Fun and Exciting Changes

Wow! It's been quite a while since I've blogged and a LOT has changed.

A week and a half ago, on Saturday November 24th, we adopted a puppy from Second Chance Animal Rescue. She is such a beautiful puppy! She is an Australian Cattle Dog mix who is 5 and 1/2 months old and we named her Tirzah (teer-zah). Her name means benevolent, complaisant and pleasing, it fits her to a "T." She has settled into our life quite well. She had a couple accidents her first couple days with us, but is now housebroken and knows to ring the bells on the door to go out. She has learned the commands: sit, kennel up, load up, follow and potty. She comes to work with us and LOVES all the people! When we were looking to adopt a puppy, Nate and I joked that once we got one, we would probably find out shortly thereafter that I was pregnant.

Well, last Thursday, November 29th, we had a positive home pregnancy test!!!! We told our family over the weekend and then made the announcement public on Facebook on Sunday. It has been so fun seeing everyone's reactions and realizing that we will get to welcome a new member of the family next Summer. We have an appointment with an OB on Friday and can't wait to have the pregnancy confirmed by an "expert." Shortly after finding out, a friend of ours let us know about a training going on at Focus on the Family next week. They are training ultrasound technicians/nurses at Focus and need "models" to train with. I might get to be one of those people and get a free ultrasound! We are praying that it works out so we can hear Baby Huntley's heartbeat sooner than we had expected!

This week, started out with another change of plans on top of the puppy and baby news. We were planning on moving in with my parents at the end of December for about 10 months--in order to save up money for a down payment on a house next year. Yesterday we decided we need to move in ASAP. So, instead of waiting until after we come back from our Christmas vacation, we are moving the next couple weeks and will be out of our apartment by Monday, December 17th. Nate won't let me do any lifting or packing of heavy items, so he is ending up doing the brunt of the work.

If you think of us in the next couple weeks, join our prayers that the move will go quickly and smoothly. Also pray for peace for myself and Nate about the pregnancy. Satan is trying to stir up anxiety and fear already. We know that is not from God, but with so many tragic stories out there, it's hard not to worry. Pray that we will be able to just enjoy the pregnancy and this time that God has given us to prepare to welcome Baby Huntley into our lives!

Here is a picture of our sweet Tirzah girl!

Answered Prayers

We have a lot to celebrate this week in the Huntley household!

As y'all know, I interviewed last week for the Elementary Director position at our church, Pulpit Rock Church. This past Tuesday, I found out that I got the job! I start on Monday, Oct. 29th! Thankfully, the ladies who will be leaving the team will be on staff for 2 weeks to train me, so I'll be learning under them until Sunday Nov. 11th. I am so excited to get started!

Our other reason to celebrate has been in the works for only the last week. Nate is transferring to CCU (Colorado Christian University) to continue his studies. He met with an admissions adviser on Monday and found out yesterday that he is accepted and gets to start classes on December 9th! I am so extremely proud of him. He is switching his major to Biblical Studies/Theology and will get to cut his time left in school by half. Then he plans on getting his teaching certification after graduating. Thankfully, CCU has a branch here in the springs so he won't have to commute up to Denver for classes. Also, they have a block schedule where he will take one class at a time, but still get 3 classes done in a semester.

We are beyond excited. This week we have enjoyed seeing how God showed off for us above and beyond our expectations. And now to top it off, we have snow predicted for the next couple days! 
How has God showed off for you lately?

Busy Week

Hi y'all!
I hope this week has been a good one for each and every one of you. It has been for me! I really am enjoying my time between jobs. I was afraid I was going to get bored, lazy and feel like I was a useless bump on a log, but thankfully that has not happened. I have been able to continue getting my daily walks (granted I miss one here and there), I have finally felt like I'm keeping my apartment clean consistently and I have energy when Nate gets home from work. I feel like a whole new me!

Yesterday I had an interview for the position I have been hoping to get since I quit at my dad's office. I got a little nervous, but thankfully was able to maintain my composure during the interview and answered the questions without too many "umms" and "uhs." (Thanks Mom for teaching me how to speak well and present myself well to others!) It did help that I interviewed with several people I know personally, but regardless it was a great interview. I'll find out next week whether or not I get the job.

Last weekend, I was a part of a garage sale with some friends. I was reminded of how much I love getting to sell my "junk" and make money for it! It was an added blessing that I also got to spend two days with some good friends. On Friday we got rained out for about 40 minutes, but we pulled stuff into the carport and suprisingly people still stopped by during the rain. Overall the garage sale was a success. I got rid of a bunch of my stuff and made some extra money. Yesterday I took the remaining stuff that I can't sell on Craigslist and dropped it at the Arc. Afterwards, I came home and posted some of the remaining bigger items on Craigslist.

Craigslist has become my new best friend. I have sold and found many things on there and I have gotten some GREAT deals! On Monday I bought some crafting supplies and storage items (easily over $200 worth of stuff) for $60. There were several things that I didn't want that were in one of the lots of craft items and I was able to sell those and make back $20! Anyways, I hope to make some more money on items I still have posted, but until then, I'm going to focus on getting this apartment back into order! Have a great Thursday!

A New Chapter

Yesterday marked the end of my 6 year long chapter at The Family Practice. I truly loved my time there as an employee, but, as y'all know, God made it very clear to me that He has something else planned. It was a slightly tearful morning at the office yesterday, but I've decided to focus on all the fun memories instead of the fact that I won't see my former coworkers every day. It was great to get to work with my father as his employee, but I have to admit that I'm glad I get to go back to just being his daughter.

I've gotten a lot of people asking me, "What's next?" Well, I applied for a job last week as the Elementary Director at our church. I'm really hopeful that I will get this position. It will only be for 20 hours a week, but I would get to work at the same place as Nate. Also, when I decided I needed to quit at The Family Practice, I knew I wanted to work with kids and serve. This position does that and is still part-time. I want to thank those of you who have been so supportive and encouraging to me during these last few months. My husband and family have been especially wonderful!

As I look ahead to this new chapter, there is still lots of uncertainty and change. I won't know about whether or not I'll get the job at Pulpit Rock Church until mid October. During the next couple weeks I'm planning on getting some rest, catching up with some friends, helping my mom out and getting into a better habit of working out. I am also hoping that I'll be more consistent about blogging (although once a month is much better than I did over the last six months!). I will keep y'all updated more as I find out answers as to where God will place me job-wise.

Peace in the Midst of Uncertainty

This last week has been a little hectic and stressful. I'm in the process of phasing out of both of my jobs and, while I know I'm following God's leading, I have had a few panic sessions. God made it very clear to me, earlier this Summer, that I was to leave my long-time job as a Medical Assistant at my father's family practice office. Right about the time I made the decision public knowledge, He provided a part-time job at our church in the finance department. (I'm filling in for a lady on materninty leave) With only 3 weeks left, my job at The Family Practice is winding down and my job at our church is coming to a close as well. I will "technically" be part time at both jobs through the end of the month, but the regular finance specialist at our church comes back Monday and I'm noticing I'm needed less and less at TFP. As my hours continue to decrease, my panic level increases. I have had dozens of conversations with my husband, Nate, and he always assures me that we will be OK financially. He also continues to ask me not to stress about the decrease in my income. The math shows that we will be OK financially as long as my income is at least half of what I was making before (which it still is and likely will continue to be). However my faith challenges me to accept that we will be OK financially no matter what!

Each time I feel the panic approaching, I try to remind myself of why I'm doing this in the first place. God has been trying to get me to release control in this area for a long time and I finally heard Him--thankfully He opened my eyes and ears when a friend had the insight to sit me down and help me take a deep look at some things. I am so thankful for that friend and for her taking the time to sit, listen, ask the right questions and hug me while I cried.  [Reality is that I'm more of a control freak than I ever thought and security of a job/consistent income is more important to me than I realized.] I have had so much more peace since deciding to follow His prompts and take the giant leap of faith by quitting my job and looking for a part-time replacement.

As I pursue what "the next step" looks like for my job, I am praying that I don't miss anything. I tend to be the kind of individual who "hears" what God wants me to do and just full-on barrels on in that direction. Whether or not He tries to take me through a detour or a different path to get there, I think I know where He wants me and tune Him out from then on. Usually this ends with me running into a dead end pretty hard and only then realizing that I'm not where He wants me. Please pray with me that I'll take this one step at a time and be willing to change and flex along with God's plan for my life.

Celebrating the small victories

I decided to step on the scale this morning at work to check my progress. My last weigh in was frustrating. I've been hovering between the same 2lbs for over a month now. I'm trying to be patient with my body, but at that time I decided to step it up by logging my food intake and exercising for at least 2 weeks. I decided that if I see progress, I'll obviously keep it up, but if I didn't see progress I would let myself stop logging. I also have been increasing my activity level over the last couple weeks. This week I got sick again, but still plan to go work out tonight eventhough I gave myself the last two days off.
This morning when I stepped on the scale I had dropped the 2lbs!
I'm elated! Needless to say, I'm going to continue to log AND keep my workout schedule of at least 4 workouts/week at 45 min or more.
Thanks for all your encouragement!

Be Still and Know...

This past weekend, Nate and I got to enjoy a solid 48 hours work-free! I commented at the end of it that it felt like a mini vacation. Friday we got to sleep in, hang out at home, make good food, work out and then went to small group and fellowshipped with good friends. Saturday we slept in, sold some stuff we had listed on Craigslist, drive up to Woodland Park and walk around, and then we headed home and had a great evening in.
I know it may not sound like much--or it may sound like more than some of y'all have had in a while--but we were truly blessed. I feel like we have been "going" all summer without much of a breather. Not everything that has happened this summer was bad, but it still has been busy. Nate and I got to sit with each other, take a deep breath and hit the "reset" button.
I have to admit, it was a little hard to truly let myself relax because I have been struggling with the fact that in less than a month, I'll be without a job. I know God will remain faithful. I have complete faith that this step I am taking is where God wants me, subsequently, I know it's time to trust God to provide whether I get another job right away or not. This weekend was exactly what I think my soul needed. I needed to just enjoy the simple parts of everyday life with my wonderful husband and not over-analyze "what I need to be doing to make more money so we will be OK."
As I write this, I ask y'all to join me in prayer for God to provide the right job in the right timing for me. More importantly, I'm asking for him to increase my ability to be patient and trust Him.
How has God been stretching your faith recently?

Back in the saddle again

Hi all! (or those of you who do read these)
I'm back! I realized that it's been four or five months since I've blogged at all and I was shocked at how fast time flew!

It's been a good, yet crazy, several months! My sister, Amy, got married (the picture above is of Nate, myself and The Bakers!), we went struggled through a devastating fire (thankfully my parents were spare loss, but were out of their house for almost three weeks) and I have had some major changes in my personal life too.
I've transitioned to part-time at my dad's family practice office and will be done there by the end of September. Meanwhile to keep our income up until October, I'm filling in for someone on maternity leave in our church's financial department. I'm loving the finance job! I'm learning new things every day and just truly enjoying working in such a wonderful environment.
As far as what we are looking ahead to this Fall and Winter:
Nate starts classes again next week, he is taking one class this semester as we hope to pay for the rest of his schooling in cash. He will have to take things a little slower, but it'll be worth it in the long run. Also, next month we pay off our medical debt!!! We will be debt free except for our student loans! We have been so blessed through our journey thus far and look forward to continuing it, maybe a little less intensly, but pursuing a debt free life none-the-less!
Also, as I'm going down to part-time work starting in October, I will be focusing on our Herbalife business. As I look forward to getting that up and running, I know it'll be a lot of hard work. I'm excited to be able to use our Herbalife business to help others to pursue the healthy lifestyle that they desire.
I hope y'all are getting into the swing of the Fall routine. What are you looking forward to most?
~Signing off~

Weight Loss and Craftiness

So Nate and I had a great week this last week with consistently having two Herbalife shakes a day and 3 workouts! We are both starting to see some changes too! I lost 2lbs in a week and Nate's six-pack is already back (he is HARDCORE). I also am joining a Weight Loss Challenge at work that starts next week. My goals are to lose 15lbs in 12 weeks and to work out at least 4 times/week for 30 minutes or more each workout.

In the last week I also finished knitting my first baby blanket ever! It's so cute! Today I ordered some supplies to make cute burp cloths from Amazon (thanks to gift cards I got for Christmas, I only spent $5). I'm trying to find ways to be productive and creative and let my friends benefit from it! I have some more yarn to start on my next baby blanket and I'm looking forward to making a baby hat too.

The other thing on the agenda, we are continuing to pay off our debt very intensely. We are down to a medical bill, my student loans and Nate's student loans. We will be paying for his schooling with cash from here on out and are excited to be debt free in the next 18 months (or less!). Nate and I are very excited as we continue life together and make progress in our goals. Also, my sister got engaged! Nate and I are in the wedding party and are really enjoying getting to help plan a wedding just 9 months since our own wedding!

Weekend!

I had the day off yesterday and I was PRODUCTIVE! It was so wonderful to sleep in a little bit and then clean our apartment. I mean our whole apartment! I dropped Nate off at work, came home and got lunch, and got to work. I cleaned our kitchen, vacuumed, picked up the bedroom, ironed clothes that have been waiting for me to iron them for over a month, cleaned the bathroom and organized our spare room. The spare room had become "the room where everything went that did not have a place" since we moved in. After I finished cleaning, I relaxed and washed some M*A*S*H. After I relaxed for a bit, I went and picked Nate up from work, we came home and made dinner, relaxed and played Yahtzee! It was a wonderful day off.

Today I got to sleep in and then hang out with my sister and her fiance and Nate. It's been a great start to the weekend. I plan on finishing a baby blanket I've been working on for 3 weeks. I also hope to make some more origami flowers for my sister's wedding in July! I'm in a artsy/crafty mood this weekend, can you tell?

Eating has been going really well! Nate and I have been very consistent in 2 Herbalife shakes a day over the last 2 weeks and I'm working on snacking less at work (getting there...). I worked out 3 times this week and we are planning on a great workout today and tomorrow too.

Well, I'm off to do crafts and enjoy the weather today! Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend.

Easter Sunday

Today is Easter Sunday. A day that is dedicated to remembering Christ's resurrection. He died for our sins and rose again to conquer death for us.

This past week was a good week. Lots of work, some relaxation, and some great workouts! I am doing two Herbalife shakes a day and having better portion control for my third meal. I've been limiting my snacks and cutting back on sweets. Nate and I have also given up alcohol to aid in weight loss and trimming down on inches. This weekend we had a couple glasses of wine, but otherwise we have given it up for at least 30 days.

I hope y'all are all well. Have a wonderful week!

Couponing High

I don't know if you know about couponing, but I was taught how to coupon to save money while grocery shopping and it has saved us hundreds of dollars in the last few months. When I walk out of a store with 5 bags and having saved $13 (18% of our whole bill) I get, what I call, a "couponing high." I'm elated that a few minutes of clipping coupons and organizing them, on the weekends, can save us money. (To be fair, I need to shout out to Shari Hamlin for teaching me these skills. She taught  me how to coupon as a wedding gift last year and now, my husband and I LOVE to go grocery shopping and find out how much we can save.) I get a kick out of saving us money that we can put towards other areas of our budget.

On another note, my sister--Amy--got engaged this weekend!!! I am so excited for her and David as they move to this next chapter in life. I'm enjoying getting to help with wedding ideas and be on the other side of things only 8 months after my own wedding. Also, the wedding has provided another goal point for my weight loss goals. I have been relatively faithful (with the absence of Spring Break) in my endeavour to drink two Herbalife shakes a day. Over the last 3 weeks, I've done decently well. However, my new goal is to keep that up to lose 20lbs by the beginning of August! I appreciate all accountability and encouragement from y'all in my progress!

Well, I'm off to wrap up the evening with a couple episodes of M*A*S*H with my husband and head off to sleep.

Hump Day!

Today was a half day for work, drop off an application for another part-time job (to hopefully help with our budget plans), take a nap, wake up to take my husband dinner and help him at work, kind of day. Eventful, productive, restful and overall just good. PLUS we get to leave for spring break in 2 days!!!

We are going over the mountains to Montrose for 6 days for spring break and I can NOT wait! Nate will have a week free from homework, we will get to see all of his family and we both will get to enjoy a week off work. Praise God for breaks. We've been working our buns off the last couple months and both need to relax. Even better, most of my family will be coming with. So, just a warning, I'll not be blogging for a week, starting Saturday.

As far as working out/eating healthy. We have gotten back on track with our salad and fish/chicken/lean meat for dinner diet. I have been drinking two Herbalife shakes a day 5/7 days the last week or two which is helping. Working out has been going well, I've been taking walks on my breaks on the warmer days and we have worked out a few times at our new gym. I'm planning on three more workouts before leaving for vacation! I'm even waking up early--7am--(which for those of you who know me, is no small feat) and going to Zumba on Saturday morning before we leave town.

Well, I'll talk to y'all soon. Gonna go get some cleaning done.

Living Like No One Else Now...

One of my favorite Dave Ramsey quotes is, "Live like no one else now so you can live like no one else later." By making changes in our lifestyle now, cutting back and putting major effort into paying off debt and saving, we will be able to live like no one else later. We will be able to afford trips, the eating out and social events that we are missing this chapter. Needless to say, we are motivated to change this now and we want to keep our eye on the long term goal.

As far as eating and exercise, this week was pretty good. I had at least one Herbalife shake a day for meal replacements and there were a couple days when I had two Herbalife shakes. I'm feeling much better and more confident in my goals. We switched gyms to one that is a 5 minute walk away from our apartment and it's accessible 24/7. We have already gone a couple times and I'm looking forward to going 4-5 times this week before we leave on vacation Saturday.

I hope y'all had a great week and a good St. Patrick's Day! Have a relaxing Sunday.

We have 'Net!!!!

Sorry I've been so absent from my blogging...it's been close to 2 weeks since my last entry. As my last entry stated, we moved! Our new place is wonderful!!! It is twice the size of our previous apartment, has an extra bedroom/study, washer dryer hookups, kitchen nook, and (drum roll please) a DISHWASHER!!!!

Anyways, the last couple weeks have been insane with getting stuff switched over, moved, cleaned and put together. We are finally feeling mostly settled. Only a few more pictures to hang and the spare bedroom to organize. However we have not worked out that much or been able to keep up our healthy eating leading up to and immediately after the move. The week before the move, we ate out much more than usual. We also have only gone to the gym about three times in the last two weeks. However we tried to make healthy choices when eating out and I tried to work out some at work to counteract the lack of gym visits. We are also excited because, yesterday, we joined a gym that is in the strip mall one block from our apartment! It's saving us about $10-12/month in membership fees, plus it's open 24/7. We went today and got in a good 40 minute workout. Now Nate is hanging curtains and I'm off to see what I can organize in the next bit before dinner.

Aside from the move, but somewhat associated with it, we have re-worked our budget and are working on paying off our debt ASAP and getting as financially stable as possible. Let me just say that listening to Dave Ramsey's radio podcast every day has been very motivating and we are excited to get rid of what debt we do have!

Hope y'all have had a good couple weeks! I've missed hearing from  y'all.

Moving!

I just wanted to apologize for my lack of blogging this past week! Nate and I are moving on Friday (less than 2 days to go) and I've been a little bit pre-occupied. I am trying to stay active and control my portion sizes and have lost about 2lbs this week and hope to keep it up. In the meantime, thanks to all of you who have encouraged us through this and helped us to get the boxes needed for moving!
Here is a photo of our current entryway/dining nook

Hump Day

Today was a great day. I finally am feeling much better after going on antibiotics for a sinus infection and starting Mucinex D for my congestion. Work went well and quickly which is always nice. Tomorrow is my Friday and I can't wait!
Tonight Nate and I worked on packing up our apartmentn more. We currently are about 1/4 of the way packed. The biggest hurdle we have to pack up is the kitchen. We will probably pack that up Friday.
We worked out yesterday and plan on going tomorrow as well. Eating is tough right now, since we are trying to use as little as possible, we have ordered pizza a couple times and will probably end up eating out several times in the next week and a half. My goal is to try to limit my portion control as much as possible.

Still Sick...

I'm still sick! Today is day #6 of head congestion, sore throat, sinus headache and just feeling cruddy in general. Quite honestly, I can't wait to feel 100% again. I think my least favorite part of it is the fact that I haven't worked out since Thursday. My plan tomorrow--regardless of how I feel--is to work out for 20 minutes between my two breaks. I'm not going to work out too hard, just enough to count.

Recovery

This week was a long week and an exhausting one as well. Nate and I got approved to move into a new apartment, we are upgrading to a 2 bedroom apartment that is twice the size as the one we live in now. We are moving in less than 2 weeks. So it's time to start packing up and organizing.
On the same day that we got this news, we found out that my dog's cancer had progressed to the point that we needed to put him down. It's been an emotional weekend and I'll be the first to admit that all I wanted to do was eat junk food and pig out on margaritas and beer. I feel like I controlled my consumption pretty well, I only had a few margaritas yesterday and I actually lost my appetite.
I haven't worked out since Friday at work, however, I got in 3 good workouts last week. Nate and I plan on working out at least 3 if not, 4 times this week. I'm looking forward to it greatly and hope that it will get me back on focus. I'll admit, I've lost a bit of my focus this last week, but I'm getting back on track again.
Here's a picture of my beautiful puppy, Midas, and myself from Christmas of 2010!

My Favorite Holiday

Today is one of my favorite holidays that we celebrate in the year. I love getting to show people how much I love them AND I love the fact that there is a whole day dedicated to showing people just that. I have never seen Valentine's Day as a day to mourn that I was single or rub the fact that I'm in a relationship in other's faces. I simply love getting to love on others! For three years in a row, I had three valentines. They were under 10 years old and the most amazing kiddos!

Tonight my husband and get to celebrate our first Valentine's Day as a married couple! We are headed out to The Melting Pot for a nice dinner. Today, in preparation, I had an Herbalife shake for breakfast and a light lunch. I did enjoy some Valentine's Day candy, but I attempted to hold off so that I can enjoy dessert tonight! I hope all of you are enjoying today and your week is going well.

Snow Day and The Weekend

Saturday we had snow and a rather busy day. Woke up to a couple inches of fluffy snow on the ground, nate and I enjoyed breakfast and then headed out to get my phone upgraded. I got a new iPhone and I'm loving it! (I'm not one for techy toys, but I'm really enjoying this.) Then we went to Panda Express--Chinese is the best on a snowy day--and went to look at a rental location we are considering moving to. We loved it and are going to apply for it this week! Then we headed to my parents house and had a game night with my sisters--Amy and Christa--and David, Amy's boyfriend. It was a wonderful day.

This morning we slept in and went to the late service at church and then got to go out with a friend and her family to celebrate her birthday. She celebrates her birthday on Valentine's Day. After lunch, we went to my work and I got caught up on some data input. When we got home, I laid down for a nap for about 2 hours. It felt so wonderful. Nate and I did not get to the gym at all this weekend, however we plan to go 4 evenings this week. I'm quite pleased with how the weekend went.

Making Progress

I feel like I'm truly making progress! Probably not in the number on the scale as much as I would like, however I am seeing consistent improvement in my activity level and eating habits. Nate and I have started having a salad with dinner 5 days a week and I'm enjoying a Herbalife shake for breakfast 5 mornings a week. I also have started having All Bran buds for my snacks at work twice a day, which is keeping me fuller longer and is just sweet enough to curb my afternoon sweet tooth.

As far as activity level, Nate and I have consistently worked out 3-4 times a week over the last 4 weeks. I'm enjoying feeling more alert and having more energy. I'm starting to see a difference in how my clothes are fitting too! I have a new top that my mom bought me that is slightly tight and my goal is to wear it to my mom's book launch on May 5th. I expect to wear it proudly and comfortably that day! (Below is a picture of said shirt!)

Goals

I'm amazed Monday is already over! The weekend flew by and now I'm through Monday too? WOW

So I was pretty excited because Saturday and Sunday I ate well AND worked out! My goal this week is 3 more workouts (Monday-Friday) and to continue core work. On Saturday I worked out with my friend, Becky, and she pushed me to do some core work for the first time in months. I'm still sore! However, yesterday, I did more core work and was so proud of myself for keeping it up. Today we were going to work out after work, but Nate forgot his workout stuff so we came home and are enjoying some spinach spaghetti with chicken instead. Healthy and yummy.

Here's to a good start to the week and meeting my work out goals!

End of the Week

Hard to believe it's the end of Friday! Wednesday we got home late and I did not get a post up (obviously) and last night, was David's--my sister's boyfriend--21st birthday. Today I had the day off and slept in because we were up until about 1:30 celebrating! I have not worked out more than 15 minutes in the last 3 days, but I have tried ot keep my eating reasonable. Last night, we went to The Melting Pot for David's birthday dinner and it was the first time I've left there not feeling stuffed to the brim! I was so proud of myself. I skipped the salad course--had a few bites of Nate's salad--and shared an entree course with Christa (my 11 year old baby sister). I was very conscious about making sure I could enjoy my favorite courses--the cheese and chocolate of course!

My plan for the weekend is to have a shake for breakfast both days and work out for at least 30 minutes each day. Tomorrow I'm meeting with my friend, Becky, who is a huge motivation for my health goals. We are going to go for a long walk or meet at the Y for a while. I'm excited to catch up with her! Sunday we hope to go look at the duplex with our friends who we are considering sharing it with. Hopefully we will have more details then as to whether it will work for all of us or not. I hope y'all are enjoying the snow (for those of you who are local) and have a lazy Friday night.

Exciting Day

So today I got to use my morning break to explore the possibility we found for expansion of our living space. Nate found a duplex for rent within walking distance to the church he works at yesterday and we are friends with the neighbor of the house. We were able to get the phone number and set up a viewing this evening. We have some friends who are also looking for space and it happens to be two two-bedroom units available. So tonight we walked through and liked the space, but we still need to discuss it further with our friends. If you think of us, pray for wisdom and God's plan to be done.

As far as my intake and output, I had a Herbalife shake for breakfast, Luna bar for snack and a cup of Chick-fil-a chicken noodle soup for lunch. It was such a busy day that I was literally at my desk the whole lunch hour. By 3pm I was shaking so badly that I had some popcorn and some salad leftover from lunch yesterday on my afternoon break at 4pm. Then Nate and I went to see the duplex and to the Y for a workout. I got a good 40 minute bike ride in and then we picked up Noodles & Company for dinner.

All that to say, I did not meet all of my goals for today, but 50% success, I'll take!

Big Step Forward

Tonight I worked on my Herbalife business and getting the word out about the Weight Loss Challenge that I will be starting. Check out the Facebook page I created http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Welllife-Challenge/333917143314854. I have been wanting to to get this up and running for a while now. The Herbalife business that I started (with the amazing help and encouragement from my husband, Nate) is eventually going to be my income. I have always wanted to be a stay at home mom and this business is my way of making this possible. That is not necessary right now (no, I'm NOT pregnant), but down the road, I hope to cultivate my Herbalife business well enough to help us care for our family as we need to.

Today I ate well, breakfast was a banana with 1 Tbsp peanut butter, morning snack was a bagel thin and lunch was catered by Olive Garden. I had some salad, chicken parm. and 2 breadsticks. Instead of a cup of coffee this morning I had a Herbalife Orange Liftoff energy fizz tab which gave me the energy I needed to make it through a busy Monday morning.  My afternoon snack was some cereal and for dinner Nate mad me a small steak and half a quesadilla. Overall, I did OK, but definitely had room for improvement. Looking back, I also wish I had worked out on my breaks, but we were planning on working out at the Y tonight after work and ended up not going. Tomorrow  my goal is to work out on both breaks and have a Herbalife shake for breakfast and lunch.

Summary of the Last 3 Days

Friday was an emotionally draining day. I had to take my dog to the vet in the afternoon and the vet said he doesn't have much longer before he passses.Overall my intake was good though. I maintained my protion control eventhough I was stressed and upset.

Saturday was a busy and yet productive. Had a breakfast/lunch that was some cereal and then dinner was waffles, eggs and homemade chicken strips. I did not get to work out Saturday or Friday, but portion control helps counter that.

Today I got to sleep in until noon and Nate made me breakfast/lunch. He cooked me 2 eggs and a piece of peanut butter toast before heading to the Y and got in a hard 30 minute workout on the Precor (burned 300 calories baby!). We went to my work in the afternoon and I got some stuff done there while Nate did homework. We shared a bagel from Panera bread while getting work done. After that we sold our old car to a friend. We are down to one car again! Dinner was a chicken breast dish with fennel, onions and mustard/red wine marinade with a side salad and glass of red wine. Now we are watching Music & Lyrics and enjoying some ice cream for a splurge! I have to admit that Blue Bell ice cream is amazing!

Deep Breath

As I sit on my couch in our apartment, I feel like I'm taking my first deep breath in about the last 48-72 hours. I can hardly believe that tomorrow is Friday! I got to take the afternoon off work yesterday, Wednesday, and tomorrow I'll be off in the afternoon as well. I've been putting in long hours at work and I'm trying to limit my overtime hours.

We have not made it to the gym since Monday, but the plan is to work out tomorrow and Sunday. Next week may be a struggle to get to the gym again, it usally is on my "late week" at work. A "late week" is when I work 40 (sometimes 45) hours in 4 days, Monday through Thursday, and then I get all day Friday off. It always ends up being a struggle to work out once I get done with a 10-12 hour workday. Here is my proposal to try to keep myself accountable. I will be working out 10 minutes on my breaks, be it treadmill or elliptical, and then we will hit the gym 3 evenings. Likelihood is, we will work out Monday, Tuesday and Friday. So there! Now y'all know and you can help me to hold true to that goal.

My eating has been better the last couple days. I weighed in yesterday and I'm down a couple more lbs. (Disclaimer: I feel guilty for not telling y'all the number on the scale, however I do have a couple confidants who know my numbers and help to keep me honest there.) I had a Herbalife shake for breakfast yesterday and today. Not much for snacks either! Lunch today was Chipotle--don't remember what I had yesterday--and dinner both nights was salad. Tonight we are also having salmon and a glass of wine. I've gotten to that point where I actually enjoy feeling hungry too!

Well, signing off tonight. Hope y'all are making it through the week sane and in one piece.

Still on the Upslope

I feel like today was another positive step in the right direction. Tuesdays and Thursdays are our days off from workouts at the gym, but I worked out on my morning and afternoon breaks anyway. I got 20 minutes in on the elliptical and I felt SO much better for it. For breakfast I had a bowl of Oatmeal Squares, lunch was greek yogurt, fruit salad and a slice of cheesecake. I had to eat at my desk...busy day! I did not have any snacks today at all! For dinner, Nate and I grabbed burrito bowls from chipotle and had some chips and guacamole too. I feel like I did well with control today. Next time my goal is to have a Herbalife shake instead of cheesecake for lunch! Haha!

Tonight, I continued my work on rug that I am knitting while we watched Say Anything (one of my all-time favorite movies). Hope y'all are having a good start to the week too!

Today was half-decent for a Monday. Work went well and intake and output was good! I worked out for 10 minutes on the elliptical at work on my morning break and after work, Nate and I went to the Y and I did another 35 minutes on the ellpitical. As far as my intake, I tried to limit portion sizes today.

For breakfast, I had an english muffin with some butter and jam. Lunch was some Chick-fil-a chicken nuggets, fruit salad and a slice of cheesecake. I had some peanut M&Ms and some lightly salted popcorn for snacks, but otherwise, no other munching. Dinner was a salad and salmon and I had some frozen chocolate dipped banana pieces. I loved getting to indulge!

We are now watching The Help, I read the book and have wanted to watch this since I finished the book months ago.

Another Weekend Coming to and End

As this weekend draws to a close, I look over it satisfied. It was a productive, yet restful weekend.

Saturday started out sleeping in a little bit, but then we went and bought a car! Our very first "big" purchase as husband and wife. We bougt a 1999 Red Subaru Forester "S" from MonumentMotors.com. We paid CA$H for it too! That is my favorite part of the story. Nate and I have been saving in the 6 and a half months we have been married and we finally had enough. We are both still slightly shocked and very excited that we were able to buy the car we watned and afford it. After we drove the car home and got it insured, we loaded up some furniture that we gave to my sister's boyfriend, David, as he moved into a basement apartment this weekend. The rest of the day was spent at my parent's house helping with my baby sister's birthday party and hanging out with family.

I ate pretty well this weekend too! Nate and I had Chick-fil-a for breakfast yesterday--at 10am, lunch was at 3pm and it was a vegetable omelette that Nate made for me. Dinner was "Cowboy" fajitas that Nate and I made at my parents. Delicious potatoes, yellow peppers, onions, mushrooms and chicken. I only had 2 fajitas and for my sweet tooth I had a small bowl of cinnamon chex cereal at 10pm. Today I had yogurt and granola for breakfast/lunch along with peanut butter toast.

After waking up and eating a later breakfast/early lunch, Nate and I went to the Y for a 45 minute workout on the elliptical. Boy! I was sweaty. It never ceases to amaze me how great a hard workout feels. After the gym, Nate and I went grocery shopping and then came home, cleaned and took a nap. Dinner was around 7pm and we enjoyed some home-made chicken noodle soup and cream cheese, jalepeno crescent pin-wheels.

A side note: We ordered some of the product of the new Herbalife 24-sport supplement. Nate has been using it the last couple workouts and I have tried it also and it tastes good as well as seems to work well! If any of y'all are athletic or work out a lot and want to find protein and energy supplements, I highly recommend it!

Finish Well

You know how folks always tell others that "It doesn't matter how the race is as long as you finish well"? (Or something to that effect) I felt like today was my opportunity to end the week well. I had a great day!

Work was not too crazy, plus I got to have a change of pace and do front office stuff for part of the afternoon. It always helps to break up the monotony of the routine when I get to do that. I got to enjoy a busy, yet not insane, Friday at work!

For breakfast I had an Herbalife shake, Dutch Chocolate, and it lasted me until about 10:30am. I had a morning break at 11am and some pretzels. My amazing husband, Nate, brought me a ham and turkey sandwich for lunch and I had some peanut M&Ms on my afternoon break as a snack. After work, Nate and I went to the Y and worked out! I was on the Precor for 35 minutes and burned over 400 calories, it felt so good to be back in the groove. When we got home, we made a pear and Dubliner cheese salad with homemade basalmic vinaigrette and salmon. It was perfect! Now we are relaxing before we start our weekend with an insanely busy Saturday.

Insanity

I'm having a hard time believing that today is over. I honestly don't remember much of it! Work was a whirlwind, lots of patients in the office, phone calls and just getting caught up from missing yesterday. I'm pretty sure I was working mostly off auto-pilot today!

As far as intake and output (eating and working out) for today, I did pretty well. I could have done better with eating because I did not eat anything until 10:45 when I ate a banana with some peanut butter. I ate this after working out on the elliptical for 10 minutes on my break. For lunch, I was so busy with work that I barely had time to scarf down a Herbalife citrus lemon, deluxe protein bar. It was good, but only 170 calories. This afternoon I grabbed some pretzels, a few sour patch kids and a handful of peanut M&Ms. In retrospect, I should have had something handy to eat that would have been an easy fix and better nutritionally, but I did OK with portion sizes. On my afternoon break, I also spent another 10 minutes on the elliptical. I'm at work until after 7pm tonight, so no trip to the Y for us, but I plan on salad and salmon for dinner and some relaxing with my husband.

Sick Day

Today was pretty uneventful. I went to work this morning feeling very nauseated, lasted a full 40 minutes and then had to have my husband pick me up and bring me home. I promptly crashed on our bed and slept for the majority of the next 8 hours. I woke up long enough to heat half a bowl of chicken noodle soup. Dinner was Mac & Cheese with some chips, tried to keep it plain. Here's hoping for a day tomorrow where I'm back to 100% and a good workout.

Headed in the Right Direction

Today I felt like I was able to take control and head back in the right direction to keep my journey going where I want it to go. Work went well as did my eating and working out. I did not have breakfast this morning, because I was nauseated, but my morning snack was a banana with about 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and a small piece of whole wheat, cinnamon, raisin bread. For lunch I was really hungry (go figure) and got an 8-piece nuggets meal from Chick-fil-a.

What really got me feeling great was the fact that I worked out for almost an hour at work on my breaks today! I walked for 10 minutes on the treadmill on my morning break, spent 30 minutes on the elliptical over lunch and did another 10 minutes on the treadmill on my afternoon break. Not only did I burn good calories, but I was much more alert at work too!

Tonight we are enjoying some Papa Murphy's pizza and cheesy bread with Nate and relaxing on the couch while watching Friends.

Oh My, What a Monday!

Today was not a great day. It was an emotional rollercoaster, stressful and long. This morning started out OK, but went south after a bit. It was drama-filled and frustrating at work today. As far as my eating went, I did fairly well staying on track. I had a Herbalife shake for breakfast and a bagel for morning snack. A co-worker brought some spicy, elk summer sausage which I snacked on some throughout the day. I limited how much of that I had though. Lunch was a Herbalife deluxe protein bar, citrus lemon flavored and some tea. This afternoon I hopped on the elliptical for about 5 minutes, tomorrow I hope to use all of my breaks to work out! For dinner, Nate and I went to BJ's Brewhouse, we enjoyed someo avocado egg rolls for an appetizer and something off of the "light" menu for dinner.

When we got home, we relaxed on the couch and enjoyed a movie. Now we are headed off to sleep! Nate starts school tomorrow so we need to call it an early night. Hope y'all had a wonderful Monday.

Weekend Synopsis

This weekend has been a bit of a whirlwind. Yesterday, Nate and I slept in for a little bit, woke up and had a lazy morning. Around noon we went and borrowed my mom's car to pick up a headboard that we bought from some friends. After we got that home and set up, we went on a walk in Garden of the Gods (one of Nate's and my favorite places to go for walks and talks), then we headed over to my parent's house to watch the Broncos game--here's hoping for another great season next year. We had a lot of fun with my family and friends yesterday.

Overall I ate OK on Saturday. Breakfast was a homemade egg and sausage sandwich, lunch was some leftover chili and dinner was the taco bar at my parent's house. I ate a little more than I intended to at the taco bar, two soft tacos and half a crunchy taco, plus some chips and queso. I felt like I held my own though, I went downstairs when I started getting too munchy and limited myself to one piece of pumpkin cake for dessert, no ice cream.

Today has been good when it comes to how I've eaten. I had two eggs and some sausage for breakfast, then we went and helped my sister's boyfriend move. After that, Nate and I came home, re-organized and cleaned. All the moving of boxes, cleaning and re-organizing really helped to work up my appetite. Now I'm off to wash dishes so we can enjoy dinner.

Looking for the Good

Today was pretty rough. I found out this morning that my dog, Midas, has a tumor in his upper jaw. I suddenly realized how attached I get to my pets. When I got a call from my dad informing me that the vet is "guardedly optimistic" that they got it all and that it is did not look malignant, I was semi-relived, but am still anxious to hear the final results.

When I look back over today, I am emotionally exhausted, but I realize I did not try to "eat away" my stress as I have in the past. I had frosted mini wheats for breakfast, a Herbalife protein bar for snack and 2 taco bell fresca tacos with a side of nachos for lunch. I had a bagel for a mid-afternoon snack, which I probably cold have gone without. My husband and I went to 3 Margaritas for dinner where we enjoyed fajitas, a margarita and sopapillas. We worked out at the Y before dinner and I got in a good workout so I feel like overall, today was a success. I changed some habits when it comes to how I handle my stress.

Here is a picture of my puppy, Midas!

The Rollercoaster

Wow! It's hard to believe it has only been 48 hours since my most recent post! The last 48 hours certainly have owned the title of a rollercoaster. Yesterday was a busy day at work, I did a Herbalife shake for lunch, but toast for breakfast and Garbanzo's for dinner. If you have not yet eaten at Garbanzo's Mediterranean Grill, you need to go...SOON! Their food is so fresh and delicious! Last night we did not get home until 11:45pm and I was so dog-tired that all I could do was brush my teeth and roll into bed.

Today has been quite interesting. We got news this morning that the place we are looking to move into (a slightly bigger apt) is not going to work out. That was disappointing and frustrating. Then we found out that the used Subaru Forester we have been saving up for is available and we can buy it as early as in 2 weeks! As far as work today, well, I'm still here and probably will be until after 8pm. I am the assistant in our Wellness Program/Weight Loss Class that we offer through the office I work at and tonight is the first meeting for a new group of people. So it's not ALL bad that I'm here so late, but still, I'm tired. We also have been interviewing Medical Assistants at work to replace the one that quit last week, so it there has been some extra work this week with all of that.

 As far as my eating today, I did...OK. I have had a Herbalife shake for breakfast with a bagel for a morning snack. Lunch was catered from Marigold's Cafe and it was salad and some pizza. I got a bit snacky this afternoon, but held it off until my wonderfu husband brought me the Chick-fil-a ice cream I have been craving. Then tonight I enjoyed some pretzels at the start of class. When I get home, Nate will have dinner for me. He is making us salmon and salad. Oh yeah! He is also winning "Husband of the Day" award and has been cleaning all afternoon. Have I mentioned how wonderful he is to me?

You may wonder how the working out is going. I had a day off yesterday. Today I worked out over my morning break on the elliptical for 12 minutes and tonight during the second hour of class I plan to hop on the elliptical for another 30 minutes or so. Well, I'm off to get more stuff ready for class!

Here's a glimpse of our soon-to-be car!

Room for Growth

Today just enforced my knowledge that I still have room for growth in this whole journey. I did not have an Herbalife shake at all today. I had some toast for breakfast, popcorn for a mid-morning snack. Panda Express for lunch and now we are enjoying some salad with salmon and barley for dinner. We DID make it to the gym tonight, but all the "resolutioners" were out in full force so we cut the workout short.

I just hope that tomorrow can be a much better day and tonight I get enough sleep to start fresh in the morning and get mentally back on track with my goals.

Goals for the rest of the week:
2 more work outs (45 min each)
2 Herbalife shakes/day

Seeing the Progress

Today was another wonderful day. Granted it was a Monday, which means work is always crazy, but I got a great start to the day. I got on the scale this morning and have lost almost 2lbs already! (Not bad for the first week, eh?) Seeing that progress helped me to keep my focus on my eating today. I had a Herbalife shake for breakfast and one for lunch as well. Dinner was chicken enchiladas and I made them! Nate does most of the cooking--he tells me he enjoys it--and I was glad to get to cook a meal for him tonight.

We were going to work out tonight, but that didn't happen. We did go to the gym yesterday and tomorrow we will go also, plus I'm planning on working out on the elliptical at work on my breaks tomorrow. Here's to the visible progress that always helps me stay motivated as I begin to make changes. I know I will not always lose at this rate, or feel this good, but I'm for sure going to enjoy the high of the first baby steps!

The 7th Day

Day 7 was a great day! I woke up and had some yogurt with granola--we were out of milk to make shakes and yogurt was my compromise. Then a good friend came over and we went on a brisk 30 minute walk together. I love getting to re-connect with friends! After she left, I had a protein shake with some cheese its for a snack.

I then left Nate at home for a few hours as I ran errands and went furniture shopping and Goodwill. :) Oh how I love a good bargain! We spent the evening with my family. Had chicken, steak and sweet potato fries for dinner, which I did pretty well controlling portion sizes. I was proud of myself! Then we all played Quelf and enjoyed many laughs while we played and watched the Lions vs. Saints football game. We are all football lovers in my family.

What a fun day. I got to relax, reconnect and recharge. Here's to an equally as relaxing Sunday.

Game Night!

Have you heard of Quelf? It is the most amazing board game I have ever played!
One thing you need to understand, I come from a family of very comptetitive people...we have long, dragged-out games that can last several hours because we take them to such extremes. In past years there have been many tears, laughter, arguments and victory dances in our family over simple board and card games.

Tonight was the perfect end to a hectic Friday. I only had one Herbalife shake today for a meal (breakfast), but lunch was Noodles and Company and dinner was a sensible bowl of home made turkey chili. After Nate picked me up from work, we picked up my baby sister (Christa, who is 11 years old) and took her to the Y with us. We did a 30 minute workout (intense but short) and then came home to dinner and games. My other sister, Amy, and her boyfriend, David, came over to enjoy games and dessert. That is when the adventures and fun began.

Quelf is an ever-changing board game that has 5 piles of caards you draw from and then that player has to do whatever is on that card. Some of the ridiculous things done tonight include: David acting as a Broadway chorous girl, Nate dancing like a ballerina, Amy wrote--and sang--a song for us, Christa having to wear a neck tie for half the game and myself having to snort like a pig every time I laughed. It was a blast! I highly recommend the game for a night of fun with friends and family.

The Ease of Herbalife

I have to take today to thank Herbalife for making my health venture so much easier. Today and yesterday, my husband and I did not make it to the gym. Usually I would feel guilty about having 2 days in a row off from a workout, but because I can control my caloric intake with the Herbalife meal replacement shakes, I'm able to stay on track. The Herbalife shake meal replacement is 170 calories with milk and the powder, sometimes I add some frozen fruit or powdered peanut butter which brings calories up to 250 max. Not bad for a meal! Herbalife focuses on the importance of having the right amount of protein in your diet for prolonged satiety--fullness feeling--as well. Each of their shakes has 9 grams of protein in it, plus they recommend boosting it some with their Personalized Protein Powder (5 grams of protein per scoop). They are also low in fat--1 gram per serving--and decently low in carbs as they have only 13 grams per serving.

 The other thing I like about the shakes is the cost; a Herbalife shake (prepared with milk and some fruit) is on average $2.50 per meal. I honestly don't know of another place I can get a low calorie AND nutritional meal for that cheap. Having these shakes will definitely help me keep my goal attainable (and guilt free on days like today).

Anywho, I'm headed off to enjoy my wild berry and yogurt shake with a small side salad for dinner. Here's to a simple, nutritional and easy meal!

the blur

Today...hmmm, quite honestly I don't remember much of the day. Work was exhausting and long. I did OK with my eating though. I had a Herbalife shake (chocolate peanut butter!) for breakfast while my morning snack was a hard boiled egg and whole wheat english muffin. Lunch was 2 tacos fresca and a side of nachos from Taco Bell (could have done better than "Toxic Hell", but at least I did the "fresca" ones this time). No snack this afternoon and then went grocery shopping to build up an appetite for dinner. Dinner was a small salad and we had some chips and salsa for a snack after.

Other than what I ate...I don't remember very much really. I have to say the highlight of my day was getting to run to Sams club over lunch with Amy and running into Nate and David--my sister, Amy's, boyfriend. Talk about coincidences! It definitely put a smile on my face for the afternoon though.

Now Nate and I are hanging out, watching Friends, and enjoying each other's company! I love ending my day this way.

Little Miss Sweet Tooth

Today I had a visit from my evil twin, Little Miss Sweet Tooth. I don't know about any of y'all, but I have a sweet tooth that rears it's head several times a week (if I'm being truly honest, several times a day). Today it seemed especially hard to resist the sweets. At the family practice office I work at, we have the best patients in the world, who spoil us with amazing home-baked goodies--especially around the Christmas season. All last month I posed a valiant resistance to the sweets, but today I gave in...and I mean badly. I had a buckeye (you know those peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate? oh.my.gosh) with my mid-morning break, another on my afternoon break, plus some peanut brittle and then went on the hunt for candy at 5 when I still had an hour of work left.
Today was definitely not my proudest of days, but I did have an Herbalife shake for breakfast and lunch. After my husband, Nate, picked me up from work, we went to the 'Y' and I Zumba'd my behind off for an hour! Now that we are home, we are sitting down to enjoy some salmon, cooked pearled barley and a nice salad. YUM!
Here's to a better tomorrow and the small successes of today!

Day 1: Setting the Tone

Today is the first day of my journey to a healthier life. I started with setting a goal to have two Herbalife meal replacement shakes each day for the next 30 days. I have enjoyed the ease and convenience of Herbalife shakes over the last couple years and I know they will make my goal more attainable. The point of the shakes is to cut down on caloric intake, but they still give me the nutrition that I need to get throught the day.
Eating record for Day 1:
For breakfast I had a Dutch Chocolate meal replacement shake.
Mid-morning I had some cheese, summer sausage and crakers.
Lunch was a #1 Chick-fil-a combo with a Diet Lemonade. (The only thing I changed all day in my diet was swapping my usual breakfast with a shake.)
Tonight my husband and I headed to our YMCA gym for a good 45 minute workout--oh it felt good to be back on that elliptical. Then for dinner tonight I had another meal replacement shake with a side salad and small (1.5oz) salmon filet. (I should have only had the shake, but couldn't resist the salad too...oh well, I just need to take baby steps.)
Now I'm in the mood to bake something! I LOVE to bake, always have, always will. Overall, I feel like my first day on this journey has set a good tone. I have room to improve (of course), but I'm optimistic that I'm moving in the right direction.

My Journey

My name is Katie Beth Huntley and I am inviting you to share in my journey to a "welllife." I don't know a single person who does not want to change something about themselves, whether it is their income, the size of their waist or their smile. This blog will allow me to share with you what I am setting out to change in myself. Maybe I'll make you laugh at my attempts, or perhaps even motivate you to change as well. Whatever the end product, I know that this journey will prove to be an adventure.

Let me fill you in on my journey until now:
Since I was in my early teen years, I struggled with my weight and self-confidence level. Like many young girls, I saw myself as "fat" for many years. I look back on photos now and think, "Wow! I was NOT fat...why did I always tell myself I was?" Throughout high school and college, I attempted several diets to lose weight, but the number was all I cared about. Today, however, I know that the number on the scale does not always equal healthy. My goal, as I begin this journey, is to change my lifestyle to create a healthier me. I would love for you to follow me in my journey. (Maybe you will even decide to start one of your own)
~KB