Nutrition vs. Diet (Guest Blogger)

Here is this week's guest blogger. Coming to you by none other then Mr. James Corbin himself.

So I am a stickler for words and what they mean. I'm in the camp of “say what you mean and mean what you say.” 

You will hear my wife talking a ton about proper nutrition. You will never hear the term diet. In society’s vernacular today those two words, nutrition and diet, are used interchangeably. However, they are not the same. 

Going on a diet has a connotation of once your goal is reached, it's done. For example, you may say, “I want to lose 10 pounds, so I am going on xyz diet”. When you lose those 10 pounds, you’re going to slide back into your crappy eating habits and then lose all your results. 

Now getting onto a good nutrition plan denotes a radical lifestyle change on what you allow to pass your lips for food and beverage. There is no end date. The goal is health, not temporary vanity. Who gives a rip if you look good for two weeks then yo-yo back up? You want to get in great shape and stay there.  

Get a nutrition plan, and kill the diet. 

Just saying

The Buts

It's been one week since James encouraged me to pursue Gracefully Fit and accomplish my own health goals through Beachbody. I have received more support then I anticipated. This first week has been challenging. I had one goal at the beginning of the week: to be consistent and for the most part I have been with posting to the group and drinking my Shakeology.  I even have pushed myself to set new goals for the page that will be coming to everyone in the weeks to follow. Part of my first goal, to be consistent, includes a weekly blog update. Which lands on today. So here is our update about our healthy journey.

 I posted earlier today on Gracefully Fit about one individual who had an incredible transformation by sticking to the BeachBody program she chose. She was a mom of two boys and managed to take control of her life and make some drastic changes. On that post, I mentioned a quote that I heard about a week ago, "Buts. Everyone has one...and they all stink." This woman had no more "buts" in her life. I am going to be honest with you and very real right now. James and I received our package Tuesday morning for P90 and even though I started the Shakeology almost instantly, we just did our very first workout. In the hotel we are staying at, nonetheless! Why did we wait? Because of "buts".

We literally had every "but" in the book. 

"...but let's start on a Monday."
"...but it's nighttime."
"...but we just ate then it's going to be bed soon."
"...but it's Sunday."
"...but we had a long day." 
"...but we are going to be out of town."
"...but we don't have weights."

But. But. But.

James knows this program works. I know I want change. We both know we want a better lifestyle, yet we put up walls around our own success. It's so easy to do and it takes the brave to step out of that comfort zone and make a significant change to reach their goals. 

So tonight after Ezra was supposedly down for the count, we busted open the pack and started our workout, watching it on our laptop. James nailed the workout. He should be on the instructional videos. I had to stop five minutes into it to nurse my ever vigilant child. I did jump back in and finished the workout. Was it the perfect setting? No. Did the workout go perfectly? No. Was I able to keep up with the trainer, let alone my husband? No. But I completed it to my best abilities right now. We stopped putting a "but" before our dream goal. 

It just takes one push to get started and the end results are going to be most rewarding. It isn't going to be perfect or super easy; it will be challenging and take intense dedication. But we got this. You got this. Start today. You can keep it simple with just clean eating like we did for the last week or you can be braver then us and start working out instead of taking a week to talk yourself into it.

There's a tid-bit for you... 

The Hubby's 2-Cents: A Guest Blogger

My awesome Hubs wrote a special blog for starting this weight loss journey with Beachbody...hope you enjoy!

Hi I am James, husband to this amazing woman Ashleigh. I am taking this journey of health and fitness with my wife. 

I have completed a few rounds of p90x and one of insanity. I got into the best shape of my life. Then after getting married and having Ezra…I let my fitness goals get pushed way down the list. Not any longer. 

Once a week I am going to provide some tips and insight from my prospective. I am 100% on board with my wife being a coach. I am truly excited for us, and those of you who come on this journey with us. Your fittest and happiest days are ahead of you. If you commit to making it happen.  

Well enough about me. Here is my insight for the week. 

Eating on the road 

I'm Field employee, which means a lot of nights away from home and a lot of opportunity to eat like trash. 

The biggest hurdle is at the start of the day. The staple of business class hotels with the FREE breakfast: powdered eggs, that awful waffle mix, and juice that seems sweeter than drinking a coke with a sidecar of sugar. My suggestion here is, pack a meal replacement, protein shake, Shakeology what have you. Or stick to fresh fruit and yogurt if available. 

Lunch time is the hardest…because fast food is just that fast! Plan your day out to go some place that offers healthier options. Or if fast food is your only way to go, get something that does the least amount of damage to your goals. Stay awake from the milkshake and greasy fries, move to low calorie options. 

Finally dinner.  While going to a sports bar, such as Buffalo Wild Wings, is typically what I would like to do. It's not the best. Sure tons of tv's to watch whatever game is on, new people to talk with, it is an ideal way to end a day. However, the menu is not the best. Wings, sliders, nachos and that is not even getting into beverages. All this will turn what you want to be defined abs, into something reminiscent of a beach ball. Go some place that offers cook to order meals or some place that offers a fit menu. Believe it or not, chains like Applebees, Chili's and the such have okay options. Just be smart, read the nutrition facts on the dish and pick according to your nutrition plan. 

BONUS TIP: An all day tip for the road is to avoid soda and sugary drinks. That daily coke is going to destroy your fitness goals. Drink water and then more water. It may be bland, but nothing is better for you. 

Alan Lakein said, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.”

Lots of truth for all parts of your life there. 

Just saying. 

www.beachbodycoach.com/adcorbin
www.shakeology.com/adcorbin
www.teambeachbody.com/adcorbin

This is just the beginning...

A year ago, James and I bought those water bottles that allow you to put your shake mix in whenever you want. James used them for maybe two weeks and I didn't even try it. We still have two giant containers of shake mix in our cupboard! We were so gung-ho about jumping on the "New You" in 2014 we purchased everything necessary and I had finally convinced James to join the gym with me. I even pre-prepped meals in the freezer so we wouldn't eat out. We had everything set and ready to go. Our New-Year's resolution was to be healthy and get in shape.
Then the best thing ever happened, at the end of the month, we found out we were having a baby. Pretty much from that point on health was thrown out the window, because if I was craving half the menu from Jack-in-the-Box at 9:00pm, well we were in that drive-thru line. I definitely tried to watch "my health" because I was truly petrified of having gestational diabetes during my pregnancy. My doctor was also concerned and didn't want me to gain too much weight either. Every appointment I loved going to, for the simple fact of knowing our little one was growing and really there, but at the same time I dreaded seeing if my weight had gone up too much.
Fast-forward to now, we had a healthy and very happy baby boy in October. I did not have diabetes during the pregnancy and I luckily only gained an appropriate amount of weight. However, several things happened during my pregnancy and after our little man got here that really challenged me to want a change in my life.
1) I ate good and bad during the pregnancy and after. Sounds silly to be a pivotal point in wanting to change, but it is true. Sometimes James and I were on target for healthy eating. Spinach with everything, no fast food. Then other times we were eating out for a week straight. There was absolutely no consistency in our daily diet. Plus, I would skip meals-not on purpose; just I would forget to eat. (And that always lead to unhealthy choices). This pattern then affected me after the pregnancy. I chose to breastfeed Ezra and after two months, he stopped gaining weight. My milk supply was very low. I can't exactly pinpoint the specific reason for this, but I know one of the reasons was my lack of eating correctly and getting the right nutrition for both of us.  This is one reason I wanted a change in my life...no more yo-yoing with our meals.
2) My mom suffered a stroke one month before I was due. This is an event no one wants or hopes for, but it happened. This moment opened my eyes to realizing how important health was. I love my mom very much, but her food choices have not always been the best and those bad choices finally affected her health to this extreme. She is on her way to recovery and slowly learning better choices, but this all could have been prevented early on. This was the most eye-opening reason I wanted to change...I want to be able to see grand-kids and great grand-kids!
3) I stopped working. Yup, a reason for change in my life that literally has nothing to do with being fit. James and I decided it is our child and future children’s best interest to have a parent at home. We knew that this would change a lot in our personal life financially. No more just buying whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted. No more being able to just give. We were going to have to be on a budget and stick with it. In June, we cut back on everything and I stopped working. We went from two full-time incomes to just one. We moved and made the necessary adjustments and it worked. Then Ezra came and even though we prepped and prepared for everything, there is still stuff that just happens. It is not easy living off one income. (And I guarantee that any stay-at-home mom or hard-working dad reading this knows exactly what I am talking about). Groceries are expensive, kids are expensive, and life is expensive. So, with always making it, but wishing we had more to give, more to pay off debt, more to save and not wanting to have to go back to work, we had to figure out something that could work for us.
Here comes the answer to all of my "reasons" for change. Beachbody. Yes, I know-the infomercials you see with ultimate results. But it's true. James had completed two of their programs before me and woah...he was hot! Well, let me clarify he is still hot, but he was in shape, fit, and healthy then. Together we are none of those. At the beginning of December, a fellow mom from my area invited me to a sneak-peek group of Beachbody. I thought it couldn’t hurt to see what it was about. After a week of listening to her heart share her experiences and those of other Beachbody coaches, I knew I could not only do this, but this was my answer. It would build consistency in my life, help both of us get fit and be healthy and it had an opportunity financially.
So here I am at the beginning of my journey of being healthy and being a Beachbody Coach. I am going to make mistakes, I am going to miss workouts and I am sure there will be some non-healthy eating days along my route, but I have personally seen results physically, emotionally, and financially with this product and I am excited to be a part of this team. I am going to walk through this and see Real Solutions this year and not end with failed resolutions. I hope you feel welcomed to follow me and keep both James and I accountable through this process. If you want to know more about what exactly I am doing, message me and I will let you know.
Here's to change. Here's to challenges. Here's to Real Solutions.
http://www.beachbodycoach.com/adcorbin
http://www.teambeachbody.com/adcorbin
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gracefully-Fit/1402104276749991?sk=notes

It's really there

Today was round two of doctor's appointments. A month ago, James and I nervously and very excitedly met with our doctor to see our literal bean. There was about an entire minute the doctor struggled to find the baby. We both were dead locked on the little screen just praying it would show up. Longest minute of our lives. No joke. Then there it was. Complete and total confirmation that there is a life forming. 

Now, prior to this first appointment, James and I had taken three tests and had blood work done to confirm there was actual life. Nonetheless- I still had a bit of hesitation. So today, we went back and I am amazed that I would still have doubt. I got a little bit nervous before the doppler came out, but really shouldn't have when our doctor found the heartbeat in less then five seconds. Yes, I am pregnant. The smell aversions and four weeks of nausea should have pinpointed that. But, I still didn't believe it. Even now as I sit and write this, I am wondering if our now lime is still there. 

It really is fascinating to me that after all this proof of life, I still would have doubt. I am sure most first time moms and moms in general go through this feeling. Then one night you wake up to constant kicking and spend the next 20 or so weeks wishing your baby wasn't deciding to be a soccer player. However, the reason I find it so interesting is that for the last three weeks in my kid's church class we have been talking about faith. Faith is believing in what you can't see, because of what you can see. My kid's have this down. They can give examples, they know the bible stories we have shared to learn this, they know what faith is...and they have faith in God because of it. 

Wondering if our baby is still there is just one small example of an area I have doubt. I am sure a lot of you struggle with simple situations to the more extensive ones and lack a bit of faith. We all will doubt, yet in those moments we also have a choice to have faith. I watch my kid's faces come to life as I share stories from the Bible of what God has done. I see them jump with excitement as they hear a new missions story and see what God is doing. I am humbled, in how my faith truly needs to be more child-liked, as I listen to them pray, fully trusting and believing God to still work in their life today and in the future.

Faith is believing in what you can't see, because of what you can see. I cannot see our baby yet. I cannot feel our baby, but it doesn't mean this little Corbin is not there. I know I saw three positive tests...I know I have a picture of a very misshaped bean in our living room...I have heard a 170/minute heartbeat that was not mine and because of all that I know I have a baby inside of me. I want to encourage you all today to stretch your faith a bit. Share a story of something God has done in your life and watch how that will catalyst into something more. Be encouraged in your faith and that thing you have been doubting about- trust God with it completely and watch Him move in your situation. 

There's a tid-bit for you.

An Unlikely Teacher

Wednesday night's have turned into a smorgasbord of students. I have two that are 2, a three year old, a four year old, two that are six, two that are eight, a nine and ten, and then four that are between twelve and fourteen. It gets a little crazy between bible story and craft time to say the least. And I love it. 

Last night I had a new student in my Wednesday night class. I asked him if he had ever been to church before and he said yes. He loved drawing his favorite bible hero for the opening project (Jesus on the cross). He listened intently to the bible story, completed his craft, and then proclaimed to me that this was his best day ever. He continued playing with the friends that brought him and some new ones he made. Then, completely out of the blue, he came straight up to me and let me know that he is the youngest of three. His brothers are quite older then him...and they don't go to church. In fact, they don't believe in God; they believe in the Devil. His words exactly. I finally had the opportunity to reply and I told him the best thing he could do as a little brother is pray for his older brothers. He proceed to inform me that he had...sixteen times to be exact. 

Now before I go any further, I want to point out one thing about this two minute conversation that provoked an entire blog post from me. This new little boy is only six years old, but "will be seven this year". A six year old, who most of the night played with building blocks, had trouble opening a glue stick, and made new friends during a round of duck, duck, goose has a deep compassion for his two brothers that no longer go to church, so much so that he has prayed for them. Consistently, I might add. I honestly cannot remember a time that I have prayed for something sixteen times or more. Yes, I do pray, but I feel I fall into a category of making too quick decisions when I feel God hasn't answered my prayers or just forgetting to pray through a situation because nothing has changed it. 

Both are unacceptable I realize, but it is the mentality of how most people pray. I know not all do. I feel one of the reasons I have been blessed with not just a man of God, but one who deeply loves and cares about me above himself is because of Isabel. Isabel is my second grandmother and since I was a teen, she has prayed everyday for me and for my future spouse. She prayed for me over ten years, over 4,000 days for my well being and my husband. This type of determination to see God move is what I desire and what we need more people in this world doing. 

Right now, our church staff is reading through "Draw the Circle: The 40-Day Prayer Challenge" by Mark Batterson. Yesterday's reading hit me hard. Mark started out by sharing how the bible described Cornelius. "He prayed to God regularly" Acts 10:2. He continues on in the short chapter to explain that when we try to expedite God's plan, we in reality delay it. I am a person who does this. I try to "fedex" what God wants with my own personal expertise plan. But Mark ends with two major points, that I feel were a perfect start to this new 40 day challenge.

From Mark: 

• Don't try to manufacture your own miracles. Don't try to answer your own prayers. Don't try to do God's job for Him. Stay humble, Stay patient. Stay focused. Keep circling. 
• If you pray regularly, irregular things will happen on a regular basis.

These two things I saw lived out in the heart of a six year old. He doesn't have answers for why his brothers don't go to church, but he knows to pray for them. He is doing that continuously. His brothers may come to church this Easter because of his prayers or they may not for many years, but I do know this little six year old is not giving up. He has shown me that, even in a fast pace, drive-through generation, my prayers are not to be. I need to stay patient, pray continuously and watch God move in my situations.

There's a tid-bit for you.

40

I do apologize for the great lack of writing. Who knew being married for nine months and then finding out you are pregnant could take up so much time? Anyways, I am trying to get back into the swing of things and thought I would start today on Ash Wednesday. 

At my church this past Sunday, we made a commitment over the next forty days to pray an hour a day and fast a meal a day. We had one hundred and ten people accept this challenge. 4,400 hours of prayer. 4,400 meals fasted. This is going to be good and I am very much looking forward to the next forty days. 

Even though this seems simple enough to pray only an hour a day and one meal a day, it actually is proving to be a bit more challenging for me....the lady with child. (Still hasn't hit me that I am having a baby; hopefully by nine months I will be ready!) At first, my boss suggested that I just give up my "4th Meal" of the day to fast. However, baby and I have come quite accustomed to our late night bowl of Cheerios and not waking up sick in the morning. So with not being able to give up food, per se, I am opting to do several other things that distract me. It's rather funny, just a mere two years ago I was sharing in kid's church what it meant to fast and actually created this list of "alternatives" for kid's to be able to participate. Here are just a few ways to help those of you who really cannot opt out of food...

1) Facebook- The blatantly obvious choice in today's society.  I tried this a couple of years ago and just opted to skip a meal instead. I was amazed to discover how much I (the person who is never on and has only posted a couple times this month) spent just browsing. I wake up in the morning check my email...and facebook. I take a five minute break to grab water and my morning snack of the day...and check facebook. I end a phone call with a friend...and check facebook. I bet I am not the only one with this kind of habit. I am not on for hours at a time, I am not posting constant updates of my "drama-filled" day, I am not even posting pictures of food anymore. I just check it practically every hour, for about five minutes at a time. I catch up on some actual news and then am able to justify my time spent on. This option I will be using for several days of my 40 day fast, to opt out of being on it or logged in even. The first time I gave this up, I was truly amazed at how many times I grabbed my phone to just "zone on facebook". One day away gave me much needed time that I could focus on prayer. 

2) T.V- I know...I don't even have cable, so how in the world could t v be a hindrance to me? Well quite simply. While I am waiting for James to get off work, I hate being in the quite at home. I turn on the t.v and pretty soon in the middle of putting dishes away or trying not to overcook dinner...I am engaged in a show. James and I do enjoy one show together every night, because it is our way of relaxing from our day at work and a way for us to catch up and talk. So what I am opting to do throughout this challenge is, instead of immediately flipping on a show or movie, taking my first hour home to have silence, to spend time reading my bible, to pray. I think Criminal Minds will forgive me and more then likely repeat next month. 

The last option I want to share is...  

3) Electronics- I am on my computer and phone all day it seems like. My job revolves around researching, emailing, entering data, and I am non-stop on my computer or phone. During the week, I leave my computer at work, in order to separate being home and not at work anymore. However, I still have my phone that I am on searching for information, the next craft to do, or just communicating with my friends and family. I am constantly surrounded by emails and texts. My fasting electronics will consist of, yes I am going to say it, turning off my phone for an entire hour. I know it's crazy, right? No, it is not. The world will not come crumbling down if I do not have my phone attached to my ear for an hour or within a ten inch vicinity. I will survive and you will too. 

So there are my top three alternatives to fasting a meal for this challenge. The point is not to starve yourself giving up a meal, but to take that time you would have been eating to focus on God. I know I have a lot of things that take away my time from spending with God and I am hoping for the next forty days to be different. These are my suggestions that take away hours in my day. I am sure that if you are unable to give up a meal, if these three don't fit into your top time wasters, you can find other alternatives to fast from and truly give a focus on God over the next 40 days. Who knows...it may even become a new norm for you.

And there's a tid-bit for you. 

Marriage 101.2

Like I said in a post prior, every so often I will be posting about Marriage 101. (You know in all my vast, infinite 4-months of knowledge on marriage). So Marriage 101.1 was a lesson on caring for your spouse. This .2 lesson is on encouragement.

Before we were married, James and I started encouraging one another. Our trust level and love towards each other deepened as we did this simple act. Then when we married each other the importance of being encouraging became crucial to our marriage. And, frankly, it has become one of the top vital foundations of our marriage.

So what does this look like? It's really quite easy...just takes a bit of practice. While we were dating, I would find little opportunities to tell James he was handsome, or smart, or even a ninja. Nothing fancy. Just a compliment or two that put positive words in his head and heart. After we were married, I noticed that encouragement wasn't just a compliment every now and then...it was a constant.

I have the power to make him feel stronger and wiser in everything I do. I could be having a rough day and download everything on him...and he would sit and listen. He would tell me it would be ok and give me advice on whatever situation I was facing. He then would keep me accountable to that and encourage me through those hard times. But I have to be there for him too and it's not all that easy to know when he needs some uplifting.

Most men are not going to come home and sit and pout until their wife says, "Honey, what's wrong?". I can't overwhelmingly pester him every time he tells me his day was just "fine" and doesn't give me every detail. But instead, I have to set my needs aside and my perspectives and be aware of his needs. I have to see him after a 52-hour work week, absolutely exhausted and having to wake up at 5:30am to do it all over again, and know he needs a note in his lunch telling him how much I love him or waking up with him to layout his clothes for the day. I have to take note of him bowing his head just a little lower in prayer over the youth of our church and city and know he needs his wife sitting their praying with him and supporting him as we impact this generation. I have to give him some space and let him have a night to be in the man cave, rather then hassling him with helping around the house. In return, for encouraging him, he takes time to be more encouraging to me and in ways I never expected.

One of my favorite verses that has always challenged me, in relationships, is Hebrews 10:24, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds...". I use this in my relationship with James and know that it is a pivotal and intricate layer of our relationship. Take a second wives and husbands and think...how can you encourage your spouse today? Even take it a step further and discover how you can 'spur someone on toward love and good deeds', instead of putting them down. 

There's a tid-bit for you.

Big Announcement...Biggest Yet!

 

Well this is a bit sooner then I ever anticipated in announcing. But I can hardly keep it a secret anymore. James has been just beaming with joy and I am so ecstatic, I can't sleep at night. See it's something I have been dreaming about, but just didn't know when the right timing would come along. And now...well we are ready. Lottie is not sure about it yet, but I am certain she can make the adjustment. Everything is set. James just finished the office and I cleaned out the garage. So everything is organized and ready to go. We even have been able to cut back in our budget to save for this. Neither one of us can wait...we just want it to be here already!

We are going to his best friend's wedding at the end of this month in Oregon and then taking a couple of extra days off to head to Seattle. I have been waiting over two years for this trip, but I just didn't know when or how I would go back up. James can't wait to be in his best friend's wedding, then be indulged in the coffee capital for a few days. Plus, we get to spend time with my family up there. The last time I saw them, James and I were getting married so we didn't get to spend much time. And I will be able to meet my dear friend's baby for the first time.

Being able to take James where I lived and share with him this portion of my life is something I thought would take years to make happen...and probably would be after we had kids! So to all my Seattle friends and family, I will be up in the area labor day weekend and be there for a couple of days.

There's my "Big Announcement" and tid-bit for you today...

Marriage 101.1

I am not an expert on this marriage thing yet and I don't plan on being one for quite some time, but I have already learned some very simple truths and I want to share them occasionally with you all. I have been blessed with a slue of wonderful and not so wonderful marriage examples. Both have been extremely helpful in setting a strong foundation for James and my marriage. In Marriage 101.1, the simple truth is this: Care for your spouse.

How does that look? It's not easy. I mean think about it- the grizzly bear snoring away next to you who always leaves their half drunk coco-cola bottles in your car or the always half-way through a household project and never gets up to turn the lights off woman won't always cultivate an emotion of "care". I have discovered that caring for one another is found in the small and simple things, instead of always pointing out the flaws of the other.

For example, a dear friend of mine (and a marriage I have always admired) once shared with me right before I started dating James a story from early on in her marriage. She told me how one day, just a few months into their marriage, she was cleaning the house and found a spider. Not a huge set back to her routine, but nonetheless she took it upon herself to show her spouse she cared. She called him at work (only a few blocks from home) and told him there was a spider in the house and she needed him to come kill it. Of course, he thought it was ridiculous that she wouldn't just handle it herself. She wasn't a fearful woman or one incapable to kill a spider. However, he got in his car, drove home, and killed the spider. Why? Because he cared about her. 

I know this story may seem silly to some, but it truly does speak volumes. See at the beginning of their marriage they were already setting up opportunities and a standard for one another to show that they cared. The pivotal and most vital part of this story is the fact that they BOTH showed they cared. She could have assassinated the little terror herself and her husband would have never known. She instead took an opportunity to build him up and show that in all things she needed him. He could have ignored her call and told her it was a stupid request and to just deal with it, but instead he came to her rescue because she asked. This is just a small example in their marriage that has grown over the years.

The other day James cleaned up the office. It was packed full with boxes, crafts things from the wedding, and every other miscellaneous item you could think of. And he just cleaned it. I didn't ask him to, but he did know it was on my to-do list so he took care of it. So in return, I worked on the garage one day while he was at work and gave him a man-cave. I love having the office clean and ready for guests and he absolutely loves walking into the garage and having a place all to himself. We do things for one another, not out of obligation to each other, but because we deeply care for one another and want that established now. We also understand that it is not a one way road. We both have to care and not stop caring for the other, even through the tough times.

There's a first marriage tid-bit for you. 

To- do's

The last thing I want to do today is write a new blog post. I know...then why write one? But you see I have said that for the last two weeks...and I probably could say that for the next week. So I am forcing myself to do this. I have not written in over a month! It's kind of frustrating, because I love to write. I have always loved writing stories- capturing my thoughts or those of others and being as creative as possible in communicating it. I actually wrote several of my friends auto-biography senior year, because I was blocked on writing mine and they needed help. I love to write. But right now... this post- I loathe.

Why all this frustration for a few moments of thought? Because, it clearly pinpoints the exact moment I let procrastination flood into my life and dropped all sense of prioritizing my schedule. When I started this blog, I sat down each week to write something new and then slowly it became once every two weeks...to once a month...to now once every two months!?! And the blog just started in January! I could state very valid excuses for not having the time to share with all of you...like getting married, starting a new position at work, going on a mission's trip, Lottie- but honestly, they are just excuses for not doing what I can and need to do. 

We all get caught up with our "things I will do tomorrow" list being double-sided with tasks that we could have completed already. For example, I am learning very slowly, the balance of married life. James and I love spending time with each other. Seriously. I crave time with him..and I hope he enjoys spending time with me ;). We have started to establish "time" together. We both have Mondays off and it is our day with each other. Each night for dinner we sit down at the table with one another and talk about our day. Then (this is where I have let procrastination come in) we sit down and watch a movie, the news, or a show. Get ready for bed, coax Lottie into her kennel, and then wake up the next morning to go through our day again. Missed the procrastination? There is no picking up of dishes, or touching base on the laundry, or tidying the house. Now that might not be a major, but after a week of cherishing "our time" together, I am overwhelmed with all the to-do's and inevitably it takes time away from James...the very thing I didn't want to do. If I would have put the dishes away after dinner, or had James take out the trash before bed it wouldn't turn into a major, overwhelming project Saturday morning and I actually would be able to accomplish more. 

So this post, isn't just a post. It is a statement that I am trying to get out of my "easy-procrastination-rut" and back into being more pro-active with life. I hope you all enjoyed a tid-bit of encouragement to be ahead of the game and take a few moments to move some of those to-do's off your list.