Pulling Weeds.

Being an adult is funny.

My husband left early this morning to go to a softball tournament and I had nothing on my agenda today except buy groceries. And maybe pull some weeds in our backyard.  Because we all know when you own a home and you don't do something productive on your day off, you feel guilty.  So if you go outside and pull a few weeds, you're good for like a week. 

 So many weeds of obligation in that rock wall. 

 

Anyways, so this morning Josh was up by 6am and my alarm was set for 9am.  I could have easily and guiltlessly slept in for 3 more hours and yet here I now sit, coffee by my side, computer in my lap, wide awake, blogging about myself again. (You're so self-centered, Kirsten. Yes. I'm working on it. Keep reading.)

I thought by the time I was 27 and/or married, I would have some sort of set rhythm to my day-to-day life. 

But moving 11 times in the past 9 years between 3 different states can really mess up a girl's routine over the years!

Throw in there the most recent major life overhaul of getting married. Sprinkle in buying and moving into a new house.  Oh, and a total career change.  And here I sit, feeling like a cartoon character that wakes up in a whole new world, not recognizing myself or my surroundings, with question marks floating above my head. 

But also a big smile upon my face.

I honestly think I am the most content, excited, and optimistic about my life right now than I ever have been.  Sure, I'm still probably on the newlywed high, and I know there will also be lots of lows to come in life as well, but really....life is just full of happys and low of worries right now.

But I'm also quickly learning that settling into what feels like a brand new life with brand new routines, surroundings, career title and even a new last name, you really have to fight to remain rooted.  You have to keep your disciplines. 

As a true introvert I know I need my alone time.  I am constantly analyzing every conversation, situation, and feeling I have, so when I don't get time to rest and process, I start to just shut down. 

But I love how much time we have now that we are married and live in the same house.  No more running around figuring out where to meet, leave a car, get groceries then stop at one apartment then the other to drop off the groceries, say goodnight then drive 30 minutes home..etc.

Sidenote: I'm also SO appreciative that neither of us ever considered it an option to move in together before getting married.  I'm going to put myself out there with the challenge that if you are dating someone and feel that you need to live with them before getting married because you're afraid you might learn some annoying habit about them that becomes a deal breaker....you're missing the point of marriage.  And also maybe the point of dating?  I know everyone's relationship is different and there are different circumstances for everyone, but for me I know if we had lived together and then gotten married, marriage really wouldn't have felt any different.   Knowing that Josh has made a covenant to me and God that he will love me and stand by me through thick and thin has made living together feel so secure, and in turn has made our marriage that much more of a bigger deal to us.  And I love that.

Okay, back to disciplines.  I know that when life gets crazy, or even when it's very simple and laid back like it surprisingly is right now for us, I have to keep certain routines in my day to stay grounded.  I love waking up and drinking my coffee while doing my devotions (I know I'm late to the party, but She Reads Truth is an awesome daily devotional I just discovered--look it up if you haven't already!).

Another must-have discipline in my life (especially now that I have a desk job) is fitness. I love that even when "I do, but I don't.." feel like working out, Josh helps push me out the door.  And then I get to check out my hott husband at the gym, so that's awesome. 

But these disciplines, which are good, healthy, and needed, are really focused on "me".  So I've been once again convicted that I really need to be using this gift of free time and extra energy in my life to also bless others. To be more encouraging, to use my natural gifts and talents to serve others in a way I haven't thought of before.  Maybe even to give up some of my free time to help someone else who needs it WAY more than I do.

Out of these thoughts, my latest discipline challenge to myself is first journaling what kind of life I want to live and the character traits I want to strengthen

I'm a processor. I  have to write it down.

But then more importantly followed by practical steps to actually carry it out. Because....again, I'm a processor.  I can easily write things down, but then never actually do anything about it. GUILTY.

I don't want to look back at my life in 10 years and wish I would have done more with my free time during this season.  I need some intentionality in my life to keep me from just zoning out and going through the motions. (It happens more often than I'd like to admit).

I am not a lover of schedules because I don't really like to have set plans.  So being intentional, disciplined, and planning things out is not at all easy or natural for me.  To be perfectly honest, seeing a calendar full of events and to-dos in my personal life sort of gives me hives.

So anyways, here's to intentionality, pulling weeds, loving marriage, and Quincy on his tip-toes eating scrambled eggs out of a bowl!!

Cheers!

The Creepy and the Cozy.

There are just some things about the Christmas season...that freak me out.

Can I say that?

Like the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Christmas Special. I'm sorry if that's your beloved family tradition to watch--that's great, enjoy it for me. Because I think it's terrifying. 

I mean like...

Maybe it's the felt, I don't know. Just...creepy.

Now, please don't stop reading and label me a Scrooge or Christmas hater. 

I treasure the true meaning of Christmas--remembering Christ's birth. I also love the cozy part of Christmas and being with family.  I love the twinkly lights and the warm homes and the good food and the traditions. 

Oh, and Christmas trees! 

I love them.  But when I think of them I'm always reminded of this story, which I've always felt bad about to this day: I was in high school and I was coming home one night after babysitting for a family who had just put up a huge, beautiful Christmas tree. I came home and looked briefly at the one my parents had just put up while I was gone and said, "Why do we always have to put up our dinky little fake tree, I wish we would get a better one." And my mom saying to me, "Kirsten....we wanted to surprise you...look closer we actually got a real one this year like you wanted!"

Ouch.

My dad and I always joke that although I was spoiled growing up...I was never a brat. But at that moment, I felt like a huge spoiled brat.  And I hated that. 

I think of that story often. But maybe that's okay. It has made me step back and prevent myself from getting caught up in the commercialism of the season. It made me appreciate going tree hunting with my parents once they moved to the Black Hills and always trying to find a decent, but sort of skimpy Charlie Brown tree---and loving it.  The more humble and straggly the tree, the better. We would laugh endearingly at it, but we honestly loved it. 

I'm now also learning how marriage does a funny thing to traditions.  They are forced to be evaluated, talked about, combined and/or dropped. Old traditions must be intentionally fought for to stay a tradition. 

This year I wasn't able to tree hunt with my parents, and it didn't work out for us to go tree hunting in the mountains with our group of friends like last year either. But we did get to spoil ourselves and get a big, beautiful, full tree from a U-Cut it lot..which I've never been to before! The best part was we got to go with our little Godkids and their parents :) We were blessed to join in on THEIR family tradition! 

Oh also, we're hosting Christmas dinner this year for Josh's family.  I'm super excited, but yikes. If you know me, you know my hostess skills are minimal at best.  I love the idea of hosting and cooking and having a house full of people, but I just haven't had much practice! Just cooking now for 2 people has kept me on my toes!  I hope I don't ruin Christmas ;) Luckily I've already put it out there that I'll make Swedish meatballs and the mashed potatoes, and everything else will be potluck style. 

We still aren't quite sure what traditions we will carry on. However, I hope our traditions are centered more around the things we do and people we spend time with than on the "stuff" we put up (Minimalist alert: I'm hoping to keep our decorations to just a tree, stockings, and maybe a string of lights outside--we will see how long that lasts ha) or the presents we buy or get. I'm excited to see what traditions we keep and merge as our own (new?) family tradition :) 

One thing is for sure.  No matter how much kids (and parents) may love it, or how clever and fun you can be with it, our house will never, ever partake in the creepy Christmas tradition that is....the Elf on the Shelf.

No....way.

The Planning, The Wedding, and a little Maui.

Well, today is our last day in Maui. I'm so thankful we were able to go on a honeymoon right after our wedding! My favorite food here...pizza from South Shore Tiki Lounge. We just discovered it 3 days ago and we've already had it 4 times. That's maybe embarassing. 

But really, this week has been 100% carefree and stress free. And boy did we need that! 

Who knew planning a wedding and buying/fixing up a house all at the same time (while both working full time) would be so awesome yet...super, incredibly tiring and stressful? :) 

I went into wedding planning completely optimistic and determined to keep the process simple and fun. However, it quickly overcame me and at times became very, well, not fun. I often felt overwhelmed and disorganized. 

People were so graciously offering and asking how to help, and I QUICKLY took people up on those offers (thank you, thank you, you know who you are!!) but at some overwhelming points the only things I could easily delegate...were the FUN, easy parts. And no way was I giving those away ;) 

But Josh did what Josh does so well--he calmed me down, rationalized with me, talked sense in to me when I was starting to feel crazy, helped me see the bigger picture, and did successfully keep me out of that insanely high-expectation wedding mindset that our society is WAY too good at pulling us into. 

And guess what? We stayed within our budget and I learned to drop things that were bringing more stress than joy. Like our wedding arch that we found, painted, hated, tried to fix up, brought friends into the discussion, scoured over Pinterest for better ideas, argued over and which ultimately tipped over and ripped Josh's parents screen door. That's when we knew to just skip it. 

Um, yeah. Seriously, I never want to see that thing again. 

Yes, I know I sound super over-dramatic about the whole wedding planning thing, but holy cow that whole experience was so hard for me at times. I'm not a party planner. I've never even hosted a true dinner party or birthday party before. Then all of a sudden I was given this crazy task to plan a party for 150 people. 

I just really didn't enjoy the actual planning process much. But I'm okay with that. 

Because from the start I knew it wouldn't be perfect--and I was 100% fine with that. I actually quickly embraced the phrase "it will be perfectly imperfect" in response to questions as to how my planning was going. I just cared so much more about all the wonderful people who would be there than any of the colors, themes or details of the party. 

But I planned and did my best...and I loved every single bit of our wedding day. 

I was so calm and happy. My favorite people were either there or texting me their prayers and thoughts from afar. My groom was looking handsome as ever. My bridesmaids were so beautiful, inside and out. 

I loved having some ducks walk right into the ceremony during the message, I loved the prayer the ladies in the Bridal room prayed over me right before it all started, I loved my dad's speech at the reception, I loved dancing with my cousins, I loved holding all the newborn babies who were there, I loved seeing all my worlds colliding, I loved seeing our parents so happy and talking to so many new and old friends, I loved having so many people who mean so much to us surrounding us on that most special day. The day where Josh and I made a covenant with God and each other that we will unconditionally love each other and stand by each other our whole lives. No matter what. 

And it's only been 9 days, and I know we will have major ups and downs along the way, but I'm so thankful that God has brought us together and called us into this crazy beautiful thing called marriage.

Now, off to enjoy our last day in Hawaii! And this leftover pizza...

Kirsten's Rules of Travel.

No, this is not necessarily my recommendations of how YOU should or shouldn't travel by air. But I've been blessed to fly often and these things have made my travel experiences...well, more awesome. 

1) Don't check a bag. Plain and simple. You will someday have a bad experience with airlines either losing, stealing from, or ruining your bags. I GUARANTEE it. 

I use a duffel bag and a backpack (right before boarding I stuff my purse into the backpack). 

I know this one doesn't work for everyone, but I'm fairly low maintenence when it comes to packing, and I really don't want to deal with the drama when the airline loses your bag. Because eventually they will. 

2) Don't try to be sneaky. Put EVERY liquid in your ziplock bag. Yes, sometimes you get away with it...but sometimes they make you open up your entire bag and the whole security line has a front row seat to your, um, well...you know. 

3) Bring an empty reusable water bottle (think: nalgene). Because who wants to pay $5 for water after security. Plus you feel like more of a savvy traveler. 

4) Bring snacks. Snacks = happiness.

5) Smile at people. Everyone is usually a little (or a lot) stressed in airports. Be extra patient and nice, especially to the airport staff.  They get yelled at a lot by those crazy travelers who have had their bags lost. 

6) Nap on the plane, because you don't need to be productive 24/7. And if you get motion sick, Dramamine is amazing. And it makes the napping easier ;)

7) Print your boarding pass. The electronic version on your phone can sometimes be really annoying and not work. And that's just embarassing. 

8) Always use an airline that flies Boeing, because...Josh says so. 

Okay, that's all I got. It's boarding time. 

One Minute inside my Mind.

What did I eat for breakfast? Oh yeah, eggs. That's decent, right? I wonder why my head hurts.

Maybe its because I didn't drink coffee.  But hey, I'm doing good.  1 day with coffee, 2 days without. 
I wonder if coffee really stains your teeth? I don't know. I can't forget to call ahead of time to order whitening stuff from dentist before wedding.

I should have gone to the gym this morning.  I'm way too jittery and I haven't even had coffee.  Maybe I'll run after work.  But then I have to shower and get re-ready.  So annoying. Or maybe I'll just wear yoga pants tonight.  That works. Okay I'll run after work. Maybe I should have coffee. No, it stains your teeth.  WHO CARES? It's not that bad. Fight through.

I hope our tablecloth linens we are using for wedding from the church aren't too stained.  I need to check all of those soon. What if they are stained? Should I just hide it? Or rent new ones? [Should I even be blogging this?]

Oh and I still need to cut all our table runners.  Hmm I wonder how many people we could fit to those tables, 8 or 10? I need to start putting together seating charts....wow, people are really bad at RSVP'ing.  But I don't think I've ever RSVPd on time one day in my life.  Which reminds me....*Texts in my RSVP 2 weeks late for a baby shower tomorrow afternoon*.

128 people so far....Darn it succulents, you need to multiply faster.  Maybe each family will get one instead of each person, that works right? Or does that look bad? WEDDING ETIQUITTE google search...

Oh well, we will break the rules if we have to, people will still love us, right? 

I hope our house loan closing papers go through quick...what if we don't close on time. Omg that is going to be SO ANNOYING.  I leave for MN on Thursday. I can't be ditching my own bachelorette party, "Sorry ladies, I need to run to a bank and find a notary so I can sign these documents..."

 I don't even have a dress yet for the Bachelorette party....SHOPPING DAY. But when...hmm...

Wow, I'm hungry. 

OH MY GOODNESS I CANT WAIT TO SEE ALL MY MINNESOTA PEOPLE!!!! I leave on Thursday...THURSDAY!

But seriously, what if we don't close on the house on time and I have to sign papers on Thursday...

Kirsten, stop worrying.  It's fine.  God's got it. Now put your cell phone down, your driving.

*Throws phone into back seat.*

I think I need a vacation. 

Tall Girl Problems

Yes, I know a girl isn't supposed to complain about being tall. But this is my blog so I do what I want. 

:) 

Tall Girl Problems: Take One. 

Shopping at the mall yesterday for a bridal shower dress. The cutesy "just above the knee" dresses are WAY above the knee dresses. Or maybe they should be called "just barely below the butt dresses." (Too far?) Not exactly a good choice for playing games and opening presents next to grandma and church ladies. Or ever? 

"So try a maxi dress!" You say. 

Nope. Yes, maxi dresses are usually great for the tall and thin, but most of them at the stores I can afford are awkwardly just barely too short. Like, shin length. Hmm. Again, Nope. 

The thing is, I'm not even THAT tall. About 5'10 barefoot. 

Don't even get me started on jeans. But seriously. Don't. 

Now shoes...they have pros and cons. Yes, I'll just say it, tall girls usually have bigger feet. The pro: cheap shoes at the Outlet malls because they always have my size (9.5-10). 

The cons: cute girly shoes are NEVER as cute in a size 10. And while they say heels make tall girls look more model-esque, they also make me tower over my fiancé and any other friends I may be with, which just makes me feel like some sort of freakish monster. 

All main-stream (aka affordable) clothing stores are built for shorter, average height girls. It's okay, I get that, there are more of them. But having to go to the stores that have "tall" sizes and spend $90 on WORK jeans (that will just get dirty and quickly ruined...I work in a warehouse) just so they touch my shoes so I can maintain some sort of dignity....is a bit ridiculous. 

Side note: Even American Eagle "tall" sizes...are too short. 

But I guess it just gives me all the more reason to live in athletic clothes and capris. And write a Tall Girl Problems blog. 

So I never did buy a dress at the mall yesterday. Instead, after 2 hours of searching I left and immediately texted my friend, who is just as tall as me, with WAY more fashion sense, and raided her closet. 

Tall Girl for the win. 

The Pursuit of Minimalism.

Minimalism.

When I used to hear that word, I would think: People ditching all modern conveniences to live in the woods surviving on cans of beans. Or: Boring art where someone takes a picture of a single stemmed flower, off centered, and in black and white.

In all reality I never gave minimalism or the lifestyle that goes with it much thought at all.  But then I began seeking a calm life. Being so busy all the time stressed me out and caused my survival mode self to kick in--which works for awhile, but after too long I just collapse into a pile of crabby, sleep deprived and sick-of-people Kirsten.  Which just isn't fun for anyone.

So I calmed it down.  I realigned my priorities.  I also realigned my perception of what I HAD to do versus what I was blessed to be ABLE do.  But that really only took me so far. I felt much more, well, calm...but something was still not quite right.

Then I made the mental shift from seeking a calm life to a simple life.  The words were appealing to me, but the practical side of it was lost on me. 

In the midst of all of this we are planning a wedding.  All of the "big stuff" was figured out in the first two weeks.  Then came the stressful part for me: The little details.  The fluff.  The pretty stuff.  The lights, the tulle, the flowers, the cute signs, the coordinating colors, the theme (classy and sophisticated or burlap and mason jars?), the wedding stationery, the ahhhhhhhh!! 

I like the thought of lots of details but I would have to enlist way too many other peoples' ideas to figure them all out. And then it wouldn't look much like "our" wedding anymore.  I don't want this whole process to be 7 months of stress and crafts and paint and glitter and endless thrift store shopping and fights with parents over budgets or decor. Because that's not us.

We just want a fun, happy, wedding with all our favorite people there. 

But maybe a little bit of pretty, too. 

So after one freak out moment of looking at one-too-many Instagram wedding accounts...I Pinterest searched "Minimalist wedding".  (I'm also actively working on lessening my social-media-ness, I promise!)

The page loaded.  No crazy extravagance or outrageously cute details or...burlap. 

And my spirit was happy.

*Disclaimer* Of course I ooh and ahh at everyone else's pretty weddings with lots of details and cute rustic burlap and pallet art and mason jars with ribbons.  And I SO ADMIRE YOU ALL.

But at that very moment, minimalism won my heart. 
It just made sense to me at my very core. 

Because really, this all went way beyond wedding planning, I found the website Becoming Minimalist and -I'm only slightly exaggerating here- my eyes were opened.
(Of course I'll never go too extreme with it, I like having more than 3 outfits in my closet.  But I do love the basic idea.)

And no mom, I haven't joined a cult.

For my current life, personality, and even in regards to my relationship with Christ...it all made so much sense. 

Minimalism isn't directly tied to living a Christian lifestyle, but it certainly lines up well with it!

One of the big ones is not getting caught up in the pursuit of material things. All the time spent shopping for, cleaning, organizing, fixing, storing, and replacing those things is now freed up to spend more time building relationships and meaningful experiences.

That's just the tip of the iceberg, and obviously I know its not for everyone.

But as much as I think mason jar and burlap wedding are adorable...they aren't for everyone either :)

Sometimes, I drive myself crazy.

Sometimes, I drive myself crazy.

Like, I really just annoy myself. 

These crazy head games.  These endless pity parties.  This irrational fear.  This prideful spirit.  This annoying attitude.  This selfish heart.

Uffda, I'm setting this blog post up well, aren't I... 

I usually blame it all on still dealing with my relocation moves.  And for real, they were tough.  And for real still ARE tough. Tougher than I'd like to admit.  Tougher than I ever realized going into them.  And as a sidenote, also tough on the bank account.  I just sat and did my first Dave Ramsey monthly cash flow budget....yikes.  I'm now a little bit less upset about my lack of "Oh my goodness I NEED this new dress" mentality.  If I had that mentality I'd undoubtedly be forced to live in a cardboard box. Unfortunately that means I still wear clothes I had in high school....please don't tell anyone. 

But at least I'm paying every single bill, on time, and have no credit card debt.  Right? Right.

Okay back on track, where was I? Oh yes, about how I annoy myself.

I am an over-thinker by nature.

With that, I completely over-analyze myself...case in point: this blog post. And multiple annoying texts I've sent to Josh randomly when my brain was about to explode...because if I don't write it out, I don't process it very well.  I haven't been blogging much lately, so guess who gets the written-out-over-analysis? Sorry, Josh. Thanks for putting up with this for over 2 years.  And still putting a ring on it.  I love you.

Traci Adamson Photography, everybody.  She's amazing. 

And one of my bestest MN friends :)

But today was a turning point.  Because guess what I did on my way to work this morning?

Prayed about it.

Hmm...shocking, right?  I turned off the radio and vented to God.  Then at about the I5/hwy 18 interchange, I confessed to this sin.  Because it is a total lack of trust and faith that God is in control.

He obviously has me here for a reason.  (And truly I have never, ever, once regretted the moves.  I've just had a hard time processing them.)

But then I gave it back to Him and I said He needed to really help me healthily deal with all of this because I was annoying myself so badly that it was starting to make me into someone I didn't want to be.  Of course I'll always be an over-analyzer, but after this prayer I very quickly was given the ability to rationally think through my bottom line issue:

I miss my family, I miss my MN friends, I obviously have realized that I am now engaged to a man who lives here in WA and we will most likely live here for many, many years.  I have been fighting all of this because I feel like my identity is so rooted in MN...that my family and long-time friends are the only ones who TRULY know me...that I have begun to believe this lie that I cannot truly be Kirsten in Washington.  That I can't raise my future family the way I'm supposed to because they might not play hockey in the backyard like I've always imagined. 

But this morning all of this was shattered and I was given this very obvious explanation:

Of course I can. 

Of course I can be Kirsten in Washington because this is where I live now.

 

Hiking last weekend--Lake Serene.  A lake on top of a mountain!

 

This is EXACTLY how God has always planned my life since before I was even created!

Of course this is where I will raise my future family because I KNOW Josh is the man I am supposed to marry.  And he has an awesome job here...and there aren't 8+ months of brutal winter here.

Minnesota was my starting point, Denver was my stepping stone to meet Josh and really grow as an independent person, but they both have developed me into the person I am becoming to live in Washington.  To soon get married, to continue having adventures, to then settle down a bit, to raise a family, all while continuing to learn how to fully trust God with this beautiful life He's given me. 

So today I let go of these irrational thoughts and fears and prideful stubbornness. I stop over-thinking my life here, I let go of my childhood assumptions of how I would live my adult life,  and I start planning how to get an ice rink to stay frozen in my backyard in 40+ degree winters.

 

Running for her.

I just finished a 17 mile training run. 

And I think it was the hardest--and most emotional--one yet. 

The first 13ish were actually pretty good and uneventful. And because running gives you LOTS of time to think, I was planning on writing a blog post about my training so far. What hurts, what feels strong, my strategies of eating along the way, water intake, etc. etc. 

But then I hit mile 14. 

Up until today, 14 miles has been my longest run ever so far. 

I still had 3 miles to go. It was in those last three, painful miles, that I realized this whole marathon training thing is way bigger than me. 

It simply wasn't just about me anymore. It wasn't about my training, my discipline (or sometimes lack thereof), my strength--mentally and physically. 

I am also aware at this point it really isn't even healthy anymore. My knees and hips are fighting me. The hours of pounding on the pavement is getting to them. 

No, it really isn't about me anymore. If it was, I would probably have quit by now. 

At mile 14, with 3 miles still to go, I suddenly knew it was all about her. 

I don't know her name. I don't know what village she lives in. But I do know she has to walk miles every single day to get water--dirty, yucky water--for her family. I know she most likely cannot go to school because of this chore she has been given. 

As I ran today, my small water bottle I was carrying felt heavier with each step. Although there were only a few ounces of water left in it, it became such an annoying burden. 

Then I was reminded again of her. How her frail little body has to carry multiple gallons of water for miles, every single day. How she doesn't have a choice. How she can't just say, "eh, I don't feel like it today" or she and her family would quickly die of thirst. 

The last three miles contained some of the most "real" moments I've experienced. I felt the most alive. I felt a lot of pain, both in my body and in my heart. But I knew I couldn't quit now. 

I've had 3 generous people give donations already to provide almost 4 people in Africa with clean water for life! 

It costs $50 to provide 1 person with clean water for life through World Vision's water program. My goal is for 26 people to have clean water.  26 "hers" to not have to spend a majority of her day and life fetching water. 1 person for every mile I run on June 21st. 

I run in faith that every step--whether joyful or a little painful--will be worth it. 

Because she's worth it. 

-------------------------------------------

If you want to partner with me in this goal, here's the link!! 

https://teamworldvision.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donate.start&destination=P&participantID=1220

Just over a month left to go! Also--prayers for my body to hold up would be appreciated as well ;) 

Planning.

I'm pretty laid back. 

I always have been. Even in high school I rarely, if ever, had drama. I've always been told I'm very level headed and low maintenence. 

Josh is very laid-back too. 

And now we're wedding planning. 

After the initial excitement of being engaged, I was sort of terrified. I thought SURELY this will be something that will bring out the opposite characteristics in us, especially knowing how stressful it all can be. 

Oh, and we are trying to buy a house. And I'm training for a marathon. And it's almost summer. And josh works a lot of overtime and softballs a lot. 

But nope. If anything, we've maybe been TOO laid back with everything (Doesn't mean I'm not personally stressed at times, more on that later). This translated into us having chosen a date, venue, photographer, cake/cupcake maker, DJ, bridesmaid dresses, and wedding colors less than a week after engagement. It has resulted in probably 75% or more of our wedding being planned (besides the logistical details) as of today, just over a month into engagement. And we actually feel like we are taking our time! 

I almost said yes to the dress within the first hour of the very first place I looked..but that was when I had my only bridezilla-ish moment so far: I was about to buy the dress, so the moms and grandma started snapping pictures. I saw one of the pictures and HATED how the dress looked in it. The lady was already writing up my paperwork. They kept snapping pictures. I suddenly hated the dress. Still more pictures. Get me out of this dress!!! Bridal staff was surrounding me, trying to adjust the dress to look better. Made it worse. More pictures. SERIOUSLY. Get me out of here!!!!!!

I literally almost had a panic attack. 

I actually might have. 

Then I had lunch. 

And Kirsten was back to normal. 

Found "The Dress" at the next shop :) 

Side note: It's probably just me, but are veils creepy to anyone else!? I'm not sure if some bridal horror movie scarred me for life, or some recurring childhood nightmare, (and actually, I do think they're pretty on OTHER brides!) but the thought of personally wearing one on my head is just creepy. So that is one thing I adamantly refuse to wear on my wedding day. Not that they're ugly or anything, just...I don't know. 

But seriously, gives me chills. 

Okay so anyway, besides the dress, we have made quick, easy decisions on most of the planning. Shop around a bit--Do we like it? Can we afford it? Yes? Then book it. Order it. Plan it. Done. 

Next! 

I know myself and know I get easily stressed out with too many options, because I'm really not that picky, and so I know I'd be happy with any of them! So how do I choose? 

Quickly. That's how. 

Once a decision is made, I'm just giddy. One step closer to the day I get to marry Josh! 

And be done with wedding planning! ;) 

So really. At this rate our entire wedding will be planned by the end of the month, and the wedding isn't until October! What will we do for the rest of our engagement!? 

Enjoy it!!!!!

3.21.2014: Engaged!

My most favorite day:

Josh had mentioned earlier in the week that we should go to the outlet malls in North Bend then check out the lower Snoqualmie falls viewpoint since it just reopened after years of renovations. 

Seems nothing of suspect for a beautiful, sunny Friday. 

I came straight from work, so at least I changed out of my work jeans into yoga pants. But I had my hair grossly up, glasses on, makeup nonexistent. 

Glad he loves me anyway. 

Get to the viewpoint, I'm still totally oblivious. 

I start to take a couple pictures of the falls--(there were rainbows!)

As I took that picture, Josh got down on one knee behind me :) 

I turned around, and he simply asked, "Kirsten, will you marry me?" 

:) 

My eyes got huge and I said Josh!!!!! 

And then of course I said Yes! and just started hugging him--so much so that he had to say, "Well are you going to put the ring on first!?" Oh yeah :) 

Total blessing was that before we got to the viewpoint there were other people, and about 5 minutes after he proposed a bunch of people came down, but for those 5 minutes we had it all to ourselves. He told me how he managed to ask my dad (4 in the morning when he was in SD over Christmas, my dad wakes up crazy early). He told me he had had the ring for about 3 weeks. I was so excited and still couldn't fully believe it all was really happening.

As we walked back up the trail to the car he told me the story of buying the ring. The main diamond is from his grandpa's ring--he passed away shortly after Josh and I met, so I never got to meet him. So the ring is even MORE special! 

Once we were in the car, Josh said only his parents knew he was proposing that night, so he suggested going to their house and going out to dinner with them to celebrate! 

The car ride back to their house was filled with me calling my mom, dad, grandma, and close friends. I was still sort of in disbelief I think--everything was such a blur of excitement! 

Once we got to Josh's parents house, his mom and dad were sitting in the living room, so they jumped up and gave us both hugs and looked at the ring--they helped pick it out, but they hadn't seen it on me yet! ;) 

Then Kevin said, come on into the kitchen we started some appetizers! 

I walk in...first saw this:

...and thought, "that looks like Brittney's sign.."

Then, SURPRISE!!! The kitchen was filled with friends!!!!! 

Surprise engagement party! I was SOOO excited, is this all real!? How could it possibly all be this perfect!?!

Good job, Josh :) 

So we got to tell the story to everyone, and we just felt SO loved! 

I spent much of the party continuing to call and text my MN friends (two of my best friends didn't answer when I originally called). 

Then towards the end of the night, Josh said something about his "bride-to-be".

And I think that's when it finally truly hit me :) 

I get to marry the most wonderful Christian man and spend the rest of my life with him!

That is certainly something to celebrate! 

My Run Plan.

I've signed up to run a full marathon in June. I know it's not that big of a deal, lots of people run marathons. Grandmas even run marathons. But it's a big deal to me. 

I've run 3 half marathons (13.1 miles), but never had even the smallest desire to do a full (26.2 miles). 

To be honest, I still have no real desire to run a full...but I'm doing it anyway. Why? Because I sort of think I can't. So I need to prove to myself that I can. (Kirsten logic.) 

I would be ecstatic if I finish under 4 hours, but honestly I'm not too concerned about that. I just want to cross that finish line with very minimum walking to get there, if any.  

But one thing I'm going to do differently during my training season, is to run a little less, and lift more. In doing so I'll probably get a slower time on my half marathon than I've previously gotten (running the Tacoma City Half in May), but...I think I'll be okay with that too. But maybe stronger legs will make me run faster? 

Who knows. I like surprises. 

In the past I've trained by just stacking on the miles according to Hal Higdons training programs. It works. I've always met or exceeded my goal pace and felt well-prepared. Plus, I like having a schedule to follow and little goals to meet.

But all I did for 9 weeks was run and run and run. My hips always hurt after longer runs, my knees would occasionally give out...and I lost weight. But I wasn't trying to. I'm not going to eat crap foods to keep weight on because then I just FEEL like crap. And eating lots of healthy foods is dang expensive. 

It's a struggle. 

Here's my training program for this marathon: 

That's...a lot of running. (Ps. 8 miles the first week!? This is just craziness.) But I'm going to try follow it about 80%. 

Maybe TMI but being not a very curvy girl to begin with, lots of cardio does NOT help. 

Plus, as I mentioned earlier, lots of crazy running kinda ruins your metabolism. (For me it results in too quick weight gain or loss) 

SO. Yes, I'm still going to run lots during these next 16ish weeks of my training, because you have to train well to avoid injury building up to running 26.2 miles. 

BUT. I'm going to push/force myself to strength train each week too. I've never really done that in the past while training. And ultimately I'm just going to try keep a healthy metabolism and stay injury free. 

How am I going to make time for all that? Who knows. Guess I'll just have to eat more and run faster ;) 

Hiking.

Hiking.

Love it. 

I love that my roommate will hike with me.

 

I love that it's like a mini-vacation.

I love the freedom and happiness it gives me.

I love getting to workout outside of a sweaty, packed gym.

I love how amazing of a Creator my God is! 

And my adventure here has just begun :) 

Step out of that Boat!

If you listen to Christian music at all, you've probably heard one of my new favorites: Oceans, by Hillsong. We also sing it at church and last week the chorus really hit me. In a terrifying way.

Maybe "convicting" is a better word than terrifying...here is the chorus: 

"Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders

Let me walk upon the waters

Wherever You would call me

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander

And my faith will be made stronger

In the presence of my Savior"

It's beautiful, right!? But if you really pay attention to what you are asking Him to do, it is sort of terrifying. You are giving Him permission to take you way out of your comfort zone. Being a true Christ follower does not set your life up very well to be comfortable. If you're always comfortable, ask God if that is truly where He wants you. If we are comfortable, that might mean we aren't letting Him lead us. 

Or maybe we are letting Him lead us, but we aren't deciding to fully follow. 

I don't know about you, but being able to walk on water, by faith, would be...pretty awesome. But that requires us to first take action. We have to first step out of the boat. Step out of our comfort zones. 

It is up to us to take that first terrifying step when He calls us...whatever that might be. 

Maybe deciding to follow Him in the first place, when we know our friends and family will tease or even disown us. Maybe to quit our job and move to a new state...with no new job in place yet. To go and sit at the table with the quiet kid who doesn't have many friends and strike up a conversation. 

Maybe to give up that new fancy car in order to help a family in need. To start training for a 5k, 10k, half or full marathon even when you completely doubt yourself right away. To quit your job, uproot your family, and become missionaries in a different country. Maybe even to breakup with that boyfriend/girlfriend who you love but isn't living a Christian life and is starting to pull you down with them. 

None of that is comfortable. None of that is easy. But all of that could drastically and immediately change your life if you do them in faith in response to the Lord's calling. All of those types of decisions could allow you to proverbially walk on water. 

So what are you waiting for? 

Don't let this life fly by and not ever experience leaping out in faith and seeing how God catches you and makes something even more beautiful out of your life. 

And once you do? Don't ever stop telling people about how God is faithful. And don't ever stop asking Him which boat you need to step out of next. 

Hockey & Cheese Curds.

Once upon a time, I started thinking of cheese curds. And that, my child, is how this post came to be. 

Things I miss about Minnesota: 

...besides the people. Of course I miss them the most, but I'm going to try to not make this too sentimental. Because, well, it started with cheese curds. 

1) Outdoor skating rinks. 

I really just want to break out my skates and teach some little Washington kids how to skate. I was a figure skater growing up, and it can actually be a pretty good workout. It's kinda like yoga but with a little cardio. Kinda. 

In Minnesota, outdoor skating rinks are EVERYwhere because it's cold out and you can do that. People put up boards and flood their backyards. You can grab a shovel and go to almost any river, lake, or pond and bam! Instant rink. The city also maintains a bunch in various neighborhoods too--those even have little warming houses. And they're usually free and not super busy. Even if they are a little busy, everyone there knows how to skate so they're not bumping into you. 

2) Hockey. 

Yes, they have a littttle bit of hockey here, but no one really cares about it. 

At all.

It actually makes me sad. 

3) Chain of Lakes in Minneapolis.

Of course there are tons of lakes and great places to run here, too, but the Chain of Lakes was a runner's dream. More so in the summer months. But I'm just getting a little tired of running loops in boring neighborhoods. 

Paved trails and great people watching. (To give you perspective, Lake Calhoun is about 3 miles around.) 

I can get a little sentimental about great running trails, can't I? 

4) Upper Room church. 

Smallish, but not too small. Amazing worship, awesome teaching, a very cute baby population (loved working in the nursery), and the services were on Sunday nights. Something pretty special to me about that place. 

5) Cheese Curds. 

Last, but of COURSE not least. Yes, I know these are Wisconsin's thing...but they're everywhere in MN, too. And yes, you can technically find these at some places here in WA, but the ones here are more like mozzarella bites. It's all about the batter. They're supposed to look like this:

 

NOT like this: 

THERE IS A DIFFERENCE! 

Okay, that's all for now. Happy to be living in Washington, just had to pay some respectful tributes to my native land. 

Now, "Let's play hockey!!"

Don't be a NYR bore.

New Years Resolutions. What a topic. One year I resolved to not drink pop (soda...whatever) for the entire year and it lasted until March. I was at a pizza party and It was just gross to eat my Thin n Crispy (with extra cheese) pizza with a water. Dr. Pepper came to my rescue and my friends cheered me on as I ceremoniously broke my New Years resolution. Friends are awesome like that. 

So bear with me here, isn't it kind of annoying to ask someone if they have a NYR and they reply with, "Oh I don't make resolutions because....I never keep them/they're so cliche/I'm setting goals all year round, etc" (Sorry if that was you this year. I'm guilty too.)

Ohk then. Conversation over. 

How about just make something up for the sake of humoring me. Tell me you're resolved to wear a blue shirt the first day of every month. How about checking the couch cushions for spare change once a week to save for a vacation. Walk the dog on a new route every day. 

Be creative. You don't even have to follow through with your NYR...because who does that? Plus, who could remember to wear a blue shirt the first day of every month, seriously. 

It took me a few days to come up with some after my own "I don't make New Years Resolutions because..." excuses, but here are 2 of my week-late resolutions: 

1) Write shorter blogs. Not super short, because of that I'm incapable. I'm a rambler writer by nature. But I want people to be able to sneakily read them at work. Not avoid them because who reads more than 140 characters at a time anymore? 

YOU SHOULD. 

2) Run a full marathon. Because it's 26.2 miles. And I'm 26 years old. And apparantly crazy. 

That's it. 2 resolutions for 2014. And yes, I've already blown #1 with my last blog I posted, but oh well. At least I'm not failing on a couch-cushion-checking schedule. 

Now, I know I'm a week late...but let's try this again. What are your New Years Resolutions!? 

A Calm Life (part 2)

What does a gumball machine, an elephant, fireworks, and a leprechaun all have in common? 

Well, nothing. 

But I spent 10 days in South Dakota over Christmas! 

What I loved most about it was getting to just hang out at the house and spend time with my parents and Josh. No morning/afternoon commutes, no running around from one thing to the next. Yes, we still did some sightseeing, went to a hockey game, went to church, and ran some errands, but nothing ever felt rushed. 

It was truly living the simple life. The first few days I slept a lot. But once I was caught up on sleep it was like a city life detox. My mind was more peaceful, I felt more creative, and I was SO much happier. 

I didn't get stressed out over small stupid things like I have been lately. Seriously you should see me when I can't find anything to wear and I'm running out of time. I get obnoxiously crabby and my mind races and I feel like I could just cry at any moment. 

What? 

Really. I get total First World Spoiled Teenager attitude. It's pretty gross. 

But after coming back from SD, while getting ready to meet up with friends on New Years Eve, I had no good dressy shoes to wear...so I wore my puma-style tennis shoes. With a dressy outfit. And I didnt care. Because I'd rather wear the wrong shoes than be crabby. And even typing all of this I am embarrassed by my "First World Problems" syndrome. I'm working on it. 

While in SD I also started reading a book I got from my roommate called Simple Life by Thom & Art Rainer. So good. It looks at how our culture looks up to people who are involved in everything, put their kids in every sport, club, extracurricular activity....but everyone is stressed out, feels disconnected and discontent. 

SLOW DOWN, people. I'm not a parent, but I can totally see the temptation to involve your children in as much as possible to give them opportunities. But what does that ultimately do? Stresses parents out trying to juggle everything, and teaches the child to live a busy and hectic life as well. 

There is a balance. Try to bring some simple back into your days. Yes, you probably have to work 8+ hours a day, but what about all the other extras? Limit your extra activities to what you really value and enjoy doing. Step away from activities that always stress you out or consistently cause you to feel rushed or overwhelmed. 

Life is so short and goes so fast!! Don't fill it with meaningless busy work or life-sucking obligations that leave you exhausted and stressed out day after day. 

Fill it with quality time with loved ones. Fill it with adventures you want to reminisce about on your 80th birthday. Fill it with finding out and doing what God created you to do. 

I realize going from a stressed out life to a simple one takes time and may seem impossible. But you only have to go one step at a time.  

My first step? Don't be afraid to sometimes wear the wrong shoes. 

So far I've nailed it.