A Saturday Like This...

...is what I have been waiting for.

It is cold and cloudy outside. Our schedule is completely empty (except for working out). I get to wear my pajamas for as long as I want and I get to spend the day with John!

I hope you are enjoying your Saturday as much as I am enjoying mine!

Enjoying Every Step

I recently realized something about myself that I wish were not true. But for the sake of being open and honest, I decided to share it with you all.

Truth: I am all about the results.

Let me explain. I do a lot of things in life only because of the results.

Example Number 1: Hiking
While many hike because it is a great way to stay active while being outside, I hike because I want to know what the view is like from up there. Needless to say, when I hike a whole mountain only to a cloud – the day is not a happy one.

Example Number 2: Exercising
I always wanted to be one of those devoted Seattleites that go on a run even if the city is flooding due to rain. Really, I wish I was that dedicated to my body and health. Instead, I complain that I have to go outside every single day to exercise. I daydream about living in a world where we would be naturally fit. The only reason I exercise is because I know it is good for me. If you read Brain Rules you will know what I am talking about. Well, I also like what I see way more when I am exercising…

Example number 3: Cleaning
I have a friend who loves washing the dishes. I don’t understand why anyone would enjoy washing the dishes. I only clean because I like the final result. I like it when my home smells clean, when all the laundry is done and folded. I like it when I can see my own reflection on the wooden floor. I like it when I step into a bathtub that has no soap scum on the sides. But I certainly do not like cleaning any of these things.

Are you beginning to see a pattern here? Really, I am learning that I miss out on many opportunities because all I care about is the final result of whatever it is that I am doing.

So, it is time to make some changes in the attitude department of my life. I am going to work on finding joy in every step of life.

Four Years Ago

On October 24, 2006 I got a phone call from John…but I was in the library and didn’t have any service. I suppose my lack of response to his phone call prompted him to send me an email.

Here are some pieces of the email I received:

Hey Goose,
I'm getting off work early today … Do you have time to get some dinner? … Just thought it'd be cool to hang out for a bit before core group.

See ya!
Shotgun

*Just so you know Goose and Shotgun are our Camp names. John and I met when we both signed up to be camp counselors in Alaska. His camp name was Shotgun and mine was Goose.

**Also, I will include that I read this email while with a group of friends from an accounting class (We were preparing for an accounting competition). I pretty much read this email and left my computer open while I went to the bathroom. When I came back, my friend Anna had replied for me saying that I would love to grab some dinner together.

So, I ended up going out to dinner with John that day. Before then, we were friends and had spent a lot of time together – but always in a group setting. This dinner was going to be our first time together alone.

To my surprise, John took me to a cute Italian restaurant and proceeded to tell me how he enjoyed spending time with me. I started thinking that this dinner was a bit like a date…

…I was nervous and couldn’t really eat. Finally John looked at me in the eyes and told me he wanted to be more than just a friend I see every now and then. He said he wanted to really get to know me and asked if I wanted to be his girlfriend!

I am pretty sure I could hear my heart pounding. I had liked John for a while and pretty much all my friends knew that. However, I didn’t think he had a clue. I didn’t even think he had ever ‘noticed’ me.
I told him that being his ‘girlfriend’ sounded wonderful…and the rest is history.

So, we are having dinner at that same cute Italian restaurant tonight to celebrate our last four years together!

This Baby Makes Me Want a Baby!

Rahm Family

I was honored to take the Rahm family pictures when their little man was only three months old. This time around I got to experience more personality, more smiles and more fun as I captured the many ways this family has changed in the last six months.  In my opinion, they could not be more beautiful!

If you would like to see more images from this photoshoot, click here.

Work Out Update #4

Ok. I am a little late writing this update – considering that I try to write it in the beginning of the week and today is Thursday.

But, better late than never.

The workout routine is now a normal part of life. John and I no longer have to try to remember to work out. We know it is going to happen and our bodies know what to expect. Having said that, don’t think that we are always eager to get ourselves into the gym. Now that the weather is colder, I am finding that at the end of the day, the last thing I want to do is go work out. Instead, I want to take a shower and wrap my whole body in a blanket like a mummy.

I have procrastinated almost every day this past week – and the only thing that gets me going is the fact the John has been so committed that I know he would go even if I decided not to. And if he is going, than I feel that I HAVE to go as well.

We increased the weights on almost every exercise and that is both exciting and discouraging at the same time. It is fun to see how our bodies have adapted to the initial routine…but adding weights make the exercises just as hard as they were initially. So, sometimes it feels like we have not accomplished anything and we have to remind ourselves that we can do lunges with twice the amount of weights now.

Speaking of lunges, I dislike them with a passion. It takes me forever to go through all the reps and I am constantly aware that I might fall over at any minute while doing them.

However, I must mention that all this exercise must be doing us some good because we were able to hike a relatively tough mountain without feeling like we were going to die! I hiked Mt. Dickerman more than 4 years ago and it took me almost 5 hours to get to the top. This past Saturday it only took me 3 hours to get up there. Exciting! Maybe someday I’ll climb Mt. Rainier. After all, that is one of my goals, but I didn’t have the guts to share it with the World Wide Web in case it never actually happens.

Autumn Hike

John and I spent our Saturday on a hike. This was my first autumn hike ever - and let me tell you, I had been missing out without knowing! Reds, oranges, yellows, browns and greens danced in front of us and every switchback introduced us to a new array of colors. It was truly magical!

If you have never hiked in the Fall time before, I strongly encourage you to stop doing whatever you are doing right now and start heading toward the nearest mountain. You will not regret it!

Just in case you need a little bit of encouragement, here are a few pictures for inspiration.