HAPPY NEWS

Before anything else, I have to say I am completely blown away by the response to my last post. I usually average about 40-50 views per post but that one is up to 239! To think that that many people have read something I had such a hard time admitting publicly scared me to death initially. It has been weird to have people approach me about it and to remember that people know now and I can talk about it. But more than any anxiety or weirdness or awkwardness, I have felt overwhelmingly encouraged by the outpouring of texts, comments, and messages declaring their love, support, and prayers. Thank you just doesn't seem like enough, but thank you. Y'all will never know what it's meant to me.

Happy news! Chris started a new job with GE on Monday. He gets to sleep a little later and gets home earlier. It's been nice having a little more time with him at night. So far it seems like it will be an amazing company for him to work for. Better hours, way better benefits, and less of a drive. Happy husband, happy me. 

I have been getting discouraged lately as far as weight loss. I know it slows down after the initial bulk but I have been stuck on -15lbs for a few weeks now. I get irritated that I have let myself have a cheat day every week and then irritated that that irritates me because I don't want to be too obsessive about it. I just feel better when I only cheat every few weeks or so. A sugar craving has been hitting me hard the last few weeks too. Not as in candy and chocolate or anything but more so with wanting coffee and it not being good enough with just almond milk. I just want some sugar in it! I never want to lose the motivation to keep going and continue this healthier lifestyle. It isn't only about losing weight but just being healthier in general. When I feel discouraged I try to focus on where I started and see how far I've come in the last few months instead. Sunday was Easter. After taking pics with my husband and looking at last year's Easter pics, I was excited to see that I could actually tell a difference in the both of us and that kicked all the discouragement to the curb.

Easter 2013                                             Easter 2014

Another exciting thing about Chris's job is that with the money we are going to save on our insurance every month we should be able to finally get the gym memberships we've been wanting forever! I have missed running so much and can't wait to lace up my Brooks again. I am so ready to add this needed aspect into our new healthier lives.

PS- I've been working on the tabs at the top of the page. Click on them and check it out. 

THE POST I DIDN'T WANT TO POST

I've noticed that I do not blog about very personal things. Not really. Not the raw, real stuff. It's funny because writing has always been the way I deal. However, where I have a hard time is putting it out there for others to see. I always kept a journal but there was always a fear of someone reading it to hold me back a little. Not because I have something awful to hide, not because I want my life to seem perfect and care-free... I can't really pinpoint why. Maybe fear of judgement? Maybe it seems to personal? Maybe inappropriate to be so open? But then I think...that's life. I know how much it sucks to look around you and it seem like everyone else is so strong. I also know how refreshing it is when someone is so completely honest about something that you feel finally like you aren't the only one. And ultimately that is what I want writing- what I want this blog- to be. A place where I can find refuge, as I always have, in writing. But also a place others can be encouraged. So I've been urging myself to write about things whenever I am upset, sad, discouraged, etc. Not to say I want it to be a raincloud of depression over at Nine in the Afternoon, but basically just to include ALL of life. Good and bad. 

With that being said, the following is something I really, really have not wanted to post about. The urge to write about it here came a few weeks ago but I've pushed it aside. No, it's private. It's personal. And before I can get to the root of why I want need to write today, I guess first you need to know another "secret"...

Chris and I are trying to have a baby.

I know it might seem silly for that to be a "secret" because it's not a big deal. Nothing bad. But mostly I wanted to avoid the question and the disappointment if it didn't happen right away, so this is something we have kept to ourselves. Our parents, our families, our friends have not known. Even now, I hesitate to post this (*edit: so much so that this post has sat in my drafts for a couple days now*) because it feels like opening it up for discussion for the rest of the world. Because for some unknown, weird reason... it makes me feel vulnerable.  And the exact reasons I had for not telling anyone a year and a half ago when we first started trying are becoming more of a reality- even if only in my head. If you caught that, we started trying almost a year and a half ago. It's gone in phases- starting with just not preventing and the "if it happens, it happens" mentality. After a few months, that turned into actually tracking cycles. And now we've been everywhere from ovulation tests to trying not to think about it at all. 

I was insanely naive to think that it was very simple: sex without protection = baby. I mean, isn't that exactly what's engrained in our heads as soon as we hit puberty?? Don't I know a million and two people who have "accidentally" gotten pregnant?? Then after the months continued and I began to research (i.e. google search) I began to realize how much a miracle conceiving really is. There is this very small 24 hour window out of the entire month that you have to try and pinpoint for even the possibility of it working. How does anyone ever have a baby?!? 

So here's the real: I'm sad. I'm disappointed. I feel like something is wrong with me. I feel like I have bad karma for all the years I said I never wanted to have kids. I feel like I am being punished for all the mistakes I made in my life. The more I read that after a year you should worry about infertility, I feel broken. The more and more common place infertility seems to be around me, I feel scared.

I remind myself every time I feel down how much I enjoy my time. I love the freedom of non-parent life and the ability to do things on a whim. I love this time I have with my husband without children most of all. I remind myself to just focus on enjoying this time we have together because once it's gone, it's gone. And most days, I do exactly that. I do not, by any means, want to imply that I walk around sad and morose about this all the time. Any of you who know me, know thats not true anyway. Nor do i want to imply that it hurts in the slightest to see so many of my friends pregnant or am bitter about it. I am beyond excited for each pregnant women I see and beautiful new baby I see. Least of all did I want to post this for pity. It's just been a rough week and I needed to write it out, sort my thoughts,and who knows? Maybe some one who reads this is going through the same thing and knows they aren't alone. I know that God has a plan and that I have to trust and rely on Him. I do. But I also know that it doesn't mean I won't struggle.

RAMBLING ABOUT BOOKS AND MOVIES

Saturday night, we went to the Drive-in. Opening Coyote Drive-In last summer was one of the best things Fort Worth has ever done. It's one of my favorite places to go. Even if you aren't into movies as much as my husband and I are, I still encourage you to check it out. They have a big covered sitting area and Canteen that's perfect for hanging out with friends during nice weather. Saturday they had little fire pits spread around for those not so nice weather days. They usually have live music and lawn games to entertain yourself while everyone waits for the sun to go down. This winter they even opened an outdoor ice skating rink! All that and your choice of TWO movies (they have 3 different paired options) for $8! I don't even get paid to promote them...I just love it that much. So, seriously, you should go some time.

As I was saying, we went to the drive-in Saturday night and saw this little movie called "Divergent". And "300:Rise of an Empire".

Divergent was awesome. As a non-reader of the books, all of it was new to me and I was very intrigued by the whole Faction system and thought Tris's character believably developed through the course of the movie. I am definitely excited about the future movies and consider myself already a big fan of the series. However, I did feel like there was a lot more information I needed, that is probably in the books and didn't come across as well on screen, such as a more in depth look into the system and each faction, and also the love story. I feel like Tris and Four went from "What makes you think you can talk to me?" to "I love you" out of no where. When she uttered those words, I literally thought "What?? I thought it was just getting to the 'we kinda like each other' part of this relationship". It just didn't develop enough for me for what I think they were ultimately supposed to be to each other. I know books create more of those connections because you are inside their heads and know what they are thinking and feeling and that's harder to get across on screen.

So that brings me to this...

Anyone who knows me even remotely knows how much I love to read. Like really passionately LOVE books! There's not too many earthly material things that make me happier than getting a new book. With that being said, I rarely will watch a movie and then choose to read the book. I feel like it ruins the imagination that comes with reading for me. I'm no longer using the words and imagery to make the story in my head, but instead the scenes from the movie. Only twice have I watched a movie and immediately thought "I need to read it". First time with Beautiful Creatures. And now with Divergent. Both times because I felt like I needed more. Honestly, since watching it Saturday I have become a little obsessed- downloading the faction symbols as my phone background, stalking the author on social media, even taking all the little quizzes to see which faction I would be in. So it is no surprise to me that 3 days later I have the entire trilogy set. I can't wait to get started!

Happy Reading my friends!

Oh- PS- my review for 300? I honestly couldn't tell you anything significant about it or even how it ended. That boring.