Now is right on time.

In line with this new year we now have on our hands why not share some resolutions? I'll share, you can hold me accountable how 'bout it? I'm a year round goal setter myself, but while reflecting back on 2012 over the holidays I could feel my anticipation building for all that 2013 could potentially hold. So many blessings to count from this past year...

During 2012

We got more involved at our church, Grace, and now enjoy keeping our sweet, little 2 year olds every Sunday morning and being part of a wonderful community group. 

I have gotten all settled into my job at GHS and absolutely love being an outpatient RD and working at a gym just as much as I knew that I would. 

Mike also rounded off the year with great news on the job front - he was officially promoted to the Bobcat of Spartanburg branch manager after much hard work and patience and I'm just so proud and excited for him! 

One of my most favorite things from 2012 was watching my sister get married and absolutely beam with true happiness while starting a life with someone who loves her like she's always deserved. 2012 will always be special for this - the year Tyson got stuck with us forever :)

Although we haven't purchased our first home yet, we've learned so much through the experiences we've had so far in our search and are looking forward to finding the home for us! Hopefully sometime soon.

And the end of 2012 brought much excitement all at once...the arrival of our best friend's first baby - Amos Michael Martin! We adore him already and cannot wait to spend much more time with him and watch him grow throughout 2013. 

And as the perfect topical transition between 2012 and 2013...we have a brand new favorite thing and growing obsession - Crossfit! We joined a local box at the end of November, Upstate Crossfit, which we were drawn to by a LivingSocial deal and our community group leader, JB, who trains and competes there. Both Mike and I have thoroughly enjoyed absolutely everything about it and would highly recommend coming with us for a visit and a good killer WOD!  

For 2013

To spin off of our recent Crossfitting, our plan is to keep it up! We've managed to stay active in the past, but haven't consistently pushed ourselves hard like we should. It's easy to stick to the things you're good at when you're going at it alone, but at Crossfit I'm always trying new things - some I'm good at and some I suck at right now, but am pumped to get better and better at! Since I work at a gym it's a little tough to shell out the extra funds for another gym, but nothing more priceless than our health, am I right?! And we're truly feeling good. Really, really good. And energized, challenged and so motivated to put in the work towards our fitness goals in an environment we look forward to every day.

Thank the good Lord, our finances have been a sweet spot for us here lately. We've been pleased with how things shaped up for 2012 with us keeping each other accountable and sticking to a set budget and we mainly just want to continue to save in 2013. Certainly towards buying our first home, but also to enjoy some more traveling and to continue to be obediently generous when we pause long enough to recognize needs. We know we're blessed, especially fresh and evident right now with Mike's raise with his promotion, and we want to be intentional givers vs. needlessly overspending on ourselves. We're kicking off this goal with no eating out in January, both to make up for overspending during all of our running around in December and certainly on the healthier side of things, too. And I love to cook and have fun new kitchen gadgets to try out from Christmas.

Some other miscellaneous resolutions include more reading, getting cable turned back off after football ends next week, waking up earlier to enjoy breakfast with Mike, cleaning up our vocab when when we're mad ifyaknowwhatImean, me stepping up my game as Sully's running buddy to keep him happy and healthy and most importantly - pray more, especially during any decision making and spending more time reading our Bibles.  

We're looking forward to 2013 for oh, a million or so reasons and we hope you are, too! Here's to the end of one helluva year and the beginning of another :)

Simmer

Simmer, if you will, on the idea of contentment. Being good even in a moment that isn't all that good. I've been doing some self-eximination since this message from our Pastor, Matt Williams, this past Sunday. I wanted to share.

I appreciate a good spiritual challenge and truly, the things of this world hog my focus all too often. I find it refreshing to be reminded that money can't buy everything. Certainly not the things in which my heart should be forever geared. My 20 something self messes that up over and over again, particularly out here near the start of this rat race. And my heart knows better, I know that it does. I'm constantly inspired by a healthy dose of minimalism, by generosity in any form, by those that put into practice the laying down of life for things off the map and out of the box, by a truly purposeful life. And ultimately I'm responsible for what I know, right?! So I ponder what my life should look like because of it. Just like any good 20 something should do. 

1 Timothy - The Treasure Diagnostic

Playin' catch up

We've been in need of a good chat. I was reminded today of how good it is to catch up with a good friend on all things life over a hot cup of coffee on a drizzly, dreary cold day after way too long. It's the stuff the good stuff's made of. So, here I am needing to catch up in cyber space, too.

Deep breath.

1. I LOVE my new job! It's going great, I'm thoroughly enjoying my patients and my coworkers and all of my new opportunities. Sigh.
2. Mike is enjoying his promotion to branch manager, too.
3. We're officially house hunting for our first home. With one heart break down, we're currently regrouping to start the process over. We had a pouty weekend and now we're back to our normal selves, excited about finding one we love and can make our first little home. 
4. Two of our best friends are about to have their baby! Like I should call them right now to see if they're at the hospital. And.we.are.excited.about.it. Mike and I can't wait to meet sweet Baby M, to see Mc and Mike settle into parenthood and support them and love on them any way we can.
5. My big sister got married a couple of weeks ago. Let me just say - perfect groom, perfect ceremony, perfect weekend of celebrating with our family and friends. Shellee and Tyson are beaming with happiness and I just deeply beam for them, too!
6. We're settling into our new community group with Grace and are really enjoying every minute of it. I could go on and on, but you'd just have to meet them all. Life on life - more of the good stuff, folks.
7. We are also loving keeping our 2 year old little chipmunks in nursery every Sunday. They make me want one or two or three. One day. One of these days. Oh, calm down. And singing with Katie in big group is fun, too!
8. I've been on an antiquing rampage lately and my tiny little apartment is defiantly saying this.has.to.stop. Oh it's cute stuff, so if I end up on TLC Hoarders don't hesitate to show up at my yard sale, but hopefully we'll have a home to nest in here soon :)
9. And I don't know if you heard...we've got ourselves a new old President. I'm not one for political rants and I won't dare subject you to one now, but if you wanna know my plan - it's to keep striving for a faithful life, dependent on the only leader that matters, living within my means, looking out for opportunities to be generous, love and bless others as God continually does for me. And I'm proud to do all of that in America as an American, but also anywhere else God calls me towards.
10. Mike's little sister, Meryl is in Athens at UGA for vet school and we.miss.her! We're always thinking about her, sending her our good vibes to keep the fuzzy brain away :) 
11. And speaking of vet school, one of my very best friends and roommate from all of our Clemson years is about to graduate from vet school at Auburn and take her boards (THIS MONTH!) to solidify the deal, make it all real. Meghan, my very own  veterinarian and valedVIC from way back when ;) Luh her, I'm so proud!

Whelp, that about does it. Hopefully more excitement coming soon, and if not we'll enjoy the rest...or swap time with sweet Baby M so Mom and Dad can rest! I'm sure we'll think of something :)

Liebster Award

Thanks to my friend Mc, I've got myself a new accolade. She sweetly nominated my blog for the Liebster Award despite my terrible commitment level to blogging as of late. Life's been...well its just been. But anyway, lots to catch you up on! It's on my to do list. As for my homework...

11 factual truths about yours truly:

1. I'm as tenderhearted as they come. Love hard and feel hard.
2. I love love love to travel, but I love love love home, too.
3. My marriage keeps getting sweeter with time. Not every moment, but on the grand scale. You know what I'm talkin' about.
4. I get outdoors to get back to the heart of things. I feel so relaxed on top of a mountain, in the woods, at the river or on a boat on the lake.
5. My first job was at an antique store on main street Walhalla. I hated old stuff back then. I love old stuff, antiques now!
6. I want to buy/learn how to use a letterpress. 
7. Two foods that won't last long in my kitchen when I'm around - Nutella (which I DON'T buy!) and Rosemary Fig & Honey Goat Cheese from the Spinning Spider Creamery that I get from the Greenville Farmer's Market downtown.
8. I treat my pup, Sully like he's family. Ummm...because he is.
9. I played the heck out of some soccer in high school and miss it often.
10. I'm more of a minimalist than I ever thought I'd be.
11. I look at real estate 4-5 x a week, I just love homes.

Now I'm supposed to answer Mc's questions:

1. My favorite cake flavor has got to be my Mimi's chocolate sour cream pound cake with her homemade fudge icing. 
2. My Pandora station is on Matchbox Twenty.
3. My first blog post was near Christmas/New Years in 2010 in the middle of my dietetic internship. I was blogging in hopes that life would get far more interesting because I had plans in place that it would be.
4. My favorite holiday tradition is Christmas Eve with the McCoy bunch.
5. My favorite year in school was 10th grade. Lots of blissful fun with a special big group of friends. And my first kiss with my husband, but we weren't dating and wouldn't until years later. 
6. My favorite recipe? That's tough. I love to cook and try new things. I've made some mean imitation Bang Bang shrimp lately for special occasions. 
7. If I had to disclose a nasty habit it would be that I must have the loudest stomach on the planet. If you hear grumbling in the pew behind you at church, odds are that's me.
8. I have a deep adoration and affection for my grocery store and pharmacy - Publix. Seriously, don't move me too far away from one.
9. I probably couldn't pick just one crazy, adventurous thing to do because that's the kind of stuff I'm always dreaming about and cooking up plans for, but I'd love to summit all 54 of Colorado's 14er's (14,000 ft peaks). One down, only 53 more to go!
10. My first vehicle is my sweet Tacoma TRD that I still drive. I'll cry when it dies! See fact #1.
11. My favorite month is probably September because it means a lot of specialness to me and Mike. And the coming of Fall never hurts my feelings either. But this September has been tough so far, so its hard to like it right now.

And now I'm supposed to pose 11 questions to my nominee:

1. Favorite book of all time and why?
2. What's your dream vacation/trip/adventure?
3. If you could get paid to do anything, what would you do?
4. How are you different from what you've dreamed you would be?
5. When you get nostalgic what do you miss?
6. Name one way you'd be generous if you had the means?
7. What are your three most favorite names?
8. If married, would you do anything different for you wedding and what?
9. What's your best tidbit of life advice?
10. Name a food you couldn't live without?
11. Yeah, go ahead and make me laugh with your most embarrassing moment to wrap things up.

And those that should be pondering some answers:

Living Simply, Loving Deeply

Andrea Atkins

You, my dear, are the only one likely to entertain me :) 

The far corner

Alright, alright. I know. I've been a massively poor blogger. Remember thinking you were seriously busy in college?! Yeah, I giggle at that too! Life's been running at full steam lately, but in the midst we did get to throttle back and enjoy a week of vacation with Mike's family to the Pacific Northwest. Such a treat!

We traveled to downtown Seattle, explored the San Juan Islands, went whale watching, sea kayaked, did some hiking and biking, shopped in the harbor towns, rode lots of ferries including one to the Olympic Peninsula where we played in the tidal pools, hiked through the Hoh Rainforest and Olympic National Park. We crammed it all in because there was a lot to see! Such a neat part of the country, unlike anything we saw on our big trip last year and definitely unlike home. 

So, just go. Whenever you have some free time. Wave to the whales for us, feed Popeye in Friday Harbor, visit the original Starbucks and get you some fresh clam chowder and halibut fish and chips at the Pike's Place Market :)

Thanks Bonnie and Lloyd - y'all are always too good to us!

Anddddd as it always goes...back to the grind! The day after we got back I started my new job as one of the outpatient RD's at the Life Center with Greenville Hospital System! Love love love it so far, think its going to be a really great fit! 

Man, August is ripe. R.I.P.E. Can't hardly believe it. Here's to juggling two jobs, settling into a new routine, rounding out the summer, kicking off Fall (my favorite!) and Clemson football season, plenty of visits to Meryl's new home in Athens, visiting NYC to celebrate our 3 year anniversary and see my favorite yankee get hitched in September, seeing my very own childhood baby spice get married a few weekends later, standing proudly by my sister's side in October as she marries a sweet thang of her own and finally, shower celebrations and the anticipated arrival of Baby M - the first little bundle of our best friends in November!

Deeeeeeep breath :)

Utterly useless confessions

I'm hoping everyone has their own set of quirks. Those little ingrained things about you that you barely even notice anymore. Maybe even your husband used to tease you about them right after you were married, but now knows they're here to stay so, like you, barely even notices them anymore, too. Fine art of picking your battles, people.

Anyway, for whatever reason I've noticed my own quirks here lately and I thought I'd lightheartedly share. Many of them are directly related to my OCD tendencies, but some are just...well, quirky.

Snack on these in celebration of your very own! Or your husband's, or your children's or parent's or best friend's or whoever's :)

• I eat my fries by size. Smallest to largest and in ascending order of the quality of fry per my personal preference. My closest friends know this about me and pay me no attention. Sometimes I can fly under the radar while out with new friends, but I do it every time, without fail, without thinking about it. But let's be real, I try and stay away from fries anyway. 
• Nearly 97.4% of the time I leave my house looking exactly how I want it to look when I get home. That percentage because sometimes I'm running late and things like laundry, dishes, etc fall on my morning hour, but you can usually hold me to this one. And don't even ask Mike about us leaving for vacation...my list gets long and tedious, but I so love getting to come back all relaxed with as little as possible to do around the house!
• Picture frames are assigned a resting spot AND an angle. I notice.
• I actually have a spot in mind for everything. Down to my bobby pins. Most of the time its a major pain, but mighty nice when your husband needs to know where something is and doesn't feel like even beginning his search...just "Kayla, where's blah blah blah?" Insert direct longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates as my response here. 
• I HATE sticky! Hate probably isn't strong enough. I'm paralyzed by sticky, completely and utterly preoccupied with removing whatever it is from wherever it is on me until that job is done. Yes, I know, motherhood is going to rock this part of my world to the core. 
• I will search long and hard for the ankle length of dress pants if they're available and always try them on. JUST in case I can free myself from the hassle of getting the regular ones hemmed. Saddest part is, I can usually wear them with at least flats, if not my medium heels. Let's hear it for a disproportional figure. 
• I wear a lot of chapstick and feel kinda lost when I leave the house without it. Thanks, Mom :)
• I still wear my retainer nearly every single night. I'm 25. I'll probably keep going until its denture time because I don't want my teeth to budge.
• If I'm in the country, I'd rather take the long way home. 
• I don't have any use for book covers. I actually prefer paperback to hardback, but if I get hardback the first thing I do is throw away the book cover. My friend Lindsay would die! I hope she knows I wouldn't throw her's away :) 
• I am not crazy about board games, like at all. I like interactive games and card games, but don't take it personally if I turn you down for some Settlers. 
• I'm nostalgic and sentimental and keep a lot of useless, tiny things. 
• I pick up a lot of Mike's little sayings. And he's a guy. Its kinda weird. Hopefully I'm company conscious.
• I always whip my wipe my phone off after using it. Ladies, let's be real...guess where I wipe it? I know you do it too!
• Back to the part about me having a place for nearly everything...well, if I think of something throughout the day and can't locate it subconsciously in my head then I will turn things upside down search for it when I get home whether I need it tomorrow or 3 months from now or never or what.

There's more, of that I'm sure. I'm a real piece of work. But hopefully you can laugh at/resonate with some of those and crack a smile at some of your own. I'm sure we've all got 'em! I guess Dr. Seuss had it right - there's no one alive who is more youer than you :)

The rumors are true.

So, its officially official. Mike and I are in the first baby steps of starting our very own organic blueberry farm! Lots of prayer, thought and daydreaming has gone into the pot and we've excitedly reached the decision to just go for it. Just dive right in. All the farmers we've talked to say that's the only way to figure it out. Just start dabblin'!

So far we've gotten the go ahead from Mike's parents to utilize their land for free. Biggest blessing of them all - no matter how good this endeavor turns out. Like with so much in life, we just don't what we would do without them! 

We began by getting our soil mapped and tested by the Oconee Ag extension which found our pH levels to be a bit high for blueberries (our specialty/fruit of choice) - we're at 6 and need to be at least down to 5.3-5.5. 

From there we did some calling around and turns out we were gifted 500# of sulfur from Tiger-Sul in Atmore, Alabama which we're using it to treat out soil in order to bring our pH level down. Mike's spent time on the tractor (don't pity him, he loves it!) and incorporated the sulfur into the one acre tract we picked out of the pasture in which to.get.down.to.biznus. 

After gobs of research, we've put in our plant order this week. 600 total. We've selected a variety to lengthen our harvesting season. Bee-tee-dubs, aren't you glad we don't use scientific names for everything, especially food?! Mmmmmm Vaccinium ashei :) Orrrrr rabbiteye blueberries: Climax, Premier, Brightwell, Tifblue and Powderblue. And then some southern highbush: O'neal and Legacy. So that'll carry us through early to late season with plenty of blue fingers and bug bites!

Next step is more tractor time for Mike this weekend - forming our rows, adding soil amendments...have I lost you yet?! Then special mulch to kick our organic matter in high gear.

Our drip irrigation plans are already underway, our existing well adequate enough to handle our hydration needs. According to plans, that will be installed and our bushes planted in the fall! We'll work towards our organic certification and sweat it out on Saturday's at local farmer's markets :)

Right now we're brainstorming for a farm name...a fun one! We welcome your suggestions!

Want in on some blue fingers and bug bites? :)