EXCITEMENT and addictions....

OH. MY. GOOOOOOSSSSHHH!!! I cant say too much just yet BUT I am really exciting because I was contacted by a lady from another fitness blog and she offered me the chance to be featured on her blog! YAYAYAYAYAA!!!!

I will let everyone know more when I know more but I am so excited because this is exactly what I need to be able to reach more people! Today is a great day!

Also, I had a doctor's appointment today and I spoke with him a little bit about my fitness routine. I told him that I am running 3-4 times a day and im not exactly sure why I said that because I have been running everyday....oh well! But we talked about switching up workouts and I mentioned that I really want to get into yoga. Ive been to a few classes and while im at school there are free fitness classes on campus which include yoga classes! I would go with my friends and room mates alot! I LOVE yoga! At first, I would just act silly and laugh with my friends at how ridiculous we looked but if you take it seriously you really will get a great workout! It is great for core strengthening and toning. My doctor today actually recommended that I do more yoga because it can benefit my running. So, while I am in Iowa and cannot make it to any yoga classes,I am gonna try to do like online videos. Does anyone know of any good online yoga videos?

Today, while talking to my doctor I realized how important it is that we are proactive with our health care and find a doctor that will be more of a team mate than a drill sargent! I dont take very well to people who tell me what to do or hound me about something. My doctor today was really nice and talked to me about all kinds of health topics. But he also took my personal situation into account and helped me make decisions that were best for ME. I loved that!

I love when I am reminded of how awesome my mom really is. When I walked into the clinic for my appointment, the receptionist said, "Oh, I just love your mom. I worked at her clinic for a little bit and I was so impressed with her!" My mom is super funny, friendly and just "spunky". We are ALOT alike. I think that is why we argue so much! =)

Anyway, today I am gonna go tan a 6:00pm and then I think ill go for an evening run. I love running when the sun is going down. I love watching the sunset. There is something magical about watching the sun rise and set. Love it!

I went grocery shopping today. I just wanted to pick up a few things. Like, avocados, peaches, asparagus, and ya know...bread. Lets talk about that yummy addiction of mine for a minute....I LOVE BREAD! Homemade, buttery, delicious, warm bread. OH...MY....GOSH!! I dont know for sure but im pretty sure its better than cocaine. Ok, im starting to sound crazy...but for real you cannot have french bread dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar and not love your life! Come on!

I dont have any pictures right now but ill post again later and have some. Im gonna get better at that, I promise! I know i hate reading blog posts that dont include pictures! So, Ill work on that.

Later!

-Em

Great debate and a face lift!

My mom has been counting down the days until today. Today, is the "Great Debate" between Romney and Obama. I dont want to talk politics here because first of all, im not even gonna act like I know what im talking about when it comes to politics but also, because I feel like politics push people away from each other. Everyone has to fight about who is right and who is wrong...but why cant we just agree to disagree and move on with our lives.

Anyway, my mom and I will be watching the debate tonight! Im really excited to hear what both parties have to say. Plus, I have a major crush on Mitt Romney... What??!!! Im just being real, yo!

Also, I have been trying to update the look of my blog but i think there are a few kinks. I will get those worked out ASAP.

So, when I came home I came with the mindset that I would focus on me and work on improving myself. Well, my mom and I sat down and made a list of things that I would like to work on while I am home. First, I said I want to improve my running. Im not gonna push time so much right now but I do want to build my endurance and be able to run for a longer amount of time.

Second, I said I wanted to tan. I know, I know. But I dont want to look like a member of the Jersey Shore cast or anything. Just a nice, healthy glow will work perfectly. My mom just texted me and said, "I have a meeting at 5:00 but I made your tanning appointment for 5:15." I love her.

I am also getting my hair done! Yep. A fresh start means new hair. This is the color I want...

It's not too blonde but it is lighter than my current color. I think this color is perfect for fall. What do you think?

Also, I am growing my hair out but it has thinned out quite a bit. I am taking daily vitamins and really pushing protein. Does anyone have any other tips for getting long, thick and healthy hair?

Well, I am gonna go eat some lunch and then go for a run before my tanning appointment! Hope everyone is having a great day!

-Em

Fall is the perfect time to heal!

I havent posted in awhile and so, I have a lot of explaining to do...but here's the thing...Im not 100% ready to talk about it all and I may never want to talk about it all because it just hurts too bad. But, I will tell you as much as I am comfortable with at the time being. I was in Provo. I got a pretty good job for a company called Vivint. I met a guy and I took a chance.  I got my heart broken. BAD. I needed to get away from him and everything that reminded me of him on a daily basis before I lost my mind. So, I called my mom and asked if I could come home for a little bit while I try to move on and of course she welcomed me with open arms. But thats all you get for now......

Moving along..............

I am taking this hard time as a way for me to improve my running. Yes. I havent ran in awhile.....not gonna lie. I had been feeling extremely exhausted ALL the time and I went to the doctor for some regular lab work and they discovered that I was severely low in iron. I have iron deficency anemia. I am getting iron infusions via I.V. once a week but I really havent noticed a change in the way I feel. Im seeing a new doctor here in Iowa and im hoping that he will give me a higher dose of iron at one time and maybe that will make a difference? Who knows?!

Anyway, I fell off the bandwagon...but you can ALWAYS get back to running... (I just cringed a little because that is exactly what the guy that broke my heart said to me....hes a runner too...)  I want to enjoy it though. I dont want to focus solely on reaching goals as much as giving myself a time to just think and enjoy all of the blessings that I have in my life.

Speaking of blessings......
I have realized that the greatest blessings in life are the people that God allows us to meet and form bonds with. I reached a very low and dark place while in Provo and my friends were always there for me when I needed them and were even praying and fasting for me and I never even knew it. They are my angels and I have new angels walking into my life everyday. It is incredible! The love I have been shown by my friends and family leaves me speechless.

While I am still hurting and I am still sad, I am going to push myself because I want to come out stronger in the end. So, instead of laying in bed all day and eating my weight in twizzlers (the truth hurts....), I am going to get my butt out of the house run and find reasons every day to push further and fight harder.

Well, I am going for a car ride with my mom... we are both super bored and cant think of anything else to do. So, we are gonna go enjoy the beautiful fall weather and breathe in the nice, crisp air.

Love,
    Emily

Life in Provo......

So, remember that one time I ran a race and forgot to blog about it.....yeah, about that......

Well, I guess I can back track a little.....Earlier this month I ran my first 5k. It was SO much fun. It was kind of tough. I just found myself getting bored like halfway through. I also don't like running SO close to people. Sheesh. TOO close for comfort! I was advised to NOT run the day before my race but being the stubborn person that I am I decided that maybe I could get away with it. So, on Friday before my race on Saturday I went to the outdoor track here at BYU and I ran.....HARD! It was awesome. But then I got to my race on Saturday and I could for sure "feel" my workout the previous day! Oh well, I really didnt go into it wanting to place or whatever. I just wanted to get started racing and now I know where I am at and what I need to improve on. The best part was it was for charity. All proceeds go to benefit a local mental hospital here in Provo. So cool! 

I am also working FULL TIME! My first full time job (besides my mom's clinic but I dont count that because she forced me to work there sooooo.....). I work in the Customer Care department at Vivint. Vivint is an alarm system company and basically what I do for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week is talk to customers on the phone and help them will anything from paying their bill, programming their systems (which I am still learning to do myself...), troubleshooting different issues, scheduling appointments, educating them on their systems, etc. 

I love the job because:

For every 8 hours you work, you get a free meal and its usually REALLY good

Vivint is a fun company to work for

There is always some one there to help you

Vivint does a lot to give back to the community and stuff and encourages the employees to be involved

Its a great job for college students

Its teaching me patience 

Its teaching me how to deal with certain situations where I honestly do not know what to do

I dont like the job because:

It is REALLY hard for me because I dont understand technology at all

I get cussed out and yelled out everyday at least once by someone i dont even know for something I didnt even do

Sometimes I just want to cry....

But I just have to remember that the Lord is teaching me some serious patience.

I think the job will get much better once I have been there longer and have more experience. One day I spoke with a man who had just gotten our system and he was so in love! He sounded like a kid in a candy store! haha It was so fun to talk to him and he was so nice! 

The nice people make it all worth it! 

Anyway, so as far as school goes....I am looking at two options.

1.) Finish nursing prereqs and go to nursing school

or

2.) finish my bachelors and go to PA school

Im really liking the second option because it will be quicker and I will make more money. 

I will also be able to do more with my career.

On my birthday, my best friend Aly and I went shopping. Well, we went to H&M because I have always loved that store but I could never wear anything from there. Well, it was my birthday and I wanted to do something a little special. So, I tried on some dresses. I found one that fit but it was a little short so I tried on another one. It was white lace all over and form fitting. It fit but I wasnt at all comfortable in it. 

Most women in this situation would have tried a different size or a completely different dress. Nope! I got the dress and was determined to make it work. I still have some more weight to loose before I reach my goal so I have just been thinking of it as a motivation for me to keeping working.

Well, today I tried it on and it fit and i was COMFORTABLE!!! I actually felt so good in it I didnt want to take it off. =) 

Like i said, I am not done. I still have some more weight to loose but Im getting there. Slowly but surely. 

Today in church, a guy said something in his talk that I thought was very profound and something I needed to hear. He said, "When repenting we shouldnt just stop doing what it is we are doing wrong but we should find something better to do instead." I have had to repent for a lot in my past but never thought of it like this. So, now I choose to be healthy, improve, grow, learn and teach others how they can be healthy as well. That is what I will do instead. 

Love, Life, Change, Friendship, Goals.........

             

So, here's the deal...I suck at keeping up with a blog. But every now and then, I feel like I have something important to say and its nice to know I have a place to write it all down, ya know? Well, last semester was incredible, exhausting, fun, stressful, relaxing, chaotic, humbling, enlightening, etc. It was my last semester at BYU-I and  took some REALLY hard classes (or at least they were hard for me...). I took Anatomy and Physiology 2, Understanding DNA, Advanced Writing and Critical Thinking, and American Epidemic. So, a TON of science! I moved into a new apartment because I wanted to save money. I was a little reluctant in the beginning but it turned out to be THE BEST semester I have ever had! There were still hard times...such is life. I still called my mom crying because I just knew I was going to fail Anatomy and Physiology or cried to my roommates about whatever issue I was having at the time....(Im a really emotional person.........yikes...God bless my roommates's hearts) Turns out, I learned SO much in just 3 months! I am a much better person because of my roommates and I gained friendships that I know will last forever! (Totally sat in the parking lot of In-N-Out burger in Provo, UT and cried for about 10 minutes after we all said goodbye to each other....again...really emotional...) Living in that apartment was just a reminder of how much Heavenly Father loves me and how He knows me so well that He knew I would need them. I hope that I was as good to them as they were to me. 

Anyway, lets move along before I cry........

So, I just moved to Provo on Monday.

And I get to live closer to this girl:

Aly, has been my best friend for the past 3 years but lets be honest...im pretty sure we were suppose to be sisters but at the last minute God was like..."ummm, nope...no one can handle this two together...."So, we were separated and then reunited our freshman year of college! =) BUT...thats just my theory......

 I received my Associates degree from BYU-I in General Studies with an emphasis in Health Sciences. I have 2 more prerequisite classes to take before I can start the nursing program here. I just got a job at Vivint here in Provo. It is an alarm systems company and I will be working in the Customer Care department taking in-bound calls from customers who either need help with their systems, need to pay a bill, have questions, or they may be cancelling their accounts. So, I will be dealing with all kinds of people...happy, mad, and confused. haha Training starts on Monday and will be every day from 2pm-8pm the first week, 2pm-9pm the second week and then  2pm-10pm the third week. Then, I will just begin my set schedule! I will get paid $8.50 and hour during training and between $10-$12 when my regular shifts start but I can make up to $14 an hour depending on how well I do. I am just really excited and relieved to have money coming in and to be able to be more independent and pay for my own stuff. It will be a full time position and I will be taking a chemistry class. So, ill be busy but it wont be bad...i dont think. 

Today, my sister and I were driving down the street and I saw a sign for a 5k coming up and I just decided to GO FOR IT!! So, on August 4th I am gonna run my first race. That is in a week....yep. I went running today just to kind of see where im at...Well, I can definitely feel that I havent been running in a while. Its probably been 2 weeks. I didnt run at all during finals week...ugh. And being a stress eater and all I totally gained like 3-5lbs....Oh well. So, this week I am gonna train hardcore in order to be ready. I am not anticipating placing in the race but I just want to do it and finish strong. After the race, the runners will be served breakfast catered by Magelby's, which is a really yummy place here in town. Also, we get discounts at the 7 Peaks Water park and race shirts. It was only $20!!!!So worth it! Everyone has been saying that once I do one race ill get addicted! Im kind of nervous just because I dont like running close to people..i want to get away from everyone...so, i guess that will just push me to stay ahead..hahaha...

I found a blog today about a lady who has transformed her life through diet and exercise. She has a post called "What 2012 has in store for me?!" and basically she just lists all of her goals and puts it out there so that she can be accountable for them. SO, that will be my next post! I just want to think about what all I want to do in the remainder of this year..........

Stay tuned.....(unless you've already lost hope in me and my blogging ability...in which case, i dont blame you!)

Love,

Em

I have SO many Angels in Heaven!

Life is SO hard! I know for a fact that I could take this entire blog post and talk about all of the difficult, stupid, ridiculous, annoying, etc things in my life but what good would that do? Today, my uncle Rick died after years and years of being confined to his bed due to Multiple Sclerosis. He had every single reason in the world to be bitter and complain ALL the time and honestly I dont think anyone would have stopped him if he had. But he didnt. He ALWAYS had a smile on his face and a funny story or joke to tell. He had the heart of a child and was so optimistic! He would always make me feel like I was the smartest kid ever and would give me a "thumbs up" whenever I accomplished something! I wasn't very close to him. Not by choice but honestly, in my family we all kind of do our own thing. We all arent very close. But he was still an amazing example to me that life is hard and sometimes it just sucks. Sometimes you get dealt a bad hand but you dont quit the game! Instead, be grateful that you are even able to play at all. 

Tonight, I called my mom to see if she was okay because my sister called her earlier to inform her of her brother's passing. She said that she came home and saw the picture of him and his son, Joe, and it was just soo precious that she just had to cry tears of happiness. Because he no longer had to suffer. He no longer has to watch the world around him from that hospital bed. He no longer has to be hooked up to machines and can take care of himself. He has been reunited with his mother, father and other family members that have gone on before him. 

According to the family, he was recently visited by his mother (who died when I was pretty young) and she told him to not be afraid. He would sometimes get really scared. Especially if he had to go to the hospital or something. I remember one time he had to be taken to the hospital via ambulance and I was closer to the hospital than anyone else. My mom told me to go and be with him so that he would have at least one familiar face. I was to tell him that it was okay and that my momma (Nisey) was on the way. Looking back on that experience, I am even more excited to be a nurse. To love and care for my patients like they were my own family. To be there and assure them that it is going to be okay. 

Tonight I went for a run and thought about him and what his life and example really meant to  me. I am not old enough to remember his entire life but what I am able to remember is the Uncle Rick who always had LOTS of gum and would share it with me. He loved to record tv shows on VHS and gave us SO many episodes of I Love Lucy because he knew we loved it. He LOVED fast food, especially taco bell. He was so encouraging even about the smallest things and would give us "thumbs up" when we made good grades. 

My grandmother's dying wish was that her son would be taken care of. My aunt, Dianne and her husband Tom took such good care of him and I know that it must be a relief for them to know that he is no longer suffering. 

Although, it is hard to say goodbye to some one you love, think about how amazing it will be to say "hello" again!

A friend of mine started a challenge on Facebook in honor of her brother, Byron. When Byron was younger he was in a really bad car accident and has since been confined to a wheelchair. She is calling this challenge "Tri-N for Byron". The goal is to run/walk/bike/ etc 27 miles for Byron since it has been 27 years since his car accident. I personally do not know Byron but I love my friend, Beth and I know how much she loves him. So, I have accepted this challenge but I will not only be running for Byron but also for my Uncle Rick. 

I am so grateful for my healthy body and so thankful that I have been given a second chance at life. I have been blessed with the opportunity to start over and be better. I thank God everyday for that blessing and all of the blessings that will come because of it.

Uncle Rick and his son, Joe. Look at that smile! =) 

Happy Mother's Day!!

In honor of today's holiday, I have been thinking a lot about the mother that God blessed me with. As I am getting older and figuring life out a little (VERY LITTLE) at a time, I am beginning to realize how incredible my mother really has been and still is to this day. My mother has had a really hard life. One that I never understood and honestly, I still don't. She raised my sister and I by herself and managed to work, sometimes 3 jobs at a time, in order to not only make ends meet but to also provide us with the things that we wanted (cell phones, cars, etc). I remember when I was younger and my mom would be working night shift at the hospital. I would call her and read a paper that I had written (because she is a really great writer). She would listen and critique it. When I think about that, it just means so much to me that she was able to balance both her career as a nurse and her calling  as a mother. She was able to serve her patients and still help her daughter with her homework assignment, at the same time.

My mom has never been one to back down from a challenge. In fact, I would say she thrives on them. Her entire life has been a challenge.  But she has never let that stop her. She is one of the most caring and compassionate people that I know. I loved working with her at the clinic because I loved watching her interact with her patients. My mom's clinic was in one of the poorest counties in MS and some of our patients were so poor that they didn't have enough food to feed their families. I was always very impressed with how my mother treated them. She doesn't treat people differently because of money, the color of their skin, or other circumstances. She taught me to love all of God's children equally. 

My mom always says that she doesn't know how she got so lucky to have two great daughters. Well,  I don't think it really has anything to do with luck. It took a lot of hard work, time, tears, energy and prayers but she raised us. She formed us into the people we are today. I'm not saying that we are perfect because we all know that no one is perfect. But I think my mom has done an amazing job as a mother. 

She is so good with children! She loves to just act silly and laugh. Children LOVE her! I am so excited and look forward to the day that I can watch her play with and love my children. She is going to be the most amazing grandmother ever! 

There have been many times when my mom could have thrown in the towel and given up but she didnt. She held on and fought. She taught us to be fighters as well. She has always given so much of herself for the benefit of others and only asked for respect in return.

I love my mom for many reasons but here are a few that I can list:

I can call her and cry about how hard school is and she will encourage me to hold on and keep fighting. 

She will ALWAYS give her very last penny to make sure we have what we need.

She found ways to bond with me that weren't always typical. When I was younger and we were living in CA, she would let me spend the night at the hospital when it wasn't busy. She would take me somewhere and buy me dinner and then we would head to the hospital and she would get me settled in one of the empty rooms. I would eat my dinner, watch tv, etc and she would pop in every chance she had to either introduce me to one of her fellow nurses or just talk to me. Once her patients fell asleep, she would let me come out and hang out at the nurses station. To this day, we still bond over the medical field and ill call her and talk to her about something I learned in one of my classes. I love it so much!

She is the most hysterical person I know!

She is really, really smart!

She is adventurous. (I guess that  is where I get it.)

She is extremely hardworking and has almost worked herself into a grave. 

She never gives up on her kids.

She is not easily fooled. 

She is so thoughtful!

She is GORGEOUS!!!!!!

I love my mom so much and I wish I could be with her today to bake her a yummy treat, make her a delicious dinner and cuddle with her and watch the cooking channel (or HGTV) all day long. I have been blessed to have been raised by my mom and I hope that one day I can be half the nurse, mother, friend, person, etc that she is. 

I LOVE YOU MOMMY!!!! HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!!