the real settling in.

one of the hardest things to do when you move in with anyone is to combine things.  you are so used to having your own things (no matter how broken or out of date they are) around you.  but when you really start looking into it more often then not, one person has things the other doesnt or has the better quality.  one has the better tv, the other has the better dvd player.  it helps in the beginning to not have to rush out and buy things immediately, but what happens when you want to start upgrading?

its usually the girl first, lets be honest, who brings up the purchasing of new things.  that was definitely true in our case as well.  it started right around the middle of december.  we had been in the apartment about 2 months and i started looking around noticing that the bookshelf was mine, the tv was richards, the bedroom furniture was mine, the couch was richards.  the only things in our apartment at the time that was ours were the christmas decorations and those were going in boxed in a matter of weeks.

for me it wasnt just about the purchase of new things, it was about purchasing things together.  it was about making our apartment ours.  the couch was the very first thing on the list.  that futon was soooo uncomfortable.  it was a great starter, not a forever.  the purchasing process, well that was something else completely.  if you havent heard that story, well please enjoy.

to go from this...

to this...huge upgrade.

it was our first big purchase as a couple and that really meant we were in this together.  not just going on vacations together, or moving in together, or sharing bills.  it was no longer a his and her thing, it is an us thing now.

after that purchase, i was bitten by the decorating bug.  i wanted to purchase like there was no tomorrow.  new bed sets, lamps, wall decor, everything.  now i didnt, my budget quickly halted me.  as did the fact that i wasnt the only opinion that mattered.  if i was going to buy a large picture to go over the couch, i needed to ask for richards opinion.  not because i had too or needed too.  because we are in this together and he deserves to have an opinion too.

i quickly made the deal that i would buy the bed set if he would buy the lamps for the bedroom.  this way we could both purchase something important and on our own time lines.  of course mine wanted to be a lot quicker, part of being a girl i guess.  we had found the perfect bed set months earlier.  not too girlie, not too much color, actually had color, it was perfect.  ps i am still waiting on the new lamps.

the upgrade from an all white comforter.  love.

the next thing on my mental checklist was a ceiling fan.  you may remember my rant about fans from the previous summer/winter/staying at richards.  the loud fan had to go before the summer rolled around.  once it started getting warmer and we knew it was only going to get warmer richard came around to the idea of a ceiling fan.  it was economical, better circulation, and soooo much quieter.  we did quite a bit of looking for this as we always do with big purchases.  and finally found a great one.

from the loudest fan on the planet

to a much quieter and fashionable one.

these are the little things you start to appreciate when are past the newness stage.  youve lived together for over 6 months, there arent an influx of holidays to keep you busy, and you are really seriously living together.  who knew a new couch and fan could start to turn an apartment into a home. 

the runniversary.

today is my official 2 year runniversary! i can't believe 2 years has gone by so fast. as soon as you tell people that you run one of their 1st questions is why and the 2nd is usually how did you even get started?? let's begin with the 2nd one...

growing up i was a very athletic kid. i started playing soccer in the 2nd grade and never looked back. it helped me figure out who I was at a very young age. i played club soccer in california and when we moved to las vegas when I was in 6th grade it was a great way to make friends and find a place to fit it. i was never the star, but i was consistent. when i was 12 the many practices, games, and tournaments began to catch up with me and my knees started having a lot of pain. after a few doctor visits i found out i had osgood-schlatter disease in both knees. very common in young athletes, it means you body is growing faster than your muscles, and the tendons are now pressing on your knee caps. with this experience i began learned how important it is to take care of your body. i went back to playing pretty quickly and backed off when i needed too.

once starting high school i had a while new world open up to me in the way of sports, and i dove right in started immediately playing hs tennis while still playing club soccer.

yep, im the one with the awkward (and uneven) shinguard tan.

i had also started referring young kids soccer on the weekends when i didn't have games and i was one of the weird kids that actually did things in pe because i was so active everywhere else. then hs soccer only during the winter. but when spring rolled around i stared track, while still playing club ball, referring, and pe 5 days a week. it didnt last long. i began having really awful pain in my left knees and finally convinced my parents it was way more than last time. finally the doctor diagnosed me with patellar tendinitis, fallen arches, and my knee cap was falling to the outside of my knee. this meant no more sports, cold turkey, and physical therapy 2 times a week.

thinking back now, im not really sure i ever really got back into things after that. it took the wind out of my sails a little bit and i wasnt really sure what do after that. i started playing indoor soccer with a fantastic all womens team in which i was the youngest by far. i showed up on monday nights every week and played for an hour and went home. i didnt have to worry about practices or politics or whos friends with who this week. i met some amazing women there. i left during my sophmore year of high school to move to arizona and didnt really ever find a fitness groove.  i put on weight and didnt know how to motivate myself.

fast forward to may 2009, right about 2 years later. my best friend tiffany and i went out on a whim and traveled to nashville, tenessee to visit a very good friend, jp. he and tiffany met in a bar randomly about a year before. i had met him also in a bar when he came to visit las vegas for a bachelor party and kept saying we should come visit.

 

that trip changed my life. it had always been a secret dream to complete a 1/2 marathon. talking with jp and understanding why he runs, he helped me see that life doesnt have to be perfect for me to start something like that. i came home the very next day and started running. it was one of the hardest things to start. i was really sore for quite a few days. and then it started to just fall into place.

i completed my 1st race on august 15th. police and fire 10k

i finished in 1:03:39!! it was my warmup for the real races. it totally started a new a chapter in my life. and so began my 1/2 marathon craziness.

#1 long beach internation marathon and half marathon

long beach, california

october 11th, 2009



having a fantastic support team is extremely important:)

 finished in 2:17:20!  i was totally addicted after this!!  this race changed everything, i realized that this was something i could do. and not just once, but over and over until i was done.

#2  disney princess half marathon

orlando, florida

march 7th, 2010






 finish in 2:14:35!! with this race i learned not to take training for granted. i slacked big time in this race, and i paid for it equally as big. this was however one of the funnest races i have ever seen. it taught me you can have a blast and race at the same time. if you ever get the chance to do a disney race you must do it! and dont forget to take a camera, you will regret it if you dont.

#3 disneyland half marathon 

anaheim, california

september 5th, 2010



 finished in 2:20:33!! this extra 6 minutes for pictures with all the disney princesses, mary poppins, jesse, and running through angel stadium was totally worth it. i got back to focusing on myself and even gaining the weight i did with the protein shake, i learned to listen to my body.

#4  country music nashville marathon and half

nashville, tenessee

april 30th, 2011



only runners think this is funny:)



finished in 2:13:22!! this race was a huge win for me. i returned to where it all started, i set a new pr (personal record), and really figured out how to balance my life. i didnt let training take over my life like it had in the past. i lost the weight i gained last time plus a little extra, thanks to the help of calorie counting. this was the toughest and best spectated race i have ever run.

running has absolutely changed my life. i have become so much more confident in myself and centered in my life. i am willing to take new risks. i have become so much healthier. i have met fantastic people. i have entered a whole new world of running. and now people are actually asking for my opinion on their training plans. it can take you to see places you never thought it would.

with the answer to the 2nd question... i run to be a better me. i run to be whole.

the photo shoot.

awhile back a friend of ours, jesi lee, asked if we would be models in helping to expand her portfolio.  i was instantly excited, i have always wanted to have professional photos outside of a studio.  but wasnt sure if richard would be equally excited.  so you can imagine my happy surprise when he instantly said yes!  we quickly worked out the details with jesi and reserved our date for 3 weeks out.  this of course meant that we got to go shopping:)  we had decided to go with black tees and jeans with pink as an accent color.  richard actually chose pink.

we had agreed on lake las vegas, one of my favorite places, on a sunny saturday afternoon.  the weather was fantastic with just the right amount of breeze.  we stopped by jesi's house to grab her on the way.  she dove into shooting as soon as we got there.  in the beginning it was a little awkward, i wont lie.  neither one of us had ever had a professional photo shoot and wasnt sure how to look like we were acting normally. 

all photos from:  jesi lee photography

after the first few shots and moving to a few different locations we both lightened up fairly easily.  it was a really fun day.  jesi laughed and joked with us the whole time, making it super easy to go with the flow.

 love, love.

 

the way she photoshopped these pics makes them even better!  i love the soft light she added and all the touch up she did.  and it was all so fast!  we had photos on facebook (of course) the next evening.  

richards favorite.

 one of my favorites!

 this was actually the place of our first "real" date.  also the night that richard asked me to be his girlfriend.

everyone that has seen these pictures has absolutely gushed!  they came out amazing.  anytime you need more models jesi, you just let us know!  thank you so much for the opportunity.  now we have perfect practice for the future:)


dont forget...jesi lee photography.  check out all her fantastic shoots!  or become a fan on facebook.