How Refreshing!

This past week has been one of the most refreshing I've had in a while! It was an incredible mixture of productivity, relaxing, hanging out with dear friends, and shopping :)

It all started last weekend. I went to NWA with one of my best friends, Sarah. Saturday night we had a wedding to go to of a good college friend and Sunday was Sarah's birthday! The wedding was A BLAST! Our friend met his wife after college, so we didn't know her or their new circle of friends. So, there were only about 8 of us there that knew each other. It was perfect! We sat at the same table for dinner and all danced together. It was so fun to hang out and catch up on life!

Sarah and me!

With Victor, the groom!

Sunday, Sarah and I went to church and then her parents had a birthday party for her at their house. It was so sweet to meet her neighbors and family friends and to celebrate her day!

Monday night, I went to coffee with Allie, Haven, & Merritt. It was so good to hang out and catch up and get an hour together.

Wednesday night, I spent hours browsing Old Navy, TJ Maxx, and Target. PERFECT night! I got a new dress from Old Navy and a cute dress from TJ Maxx! Can't wait to wear them! I love browsing and shopping with no agenda and no time frame.

Last night, I went to Chris & Melissa's house and hung out with them and baby Evan. He is the cutest child! :) His personality is starting to come out and he was loving me ;) He was talking and smiling and laughing at me - melt my heart.

Today was SUPER refreshing. I woke up around 7 (no alarm) and started the day by grocery shopping. I know I sound like a mom (or grandma!) but I love shopping on Saturday mornings before the crowds hit. Then, I DEEP cleaned my apartment. I vacuumed, dusted, did dishes, did laundry, organized, straightened...everything. It feels so so so good! I looooooooove a clean apartment!

Thank you Jesus for giving me a refreshing, enjoyable week! 

25 for 25

In honor of turning 25, I'm giving you 25 random facts/confessions about myself:

 1 - My favorite animals are elephants and giraffes. I really want to go on an African safari one day!

2 - I can touch my tongue to my nose. 

3 - My sophomore year of college I dyed my hair. I will never do that again. 

4 - I lived in Breckenridge, CO for 3 summers during college. Summit County will always have a piece of my heart and I'm itching to go back asap (just not in the winter....)

5 - I am NOT an animal person. Yes, I do have 2 fave animals but notice they are not ones I will run into on a normal basis and have to pet (except in India and when that happens, you pet and ride the elephant!) Yes, I had dogs and cats growing up and I love my own animals. But, I don't do well with animals and I just don't love them. Sorry. 

6 - Pink is my favorite color. 

7 - I worked at Dairy Queen for a summer (in CO).

8 - I also worked at an Oxygen Bar for a summer (also in CO).

9 - Summer is my favorite season. I would be happy to never experience winter again. I would also be happy to find a way to have snow days during summer weather. 

10 - When I read a book series or watch a TV series, I get attached. The characters become my friends. I start referencing them by first name, like we know each other, and I'm always telling their stories (I can relate any life situation to a Friends episode.) So, when they're over, I cry. And, I don't mean just a few tears...I'm talking sobs. I still cry like a baby during Michael's last 2 episodes of the Office & the last episode of Friends, no matter how many times I watch them. 

11 - I love writing with colored pens & I love marking out my to-do list at work with colored sharpie.
12 - When clothes shopping, I navigate towards blues, without even realizing it. My closet is full of shades of blue - stripes, solids, plaids, polka dots.
13 - I love to read.
14 - I love candles. Any time I am home for a few hours, I'm burning a candle.
15 - I'm very clumsy & I bruise 'like a peach' (name that show...hint - see #10).
16 - I was on Drill Team in 7th & 8th grade. I was a cheerleader in 9th grade & 11th-12th grade. My sophomore year I took off, had foot surgery, and was football manager & water girl.
17 - I miss cheerleading - stunting, cheering, dances, jumps, all of it.
18 - I enjoy getting older - it means I'm wiser ;) (hopefully). I don't like drama that the younger years often bring.
19 - I've cut my hair 3 times to donate it.
20 - Country music is my favorite music of all time.
21 - Sweet vs. Salty = sweet every.single.time. I rarely salt my food. I could always eat something sweet.
22 - I really like naps.
23 - My family means the world to me.
24 - I enjoy trips to Wal-Mart or the grocery store. I like perusing the aisles and taking my time (unless there are a million people there.)
25 - I want to live in India. 

Weekend in NWA

I had the best time in NWA this weekend!! I got to do so many fun things and spend time with such fun people!

Friday, I got to Bentonville, a little after noon. Jason, Sarah, and I went to Crystal Bridges, a new art museum up there. It was so cool! I'm usually not into that kind of stuff but I really really enjoyed it. Next, we went to the pool! What else do you do on a warm sunny afternoon?! :) That night we met up with Megan for dinner then headed to the Naturals game. Shawn met us there and after the game they had an incredible fireworks show!!! Since I didn't get to see fireworks on the 4th (burn ban), this was a great replacement! We went back to Sarah's house and stayed up late talking.

Sarah and I outside Crystal Bridges

Meg, Sarah, and I at the Naturals game

Meg, Sarah, me, Jason (a little kid took this so it's kind of blurry)

 Saturday, we slept in, then went to the original Walton's 5-10 store. It was cool to see the history of Wal-Mart. I learned so much about that family and the store and am amazed at how it's grown! We walked around the Bentonville square and then grabbed lunch at the Flying Fish. That afternoon, we went our separate ways until we met up at our friends' wedding. Sarah and I went to the pool. Literally, as soon as we walked through the gates, it thundered. So, we weren't allowed in the water - instead, we laid out and sweated off lots of calories! That night, we went to the wedding. It was a blast! There was great food, yummy cake&cupcakes, lots of dancing, and tons of great friends.

Me and Sarah! Reunited at last! 

Me and Allison - great friend!!

My weekend in NWA was fun, relaxing, and refreshing! I'm so blessed with incredible friends!

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th of July!! I love this holiday! It's smack dab in the middle of summer (my fave season) & there are so many great things about it:
Fireworks
SUN
Laying out
Music
Fam & Friends
Day off :)

It's the first time, that I can remember, being in Arkansas and not being at the lake. In college, I was always in Colorado or India for the 4th. The rest of my summers, I am ALWAYS at the lake! But, the mid-week celebration threw some glitches in the plan. So, I'm laying out solo today and making some plans for tonight.

Happy 4th! Don't get too hot, stay safe, and remember the people who fought and still fight to keep us free.

F.R.I.E.N.D.S

I have the best friends ever!!! Huge thanks to Chris & Melissa and Nick & Megan for letting me use one of their cars while mine was in the shop!! Holy cow are my friends servants. Their willingness to let me use a car for 1-2 days at a time is such a blessing. Even in the midst of frustrating car problems, God reminded me of His faithfulness and provision through these amazing friends! Love them!

And...skyping with friends in India always reminds me of how blessed I am too! I got to Skype with Alison this a.m. and Grant, Nicole, & Baby Jack and Kelsey tonight. Love my friends!!

Basking in God's faithfulness and His blessings as I drift off to sleep...

no motivation

i've been m.i.a. because i've had NO motivation to write a new post. life and work and sleep habits and eating habits have been crazy crazy busy and out of whack. so much so that i sleep in any free time i have. hence the no posts in a million years.

recap:
-i've been out of town the past 17 weekends (exaggeration but it's been at least the past 5)
-april staff training in tulsa 1.5 weeks ago for 6 days
-a million projects and to-do lists at work to prep our summer events
-finishing perspectives (it's over! i loved it but i'm pumped for the extra time)
-sleeping and relaxing all weekend at the lake this past weekend (to recover from april staff training sleep deficit)
-staying up 'til at least 12 or 1 or 2 every night at AST (i quickly found out i'm no longer a college student)
-still loving my macbook pro
-pumped to start eating healthy and working out again next week - will be using some healthy pinterest recipes now that i have a working computer
-love my fam - loved the time with them at the lake

random: i took a nap after work today and now i'm getting everything crossed off my home to-do list...at 9:30pm when i should be winding down

next post...my plan to switch all my makeup products to e.l.f. products. get excited! :)

Super Hero Birthdays & Bachelorettes

Last weekend was packed full of great times! Friday night I attended a Super Hero Birthday Party for one of my 501 friends' husband. He loves super heroes so that was the party theme! It was so fun just hanging out with friends and celebrating a birthday!

Some of us at the party!

Saturday, I got an early oil change and then headed to Fayetteville for Hayley's wedding shower and Bachelorette party! So so fun!! There were a ton of people at the shower & Hayley and Taylor got some great stuff!

Wedding Party & House Party before the shower!

Me & Allison - love this girl!

Me, Allison, & Tash

After the shower, we headed up to Rogers to go out to eat and stay at a hotel to spend even more time with Hayley! We had a great time!

Dinner at On the Border!

Sunday, I left super early to beat the storms home & took a LONG nap at my mom's house. It was much needed! Then, I set up my new computer and just spent time with my mom and brother. It had been way too long since we spent low-key quality time together.

I had a wonderful weekend! Looking forward to a good week and another fun wedding weekend!!

Weekend in Pics

 Good Friday: Church service @ Fellowship then dinner and froyo with friends

Hillary; Al, Hil, & Adam @ Orange Leaf; Beautiful Merritt; Allie, me, & Brandon @ Chipotle

Allie & Hillary; all the girls after the Good Friday service; Merritt & Brandon w/froyo samples; Merritt & me

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easter Sunday: Church then lunch, dessert, & pics @ my aunt & uncle's house!

my fam!

all the cousins

me, mom, & nana - tradish 3 gen pic! :)

all the girls

So grateful for my fam & friends! Even more grateful for the death & resurrection of our Savior!!!

Mid-Week Confessions

1. I had Chick-Fil-A for dinner last night. That was my first full meal since Friday night. I probably only ate a days worth of calories Saturday, Sunday, Monday, & Tuesday (before CFA) combined. That's how sick I was. And all of those calories came from saltines & 2 bites of oatmeal. Literally. I couldn't eat anything.
2. I'm ready to  be 100% again. Today, I'm back to nauseous. Ugh. Must.Get.Well. So much to do!
3. I haven't worked out since Friday morning's last Jillian sesh. I know I need to rest but it's killing me to not work out. After creating a habit & instilling that desire...I want to work out!
4. Getting sick is a great not-so-fun (but effective) way to push past that weight-loss plateau. Chalk me up for another 2 lbs lost.
5. INSTAGRAM FOR ANDROID CAME OUT!!!!!!! Sorry to yell about that but finding that out made.my.day!! Normally Android is up to speed on their apps but instagram took waaaaaaaaaaaaaay tooooooooooo loooooooooooooong to come out. However, it's out & I'm a happy camper. Follow me @: morgantedder. What is your instagram name?!?!
6. I tried to order my *NEW* Macbook Pro last night! Woo hoo! But...debit cards have an online limit. No worries - I drove myself over to the bank first thing this morning, they increased my limit for the day, & it's being purchased today (along with a hot pink neoprene sleeve...DUH). This girl is a double happy camper. My dell is 4.5 years old & takes 10 minutes to turn on & warm up. Every webpage freezes for at least 4 minutes. I'm not exaggerating at all. This is truth.
7. My nails are very Easter approp. My toenails are pastel blue. My fingers are mint green with a lilac accent on the ring fingers.
8. Sorry that #1-4 are all about being sick. That's been my life this week.
9. I need to take more pictures of my life so this blog is more interesting...instagram should help with that! :)
10. Here's a pic of me & Al at the wedding this weekend!

11. I traded Jillian DVDs with a friend. While she uses 30 Day Shred, I'm using No More Trouble Zones! I'm excited!!
12. I'm in my first tank top of the season without a jacket & I feel a little bare/scandalous. I'm not...but I feel that way because I was constricted by layers for all of winter.
13. I just found out we're closed Friday for Good Friday. Unexpected surprises like this bring me so much joy!

No Wedding Cake for Me

Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred in 30 straight days was successfully completed!! Woo hoo! Friday morning I woke up at 6:00 am & did my last sesh. It felt great to finish it!!

Friday afternoon, Allie & I headed up to Fay for Will & Heather's wedding! Friday night was a fun rehearsal & dinner and then a decently early-to-bed night. Finally, Saturday, the day had arrived! Allie & I arrived at the hotel for her to do hair & me to keep things on time. After the bride & bridesmaids left, Allie and I got ready and then headed to the barn to be ready for the festivities! The wedding was beautiful, the reception was fun, & they're now Mr. & Mrs.!!

Sunday, I had big plans of running and lifting weights and starting my April out with a workout bang. That is, until I threw up at the above wedding reception & ran 100.4 fever ALL DAY Sunday. Fever is no fun. Let me tell you. You can't get comfortable. You hurt all over. You just want to sleep. You can't eat. NO FUN. I didn't come into the office until 1ish today. My brain hurts & is super foggy & I can't concentrate on much & I'm skipping Perspectives tonight. I'm so grateful God kept me well until I finished the 30 Day Shred, so that I could complete it fully!!

The title of this post refers to the fact that I didn't eat wedding cake because of how sick I was. If you've been reading this blog long at all, you should know my love for sweets and that this is a big deal. Even today I kind of regret not eating at least a little bit of it! (that's how much I LOVE wedding cake). I also have been drinking Diet Coke since Saturday. When I'm sick, water is not appealing. I had to have some flavor. This April is def not starting off how I imagined it would with working out hardcore, staying with only water, & eating healthy...but God is in control and I'm just grateful to be feeling better & getting rest!

Cheat Days

Running after a cheat day is HARD. I gave myself a cheat day last Friday because friends were in town & I had a wedding shower to go to that night (cake...duh). Saturday, I was regretting that cheat day. I had the worst run I've had in a long time. I could barely run 5 minutes. TERR.I.BLE. No more cheat days for me. I'm increasing the fruits, veggies, & lean meats & getting strict again!

I only have 5 days of 30 Day Shred left. Woo hoo! I can't believe it! I am obsessed with Jillian now...can't wait to get more DVDs!

This weekend is Ganson's wedding!!!!! YAY! Cannot wait...I've been waiting for this since the summer of 2010 ;)

I found a dress yesterday for the Rehearsal Dinner. I ran to TJ Maxx on my way back into cway & tried on like 9 dresses. None of those were screaming "buy me!" As I handed them to the worker, a random dress on the dressing room "no thanks" rack caught my eye. I tried it on & LOVED it! I brought it home & figured out I literally have like 11 different jewelry options. This dress will probably end up being one of the best purchases ever. Score. I'll try to post some pics from Friday - or you might have to wait until Easter (yes, I already know I'm wearing that dress for Easter too).

God & I are getting close. As an almost 25 year old single girl whose future is only known by God & who is coming up on the end of her 2nd year of her 3 year contract, I'm going to God with questions & requests for wisdom, clarity, understanding, discernment, etc. to know what the next step is. It's scary. It's exciting. It's weird. It's faith building. It's trust building. It's mysterious. It's part of life. It's drawing me nearer to Him. I love it.


Other than the storms in the middle...I'm loving this 10-day. Bring on summer!

Partly Cloudy

Mostly Sunny

Isolated T-Storms

Isolated T-Storms

Isolated T-Storms

Sunny

Partly Cloudy

Sunny

Sunny

85°

86°

86°

82°

79°

83°

81°

77°

78°

Storms

The torrential downpours, tornado watches, & severe thunderstorm warnings got the best of me last night. I wussed out on driving to LR (I got Chan's permission & he understands my fear of storms/driving in the rain) & stayed in Conway instead. I got home from work, cooked & ate dinner, then proceeded to relax on the couch before working out. 1.5 hours later, I woke up & got productive. haha. I folded my laundry, started on Perspectives, finished Level 2 of Jillian, caught up on some TV shows, spent time with God, & welcomed my apt guest for the week. Good thing I took that nap because Ganson didn't get there 'til midnight! We stayed up until past 1 talking & less than 6 hours later my alarm went off. You better believe I pressed snooze for quite a while this morning. It's ok though...I can handle a few nights of not much sleep if Gans is with me!!

Tonight, I'll start level 3 of Jillian. I'm excited to see what is in store but a little terrified at the same time - I have a feeling it's going to be much harder!

I kind of wish I could be at home, in bed, napping right now. But, I'm a working gal now & I don't get the college luxuries of spring breaks, month long Christmas breaks, or daily naps. Don't get me wrong - I love my life, my job, & not having to study...but on days like today, where I'm tired & it's raining, my bed is calling my name. I have loved naps my whole life & I will always love naps. Promise. :)

Stay dry, my friends! Good news - it's not supposed to rain this weekend! We can make it!

Pi Day

Yesterday was great! I got a lot accomplished at work. It was sunny & 80* out. God met me in my quiet time & I enjoyed His company. I made some support calls & got a few appts lined up! Some Fay friends came down for a cookout. We hung out & had delicious pie afterwards (you have to have pie on pi day!) We drove around to see some of the cway trademarks (Stoby's & the Hendrix tunnel). Then....at 11:00 pm...I went home & did 30 Day Shred because I hadn't done it yet! Holy Cow. I'm just going to toot my own horn & say I'm so proud of myself & feel so accomplished. Haha. Not only was I just up hanging out past my bedtime...I actually worked out past my bedtime! Wow. Ok, enough about that. I failed at getting up to SHRED this morning (I had only gotten 5 hrs of sleep when my original alarm went off-who can blame me?!) so it will be another late night of shredding (after 501) but I'm okay with that! I'm just excited that I actually desire to work out & crave doing it everyday! Haven & I even agreed that we could give ourselves yesterday off if we wanted to because we were hanging out so late...but I just couldn't do it. I committed to 30 days in a row & I'm going to finish my commitment!

In other news, I'm obsessed with this weather. I plan on being outside as much as possible this weekend (except that I just looked at the weather & there are clouds & lightning on each day...boooo). Maybe I'll just have to shop for some new jeans instead (my old ones are too big! woo hoo!)

Next week, my youngest bro turns 20. What?!?! None of us will be teenagers anymore - we are ALL in our 20's! Time is flying. But, I sure do love how my relationships with my bros mature/grow as we get older & in more similar phases of life. (they still treat me like I'm the younger sister that they think is an idiot...but, hey, I know it's all in love). I love my fam!

Happy Thursday, friends! 1 day closer to the weekend!

My Faves

These girls mean the world to me! We had a great night at Stickyz for the Leap Day Show! I'm beyond blessed by their friendship!!

Leap Day

There isn't much to write about today except that it's LEAP DAY! A day that only comes once every 4 years deserves it's own post, right? I kind of think it should be some kind of holiday ;) It's been a great Leap Day!!

I had some great time with God this morning.

I'm wearing my new leopard flats & a scarf and bangle from India today (any day I wear an India item is a great day!).

I got to Skype with Kels & get some great updates on life.

There have been some great convos/hang out seshes around the office today.

There is an Adam Hambrick/Andy Davis Leap Day Concert in LR tonight that me & the girls are going to! Fun times are def ahead.

It's also the last day before the 30 Day Shred. Which might warrant me eating something sweet ;) but probably not, since I'm trying to be disciplined.

Happy Leap Day!! I wonder what I'll have to write about on Feb29,2016?! That's fun to think about :)

Let's Dance! & other weekend festivities

I took a Ballroom Dancing class in college & had a lot of fun with it! It was a simple, 1-hr class that was a much needed break in the midst of nursing school. Since that semester, I've done 0 ballroom dancing...until Friday night! There is a community center in LR that does Ballroom Dancing 3 Friday nights a month. A bunch of 501-ers went last week & had a blast!

Haven, me, Courtney, Allie, Laura

love these friends dearly!!

Saturday, I got brunch with a dear friend & then headed out to shop! Even without getting anything (that was not the case this time!), shopping is so therapeutic. I love to wander & peruse through stores & get inspiration for new outfits. I thrifted a couple of great shirts from Savers & got 3 great pairs of flats from Target! They may or may not be the exact same in different colors.
        

Yep, all 3! Leopard, nude, & black. No buyers remorse or guilt here!

Saturday night, I got to celebrate the birthdays of 3 friends by going to a joint party! It was a casual, laid-back night but still fun! I started getting tired around 10:00 so I peaced out pretty early...it might also have had something to do with where I was in Mockingjay (Book 3 of The Hunger Games) & the fact that I was so ready to finish! However, I read 10-20 pages & fell fast asleep.

Sunday, I went to the early service at church so I could get back to cway to get everything accomplished on my to-do list. However, half of those didn't happen because it's ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE to put down Mockingjay during the last 200 pages. So, I finished the book. I'm sad it's over - I get real attached to the characters during series & I'm always sad to finish. That afternoon, I went on a long walk/run in the beautiful 70-degree weather & lifted some weights. Loving the spring-like weather!!!!

also, loving this quote! i love lifting weights!

Friends, have a great week! Enjoy your extra day in February! :) This Thursday, March 1st, I'm starting the 30-day Shred w/a friend. If you want to say a prayer for us, we're gonna need it! ;)