CHICAGO!!!

A little late is better than never right?? Last weekend we took a spontaneous adventure to Chicago. We started out by going to Toledo, Ohio for a midnight service! It was an awesome time of getting to know the people there and being a part of the House we're connected to.

The next day was Saturday and as we were getting ready to leave for home.  Brandon suggested we go to Chicago. Joel responded by saying that it was only 4 1/2 hours away and after Hollie said "I'm down" all I could say was "Are we really going to Chicago right now?" The next thing I knew we were driving to Chicago!

We had the best time. Here are a few pics of the trip.  Can I just say that Joel is a superman who can drive all night non-stop and not even flinch?  I was able to sleep during my normal sleep hours thanks to him.

It was so much fun getting to go without having to ask for permission or worry about anyone else.  We won't be able to do this when we have kids one day, so I'm glad we did it now!

A Healthier Me

    For the past couple months, I feel like I've started to take care of my body (inside and out) a little more.  I've been drinking my protein shakes (and shedding a few pounds) and feel a lot better and more energized physically. And I've recently starting running on the treadmill to get some exercise.  I'm hoping that I can continue to keep this up.  The shakes are coming easily these days - I honestly feel kinda gross when I eat too much or eat unhealthily.  I'm actually craving healthy stuff - which is awesome! The hard part is waking up before school to run on the treadmill. I'm hoping an earlier bed time will help some. I really do feel better when I run early.  It's also convenient because it gives me some time to watch something good on Brandon's ipad and it helps to wake me up!
    On a different note - I've started using Mary Kay products and started taking better care of my skin (I feel good about preventing wrinkles - even at the young at of 23). It's nice to get into a routine of washing your face and pampering yourself before you go to bed. It's an extra step - but I really like it.
    So tonight - I'm excited because I'm adding to my list. Over break I had a bad habit of staying up late and sleeping late. This is not going to work for a lot of reasons (One being that I have to get up at the crack of dawn) But also - I want to spend a better amount of not-so-rushed time reading my Bible.  I'm going to try to get to bed a substantial amount earlier so I won't feel so tired when reading.  Then I can also get to sleep a little earlier and get more rest.  I'm hoping I can keep up these new routines. I do feel like a healthier me.
    So here is me heading to bed at 9:00 - I'm going to read and still get to bed before 10:00. Then my 5:15 wake up time won't seem so early! I know this won't work every night but for tonight - I'm pumped. Goodnight!!