Some updates:

first, on running:

Well- fortunately, Jonathan and I have been keeping up with our rec center/work out goals. 

Unfortunately, about a a week ago, while running I felt a sharp pain in my ankle each time my foot hit the ground.

the next day it was my ankle+heel and achilles area.

the next day it was ankle+ achilles+ foot and shin.

the next day it was ankle+ achilles+ foot +shin+ knee

and by yesterday it was a straight knife like nerve pain from the tip of my toe to the base of my tail bone.

My entire right leg is out of order.

sad face.

:(

Cole from A Space of My Own,

(an avid and skilled runner as opposed to myself...)

suggested that my physical body was essentially not keeping up with my super-human, endorphin-driven motivation to get in shape.

Definitely likely, seeing as how my body has never been asked to do much of anything beyond getting me from point A to Point B. 

And now it's upset at me for making it run. Suck it up, body.

Cole suggested weight training which I will definitely be adding to the routine.

If anyone has any additional knowledge/suggestions/insights/encouragements- please post:)

Other updates:

3 weeks into my next to last semester of law school, and I'm feeling-

eh-ish about classes.

I think because I feel SOOO close to the end, I have the drive and energy needed to make it through, but none of my classes are very exciting. Particularly the one I am currently sitting in-

(yes, I am blogging in the middle of Conflict of Laws)

so, really, not much of an update in this department. 

In other news- 

A couple wonderful generous friends of ours recently gave us a gift that was an incredible, unexpected blessing. We are so so thankful for the people in our lives that live out the community that Christ call us to.

I'll don't want to announce their names to the entire blogosphere, but you know who you are:

THANK YOU!

I'm going to attempt to collect a few scattered notes from the remaining 45 minutes of this lecture.

PS- I've been gone so long, I'd love to hear updates from anyone else willing to share!!

Also

Prepare to be amazed

I treadmilled (my new word?) over 15 miles this week!

I realize that walking/jogging 2-3 miles a day does not exactly constitute the pinnacle of fitness

But it's a start!

And I am truly having the time of my life:)

Apparently, working out produces unnatural amounts of endorphins and adrenaline in my blood stream-

if I would have known this, I would have started working out years ago!

(I'm not kidding, when I leave the gym I don't feel like doing anything but going back to the gym...jealous?)

side note: my much more stable and level-minded husband does not share this explosion of happiness and motivation after a good-work-out. He says he just feels tired. Which is unfortunate.

Anyway...

I just wanted to share my new found treadmill excitement with you.

happy treadmilling:)

I Lyle LOVE IT!

This Gentleman...

is Mr. Lyle Lovett.

Maybe you've heard of him,

Perhaps not.

But you definitely should. 

My wonderful parents bought us tickets to his concert last night and it was truly one of the best times I've had in a while:) Thanks mom and dad!!

Go here to listen to one of his songs that happens to be a personal favorite :)

Hope you are doing well this Wednesday!

Guess what everybody??

I'm BACK!!
That's right...back to school and back to the blogosphere.
(try to contain your enthusiasm:)
I'm back and I'm ready.
Ready for everything this year will bring, ready to graduate in May and take the bar, ready to exchange bad habits for healthy ones, ready to spend quality time with the people I will miss when i leave this place, ready to read and read and read, ready to be able to run 2 miles without stopping and fit into my old jeans again, ready to dig deeper and learn more and stress less and invest and trust and experience and be surprised by all the good things God has for me this year!

For anyone who finds this as hilarious as I do, I am in my 22nd consecutive year of school. I'm a 22nd grader!!
While I am antsy with excitement for what the next chapter will bring, I'm trying my very hardest to soak up this last year of school and glean from it all i can. This is the last year for first days and last exams. Its the last time my schedule will completely clear every 4 months and I will get a clean slate 3 times a year. This is the last time I'll get to experience the camaraderie and reward of tackling yet another law class/exam/paper.
This is sure to be a year of lots of lasts, and lots of firsts.

...it's good to be back:)

studying hard

5  amazingly productive hours of studying happened today.

my exam isn't for another 3 days...

...I'm just not sure y'all can understand how miraculous this is.

off to enjoy a movie and cookies w/ the hubs,

we deserve it tonight:)

ps. see you all with REAL posts after finals. bleck.

Memoir

So, on April 18th, I have to turn in--

my memoir.

truly the easiest, and yet, somehow, the most difficult task I have undertaken.

On the up-side, it is truly the first paper I have set out to write in at least a year and a half that hasn't had me feeling like this:

The down-side, however, is that my general attitude toward school work remains the same:

But I have to say, the idea of writing my story

how I got here

how I've changed

what I've learned...

it's exciting!

I'm anxious to see what I actually get on paper. You know how some days you journal or blog and you're amazed at your mystical skill of getting all the discombobulated thoughts in your head onto a piece of

real, tangible paper.

and then other days you're like...

...blah. no words in my brain.

I'm just hoping that what I produce is genuine.

Not so much for the good grade,

{who can really give you a bad grade for writing your own life story?}

but for me.

This year has been a bit of a mystery for me as far as law school goes.

I don't know why I'm here or what I'll become

or if I'll use this degree.

God has given me a simple peace,

just the understanding that I am where I am supposed to be

and nothing more.

I have a feeling that writing this paper will a little piece of my journey.

Maybe I'll let you read it when I'm finished :)

Eustace and me

My favorite passage from one of my very favorite books comes from C.S. Lewis's "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader." In it, Eustace, who began the journey as a self-consumed boy has stumbled upon a hidden treasure and transformed into a dragon. He has tried several times to rid himself of the awful dragon skin, but it comes back thicker and stronger each time. Then, Eustace has an encounter with Aslan that changes his attitude for the remainder of the book:


"Well, he peeled the beastly stuff right off -- just as I thought I'd done it myself the other three times, only they hadn't hurt -- and there it was lying on the grass: only ever so much thicker, and darker, and more knobbly-looking than the others had been. And there was I as smooth and soft as a peeled switch and smaller than I had been. There he caught hold of me -- I didn't like that much for I was very tender underneath now that I'd no skin on -- and threw me into the water. It smarted like anything but only for a moment. After that it became perfectly delicious and as soon as I started swimming and splashing I found that all the pain had gone from my arm. And then I saw why. I'd turned into a boy again. You'd think me simply phony if I told you how I felt about my own arms. I know they're no muscle and are pretty mouldy compared with Caspian's, but I was so glad to see them.
"After a bit the lion took me out and dressed me . . . in new clothes -- the same I've got on now, as a matter of fact. And then suddenly I was back here." [116-117]

Isn't that just beautiful? I can't tell you how many times i have felt like i am in Eustace's shoes. There I am itchy and squirming and attempting with all my might to rid by self of bad habits, bad attitudes, bad influences---and to no avail. And yet there God is, ready to do away with all of those things forever, ready to put in their place new and beautiful things. But I'm afraid- afraid that it will hurt, afraid that nothing will change, afraid that I'm stuck this way.

But- God loves us enough to never leave us stuck this way. He's a God on the move. He's constantly moving, molding, teaching, shaping, and redeeming us for His glory.

Recently, life has left me feeling a bit like Eustace. The Lord has dug into my life with his mighty hand and removed some things that I thought I really needed. I'm feeling "tender" as Eustace says, and the water "smarts like anything." But the  good news is- I know what comes next. I've been here before. Next comes the refreshing, invigorating, living water. It comes all over me, seeping into every compartment of my life. I love that. I live for that. I trust the Lord in times like these knowing that in His perfect love, he never takes away what he doesn't intend to replace with something far more valuable.

So I ask for your prayers during this time- simply pray that I would trust and wait and be watchful. Pray that my eyes would be opened, and ready in time, to discover the next step that the Lord has for me.

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

—Isaiah 26:3-4

I'm Springing.

I'm springing.

Spring breaking. Spring cleaning. Spring relaxing. Spring thinking. Spring celebrating.

Springing.

For my birthday, my parents got me a KINDLE!

#1 on my wishlist- this little beauty has gone everywhere with me for the past week :)

and thanks to Spring Break, I finally have the time to read something other than case law.

They also got me an Amazon gift card to begin my library and I am currently in the process of cautiously deciding what purchases to make. I take book-buying very seriously, so if you have any excellent recommendations, let me know!

warning: I don't do chick-lit.

Currently I am reading an e-book that was e-gifted to me by my favorite cousin.

he is truly one of the most intelligent people I have ever met-

We have always had a special bond and I'm always eager to read anything that he recommends.

This book definitely unlike anything I have eve read before, and I'm already captivated.

The title says about as much as I know so far- I'll admit, it's a little bit of a frightening endeavor, but I am anxious nonetheless! I'll let you know what I think of it when I finish it.

~~~

In other "springing" news...

this past weekend was lovely!

Friends of ours were getting married in Amherst, VA and we decided to make the trek to share in their special day! It turned out to be a wonderful trip. The weather couldn't have been more perfect and Jonathan and I enjoyed the time to just sit in the car and talk without any interruption. I don't think we ever got around to turning the radio on :)

We also got to stop in Beckley, WV to visit some family. It turned out to be another wonderfully refreshing blessing. It served as a half way point for us, so our trip was cut up into lovely little 3-hour intervals.

So 700 some miles later, we are now glad to be home!

It was also my BIRTHDAY this weekend! Happy 24th to me :)

As a sidenote: you know you're getting old when you forget it's your birthday until your mom calls to wish you a happy one. haha! oh well :)

When we got home on Sunday, I got to open my presents from my loving hubby and we treated ourselves to a nice dinner and dessert at Olive Garden.

{really looking forward to eating those left overs in a couple of hours!}

~~~

Following all of that craziness, is a nice spurt of laziness.

Well- Jonathan would disagree as his Federal memo is due in next week, but I'm feeling lazy anyway :)

It was supposed to have a productive day of  spring cleaning today,

butttttt....

well.....

maybe tomorrow:)

I DID do a couple loads of laundry, which makes me feel a little better.

But tomorrow I want to get a lot more done.

I'm talking cleaning the oven and under the bed and all those other places we don't really like to go.

 {shivers}

~~~

and tonight we're "springing" for a movie!

I think we're going to get The Fighter, I've heard all good things,

so hopefully it lives up to its reputation.

~~~

Enjoy your spring break everyone!

words.

I think I was starting to forget that part of why I blog is just for me.
I love the community and the design and the personality of blogging...
but I also just love the relief it brings me.
I sometimes think when I'm blogging,
"the people want pictures! give them what they want!"
or
"recipes and projects! that'll do then trick, then they'll read!"
but a part of what my blog is
is just a journal that I don't mind you reading:)

Sometimes my blogs might be word-heavy. I know a lot of people are turned off by that, but oh well.
read, or don't read. I don't mind, I just appreciate that you stopped by.

And so today will be just words.
I had a coffee-date with Cole today that involved encouraging words and a promise to read the Word.
I'm writing a memo full of words and words and words.

I didn't sleep well alst night because lists of words were runnign through my head.
I'm listening to Josh Garrels and his songs are comprised of lots of inspiring words.
words.
words.
words.
sometime when you say a word too many times, it doesn't make sense anymore.
words.

Soo...

I was just sitting here working on a memo (so fun...not.)
knowing that I delicious Garden Valley Veggie Wheat Thins sitting in the pantry,
wishing I had bought some yummy dip at the grocery store yesterday....
hoping I had some ingredients in my fridge from which I could make a dip instead...

and then I happened upon this lovely {extremely simple} little dip recipe!

1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup basil pesto
3 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese.

eat and be happy :)

In honor of my mom coming for a surprise visit today...

It's so gangster that moms are always there for you when you most need them.

(and mine just happens to be the best ever :)

I have found that...

...finding a blogging balance can be difficult.

Sometimes it requires reevaluating what your blog is for.

If it is for crafting or sewing or cooking or shopping-- you kind of have it mapped out for you.

You blog about those things.

But when it's just a "life blog", a "my thoughts" blog, a "whatever strikes me today" blog...

it can be a little more difficult.

Because, for me, a blog is more than an obligatory daily post,

but it is less than a deep conversation with my closest friend.

I want to be honest, but not transparent...

discreet, but not fake.

And sometimes that it difficult, because the reality is---

sometimes you just have a bad week.

Sometimes things don't go as you had hoped or expected or wanted. Sometimes little problems come along and disrupt your day, and sometimes big things happen that force you to reevaluate and re-plan. Sometimes it's entirely your fault, and sometimes it's entirely not. Sometimes you want to cry and stomp your feet and ask, "WHY me??" and sometimes you just want to sit quietly and think.

So, I've decided, rather than recounting my week to you,

I will tactfully and honestly tell you that I've had better.

But let me also share with you the truth that has been my joy through all of it:

"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. "

 Romans 5:3-4

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:35-39

For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:10

Yesterday I did a little

 fashion post :)

weird, I know.

But it was actually pretty fun!!

Go check it out {here} if you have any interest whatsoever in my style.

love you all :)

A few products I am swearing by these days...

Tresemme's Fresh Start Dry Shampoo--

holy cow. are you ready for this?

If you're like me and only find the time to actually wash your hair every 2 (or 3 or 4...) days-

this is your new best friend.

Three or four pumps of this magical foam applied to the {greasy} roots

and VOILA!

clean, grease-free hair.

Where have you BEEN my whole life??

and....

Arnold Select Sandwich Thins--

These things are delicious and only 100 calories!

does it get any better?

We discovered these last week when we went to Kroger's searching

for Pita bread (which we never found)

and so we picked up these little beauties instead :)

They worked great for our balsamic chicken and veggie sandwiches for dinner that night.

(I also sometimes toast them and eat them with peanut butter for a light/filling breakfast!)

Enjoy :)

Have you discovered any hidden gems lately???

Weather like this makes me feel...

optimistic...

dreamy...

curious...

romantic...

free...

rested...

child-like...

happy.

Everyday is valentines day

I meant to post this on Monday, but it's never too late to celebrate love, right?

One day when my little girl says,
"tell me a story about you and Daddy!"
I'll say...

Once upon a time there was a girl and a boy.

They were great friends.

...and they were pretty goofy.

and one day, something amazing happened. They fell in love.

they kept falling and falling...

and falling and falling...

and falling :)

                                     

at last, he asked her a very important question...

and she said YES!

And just a few months later, they were married.

and they are still living so happily ever after.

The End :)

Food. Part II

So let me give you a little background regarding my food epiphany...
Yesterday my lunch looked like this:



I suddenly became so disgusted by the "all white meat" sticks sitting on my plate and the carbonated poison I was guzzling down, that I got up and poured half the can down the sink.
Jonathan did not like that I wasted it, but i deemed it a necessary physical expression of protest.

Am I giving up soda? no. not yet.
Will I never eat another chicken finger as long as I live? highly doubtful.

But something needs to start happening. Something needs to change.

A little more background:

sorry for those of you who really don't want this much information about my digestive system, but I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
For those of you not familiar with IBS, it goes like this:
Every time you eat, your stomach feels like this-



I have become so incredibly fed up with feeling this way, that I desperately want to do something about it. I've been researching, I'm learning. I can tell it will definitely be a journey, probably a long rocky one. But I'm not looking for a trendy diet, I'm looking to establish a new way of life. and let's be honest- that takes time.

So here are some of my biggest issues that I will be working through. Anyone with advice, resources, encouragement to offer, your comments are welcome!

1) Expense. The price of organic food, free range chicken, etc is unbelievably high. Furthermore, my apartment is not equipped with a storage-friendly freezer. It can only hold a few containers and tub of ice cream at a time, which is unfortunate.

2) sacrifice. i really loooove junk food. I don't really over-indulge in these things, but I'd really like to cut them out entirely down the road, and it's going to be difficult. I need to find good replacements for some of my favorite munchies.

3)and this is a bog one... time. My days start and 8 and go till 5:30, except on Tuesdays when they don't end until 8:30. When I come home I have studying to do (several more hours of labor), chores to complete, a shower to take, and a husband to spend quality time with. Somewhere in there, I have to cook dinner. I almost exclusively make things that take under 30 minutes to prepare, cook and serve. This seems to be the greatest life-limitation for me when it comes to changing my daily eating habits.

Some other concerns:

1) Jonathan didn't sign up for this. I don't want to force him to eat vegetarian things every now and then. I don't want to deprive him of some of the foods that I know he loves, but are absolutely horrible for us. It's one thing to ask this of myself, it's a whole different thing to push it on him.

2) I'm terrified of failing. I want to see victory in this area of my life. It's hard for me to begin something without knowing if I can accomplish it. But those are the places where we experience the most growth. I am looking forward to that.

I hope you will join me on this journey toward holistic health, buckle your seat belts :)

Food.

Food has always played a huge role in my life. Well, eating it, really.
Growing up, my mother cooked often and well.
She still does:)
But we also ate out a lot- probably more than the average family.
When we woke up on the weekends we talked about what we'd be having for dinner. Our's was a highly social family and the rest of our day functioned around who we'd be eating with where and when. What we were having for dinner impacted what I would eat for lunch, so it was a critical decision.
My family ate around the table.
We drank milk with dinner because it was a rule.
We talked and ate slowly.
I love that feeling. I love that intimacy.

I love food.
I love eating.
I eat the food that I love.
but

I'm not liking how I feel.

Food has changed for me. Jonathan and I are on a poor people budget now, we can't just go out to eat every time I don't feel like cooking.
and so I'm eating more crap.
Well, I've always eaten crap- it just looked better when my mom cooked it or when it came on a pretty plate in a restaurant.

The only time I've ever thought about regulating what I eat is when I've wanted to lose weight. And that's never lasted.
For the first time, I just want to be
healthy.

I want to KNOW what I am putting into my body.
I want to rid it of toxins and garbage.
I want to fuel it so that it lasts a long time.
I want to set an example for my children some day.
I want to be around to set an example for their children.

Scripture says that our bodies are temples.
They are a gift, they are something we have been entrusted with.
So I want to take care of mine.

Many of you, (from both the blog world and the real world) are responsible for this growing conviction, this change taking place in my heart- so thank you.

I don't know what comes next.
I don't know if I can cold turkey this stuff.
I don't know if I can learn to shop, cook, eat, live differently.
In fact, I know that I can't...

Romans 7: 15-25

For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am!
Who will deliver me from this body of death?
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Father, do in me things that I cannot possibly do on my own.

Today's goosebumps brought to you by...

these vocal magicians:)



enjoy the ear candy while I read some soul-inspiring criminal procedure.

Introducing for the FIRST time:
the marvelous,
spectacular,
amazing,
unbelievably good-looking...

Law LADIES!



















As you can see, we had some fun at our "photo shoot" yesterday!
I hold this lovely group of blogger ladies close to my heart, and I hope you will too!

Meet the law ladies:

Cole

I am a law lady who is learning to find balance and beauty in all the craziness of life. A Space of My Own lets me focus on the good things, vent about the difficult ones and document the process of life and all its twists and turns.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Lauren

I started my blog Luxlucy randomly after finding and following a few amazing blogs. After reading the blogger's posts for a few months I decided to give blogging a shot. It was a rocky start and I rarely kept up with my posting. When I started law school a year and a half ago I began to see my blog as a creative outlet instead of a burden and have started posting more and more. I love that so many of my law school friends also have blogs--I enjoy reading their posts and am inspired by them everyday!

*~*~*~*~*~*

Ambria

Inter Alia (should be italicized, in legal language, means "among other things" During my second semester of law school, I realized I needed an artistic outlet that had nothing to do with the law. My best friend Jess always inspired me with her blog, so I decided to try it out!!! Currently, my posts have focused on my journey to lose weight and become more healthy, but the beauty of "among other things" means I can talk about anything my li heart desires (Including tributes to Michael Jackson and Kanye West v. Charlie Sheen debates)!!!!

*~*~*~*~*~*

Jessica

Crafting Happiness is my project to celebrate the creative spirit and passion in all of us, one day at a time. I want to encourage the creative spirit is each one of my readers through: daily inspiration, fashion outfit posts, vintage finds, thrifting advice, various cute collections, home decorating, advice on translating your style to all the areas of your life, yummy food, supporting local businesses, music reviews and suggestions, and all sorts of lovely guest post by inspired souls.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Me


I’ll be brief is a place where I can channel my daily frustrations, revelations, and inspirations :) For me, blogging has been a very necessary outlet during this crazy era of my life. Law school brought with it tons of new experiences, new friends, and new challenges. Having a place to sort things out and bounce ideas off other bloggers has been so helpful—and having this small community of fellow law ladies/bloggers within the vast blogosphere has been the icing on the cake!

Be sure to visit all the girls' blogs (linked in their names), and keep checking back for more of our fun projects- starting with a dinner party Sunday night!

To see our group blog, click on the new link over thereon my sidebar :)------->

12 minutes till the bus comes

So I'm rushing to post something.
anything.

a million things on my mind, as usual. But hardly anything that I can share with you in 12 (now 11) minutes.

So for today, let me just say a few things.

1) I've been wanting to eat healthier, but I made 5 pounds of sloppy joe for the super bowl, virtually none of which was actually eaten. So guess what I'm having for lunch every day this week?

2) I was craving orange sherbert last night like nobody's business and it didn't taste like I wanted it to. Maybe tonight it'll be better.

3) I absolutely hate taking the bus, however the bus is taking me to "class" at Zen Clay where I will be sipping tea and discussing some fine (and some not so fine)legal memoir pieces. Which, I feel, is one of the better places a bus can take you.

wedding planning time:)

I made this little wedding inspiration page for Ray, my soon-to be sister in law.
It was complete with little comments, but they're too little to see! sad face :(
If anyone knows how to make it bigger, pleae let me know!
In the menatime, enjoy the teeny tiny pictures :)

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you...

today's forecast!

sure, it was raining when I left home this morning.

and, yeah, I had to tromp through gray,melting, slushy snow to get to class.

BUT

I did not feel every muscle in my body tighten when the cold blast

of outside stung me in the face.

AND

Punksutawney Phil did NOT see his shadow and announced that

SPRING IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER!

ahh....

Spring.

yes please.

Today won't go down in history...

..but here are some things that made me smile :)

catching up with Cass

I love this girl with all my heart.

our hearts are permanently attached...which i love.

When I took this picture years ago, we were on a mission to find my puppy who had run off.

I miss getting as much time with her as I used to.

But phone dates help a little :)

iced chai-

I'm taking a legal memoir class which I LOVE!

There are only two of us in the class (weird, i know...)

and we got Professor Elkins to move the class to Starbucks.

yes, that's right folks- class. at. starbucks.

so while you're all busy pouring over case briefs-- I'll be casually discussing literary masterpieces over cool, refreshing, chai.

:)

Ok- mushy gushy alert!

When I got home from class/work/class today,

I walked in the door still going 100 miles an hour,

and Jonathan stopped me in my path

and gave me the

sweetest

most loving

romantic

kiss.

mmm....happiness:)

i'm sorry...but can you really look at this and NOT laugh?

I cried.

I literally cried.

tears. actual real life tears.

and lastly, this video!
I've probably watched it at least 400 times over the last couple of years...

it still makes me tear up :)

So even if today hasn't been especially noteworthy,

even if you feel exhausted and blah,

think of something that made you SMILE today, and jot it down!