Growth and Adventures

Hi dear ones,

It's been a while since my last update. The first year of our sweet little one's life was full and quite the adventure! We're now enjoying the toddler days with her, and it's quite a joy. She's talking up a storm these days, dancing lots, enjoying stickers & books, and her favorite is coloring! Plus, she's discovered the magic of bubbles. :)

Earlier this year, we discovered that we are expecting a second child. Our family expanding and growing, which is right in line with what the Lord has been speaking to us this year. He gave me the verse in Isaiah earlier this year - 54:2, "Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen the cords and strengthen your stakes."

This year, the Lord has truly expanded us. He nudged me to start a young Mom's study at my church, and it was such a blessing to me and other Mom's. We would gather weekly on Friday mornings for fellowship, prayer, and reading of a book aloud together with discussion. We shared our struggles, our fears, our joys, and our hardships and held one another in prayer. It was truly an expansion of my heart - in leadership and service, and such a blessing! My husband serves on our church's board of directors (vestry, as we call it in the Anglican church), and the Lord called him to step up and be our church's Treasurer for the year, which requires more of him.

It's good to step out of your comfort zone and do something that's unknown and a little scary. It helps us rely on the good Lord and it helps us grow - and we all need that! I also accepted a position at a wonderful non-profit in the area that's committed to helping individuals with sexual and relational brokenness and wounding. It has been such a blessing to serve there and bless others in this ministry. Another way the Lord has grown us is by nudging us to start a home group on Wednesday evenings. It's pretty small right now, but we're hopeful it will grow in the fall, and it's been a sweet time to grow in community and be supported in prayer with other believers.

On another note, I am working hard to grow my Arbonne business - tinamulkey.arbonne.com. It's been quite an adventure, and it will continue to be so. One of my joys with it is helping others become healthier versions of themselves with our 30 days to healthy living program, which helps individuals learn healthy eating habits and to remove allergenic and inflammatory foods from their diet. I will continue to press on, believing that by the end of this year, I will have a larger team to help grow and a bigger vehicle to help my family's finances.

We have some fun adventures planned for the summer. We just wrapped one of them up with a lovely trip to Williamsburg. We went down and stayed at the Historic Powhatan Resort - which I highly recommend! We had SO much space and it was beautiful with wonderful amenities. We spent some time in Colonial Williamsburg, at the pool where we stayed, and at Historic Jamestown. We definitely want to go back sometime and do some more exploring! Later this summer, we're heading back "home" to Kansas to visit our families for the 4th of July, and we're eagerly awaiting that visit. It'll be wonderful to reconnect with family - both immediate and extended and play together for a few days. Mid-July, we're headed to a Delaware beach for 4-5 days, and I am SUPER excited for a few days to relax and soak up the sun on the beach with my family. Towards the end of July, a dear college friend is coming to visit, and we're excited to explore with her and spend some quality time all together.

Finally, mid-August, my sweet little family is venturing to the St. Louis area. I have an Aunt who is a cloister nun at a convent there, so we are looking forward to visiting with her and introducing her to our sweet little girl. :) We'll stay with some of my husband's college friends that live in the area and enjoy exploring St. Louis. After that we're home until this sweet babe makes it's arrival mid-November. We have a few more months as a family of three, and we are looking forward to the Lord expanding us to a family of four! There's more growing to do in 2019 and we eagerly await it.

What type of adventures are you going to enjoy this summer and fall? How do you feel like the Lord is growing you in this season?

Until next time,
Tina Lou

Baby days

Hello friends,

Happy 2018, and almost happy "end to winter", as it were. Well, it's hard to believe, but we're already five months into our sweet daughter's life! Where has the time gone?! We are parents, and we are definitely smitten with our babe. She is so adorable and so much fun (most of the time)!

At the advice of my dear older sister, we followed babywise's schedule for her feedings and she's a great sleeper. Most nights she sleeps through the night, going at around 10 hours, which is pretty splendid. She's a good eater for the most part, and she's learning new things all the time. Motherhood is pretty grand. The only part of it I dislike is being away from her so much! I enjoyed my three months of leave with her, and now I am back at work full time. I didn't think it would be so hard, but it is. Most days, in the afternoons I miss her terribly and want to be holding, cuddling, giggling, and singing with her. But alas, I'm at my job instead. Grant is thriving as a her daddy. He's so good with her, and she loves her daddy so! They have a good time together, and it's so great to see how much he loves her. It grows the love between us for sure!

What else? Well, I feel like she has fit so well into the rhythms of our life that I may be doing something wrong, but I don't think I am. One of my dear friends said to me that being a mother is just being a truer version of oneself, and I am embracing that knowledge with full force. One of my favorite things is dance parties with her. I put on a fun song on YouTube and sing along to it and bop her around and she giggles and thinks it's so great.

I think that we will be happy with one for quite a while. I don't believe I will be one of those moms who wants another kiddo right after her first birthday. I could be wrong, but I doubt it. What am I learning in this season of life? Well, for starters the simple things in life are the best. Having a baby helps me see what matters most. Loving one another, slowing down and enjoying the moments, breathing. See, nursing takes quite a bit of time, and so there's time to think, reflect, and ponder. It's a sweet thing to see her experiencing life for the first time - as she discovers her hands, enjoys her milk, gets stronger with tummy time, or realizes something for the first time, it helps me in turn slow down. Sweet family time is some of the best these days. And all those demands, the endless to-do list, it all just seems less important than the present moments with my sweet babe and my wonderful husband. I am learning to live in the present moment and cherish it for the gift that it is.

Another joy in this season of life is becoming closer to a few college friends. One of my girlfriends suggested doing a group on Voxer - this great voice message app. It has been the biggest blessing to me! We share all kinds of things on there - parenting tips, struggles, joys, our dreams, cooking ideas, and just everyday things. It has been a gift to have friendship through this app and to be able to share life in a new and fun way. I highly recommend it to you if you are looking to deepen a relationship with a friend who isn't close.

Well, as the beginning of spring emerges, I encourage you to spend some time alone, in the quiet, and see what your soul says. Let it breathe, let it be, and dream a little. It is good for our hearts to imagine, believe and dream what may seem impossible in the here and now.

Until next time, dear ones.

Exciting Changes Ahead!!

Hello there,

It's August here, and the humidity is back. Summertime has never been one of my favorite seasons - I much prefer the cool, crispness of fall to the heat and humidity of summer. However, in this season of life - preparing for our little one to arrive, the summer hasn't been so bad. It's been full of little getaways, showers with lots of fun things for our sweet baby girl, and laughter!

In the Mulkey household these days, we're spending lots of time preparing for Little Miss's arrival. And we know that this single act of her being born will change our lives forever! On the weekends, we savor sleeping in together, the cuddles, slowly waking up with french press coffee, pancakes, and my husband's famous egg scramble. These type of Saturdays will drift away only to return...well, maybe never, but there's a slight chance when our kids are teens, we might be able to have these type of Saturdays again.

We're in organizing overload mode. For once in my life, I'm good with getting rid of stuff - it's to make room for her sweet things, and I want a simpler house to bring her into. We're awaiting her dresser's arrival, and my husband needs to re-jig our closet so it'll slide in there, but soon enough, her nursery will be complete! I eagerly await that day.

In this last stage of pregnancy, I'm feeling all the feels! I am ever so excited to welcome our sweet little girl into the world, into our sweet family, and into the Lord's family, too! However, there's another mix of emotions. Will I be a good Mom? Will I know how to give her what she needs? To always love her and shower her with goodness, prayers, and hugs? Will my efforts be enough? How will her arrival shift our marriage? How will it shift my walk with Jesus? I have to say, in these months leading up to her birth, I have come to a deeper understanding of my King Jesus as my loving, caring Father. It's a sweet thing to encounter the Lord as a parent. He LOVES us soo incredibly much. And I know there's nothing I could ever do to change the height and depth of His great love for me. This truth is so comforting, dear friends!

I am sure that in this new season of motherhood, life will look a lot different. But I am also sure that there will be a sweetness to it. It'll be pretty amazing to see her first smile, to feel her cuddles, and learn all her adorable little cry's. Along with all those sweet little miracles will be exhaustion, tears, and many more things. For those of you out there who are already Mom's and Dad's, what little tid bits of wisdom do you have to share? Please leave a comment and enlighten me. I'm sure I'll be ever so eager to read these words once she arrives.

And I am praying for a good labor and delivery. These things always have surprises built into them, but I'm hoping and praying for a smooth process - as much as possible. And pleading with the Lord not to have a C-section. That's the one thing I desperately don't want, but ultimately we want baby and I to be okay.

Ah, yes - great changes are ahead, and great joys! And I for one am ready to embrace this new season that's right around the corner. Before we know it, Little Miss will be here in our arms. And our lives will never be the same. Yes, I do believe I am "ready" for this enormous change in our lives, and can't wait to be the best mother I possibly can, with the Lord's help, to this sweet little babe. My next post will be "after baby" - so until then - enjoy the dog days of summer, my friends! And take some time for you - to take a breath, and bask in the sunshine.

Ciao!

New adventures

Happy Spring, dear friends! 

It's been over a year since I've written on here. 2016 was a rough year, what can I say? There are numerous reasons, none of which I will get into here. If you really want to know, ask me to coffee. :)

We've had many "new" things in the past year or so. For one, we are now in a house! Horray. It's a lovely ranch style home with four bedrooms, and two and a half baths. We're making it home day by day. My husband loves the big yard, and we started a raised bed garden last summer, which was fun. I think we'll continue it this year. 

I started a new job working for a non-profit. I don't miss the corporate world, but I do miss the better pay. Ah - such is life. I'm also an independent consultant for Arbonne. Last year, my husband & I did their 30 days to healthy living program, and we both lost an immense amount of weight. I lost over 50 pounds, and my husband did another round recently, and is down 65 pounds!! Amazing. :) If you're interested in learning more - let me know! I'm passionate about helping people live healthier and happier lives. 

What else? We went to Italy on a cruise, which was an adventure! For my first trip to Europe, I'd say not too shabby. We definitely want to go back and explore more. This was just a taste. So far, Venice was my favorite city. I don't know if it will be after more trips to Italy, but for now it definitely is. My husband started a new job working as a Labor Relations Attorney for an Association downtown. He loves it and the job has excellent benefits. 

In the fall, we welcomed a "fellow" to live with us. It has been a good experience, but stretching. He lives in our basement and helps out a few days a week at our church with the International program, the Youth, and Sunday school for little ones. He also works a part time job downtown and attends some seminars. He's with us until the end of May. 

And this next bit of news, I'm so pleased to share. After a while of trying, we are finally pregnant! :) I'm so thrilled - we both are! We are eager to welcome baby into our home at the end of September. We've enjoyed reading baby books, creating our baby registry, and we recently started painting baby's sweet nursery. It's such an exciting time, and it's been great to start many new adventures. I'm not sure what the Lord has in store for the rest of 2017, but so far it's been a pretty great year.

In the midst of it all, I think I have become a more patient person. More patient with myself, others, God, and my dreams. If you would've asked me if I would be where I am professionally five to seven years ago, I would've scoffed. I had much higher ambitions, but this is where I am for now. It is where the Lord has me in this season, and I am learning a lot. It is good to be in a slower pace. That pace will surely increase when baby comes. Our God is good, friends. He is ever near us in every season and phase of our lives, lovingly calling us unto Himself. I am so grateful for his mercy, patience, and loving-kindness. His promises are true. 

Until next time...

-Tina Lou

End of the year musings...

Ah, it's December and the end of the month at that. We made it through all the holiday buzz, the Christmas present buying, Christmas photo card ordering, addressing, stamping, and mailing...and the holiday travel.

Don't get me wrong, I do LOVE this time of year, but it IS full. Quite full. A few times my family joked that sometime in the future, we'll all cruise to some warm place and enjoy Christmas there. Forget the presents and just enjoy the time and relaxation away from all this commotion and hype.

So, 2015 is almost over. Wow. Another year wrapping up, and what to make of it? Well, a lot has happened this year. My hubs found a job that he mostly enjoys. My job started to deteriorate and so I gave my notice and left. Making this decision was one of the best of the year. My stress decreased, eventually my body became healthier, and overall I am a much happier person. After some soul-searching and praying, I feel led to pursue my next job in the non-profit sphere and I am quite ecstatic about this change.

What else? We are loving our church community and the ways that we are plugged in with folks there. We enjoy our alone, married time, we're having fun with friends, and went on so many trips this year. I like flying Southwest, and I received a notice from them that I took 15 flights throughout the year. That is quite a lot. A highlight of my travels this past year was the "sister trip" that my older sis and I took to Chicago, where we saw U2 in concert. It was a lot of fun and a trip that I'll remember and cherish for years to come. Oh, another first happened this year. My folks finally made the trip to visit us out in DC. We had such a lovely time. I hope that they can come back every couple of years for good times and more sight-seeing. It was truly a good time.

Well, after 2016 commences, I will soon turn 29. What a strange year. It marks the beginning of the last year of my 20's. I can hardly believe that before I know it, I'll be 30. For some reason that year sounds so daunting...like the fun times, laid back schedules, selfish plans, traveling whenever and to wherever days will soon be over. And to replace those care-free 20's will be responsibility filled, big-life adult-like decisions that will tie us down, less travel, more bills, and a tighter schedule. Maybe that won't end up being true, but for some reason when folks turn 30, I think - "Wow, you are really an adult now...have fun with all that lovely responsibility." Eek...

My 20's have been full of adventure, to say the least. And I know it's hard to believe, but I've lived in the DC area for 5 and half years now! Wow - that's the longest I've lived anywhere as an adult. After college, I lived in Kansas for a year before I moved out here. Marriage became part of life in my 20's and it's been full of it's joys and challenges. I think if one wants to grow a lot, then marriage is a good fit. Being married to my hubby has given me a mirror of who I really am unlike any other relationship prior. It's full of it's good, fun, and deep times - and also full of sacrifice, hard times, and bumps along the way....but it's SO worth it.

I also became an Aunt in my 20's and it's a sweet and special deal. These cuties are adorbs and I love them with every ounce of my being. It's a joy to see them grow and change and develop into the little people that God is creating them to be. What an incredible journey they have in front of them! Oh, Lord - protect them from the bad, and help them embrace the journey and the learning that comes from experiencing life. It's definitely full of surprises!

What else? This year I went to a college reunion of my close girlfriends in KC and we had a good time hanging out, talking about babies and pregnancy and births, motherhood, wifehood, and all the challenges of life after college in the "real world". I'm thankful for those ladies. It is good to have people who we do life with and who really know the heart of me and I them. Those are precious friendships that I hope and pray last for the rest of my life. Love them dearly! Also, this year I started reading a book (Christian inspiration/study/encouragement) with a dear friend and discussing it weekly. After we concluded our first book - Simply Tuesday (highly recommend it!), we decided to continue this trend. I am excited to see what we learn and how we continue to grow through this process in 2016.

I feel like every time a new year rolls around that stating and trying (but usually failing miserably) to "new year resolutions" is the trendy thing to do. So, I guess I will jump on this silly bandwagon - and hey, maybe - just maybe I will follow through.

Here are a few 2016 goals/resolutions:

1. Exercise more (2-4 times weekly)
2. Eat less sweets (we're going to try to not buy them but only consume them at social gatherings or when I make sweet things that are gluten/dairy free).
3. Spend more conservatively - start to use cash again soley.
4. Spend more time in prayer and track my prayers in my prayer journal.
5. Read "Jesus Calling" more consistently.
6. Finish my children's book that I started this past year.
7. Create more artistic pieces. I am taking another watercolor class at the start of next year.
8. Walk outside more often.
9. Write 8-10 handwritten letters.
10. Cook and bake more at home; eat out less.

Well, that's all folks! There are my thoughts and musings over the past year and the past decade and a few of my hopes for next year. I pray that it is a bright year, full of goodness and lots of loving. :-)

Enjoy your last few days of 2015, dear readers. It is almost over...so cherish it.

-Tina Lou

Fall time pondering and new seasons

Ah, fall. It is definitely my favorite season of the year. All the beautiful colors, usually crisp, cool weather that accompanies lovely layers of scarves, sweaters, hats, boots, and the like. This year it has been unusually warm. I know a lot of folks have welcomed the warmer weather, but for myself, I miss the cool weather. It just feels wrong for it to be 70 - 80 degrees outside with all the beautiful leaves changing into yellow, red, orange, and brown. Such is life sometimes.

This is a new season for me. I am exploring the beauty of having time. It has truly been a gift. These past few weeks, I have realized my great desire to help others and the joy that comes from this type of work. About five years ago, I worked at a non profit as an advocate for domestic violence and sexual assault victims. It brought great joy and was definitely a rewarding job, but it required a lot of energy and as you can imagine was stressful. It taught me a lot about time management, priorities, and compassion. After that job, I moved here - to the DC Metro area, and my life took a turn.

After working on the hill, I worked at a small business, a government contractor, did door to door sales and marketing, and then worked for a corporation. What a ride it has been! This next season will turn over a different leaf. Ones work must have meaning. I have observed that I NEED to be challenged in my work, to grow, expand or I become frustrated. Knowing that I am making a difference is key. Whether it be increasing the profit margin, creating a better working environment, establishing vibrant relationships that allow for teamwork, creative expression, efficient problem solving, and good project management or whether it simply be working hard and delivering a good product - it has to help in some form or fashion. Otherwise, the work falls flat - and frankly, so do I.

Relationships are important - I believe they are more vital to the work environment than a lot of people consider. Most folks I know show up to work, do their job, and go home. Some consider the value of getting to know their coworkers a little bit, and some do not. I have found in my short professional career of six years that those that go the extra step to know the person behind the work excel, grow, and rise to the top faster than those who do not.

Do you know what the strangest lesson I have learned since college? If one works fast, hard, grows, expands, and wants to move up the ladder it is not praised. Those who like where they are and want to stay there despise the hard worker who finishes their work quickly, efficiently, and with high quality. Why? It makes them look bad. Bizarre, right? I think so. Why wouldn't a person want to grow and improve themselves - work as hard as they can to produce the highest quality product, design, project in the least amount of time? It saves the company money. I haven't figure this one out yet.

I have seen a lot of busy work that amounts to a pile of beans. A lot of excuses about why it takes almost twice as long for some to complete a project than others, and justifications for staying in the same, comfortable place. I guess change is uncomfortable - I get that. But how can folks be content to stay in the same place? And believe you me - a lot of the workforce is perfectly content with the status quo. Maybe my discontentment with it - always wanting to see how I can improve a process or streamline a project or improve the big picture sets me apart. Or maybe it makes me a frustrating employee to have. Because I DO have a lot of ideas, and they do need vetting. The most irritating response to a great idea I have is this. "No, I don't think that is going to work. I mean, it's a great idea. I could see it happening, but you know, it's just a lot of work. I am not sure we have time for it. Let's go this route. I know it may not produce the same results, but it takes less time, so it's a good one. Thanks for your input!"

I mean, really? Do you know what I hear when someone tells me this? Lazy. Or that they aren't willing to put in the time or let me work a little extra to do it myself - which I am happy to do. Anyways, I have rambled and vented too much about my observations in the workforce.

All that to say, I am supremely excited for the possibilities this next season holds. I am sure there will be challenges, workplace drama (can't escape that!), frustrations, but I am hopeful that there will also be great joy. For in meaningful work, one can find great satisfaction, motivation, and endurance to press forward with vigor and a great work ethic and attitude. This is what I desire.

Having the ability to express myself creatively is key. The possibilities are endless. Let's dream in our workplaces, collaborate, produce high quality products, projects, and work. And let's not be fearful of the naysayer or the lazy coworker who pushes back. Let's dream greatness. It may just change the small corner of your workplace or mine. We have an opportunity in our short lifetime to make a real difference in other people's lives. Let that not just be in our personal lives, but also in our professional ones. For it is in that space - the workplace, that we spend the majority of our time. Make it count. Be the person you want others to be blessed and encouraged by. Let's learn to look outside of ourselves, take the extra minute to listen, and just see where it takes us.

New seasons are beautiful. I love that the new season I am walking into just happens to coincide with my favorite time of year - fall. I hope to fall deeply into the season with joy, hope, vigor, and a vision to help others and work hard.

What is your ambition in this season of your life? Seasons come and go. It is how we treat them that matters - with care, with a ho hum attitude that coasts, with disdain, with energy - these are the options, dear friends. I hope you walk into the next phase of your season with eyes wide open, ready to offer your best and see the results.

Enjoy the rest of this lovely season. May it bring joy to your hearts.

Until next time,
Tina Lou

Summertime

Hello dear readers...

Since my health is a fiasco right now, I don't think I am going to write about it anymore. Maybe someday in the future I will be healthy again, but I need a break from focusing on it for now. So, instead I will just give some thoughts and updates from summertime thus far.

First of all, I can hardly believe that summer is already halfway over! What happened? Where did all the time go? :) At the end of May, we made a trip with folks from our church to the Chesapeake Bay and it was a lovely time. I highly recommend going if you have a chance - it's beautiful. June came and went - I was sick for most of it, so there wasn't a lot of exciting happenings. At the end of June I met my older sister in Chicago for a sister weekend and we had a blast!

We ate delicious food - deep dish Chicago pizza, a yummy brunch at Bakin' & Eggs, good Greek food, and the Art Institute's cafeteria salad, which was surprisingly delicious. The first night we went and explored Millennium Park and enjoyed an outdoor concert, where they played Mendelson's Reformation and it was absolutely lovely. For a little while, I was in another world enjoying the melody and stunning images that came to mind as the music wafted throughout the park. The next day, we went to the beach - it was grand. I wish my city had a beach at the end of it - what a glorious thing! That evening we went to the top of the old Sears tower - now known as the Willis tower. There were fabulous views at the top of it - but the whole experience took about 3 hours, which was a lonnng time.

On our last full day there, we spent the day at the Art Institute and it was fabulous. There's so much to see - we didn't even see all of it. Someday, I definitely want to go back! In the evening, we made our way to the United Center and saw U2 in concert. Wow! What an experience. It was incredible, dear friends. If you ever have a chance, spend the money and go see them - so grand.

For the 4th of July, we spent time with both families, which was great. I always enjoy celebrating the 4th with G's family. It amounts to pedi's and mani's, a big group lunch out, hanging in the afternoon, a yummy dinner with homemade ice cream, and then the cousins put on a nice nighttime show. Good times, indeed! This year, there were a few little ones in the mix, which was a blast.

New this summer is the fact that my husband finally found a job - and he loves it! He works a lot these days, but they are quite busy and it helps that he enjoys it greatly. My job is another story...
My mother-in-law is planning a visit at the end of the month and I think we plan to go to the Building Museum, which should be great fun. I see they have a cool beach exhibit there right now. I'm excited!

In other news, I started a watercolor art class this week through the art league. I'm excited to learn and create with watercolor. Previously, I have done oil painting and charcoal. Both are great, but a lot more time consuming than watercolor. The supplies almost broke the bank, but I keep reminding myself that they will last for a while.

And here are a few hopes for the rest of the year...
- To see my college girlfriends all in one place for an extended weekend.
- For my folks to finally come visit us here in DC.
- To have some breathing room.
- Go see NYC with my babe (the hubs).
- Finally write that children's book I've been planning to write for years...

That's about it for now. Hope your summers are going splendidly. Be sure to make time for the beach or the pool. Hanging in the sun is good for the soul.

Cheers,
Tina Lou

Back from my hiatus away...

Good morning readers -

And welcome to May. I know - we're already halfway through it and seeing signs of Summer before it feels like Spring had its chance to fully bloom.

This past month or so since I have not been updating the blog has been a rough season. Not only with multiple health issues that I was not sure how to highlight here without going into too much detail, but in my career as well. 

So - after talking to doctors, my dentist, etc., I realized drinking the lemon (acidic) and honey first thing in the morning was not doing me any favors. That one is nixed from my goals. Here are my revised goals for the rest of the year...

1. Exercise - take a 15-30 minute walk three times a week (probably around my office, in the District), and one long walk on the weekends.

2. SLEEP - Make it a priority to have at least 7 hours of sleep a night. This one has been bad lately. My almost consistent hour is 6 of sleep and half the time it's less. This one needs work for sure!

3. Less sugar - This one is going better. My GI doc said to cut down/out the chocolate (because of the caffeine in it), so despite this being hard because I LOVE dark chocolate, I have decreased this intake drastically in the last month.

4. Take Acidophilus once a day - This one is less consistent, but I do take it a few times a week. I need to go purchase more at Mom's Organic Market this week. Here's what I'm talking about: http://www.vitacost.com/american-health-probiotic-acidophilus-blueberry-20-billion-16-fl-oz . I personally like the strawberry one.

5. Slow down. This goal is incredibly hard for me. For some reason, my whole life I have been driven to have an active (probably overactive) social calendar and this does not provide balance and time/space in my week and life to rest and just be. How do I quantify this? 

*One night a week (the same one, b/c choosing a different night each week didn't really work for us), G and I are home together. Keep a YA one, but maybe every other week. I'm choosing to stay home on Wednesday nights, and leave Friday night for a possible date night out with friends or my husband. On Sat/Sunday I am keeping my social calendar to 10am - 7/8pm. The ultimate goal is to appreciate the "white space" on my calendar, and embrace resting and stillness...allowing my body to heal. 

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

Readers, #7 will be a real struggle! And in the month of May it is not reasonable. So - in June, I'm really going to try and clear my calendar now (except for G's birthday celebration), so I can focus on resting and healing my body. 

Something I haven't shared on here (at least I don't think so), is that I have adrenal fatigue. I've known about it for three years now, and I haven't really taken the steps to allow my body to rest, heal, and for my adrenal glands to start functioning again the way that God created them to be inside my body. The one thing I do every night is put on this awesome crème called, Adrenal Calm that my natural chiropractor gave me. It is awesome stuff...it relaxes me, calms me, and off to dreamland I go. Also, I sometimes use a spoonk before bed. It's like an acupuncture mat that you lay on for 35 minutes and then take it out from your back (ever so carefully) and then fall asleep. Here's the link for it. And believe you me, it works! A girlfriend of mine who also has adrenal issues told me about it, and we both love it. http://www.spoonkspace.com/ I bought mine on Amazon - or rather, my husband purchased it for me for a birthday present and included the travel size (which is great - since I travel close to once a month). 

So - I'm back. My usual Sunday morning time to blog was eaten up by helping with an outreach / asks any questions in a safe place / group called Alpha that G & I help out with from 10-11am at our community. I will make it a priority to come and share my journey again. Thanks for your patience and understanding. Life has peaks and valleys, and well - I feel like I'm riding in the middle of both at present time. 

A few tips to relax. Start appreciating the small moments of life (learned this from "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp) and thanking Jesus for them. This small practice has help change my attitude. The other one is to breathe deeply when really stressed, frustrated, or annoyed. It calms me and I can think logically again without all the emotions swirling to the top. Thirdly, the practice of shutting the door at work or somehow being ALONE (not in traffic...doesn't count, sorry) at home and just focusing on beauty - nature, a lovely painting, etc and drinking it in while praying. This last small practice refocuses me on what is important in life, and helps me remember that all "this crap" is just circumstances trying to distract me, remove my focus from my King, and pull me into the swirl of busyness, work chaos, home disasters, relationship woes, etc. Coming back into His arms and letting it all go (this takes time) and learning to trust Him more - well, it speaks life and refreshment to my soul. 

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and have a fabulous start to the fourth week of May, dear friends. May peace like a river fill your minds and souls as you embark into your spheres, and may the King of the universe speak life and love into your hearts.

Until next time,

Tina Lou 

Week 4 - Health Challenge

Good morning and welcome to Holy week!

Wow. What a whirlwind this past week was for me. Starting on Monday, I worked an incredible amount at my job. By the time I left around 2:20pm on Thursday, I had already worked 55 hours. Go figure. My company's department hosted a FLC Fly-in to DC, the second annual one, and it was twice as big as last year. My responsibility leading up to it was sending out Hill meeting requests to all our targeted Senate offices, and I feel like I did pretty well with this. There were only two offices that we did not end up getting meetings with, and I think 2-3 of them came through because of relationships our lobbyists have. Another key and time consuming responsibility was coordinating all the logistics for the week. Fancy dinners on Monday & Tuesday, a more casual dinner on Wednesday, plus cupcakes for birthdays (from my fav cupcakery in DC - Baked & Wired) on Thursday and boxed lunches for them as they headed home. Oh - and coordinating the logistics for our training day at MWE and then the food and such at our home base - CHC for the Hill day. All in all it went pretty well, and the FLC members said they had a great time and enjoyed going to more Hill visits than last year. For me, it was a tad stressful with some things being left to the last minute that weren't in my area, but another colleague and I pulled together and made it happen to give them the list of who was in their groups. At the end of the week, one of the FLC members told me that this piece of paper of who was in what groups was the most helpful piece of paper to him in the packet! It felt all worth it when I heard that comment.

Anyways, health wise was not good this week. This shows the data from Sun, March 22nd - Sunday morning, March 29th. Since this is a public forum, I will not go into the details on here, but suffice it to say the stress, lack of sleep, and my struggle to stay hydrated (even though I carry a reusable water bottle with me everywhere) all contributed.

1. Drink honey-lemon water every morning. Check! Yes, I have done this every morning, and really enjoy this step. It tastes delicious and is a good way to wake up in the morning. I think the missing piece for me with this is GINGER. I tend to have a lot of uncomfortable stomach pain most every day, and at least every week - so if I add ginger to my morning routine with the honey & lemon, it might help. I will try it this week.

2. Exercise - Well, I did do a lot of walking on Wednesday (Hill Day). So much so, that my left ankle was killing me and my right knee for the next few days. I need to stretch my calves more, which will help my tendons not pull on my body in the wrong way causing pain. And on Friday, I did some walking (10 minutes) outside, which was refreshing. So, it's not "organized" exercise, but it's a small step for me. 

3. Sleep: I track my sleep on an app on my iPhone called "Sleep Bot", so let me look at my logs for the week and see if I got 7 hours each night or not.

This week was dismal with sleep. It's almost too embarrassing to share, but I will. 
1 night - 8 hours ; 2 nights - 7+ hours; 1 night - 5.5; 1 night 4.5; 2 night - 6+ with a Sat nap (so Fri night into Sat all day - I'd say - 7 hrs).  I told you it was sad...

4. Less sugar - I believe I was more successful in this category. Each day, I did have sugar, but it was only 1-2 items, not miniature sized candies throughout the day. I am making progress here. Next week, we are doing a different kind of eating plan with our YA group at our community. We are eating foods like the rest of the country - no meat, dairy, or refined sugar. It's mainly beans, rice, lentils, local in-season veggies (or frozen veggies for us), spices, bananas and plantains (yum!).So - we'll see if I make it all week with no refined sugars. I am still taking my daily honey potion in the morning. 

5. Take high powered probiotic every day. 
So, this one has been controversial for me. I went to the doctor on Thursday, and he advised that I STOP taking the Ultra Probiotics (which I had already done) and resume taking Acidophilius - see previous post for link. I took my probiotic in the liquid form 3 times this week...so half fail, half success.

Overall health: Not great this week. I had stomach pain, little sleep, increased heart rate, etc. Suffice it to say, after all the working part was complete, I went to the doctor on Thursday afternoon. He said I have a sinus infection in both nasal cavities, so I'm on a penicillin version of an antibiotic that is doing a number to my stomach and other end. :-/ But hopefully it's killing all the bad bacteria. I'm also doing flonase when I remember - usually after irrigating in the morning or after a shower. I still sneeze an awful lot! The doc wants me to see their in house allergist this coming week on Friday. 

Back in the fall of 2009 when I was still in Kansas, my allergies were giving me a run for my money. I was sick the entire month of July and so in October that year, I went to see one. They found I am allergic to ragweed, pollen, mold, and pine trees. Since it's been 5 years and I'm in a new environment (part of the country), it does make sense. Well, like the rest of us with the change of ACA in the last few years, my health insurance is not great. There are no more copays. Boo. Instead I have to meet my deductible of $2,600 - 100% and can pay for it through my HSA. I'm seriously not a fan, but that doesn't matter, because it is what we have. That said, Kia called me (the allergist) and said that it will cost between $200 - $500 to take. So - we'll see if I keep my appointment or not. Of course since it's the beginning of the year, I have only put a small dent into my deductible. Time will tell on that one. I have a follow-up with my family care physician on Wednesday this week. I am hoping for better sleep. Although, last night I was up in the middle of the night after using the restroom and my stomach was cramping and in all kind of knots. After drinking almost a glass of water and #2, I was able to feel slightly better. I will be glad when I'm done with this round of antibiotics and have my intestines back to "normal". 

Well, that's all for now. I will say - I am loving the cusp of Spring we experienced last week here. There were some beautiful days of warm weather, some light Spring showers, and just the promise that it is coming soon! This past weekend was cold, but this week it is supposed to be warmer. I am hoping the Cherry Blossoms peak when they are projected to arrive - around April 9th.

Have a great week, all! Be well, look for the bright side (there's always one...we just have to look hard for it sometimes), and remember to communicate the heart with others - intention matters a lot. I am learning this. 

Hugs & love,
Tina Lou 

Week 2 & Week 3: Health Challenge

Good morning dear readers,

And welcome to Spring, at least according to our calendars. :) We had a wintry mix grace the East Coast where I live on Friday, which was "officially" the first day of Spring. However, this weekend, it has been a bit warmer (40's - 50's) with sunshine and specs of green peeking through.

As you know, I missed last week! When Sunday slipped through my fingers, the week kept pushing along, full as ever (an outing every weeknight) and before I knew it, come Friday, I hadn't updated. So - see below two weeks smashed together of my updates. In the normal black is the week of March 8-14th, and this past week will be in dark green (for beloved St. Patrick's Day week), which includes March 15th - Sat, March 21st.

1. Drink honey-lemon water every morning. Check! Yes, I have faithfully done this every morning. Organic meyer lemons and a teaspoon of local unpasterized honey. I did this both weeks - horray!

2. Exercise - This are is a bit dismal. If I look at my "health app" on my work iPhone, I have walked about 2.2 miles on the 10th of March. I had the most step for week 3 on this past Tuesday, walking about 2 miles. Overall, this area is a fail both weeks. Part of it I think is I need to MAKE time for exercise. Mornings do not work for me, and so I need to put 30 minutes on my outlook calendar at work and try to stick to it. However, be forewarned - this may be a fail week, as well because Tuesday - Thursday at work we have an event I'm coordinating logistics for and will be out of the office from 7am - 9:30/10pm each day, so hopefully I can make exercise 1 day next week. That is my adjusted goal for the last week of March.

3. Sleep: Looking at my app, "Sleep Bot" on my iPhone, I will report whether I slept 7 hours a night each week or not.

Week 2: 4 nights I slept 7 hours, 2 nights I slept over 8 hours, and 1 night I slept 6.8 hours - which is so close. 90% pass rate this week.

Week 3: 4 nights I slept 7 hours, 2 nights I slept over 8 hours; one night I slept 6.4 hours. Also a 90% pass this week. 

4. Less sugar - On week 2, I ate slightly less sugar, but was still struggling with this goal. Last week, I was better about not eating as much sugar at the start of the week, and lost 2 pounds. The end of last week, we celebrated birthdays at work and so I had some cupcakes, etc, but I did not overindulge. 

5. Take high powered probiotic every day previous goal. (This is exactly what I had been taking: Renew Life Ultra Flora)
This is a complicated one. After I got sick a few Fridays ago, I tested taking the high powered probiotic on a Sunday (not on an empty stomach as I did previously), but in the middle of the day, and again I had stomach cramps and pain. Thus, after talking with a few nurses who are friends, I have decided not to continue with this type of probiotic. So - the past few weeks I have taken probably a whole total of 3. Today, I plan to go and purchase Acidophilus, which is how I gained my probiotics prior. Here's a link. http://www.amazon.com/American-Health-Probiotic-Acidophilus-Strawberry/dp/B00185UIL2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427033178&sr=8-1&keywords=liquid+acidophilus+probiotic It's a much lower dose, but it did not upset my stomach.

Overall health status -

Week 2: I had work travel to Kansas City this week from late Monday through Thursday. That said, I kept doing my honey-lemon water, and reported on the other items above. However, I felt much better than the week before with the occasional upset stomach or stomach pain. Usually, it comes in the morning and after drinking my concoction, and sometimes eating breakfast (I always eat something for breakfast...its whether the pain goes away prior to eating or after), it's usually gone mid-to late morning. Sometimes later in the day (in the evening) it'll come back for a bit. When this happens, I treat it with drinking a little ACV with water or having some lemon-ginger tea or drinking a ginger chew. More often than not, this will fix the issue.

Week 3: This past week, my stomach hurt a bit more frequently. It would come and go, but it happened most every day. No nauseous feelings, which is good...but upset, and sometimes I didn't want to eat because of the pain. This next week, I'd like to write in my KEEP app or in a small book the times of days this next week that I feel stomach pain, to try and figure out the pattern. Or report if I feel good (healthy!) all day or a few days in a row. 

Thanks for taking the time read my update, dear readers. I am confident that by taking the other priobiotic and trying to incorporate more movement (exercise), I will eventually feel better and have a more fit body. It will take time. Sometimes, I think I may struggle with stomach pain off and on for the rest of my life, but maybe not. A few years back, I tried having the doctors figure it out and after many tests and procedures, they came up empty. My natural doctor has given me some different strategies that have worked in the past for a while, so there's some hope there.

May you enjoy the rest of this beautiful Sunday, and take time to stop and see the beautiful moments of thanks this week. Until next week!

Ciao,
Tina Lou

Week 1: Health Challenge

Hello dear reader friends,

Here is my first check-in for my health challenge for the year. I will go through each item and mention how I did with it. At the end of each of these posts, I will let you know if I was sick this week and if so, talk a little bit about it.

1. Drink honey-lemon water every morning. Check! Yes, I have done this every morning, and really enjoy this step. It tastes delicious and is a good way to wake up in the morning.

2. Exercise - fail. I did not exercise at all this week. Hopefully the results will be different next week, because this is an area that I HAVE to change.

3. Sleep: I track my sleep on an app on my iPhone called "Sleep Bot", so let me look at my logs for the week and see if I got 7 hours each night or not.

The first few days of the week, I succeeded. On the night of March 4th, I only got 5.5 hours of sleep. Every other night this week, I have gotten 7+ hours of sleep, so I almost hit this goal. :)

4. Less sugar - hmm...I would say I probably did not do this one. I don't think I ate less sugar this week. Maybe if I can make it more tangible and say 2 sugary items a day, then I'll know I have decreased my sugar content.

5. Take high powered probiotic every day. (This is exactly what I take: http://www.amazon.com/Renew-Life-Ultimate-Complete-Capsules/dp/B00CCCNISU/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1425817754&sr=8-5&keywords=probiotic+ultimate+flora)
Well, I almost hit this one, too. I ran out, so I didn't take one on Wednesday. Thursday before all the snow got crazy and the roads were too icy, I went out and picked some up. I took one on Friday and have been feeling crummy, so I haven't repeated.

Overall health status - For most of the week, I felt good. However, on Friday morning after I took my probiotic pill, I started feeling crummy. Around 9:30am that morning, I ended up throwing up 4 times. :-( I went home and drank some 7-up and had some applesauce. I started feeling better, which is good. However, every day since then (including right now), my stomach hurts and is in pain. I'm not sure what's up (never really do with my tummy), but I know I'm ready for it to be over. I'm a little leary of continuing to take my probiotic pills when the pain started after I took it. I will probably take one today in between a few meals and see if I handle it okay.

I'm headed to KC for work this week, so I'm praying I feel better soon. I plan to take lemons and honey with me on the trip so I can keep up my morning regime.

Well, friends - I hope if you live in this area you were able to enjoy the beautiful and lovely snow and stay warm. Have a fabulous Sunday, and I'll see you here next week.

Hugs,
Tina Lou

A year long health challenge

Hello friends! And happy 2015 - it's a new year and it's moving fast. 

One of my goals this year is to be healthier. To be frank, currently I am not that healthy of a person. I am overweight, sick a lot, and do not get a consistent 7-9 hours of sleep a night. Taking small steps for improvement is my plan in 2015.

This is the challenge - to update this blog once a week with my progress. First, let me outline my goals to you. 

1. Drink warm honey lemon water every morning. I purchased some organic Meyer lemons from Mom's and some delicious unfiltered, raw honey from Virginia yesterday. This morning marks my first cup.

2. Do some kind of exercise 2-4 times a week. Since I haven't been doing ANY kind of exercise at all, I figure saying twice a week to start is a a manageable goal.

3. Get at least 7 hours a sleep this week. (This goal may change in time)

4. Consume less sugar. I am not sure how to manage this one or measure it, but I KNOW that I consume more sugar than my body needs.

5. Take my awesome probiotic pill (90 million!!) everyday. 

Well, that's all for now. Any time I get sick, I will write about it here. One of the supposed benefits of drinking the honey lemon water is not getting sick. Since I seem to be prone to sickness - especially tummy related sickness, I am curious to see if this works. Plus, honey lemon water tastes great, so there's no downfall in trying this out. Oh - I should also mention that 5-7 days a week, I also drink Smartmix zija and I think it helps me have all the nutrition my body needs daily. I know for a fact that I don't eat enough green leafy veggies to consume all the vitamins I need, but this drink definitely helps me out - plus it wakes me up in the morning. :-)

So, there you have it readers and friends, this is my 2015 health challenge. I am excited to embark on it, and I figure that if I blog my way through it, I will have some needed accountability.

Cheers,
Tina Lou 

Tumultuous changes…

Ah, it’s almost the end of August. I can hardly believe that summer is coming to a close so quickly. This summer’s theme for me has been “travel”. Every two weeks since the start of May until the close of August, I will have traveled. About once a month, I have gone to Kansas City for work, and then in between those trips, I have had personal trips to make back to Kansas.

The third week of July, I went to KC and worked at Block HQ for the Political Action Campaign in-person event. I organized all the logistics of it, and thankfully, it was a success. I am so thankful for this job; I enjoy it quite a lot, and I’m always learning something new – which is refreshing. Upon returning home, we discovered that my husband’s time at his firm would be cut short. His last day was August 13^th with no severance. A challenging time, indeed – thankfully, we can survive on my salary and his soon to arrive unemployment benefits for the time being. We’re praying that the Lord provides a good law job for him soon! So, in the meantime, we’re trusting God and trying to be patient.

At the start of August, we made the “jump” and flew to Kansas for my grandmother’s 80^th birthday celebration. It was lovely to see all my extended family – well, most of it. And my husband was able to meet my Aunt Lori and cousin Wes for the first time. It was a great weekend. I enjoyed a lot of fun cousin time in Salina. My grandmother – Mimi – seemed to enjoy herself, so that’s good. All of us grand kids collaborated and created her a photo book of memories with her. I think she liked it, and she’ll have it when she is missing us. We all live far and wide – from California, to Ohio, to New Jersey, to D.C. Thus, photo memories are important.

A few weeks ago, we encountered another lovely obstacle. Our landlord informed us that she sold our place! Can you believe it? Well, it’s happening. We have until the first weekend in October to move and find another place to live. So, we’re looking for a new home, as well. As if we didn’t already have enough to handle. On the up side, one of my close college girlfriends and her husband flew to DC a week ago – and they are living here for good! I’m so thrilled. He is stationed at the Pentagon, so they are staying with family while they look for a permanent home. I’m quite excited to spend some good, quality time with her, and just share life together.

We are loving life with our church community, as well. There is a sweet home group that we are part of, and those folks feel like family to us. We are grateful for their love, prayers, and support. This church community really knows how to love others well. It’s been a blessing to grow in our faith, knowledge of the Word and the Holy Spirit alongside such loving, lively, and fruitful believers. This summer, the teaching series has been about True Community. We have been studying 1^st John. It’s been good, challenging, and life-giving.

This past weekend, I spent with my family in Kansas City. One of my cousins on my Mom’s side got married. We had a lovely time. It was wonderful to see all of this side of the family and catch up with folks. I think the last time I have seen some of them was at my wedding, almost two years ago! It’s hard to believe. The wedding reception was so fun! Dancing with my cousins and nieces was fabulous. And it’s a great workout, as well. After the reception, I enjoyed a dip in the pool to cool off. Today, we all went to see Planes at the AMC 20 in KC that has recliners in the theatre! That is the way to do a movie. It was lovely.

Looking forward to the fall, I have a couple of hopes, and/or goals. One is to be healthier. My husband and I are going to do “Whole 30” during the month of September. I am looking forward to eating food that is all good for me, and laying off drinking alcohol for a bit. It will be good for us. And I need to force myself to exercise more…do my knee exercises, yoga, the elliptical. Oh, and I mentioned taking a Marketing course – well, after a lot of struggle, I came to discover that it will not work out this fall, which is okay. Another season it will be better. When we have less up in the air and going on in our lives…

And to close this lengthy post…a few reflections or thoughts to consider – as always, I am open to your thoughts/feedback.

-                 -- When life becomes tough and throws you curveballs, smile in its face, put on a courageous spirit, and run full force ahead.

-                    -- Welcome the surprises that life brings you and choose to embrace the upside in the process.

-                    --When one wants to give up, keep pressing – there’s something worthwhile waiting on the other side.

-                    -- Even though its hard to look past the flaws of those who we would rather not interact with, in the long run, choosing to treat them with respect, kindness, and even friendship proves to bless those we dislike.

-                   --  Always keep loving, even when it’s hard, even when you want to give up and run away. Keep loving…STRONG.

Well, friends – that’s all I have for this month. Until next month – keep living strong.

-       - Tina Lou 

Summertime

Hello Summer!

What a busy summer it has been thus far! I have been a travelling fool, as well. At the start of the month, my sister and her family (the Stucky's) came to visit Grant and I. We had a blast with them! The first day they were here we went to the National Zoo and it was great fun. We saw the elephants and the pandas among many other animals. That night was "girls night" while the guys went to a National's game. My sister and I enjoyed some delicious wine, ice cream, and chocolate while we watched Morning Glory. Good times, indeed. The following day, we headed down to the National Mall. We went to the American History Museum and saw Dorthy's shoes, Julia Child's kitchen, and the epic Star Spangled Banner Flag. Eating lunch out of a food truck was yummy. In the afternoon, we spent a good amount of time blowing bubbles and chasing them, and flying a kite! To round out our time on the Mall, we went and explored the Lincoln Memorial. It was fabulous! That night we ate in and played cards and drank lots of bourbon - sooo oh good! We loved having them stay.

The following week, I flew to Kansas City for a week long work trip. We found out that they did an internal hire for our new Chief Government Relations Officer. She's moving to DC and will be running the shop starting August 1. With her arrival, I will now have two jobs in one - horray. I will be doing "soft support" for her - booking travel, managing her calendar, reading her emails, doing her expense report, and anything else she needs all the while keeping up with my daily responsibilities. It will be an adventure for sure! A few fun highlights from the month of June include - Will on the Hill, where Members of Congress act in a play and then there's a mingling dinner afterwards. We went to that event with Anna & Bobby Tate and had a fabulous time. I will definitely want to go to this event again next year. Additionally, on the company we went to the Congress Baseball game at Nats park. It was full of great food, warm temperatures, free booze, and some mediocre baseball. :-)

To celebrate my husband's birthday, we went away for the weekend to Chincoteague, VA - the wild horse island. We stayed at Anchor Inn - a cute little inn on the water and enjoyed a lovely time. We played putt putt golf where my husband beat me, and then we went downtown for their art festival. In the evening, we ate dinner at AJ's a delicious and romantic time. You can see the beautiful sunset as the background to my blog. It was such a fun weekend! On Sunday, we headed down to the beach. On our drive there and back inside the National Park area, we saw the wild horses. It was pretty sweet. The beach was lovely. It was nice and hot, and not too crowded. We laid out, and then swam in the freezing water. There were dolphins there, too! Can you believe it?! Dolphins! I had never seen them outside of a zoo before. It was great fun.

The month of June was super full - I had something every night during the week. Needless to say, I ran myself out! I ended up getting sick at the end of the month and am still wrapping up the antibiotics to prove it. The lesson here is that I need to learn to slow down and to say no - which is not something I am well known to do. What else?

Well, last week we spent a good amount of time in Kansas, celebrating the 4th of July with family. It was loads of fun! Grant's cousin team won the Black Cat Classic golf tournament, which was grand. I had a glorious time with the lady cousins and Aunts getting maincures and pedicures done. We had fun eating homemade ice cream with both families (mine and his) and shot off a slew of fireworks. With my family, we celebrated my older sister's birthday and we shot off guns in the morning. It was a blast! Now, we are home, and I am so thankful. It is good to slow down and to be home. I need to learn to just be. Just. Be. That's all. 

On a different note, I have been thinking about going back and getting my Master's degree for a while now. So, this fall, I am going to take a Principles in Marketing course to see if I like it. Hopefully, I will and this will be the start of me going back to school and getting a Master's degree. What fun it will be! :-)

Well, dear friends - try to stay cool in this crazy summer heat. Have tons of fun with those you love...and remember to stop and smell the roses. Experience great love, and give love to others. Until next month! Choa, bella! :)

Changes: Marriage, life, adventures...

Hello there -

It has been a while...years, in fact. It feels like time to start writing again, sharing, opening up, living life in a more open way.

Since my last blog post, many things have changed. No longer am I single and living with roommates. A kind fellow came along who loves Jesus and wooed my heart and he is now my beloved husband. We have been married for a year and a half now - it'll be two years in October. Married life is a whole new adventure from single lady life. Merging two lives into one home takes a change....in perspective, way of living life, and relating to each other. We have had great times, hard times, sad times, happy times, and plenty of surprises along the way.

What else is new? Oh, I am working at a new place. Finally I am working in D.C. again, which is lovely. I am learning the "lobbying" world and it has its challenges, appeals, and surprises. Working for a great company, it has been a growing experience for me, which is always good. A bonus is that their headquarters is in KC. When I go back for work, sometimes I pop down to central Kansas with a three hour drive and see my family. I absolutely love being an Auntie to two adorable little girls. Their family is on their way to D.C. to visit Grant and I. We are thrilled! I have a fun-filled couple of days planned for us ahead.

A few of my girlfriends have also tied the knot since my last post. Four of my college girlfriends have gotten married and are experiencing the joys and newness of married life as well. It has been fun to see who people end up choosing to spend the rest of their life with and build the rest of their journey.

On a different note...my health has been a challenge in the past few years. It started before I was married, when I ended up in the hospital for bi-lateral pulmonary embolisms. What a surprise! From there, we discovered that I have thicker blood than the average person. It took almost a year and a half, but my lungs are finally strong again. My allergies continue to be a challenge, and my stomach has its days. Another surprise was discovering that I struggle with adrenal fatigue, making energy a hot commodity. In order to recover from this last piece, it will take a few years of strict discipline around my resting schedule, taking supplements, and not "overdoing" it physically. Joy. I am sure it will be good to look back on all this 2-3 years from now and see the progress, healing, and change - but in the now, it sure is not easy. Bless my husband who has had endless patience with me through it all. He has been wonderful! 

Well, in my next post, I think I will talk about fun places that I have seen/experienced in D.C. and some of the fun joys of cooking as a wife - the beauty of using pinterest as a resource. :-) 

Happy June - and welcome to summer. May this one be a purposeful, memory making, lovely one to remember for days to come.

Au Revoir!

~Tina Lou

Summertime

Hi dear friends!

It is SUMMERTIME. Ah, what an interesting and full summer it has been!
It started off with Grant and I traveling to State College, PA to visit his niece, Kaylin. We had a great time playing with her and seeing the town. We enjoyed some wonderful homemade ice cream from a small shop down there. Good times.

In mid-June, we celebrated Grant's 29th Birthday. On his actual day, I took him to dinner at Founding Farmers in DC. We had a nice time. Afterwards, we went to a singer/songwriter thing where his roommate and future best man in our wedding, Ryan Walker was performing. Later that week, a group of friends met us at Dogfish Head Ale Restaurant, and we enJoyed a tasty meal and some great beer together.

Towards the end of month, things ramped up at my workplace, and it was Busy! Work is good. I'm enjoying it greatly. We hired a few new business development people - and they have made life at the office varied, fun, and full! I'm thankful for this job and where it will take me. I feel like I am growing a lot there. Life is good!

At the end of the month, I dog sat a cute little chihuaha and doxen mix dog named Lucky. We had lots of fun! I hung out with people from my church community a lot that weekend. It was good, and much needed. The last week of June was extremely full, but good.

The first week of July, Grant and I traveled back to Kansas. Good times were had with his family on the 4th. We did some wedding stuff the next few days and just hung out with my family. My adorable little nieces, Elaina and Izzy Rue were soo much fun to play with and just spend good, quality time with. I treasured that time! On Friday night of that week, my wonderful sister & brother-in-law hosted all of my mom's extended family and we had a big cookout. :) Grant was able to meet some of my cousins he'd never met before, and it was just a great time of catching up with family.

On Saturday, we worked on different centerpiece ideas for the reception, and came up with a few winners! We also celebrated my sister, Rachel's birthday and had a great time. Later that day, we drove back to Wichita and hopped on a plane back to DC. Even though it was a great trip, and quite productive, I was ready to return home.

Just yesterday, I moved - yet again! I'm now living in Alexandria for the next three months. I moved, unpacked, and Grant and I put together my new dresser from IKEA. :-) Yay! I'm pleased to live there, and excited to see what the rest of the summer holds! It's my last summer of singleness. I will be a married lady next year at this time. :)

enJoy the rest of your summer days. Take time to ReLax, breathe, and soak in the sun. Ponder. Smile. Be. Love.

Time Flies By...

Life changes quickly...

Hi dear friends,

It's been incredibly too long since my last post. Soo much has changed in the past year. It's hard to know where to start...

The handsome man in my life, Grant is now my fiancee'. He proposed to me at my favorite memorial in DC - the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, and I said yes! We created the unique ring together, and I absolutely LOVE it. 

Here's  a picture for you...

What else?

I have a new job. Oh, me and jobs...in the summer of 2011 I switched from working as an Admin at a civil engineering firm to going door to door and selling Verizon Fios, with the promise of owning my own business. Oh, it was hard. I learned a lot, and met some interesting people, but 10 hour days, and not making much money just wasn't cutting it.

At the end of November, I hunted for a new job. I started doing temp Admin work in December and working as a waitress at the District of Pi Pizzeria in DC. I really enJoyed working at the pizza place. It was fun, and I skirted by on tips. 

Around Christmas time, Grant and I made the trek to Kansas in one of our dear friends' SUV and had a wonderful time with family. It was great to visit them as an engaged couple! The future is bright. We set a date for October 2012 back in Kansas. He booked our honeymoon, and we have a church and reception place set up. We'll have a reception back here in DC late October, but I'm glad we have time. We need it. To plan. To prepare. To talk about all those things...you know, like money, and kids, and how to deal with conflict. All those important topics. The past. Influences. Dreams. Fears. Goals. 

In February, I landed a great job for a company called Black & Veatch. I'm the Office Manager for this architectural and engineering firm. It's good - they have benefits! And it's located in Arlington. We love that part of Northern VA. I hope we can find an affordable place in that area. :)

Well, what else? I've moved out to Burke. It's a long story, but I'm here for now. I paint from time to time. And I miss my cute little nieces! They are growing up so fast. I feel like the last year has been full of changes, lessons to learn, maturity to build, and lots of planning. This year has been full of ups and downs. I find myself pondering more than I used to, and thinking a bit more before speaking. I'm in my mid-twenties now! Life is viewed through a different lense than before. And it's okay - it's just different.

So many of my friends are engaged and getting married! It must be that time in our lives. Moving on to the next step. We're growing up friends. Sometimes we have to look life in the face and run ahead full force, even though we're a bit scared. I'm excited for what the next months in 2012 hold. 

There you have it - a quick little update on life. I'd love to hear how you are doing...a phone call, old-fashioned letter, text message, email, facebook message. I'll take it however it comes. Stay in touch, dear friends.

Until next time... 

Fall - are you here yet? Seasons change...

Hello, hello.

September is here. Hello and welcome to the start of fall. Ah, I'm SO glad it's here. I LOVE fall. This is an excellent season. Now, I realize that summer is still lingering...and fall has yet to fully come alive. ;)

Soon, very soon we will feel the crispness of the air, see the beautiful leaves change colors from green to multi-colored goodness. And I am ready! Ready for the layers. Ready to cuddle up in my scarves, to wear long coats, gloves, cute hats, be warm, layer, wear my great sweaters. I'm ready for it all!

Oh - and there is the season of pumpking goodness coming up too! How I love to make pumpking cookies, pumpkin bread - go to Starbucks and order a Pumpkin Latte. Mmmm...I can almost taste it now.

Enough talk about the changing of seasons. Have you ever noticed that when the physical weather seasons change, seasons in life tend to shift?

For some reason, there seems to be some kind of symmetry in my life with all of that, and I'm not quite sure why that is. However, I do feel like life is changing a bit.

In one instance, my job fully feels like it's mine now...and it's a BIG change from the office job of before. It's good. A challenge - which I always love. The hours are tough, I'm not gonna lie. And I've been traveling and gone WAY too much. I'm ready to be in DC...and STAY there. I know, it sounds strange, but it's true.

This coming weekend is the last one that I will be gone until the "Ladies Weekend" in October. And boy, am I glad. The last month or so, I have gone somewhere or done something every single weekend!

Let's see...a recap, if you will.

I'll move backwards from now. Well, right now - I'm away from home on a business trip in Mid-Maryland. Last weekend I was in KC visiting friends. The weekend before that I was in Jersey and PA visiting my Aunt & Uncle; my older cousin & her son & her significant other. Grant and I drove down after work on Friday and it took us forever to get there...but we made it. It was a lovely weekend! Good times all around.

The weekend before that I was at the beach. Bethany Beach in Delaware to be exact. It was pretty fun. We had a good time. It was full of a few days of relaxing, chilling on the beach, swimming in the good 'ole Atlantic, eating good food, and did I say relaxing? Awesome. The perfect beach vacation. The weekend prior to that...oh! I went to a wedding shower. And the the weekend before that...I did something. What did I do? It was the end of July - oh, right! I went to a wedding in Maryland. An outside wedding that was absolutely beautiful!

So - that's all folks! This coming weekend, I'm flying to KC, Missouri for another wedding. My boyfriend's sister is getting married on Saturday. And on Sunday he is going to meet some of good friends from college. I'm excited about that. ;) So - fun times ahead! And that IS good. It's just A LOT!

I'm ready to BE HERE. Now. And not leave for a good bit. Let me work a full week, from Monday to Saturday. And let me SEE and spend quality time with people from my church. I want to see my friend who came back from a little time in India and catch up with her. Oh - and I want to BE HOME! Do laundry. Breathe. Clean. Chill. Make food. Sleep a little more. Just BE. Maybe even spend some time with the roomies. We'll see. The point is, this season in life has been soo incredibly full, that I am more than ready for life to SLllloooow down. To live in routine life again will be lovely. Absolutely lovely.

That's all for now. I forsee more change in the future, but I'm still rolling around those ideas, possibilities, options. I have questions, no answers or explanations, but I feel like change is in the air.

enJoy the last days of Summer, my dear readers. And embrace the change and start of the wonderful season of Fall.