Five on Friday

I declared 2014 the year of gratefulness! When life gets moving so fast I like to take some time to intentionally slow down and reflect on the true abundance of blessings I have in my life. And my o my has 2014 been a whirlwind so far. Today I thought I would change things up a bit for this Five on Friday and take some time to appreciate the small things in life I am so grateful for.

{ONE} 
Friendship. It was so refreshing to get to spend time with John and Lisa this past weekend. Finding community in others who can share in your trials and go through life with you is such an incredible blessing! Not to mention getting to watch "El Bachelor" with another lady this week was just what I needed in my life. I appreciate my hubby's effort when he watches with me (and realize I am lucky that my husband will tolerate the show) but no matter how hard boys try they just can't truly appreciate all the The Bachelor has to offer. Disclaimer: The boys spent the whole time making fun of Juan Pablo's accent...specifically his difficulties with the word pajamas.


{TWO}
Coffee. Two words can sum up January in Michigan: cold and cloudy. After the holidays I would gladly welcome spring with open arms but sadly I know I have at least two more months of snow and winter coats. That being said I turn to coffee for a warm pick me up daily and it brings some warmth and energy back into my soul. Having my cup of coffee (or two) is my favorite way to start the day. I take a couple minutes to breath and enjoy all the warmth and goodness the little cup of caffeine has to offer.

{THREE}
Doggie Cuddles. Milton was crazy tired this week after a long weekend at doggie daycare. Just like his mama, Milton gets very pathetic and needy when he is sleepy. But lucky for me this means all he wants to do is lay right by my side and sleep. I gladly welcome his doggie cuddles and appreciate his body heat to keep me warm. Aren't dogs just the best? I don't have kids yet so it's okay to say that :)

{FOUR}
My best friend and hubby. I have a rock star husband! He works so hard everyday to provide for our family and is the greatest support system I could ever have. He recently started grad school so now I have to share his free him with studying and homework, but I don't mind because he is such a cute little nerd. But seriously, his work ethic is phenomenal and I am so grateful for his desire and ambition to further his education.

{FIVE}
Books. I recently finished Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg and it was an eye-opening read. At the beginning I was worried it was going to be overpowered with a bit too much feminism but in fact it simply just redefined my definition of the word. I plan on doing a more in depth book review soon because I learned so many things from reading it. But in the meantime all of you corporate world ladies out there should pick up a copy for yourself!

 You can link up with the girls here!

New Mexico & Colorado {Part 1}

Last weekend Jameson and I flew out west to visit John and Lisa for a reunion. We flew into Albuquerque, New Mexico Saturday morning and spent the afternoon driving around the city the Pray family now call home. We were also introduced to green chilies, Jameson's new favorite food. We quickly found out people in Albuquerque love their chilies, both red and green. They will add them to almost anything and I must say I enjoyed the added flavor they give a dish. Saturday night we hit the road and headed to our first road trip destination of Durango, Colorado. It was such an enjoyable ride catching up with dear friends while admiring the New Mexico landscape. It was unlike anything I have ever seen!

After arriving in Durango we checked into our home for the evening, The Strater Hotel. It is a beautiful historic hotel right in the heart of Durango. Each room contained a guest book detailing the trips people have taken to Durango from all around the world. I was more than happy to add our own signature to the book! We spent the evening walking around town and eating local cuisine at El Moro. After dinner Lisa and I went back to the hotel for some girl talk while the boys checked out some local bars and probably discussed some of their favorite topics, football and politics. Saturday morning Jameson and I got up bright and early and took a brief walk around town soaking up all the beauty Durango had to offer. We then met up with John and Lisa for breakfast at the hotel and of course a Starbucks stop. Lisa and I share a deep love for chai tea lattes!

Then we hit the road again, this time towards Telluride, Colorado. The drive to Telluride was absolutely breathtaking. The snow covered Rockies were stunning. I'll just let the pictures do the talking even though they don't do it justice. It was so refreshing to soak up the fresh air and God's beautiful creation.

I fell in love with Telluride the second we drove into town. This small town is literally nestled in the mountains with beauty surrounding you wherever you look. We spent the majority of the morning walking around the Victorian town checking out the local shops and restaurants. After enjoying lunch at the base of ski slopes we took the gondola up the mountain to the resort side. We walked around some more while checking out all of the skiers and dreaming about our return to Telluride for a ski trip of our own.

Check out Lisa's blog for more details about our trip!

Five on Friday

After reading about a thousand other people's Five on Friday posts I decided to join the party and link up with the girls this week to do one of my own!

{ONE}
2013 was a year of so much change. Graduating (well technically this was at the end of 2012 but close enough). Moving to Michigan. Getting Married. Starting my first I'm-a-big-girl-now job. I am overwhelmed just thinking about it all. God has definitely provided so any blessings to Jameson and I this past year but sometimes it feels like life has moved to fast for me to really appreciate it all. So 2014 is my year of gratefulness! I want to take the time to appreciate the abundance of grace and love I have in my life.

{TWO}
Melissa and Matt are married!! Matt is like the brother I never had. Our parents are best friends and our families have been vacationing together since we were in 6th grade. Melissa is one of my best friends and I have been so lucky to have her in my life for 7 years. (See here) It was only natural that the day these two said "I do" was all sorts of emotional for me. I love both of them so much and celebrating them on their wedding day was just incredible!


Picture courtsey of The Carlyle House

 {THREE}
Toned Up premiere on Bravo! Karena and Katrina are the ladies behind Tone It Up and I have learned so much about nutrition and fitness from them. They started out posting fitness videos on YouTube 5 years ago and over the years have grown a brand and a community of uplifting women all empowering one another to be the best they can be. With daily workouts, fitness tips, and encourgement this is a community any girl would love to be a part of. So go check out their blog and YouTube channel.

{FOUR}
I think I need to go into hibernation. Michigan has been hit with lots of snow over the past few days and then this morning I woke up to 0 degree temperatures outside. I GREW UP IN GEORGIA! I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH WINTER!! Okay enough complaining...but seriously this cold weather is rough. Thankfully I have such a wonderful husband who shovels all the snow and lets me park my car in the garage, but seriously y'all this whole winter thing is a struggle sometimes.

{FIVE}
Meal Planning AHEAD of time.
Since starting work full time and living with a hungry boy I have learned the importance of meal planning. Unfortunately I usually realize how important it is in the middle of the week during a last minute grocery store run for a forgotten item or around lunch time when I remember the meat I was going to cook that evening is still in the freezer. This year I am challenging myself to plan our weekly meals ahead of time in hopes of making the evenings after work slightly less chaotic. Hopefully this means less meals at Qdoba and more homemade leftovers in our fridge.

Any suggestions on meal planning tips will be greatly appreciated!

Happy Friday!