April Picture Slide Show

Well.. I’ve finally returned from unanticipated state of being MIA for the past several weeks! I wish I could say that the reason I haven’t posted was because I just wanted to take a break and relax from all the hustle and bustle. Reality is that it’s the last few weeks before I graduate from college, and school + work + wedding planning + shower throwing has taken over my life. It’s fun.. but super exhausting. I’m looking forward to my last innocent, pre-grown up summer where I can work part time and just plan my wedding! Le sigh…

Anyways — a lot has been happenin these days! Even though it’s been nuts, it wasn’t all work. We’ve done some really cool things, and I’ve had the blessing of getting to spend time with lots of my favorite people with all of the traveling back and forth. So, since a picture is worth 1,000 words, I think the best way for me to catch up right now would just be to give you my last few weeks in picture form. That’s more fun then me babbling on anyways right? I thought so. So here’s what we’ve been up to:

We sent out our save the dates!!! (Cropped for safety reasons) – Not sure why they have some sort of blue/green tint in this picture, they’re actually black and white. A friend designed them for us and he did a great job. So glad to have that done!

I got my ring back! We sent in my ring to get it resized (for the 2ND time) and fill in some diamonds that had fallen out (no worries.. they are covered by insurance if any fall out). So now it’s finally fixed and it fits! Feels good to be engaged again.

We spent Easter at the new church building, and stopped by to see Dustin’s parents on the way, who gifted us these lovely bunny masks. Please note Dustin’s rabbit face… Happy Belated Easter! Praise the Lord, He is Risen!!!!

Our first Sunday in the new building. SO EXCITING! Can’t wait to move down and finally be here full time!

Dustin and Nathan practicing before the service…

Oh and, no big deal.. we totally signed the lease and paid for the first months rent in our new Condo!!! I find the following picture strangely attractive…

This weekend was lingerie shower central! I helped host one Saturday afternoon, and attended one later that night. Both were so much fun. The best part? Both bride’s also happen to be 2 of my own bridesmaids! Haha – oh the chaos.

For the shower I helped host, I was in charge of decorations! So I found a couple fun banner ideas on Pinterest (of course), and went to town. All the supplies were from Hobby Lobby. Seriously the easiest thing ever.. why is crafting so much fun?

Final product!

The Bride and my the other shower hostess (aka another one of my bridesmaids.. we share!)

Me and the Bride

My only food pictures.. womp womp. But rest assured.. I am the ULTIMATE meal repeater! I seriously eat the same thing for breakfast lunch and dinner for weeks.. until I get bored or run out of ingredients. You’re not missing much. This is the smoothie I’ve been loving lately – frozen banana, almond/coconut milk mix (Almond Breeze brand!), frozen berry mix, 1/2 scoop of vanilla protein powder, 1 T unsweetened cocoa powder). Mmmm.

Saving the best for (almost) last! For Dustin’s birthday I bought him tickets to see Gungor in Charlotte, NC. Gungor is a band made up of a husband and wife, Michael and Lisa Gungor. They are one of our very favorite bands! Remember how I told you Lisa Gungor was Dustin’s inspiration for my melodica? Well the melodica isn’t the only crazy instrument they play. We love Gungor’s creativity and energy and the way they use their gifts to honor the Lord! This show was truly a blessing, and we had so much fun! I definitely want to see them again in the future!

We had GREAT seats too. Ahhh it was so great.

Also, while we were there Dustin went to go check out the merchandise, and came back with a surprise!

Lisa Gungor’s own little album! (EP?) – yay! I told Dustin I’m ready to get married so we can just hang out and practice music together at home. #musicalinspiration #marriageperks

Lastly, while I was typing up this post, I got a package at the door..

Another present from my hubby-to-be! Lately we’ve been talking a lot about communication (Our communication differences, how we can work on it, how to love/serve each other better, etc.) Dustin told me about this book and said he really wanted to read it together. So he ordered me my very own copy! He’s the best . I can’t wait to get started! The only other book we’ve read thus far is Momentary Marriage by John Piper (amazing, by the way). So this is only book #2… hopefully we’ll read several more before the big day. Bring it!

Marriage counseling starts on Monday also. I’m SO excited.. I’m totally looking forward to it! Is that weird?

That’s all friends! Sorry for my lengthy absence. I’m ready to get back in the groove!

How has your April been so far? What’s the most exciting thing you’ve done?

Our First Home

Exciting news!

This weekend Dustin and I officially applied for our first home together!

Since Dustin took a job at the church he will be working at, we’ve really been blessed by the community we have found there. This condo was brought to our attention by a wonderful woman at the church who we just recently found out was a real estate agent. She let us know that she had a great deal on a condo, and would schedule a time for us to look at it and even hold it for us until we had a chance to make a decision. Well, we are so glad she did! We’ve looked at a few places but this one definitely topped them all.

These pictures don’t do it much justice, but we were just so impressed with how spacious it was, and how clean the previous owners had left it. It has high ceilings and wide doorways as well that just really made it feel nice and open. The furniture in the pictures is from the tenants who are still living there, but it will be ours in just a few months! (Also, excuse the extra people standing around.. everyone was excited and wanted to come look at the new place with us! )

*I know, excuse the iPhone pictures.. I will be purchasing a new camera very soon! Thanks for bearing with me!

A 2nd bedroom/office and bathroom. Score!

So naturally, as soon as we began looking at places.. I began looking at Pinterest . I’ve been scouring Pinterest like nobody’s business for awhile now. I can’t help it.. I’m pretty much a chronic planner. Just like our wedding, I may or may not have our new condo completely decorated in my mind already.. I just have to bring it to life. I absolutely love decorating, DIY projects and all kinds of crafts. With the wedding and new condo in the near future, I’m loving all the decorating and planning I get to do!

So, just for fun.. here’s some of the photos I’m getting inspiration from for the condo. I’ve got lots of ideas in my head.. but rather than bore you with my crazy details, how bout we just look at some pretty pictures? (All pictures via Pinterest)

Bedroom Inspiration: Loving the light gray/blue colors!

“Living Room” Inspiration: You can never have too many pillows! I really just like living rooms to look comfy. Love the idea of cool gray wall with bright accents!

Already talked about doing this with our coffee table we already own. So easy!

Bathroom: We are so doing stripes. End of story.

Office/Music Room (2nd bedroom):

Shelves, shelves, shelves. You can’t have enough, in my personal opinion.

I’m skipping kitchen because.. well.. there’s not much I can change in a condo kitchen. I do plan on changing the knobs and the chandelier though!

Other ideas:

Can you tell I’m a little obsessed with color?!

Ok.. I will stop before this blog turns into a pinboard. Obviously it will take awhile to get every situated and decorated. These are still more “inspiration” than they are “realistic”. But I’ve always really believed in making a house (..apartment..condo) feel like a home. We’re planning to stick around for a few years, so I might as well have some fun and make it a relaxing place to come home to!

Have you used any Pinterest inspiration to decorate your home? Any decorating or moving tips?

Why I’m a Vegetarian

DISCLAIMER: I am not a registered dietician. These views are simply my own opinions and experiences based on my personal decision not to eat meat.

I am constantly receiving questions and comments on why I decided to become a vegetarian. “Why did you stop eating meat?” “Do you not like meat?” “Do you still eat fish?” “I could never give up chicken.” – it goes on and on and on. I don’t blame them! I would ask me too!

Let me begin by saying that I do not in any way, shape or form look down on anyone or think it’s bad that others eat meat. I am not here to tell you that you need to quit your evil and stop killing animals (sorry animals). But I will give you a little bit of information on how and why I became a vegetarian, for those who are wondering if it’s right for you too!

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My Meaty Background

I ate meat my entire life up until about a year and a half ago. My family still eats (a LOT) of meat, and Dustin just eats chicken (he can’t seem to part with it just yet ). Growing up we had meat on our dinner plate every night. Usually rotating between pork, chicken, and salmon.. with the occasional steak. My Dad is a m-e-a-t-h-e-a-d. My mom (true story!) thinks it’s a borderline addiction. I was never too crazy about meat. I loved chicken tenders and sometimes cheeseburgers, but I was never really fond of the big “slabs” of meat on a plate.. just seemed bland and heavy to me. But I ate it, because… why not? Everybody eats meat!

In the summer of 2010 I started to change the way I ate (you can see the whole story here). I was losing weight, and I just felt better! I knew this was a good change, and I wanted more. Nutrition became my new hobby, and I started researching. I’ve probably watched every food/health documentary on Netflix and read more articles than I can remember. I read a few blogs of women who are vegetarians, and this perked my interest even more. What made them want to give up meat?

I was seeing all sorts of interesting resources pop up all over the place. Books like The China Study, documentaries on the Gerson Therapy, Forks Over Knives (both on Netflix) as well as many more, and really started to change my way of thinking. They were all telling me the same thing. I watched as whole food, plant based diets helped people prevent and sometimes reverse serious diseases. I also learned a whole lot about what’s REALLY in our food, even foods that most of deem as “healthy”. I’m not going to try to give you a synopsis of all the research involved. I wouldn’t be any good at it and would probably just confuse you more. But by all means, if your interested please take some time to check out some resources for yourself! You might be surprised!

So I figured, what did I have to lose? In August of 2010 I declared that I was giving up red meat. I quickly discovered that I didn’t miss it at all! Not long after that I gave up white meat as well, deciding to keep seafood (mainly salmon) in my diet occasionally. Not only was I not missing the meat, but I found I was having fun getting creative in the kitchen. I had to try a little harder to find foods (mostly veggies!) to fill my plate where the meat would have been. Eventually I gave up fish and seafood too, and have been completely meat free for about a year.

Also, before you ask.. yes, I get plenty of protein! I think there’s a really common misconception about how much protein our bodies actually need. Vegetables and beans have a fair amount of protein, and some grains/seeds like quinoa can have up to 8 grams of protein a serving! (source) I also use plant based protein powders in things like smoothies and baking. No protein deficiencies here!

My New Perspective

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One year later, here’s my thoughts on what I’ve learned and what I think about being vegetarian:

• I feel “lighter” – meat always felt really heavy in my stomach. Now my meals consist of fruits, veggies, grains, nuts… and chocolate. But overall I don’t ever feel as weighed down after a meal like I did when I ate meat, and I don’t miss that feeling at all!
• I don’t miss the chemical additives – sure, I still don’t eat perfect. I’ve had my fast food moments and processed desserts. But, there is a lot of really dangerous chemical additives in processed meat (that are not in un-processed meat) that many people are not conscious of. If I go out to eat or at someone else’s house, I take the risk of eating much more processed food than I normally would. But by skipping the meat, I do assure myself that I’m steering clear of the chemicals, GMOs or MSG found in many meats (no pink slime for me!). (source)
• I’m not against eating meat! – As a Christian, I think that God gave us the animals to eat! BUT! He also gave us the plants. “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.” – Genesis 9:3. The key here is what we’ve done with the foods that God gave us. He gave us organic food, both plants and meat. The difference is in how most food is prepared. If everyone were eating organic, grass-fed, fresh meat straight off the farm.. then I’d probably be eating meat too. I think our bodies are ok to handle meat, but I think as a culture we eat WAY too much of it and we PROCESS it, completely altering it from food to crap. In the Old Testament, no one ate meat at every meal. Meat was eaten sparingly, alongside organic fruits, vegetables and grains. No chemicals, no fake food, no processed anything. No wonder they lived so long!
• Being vegetarian doesn’t mean you’re instantly healthier – There are plenty of processed junk foods out there that are vegetarian. Giving up meat doesn’t mean I get to fill my plate with heaping bowls of white pasta and think I’m doing myself a favor. I still have to make an effort to eat lots of veggies and watch my dessert portions. Going vegetarian was another step in my efforts to be a little healthier, but it’s not a cop out by any means. Living a healthy life calls for daily decisions and a constant effort to choose things that are good for your health.

So that’s my story (if you made it this far!). My hope was definitely not to put anyone down, but simply spark interest. I hope you treat your body well and find a way of eating that is best for you, and maybe learn something new in the process!

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, ²⁰ for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20