And just like that

And just like that summer ends and fall begins.

I had to use my seat warmers in the morning everyday this week *GASP*

Its crazy to me how quickly it changed from summer to fall (who knows with Utah though, it could change back to summer any day now).

Thinking back over summer I just can't help but smile. We got to do so many things. We had some big life events come and go this summer. Wow.

Things that happened: Graduated, went to Mexico to celebrate, Travis got a great internship, got laid off from my first job, finished and defended my thesis, officially graduated (like got my diploma), got an incredible job, bought our first car together, Tons of boating, St. George for my cousins baby blessing (yes, I have a cousin who is 3 months old), Working for the Shine Project, Temple dates, Stadium of fire, Travis' family reunion in Idaho, WICKED,  Ziplining, babysitting my siblings while my parents go on exotic vacations, Tennis, Travis finished his internship and left his mark (they begged him to stay), several wedding receptions, Real salt lake games with new friends, Seattle to celebrate the end of summer.

Man that was a lot, and I am sure I missed stuff.

Summer goals:

I  magically accomplished all of these :) Proud.

1. Finish MPH Project
2. Finish Systematic Review
3. Start practicing the guitar (only practiced a few times, want this to get more regular)
4. Attend the temple once a month
5. Plant a garden
6. Save and manage money
7. Go through stuff and take to DI
8. Get an awesome job
9. Exercise 3 times per week!

I haven't thought a ton about what I want to accomplish before the end of the year, but I am sure I'll write a post on it soon.

It was a great summer :)

Finding a vacation activity/relaxation balance

Ever since our first vacation together, Thanksgiving at Lake Tahoe with my family before we were married, Travis and I realized that we grew up doing vacations differently.

My family likes to RELAX on vacations. We go on vacations to slow down from our typically hectic lives. We are all really "busy" people.

Travis' family like to go crazy on vacations. Every minute is packed with something and that something is usually active. You need a vacation from vacation when his trips are over.

We realized we needed to find a balance between the two so that we could both be happy when we go on vacations together. Seattle was the first trip I really felt like we got that balance as well as balancing things I like to do (sightseeing) with things he likes to do (activity). We did a lot of sightseeing in Seattle (needle, tour, etc) and a lot of activity in his aunt and uncles town (boating, basketball, etc)

Traveling is one of my favorite things ever. I love the experiences I have, the friendships I make, the things I learn about, and the memories I make. I am a huge advocate of spending money on experiences instead of things, which is why we go on a lot of cool dates (another one coming soon).

We love traveling together, Travis has gone to more places this year with me than any other year besides his mission. I am opening him up to a love of travel. I love sharing this love I have with him. Its great to be getting in the grove of things.

Some of our next trips will hopefully include: South America, Florida, California. I am planning to go on a weekend trip somehwere to use a voucher that expires in April (Travis will be in his last, very difficult semester). I am thinking either Atlanta to visit one of my best friends or Texas to visit some family.

I can't wait to see where traveling continues to take us.

Amazing Recipes

I haven't been posting a ton of recipes lately, so here are a few we have loved lately!

Spinach Tomato Tortalini

Oh my gosh this tortalini was absolutely delicious. Travis was drinking the sauce when it was all gone. I would suggest doing something to make the sauce a little thicker though. 

Chicken Cashew Lettuce Wraps

These lettuce wraps were Incredible tasting. The sauce was a little runny so we added some corn starch to thicken it up.

Roasted Tomato Basil Grilled Cheese

Cooked these babies with Tomatoes and Basil from our garden and ate a spinach/bacon/feta/poppyseed salad with it.

Crock Pot Chicken Chili

This stuff was easy to prepare and delicious to the taste. Next time I am going to half the cream cheese tho to make it a little healthier. We ate this with homeade guac and tortilla chips

We will be using all of these for years to come, enjoy!

I feel like all my journal posts are about the weekend

I think its just going to be how it is now that I work, the weekends will be exciting, the weekdays normal. Not a bad thing. We went to Yuba lake with my family on Saturday. It was a beautiful day at the lake. 

September goals

I love goal setting and August went alright so far with goals. 

August Goals
1. Be more service oriented 
2. Develop a love of scripture study
3. Go out of my comfort zone to make more friends

1- I bought an awesome book that is helping me start looking for one way each day I can serve those around me or be kinder to myself. Its going alright so far, completing one every couple of days. I've realized I do need to be more flexible for opportunities that come at times that are not ideal for me. I have always had a hard time when things do not go exactly as I planned. 

2. Travis and I finally started a new plan for scripture study. The last 8 months we have not been good at this one, but I think its going to be great. We are following an instagram that helps you finish the book of mormon every year so each night we look up the verses we need to read, one of us reads it out loud and summarizes/talks about what they liked/enjoyed/got out of the verses. 

3. This one I feel like I have been working REALLY hard on. I have some great new friends at work and some new friends in my ward. I am loving seeing these friendships grow. 

September goals

1. Focus on enjoying my half training (reach my fitness goals and eat healthier)

2. Continue with my August goals

I think its important to make small incremental steps. Taking on too many things at once can be overwhelming and cause me to give up. 

In other news, anyone need some Sunburst tomatoes or basil? we have them coming out of our ears. 

When blogging goes bad.

It has been a long week. Surprising since its a shorter week than normal. I think its just the post vacation blues.

Something happened tonight that made my skin CRAWL.

I read a blog post from a girl I follow. It was the most unapologetic, most judgmental thing I have ever read in my entire life.

The post was about what stay at home mothers are doing wrong, what stay at home mothers should be doing etc. It seriously just made me feel horrible. The worst part, she isn't a mother yet.

I don't care what a women decides to do with her life, whether that be working or staying at home with her children, as long as it is her choice and she feels like it is the best decision for her family. Women just can't win on this one it seems. They are judged no matter what they choose and how they do their job. The judgement comes mostly from other women, and it needs to stop.

I never want to write a post that brings people down. We need a little more light on the internet. We need a little more acceptance and community. I also think it is important to always remember that you never know what others are going through.

I only want to read blogs that uplift me. There is enough bad in this world already. I wish everyone just stuck to the adage, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

New Glasses

Sometimes you are on 2 insurances so you get two pairs of glasses.

Yes I am too scared to try contacts.

Plus I think glasses are fun. And prescription sunglasses are the best things invented for people who only wear glasses. I can finally see in bright sunlight!!!

Is it weird that the only designer things I own are my 3 pairs of prescription glasses. Armani Exchange and Coach all the way (Its easier to go designer when your insurance pays for it). These were all purchased at Target. Target is basically the greatest store ever invented (I was mad at them a couple of weeks ago, but I got over it).

Cant wait to show these beauties off/ be able to see well all the time.

The old, which I still love:

The new, obsessed.

Seattle trip recap

I am so sad to be home. Seattle was the funnest trip EVER!! I think it was the lowest stress trip I have ever taken. Perks of staying with family who lets you borrow their car, takes you boating, tells you the best way to tourist, etc.

We saw some amazing things.

We enjoyed just being together for 5 days.

We got to relax.

We loved Seattle/Washington in general. We kind of want to live there. Everything just felt so fresh and clean.

My favorite thing was just exploring the city. We got to go to Pike Place, the needle, ferry, the Ballard locks, the Fremont Troll, the ferris wheel, underground Seattle, Mariners game, boating, and eating a ton of delicious food (see pictures in earlier posts).

It was so much fun!!! by the time we got home every night, I was just exhausted, even if it was only 9pm. haha I even read a couple books, and ran a couple times. It was awesome!!

Its gonna be a while till we get to take another fun trip like this since Travis has an incredibly difficult schedule for school the next year (yay for graduating in april), but I am really glad we took this trip while we could.

Miles this week: 9

Miles this year:124