretching me. He's teaching me to die to myself. He's teaching me to let go of my comforts. He's teaching me to let someone else lead. He's teaching me to see the big picture, to gain some perspective rather than live in this valley of the unknown.
I know that scripture tells me each of these things is good and of the Lord. But scripture also teaches me about change.

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Scripture tells us that change in us is a good thing. 

When we become believers, the bible tells us that we are made new. 
"From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." - 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 

"I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed." - 1 Corinthians 15:50-52

God changes things according to His sovereign plan for us.

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
     to whom belong wisdom and might.
He changes times and seasons;
     he removes kings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise
     and knowledge to those who have understanding;
he reveals deep and hidden things;
     he knows what is in the darkness,
     and the light dwells with him."

 - Daniel 2:20-22

Our hearts are changed when we call upon the name of the Lord. 
“For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples
    to a pure speech,
that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord
    and serve him with one accord."
- Zephaniah 3:9  

Jesus' birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection changed the course of history for the rest of eternity.  
"and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.” And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel." - Acts 6:13-15

Scripture also tells us that there is One who will never change.

“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed." - Malachi 3:6

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." - Hebrews 13:8


How glorious it is to know that God is sovereign over the change and transitions in our lives, and that will never change!! 

 

Moving & Moving Forward

Wow -

As I began this Monday I now have a sister who is a high school graduate. Jason and I enjoyed Carlee's graduation weekend in Destin/Fort Walton.

Friday consisted of good food, lots of family, and that memorable moment when they said, "Carlee Anna Sansom" and she walked across the stage. After graduation, my parents and Carlee's boyfriend's parents had put together a wonderful party for them just down the road.

Carlee and Tyler (her boyfriend) were "Preschool Sweethearts" (as we like to say).

They're old pros at this whole graduating thang :)

My wittle swister is moving forward.

By the end of this week, Jason and I will hopefully

• Have Jason moved in to his summer residence 
• Have a lot of Jason's stuff moved into my apartment for storage
• Have a working and functional washing machine (finally!)
• Have tons more wedding planning done
• Have our engagement pictures taken (finally!)
• Have done tons of random things in between all of these huge things and both worked a 40 hour week!

Jason and I are moving forward - and Jason's a-movin'! 

In the midst of all of this, I MUST get back to eating right. Last week I got my blood work results and everything was fine except my cholesterol was a tad bit high and my insulin levels were high. Praise God that there is nothing more serious. I know that I MUST focus on eating according to the plan that the doctor gave me (I'll share that later this week) and exercise regularly. I also know from experience that during a time of lots of celebrations and transitions, it's very very hard to stay focused on a healthy lifestyle. I am praying for focus and discipline during this time.

I am wanting to cook dinner at home a couple of nights this week, so stay tuned for recipes. If all goes as planned, I may have some good ones up my sleeve :)

Now that you all feel sufficiently caught up on my life, I'll quit rambling. Happy Monday everyone!

Prayer Focus of the Day: Today I am praying for focus and discipline. Titus 1:7-9 says, "For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it." I am praying myself and for each of you friends and readers that these characteristics would define our inward and outward lives. 

Gather 'rounnd...it's Story Time

I feel like I should begin this post with, "Good morning girls and boys," like on Barney & Friends.

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But, I won't.

However I do have a story for you this lovely Friday morning.

As many of you probably know, my wonderful fiancé is a bit like a cartoon character (or so people say). He is so outgoing and I admire him for his whit, sense of humor, and ability to be 110% himself in every situation.

This is how I envision Jason as a cartoon.
When he see's this, he'll probably say that this dude has cool hair. Just a guess.
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But, last night I wanted to crawl into a hole.

One of our friends opened for a band a couple of weeks ago at a venue here in Birmingham called Workplay. She asked one of our other friends to play guitar for her during her set (they lead worship together at church and are on worship staff together). Through that, our friend who plays guitar met the guitarist from the headlining band.

Well, Jason has met that band a couple of times himself and he's done sound for them at events at Samford, so we're both familiar with them (although I'd never met them). Someone saw on their website that they were playing a house show in Birmingham last night, so our friend who plays guitar texted the guitar player of the headlining band to see if it was an open show and if so, could we come. He said yes to both, so last night Jason, our friend who plays guitar, his wife, and me went to the "house show".

When we arrived, there was a sign out front that was in kind of a graffiti font, so none of us could make out what it said. We thought it said, "Best of..." and then Jason told us they were probably being artsy and didn't want anyone to know the last word.

We got about halfway down this driveway and we see a bunch of people...well no...teenagers...out by the pool. Then our friend's wife (who's my friend as well, but I'm trying to only use pronouns) said, "Did that sign say 'Class of 2012'?". Why yes, I think it did.

By that point, we'd already been spotted and one of the parents came out and asked if we were friends of the band. So, instead of saying no and running away quickly and gone to pick up dessert somewhere (which is what I wanted to do), we said yes and went to the party...the high school graduation party.

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 Turns out, a most of the students went to a private, Christian school in Birmingham and a large handful of them will be attending Samford in the fall. I considered laying some groundwork for my sister, who will also be a freshman at Samford in the fall, but I decided she probably wouldn't appreciate that. Who wants their older, party-crashing sister finding them a roomie and new BFF?

It ended up being okay. I felt awkward the whole time, but the guys had fun at least. The kids didn't even know we were there and the parents probably thought we were besties with the band...or something.

As we were leaving, we started discussing what the owners of the house must do for a living (the house was beautiful and huge). Turns out...he's in advertising...

...how about that?

We were offed cake but we declined - which is a reflection of how awkward we felt (we, meaning me and the guitar player's wife). 

All in all, it was an enjoyable evening, and we ended up taking away a great story.