Friday Happenings and Our Beach House

Happy Friday!!

I survived my continuing education course this morning.  The speaker was actually pretty good, so it wasn’t totally unbearable!  Plus, I had my oats and Love Grown Granola to save me.  :)

Today when I got home, I was completely tanked.  I don’t know why, but ever since last night I have felt like my body is full of lead.  I came home and ate lunch and then sacked out on the couch.  I think I slept for a good hour and a half.  So not like me to take naps, but obviously I needed it.

I didn’t go to the wedding rehearsal tonight with Luvy because I feel super weak and a bit dizzy.  I didn’t think being out in the heat would help me out much.  I have been drinking my Fitmixer aminos to help me feel better!  Actually, when I told Luvy how I was feeling he immediately said… drink your aminos!  :)  He loves the Fitmixer too!

Since I’m feeling off, I’m just resting and taking it easy.  I think that is something we need to do more for ourselves!

Okay enough about me being a big whiney baby…  :)  I hope you guys aren’t sick of hearing about my Siesta Key vacation yet…. because I’m not done talking about it!  Seriously, can I go back already??  

When Luvy and I go down, we usually stay in the same condo every year.  However, we decided to go down last minute this year, and our condo was already taken!!  Say it ain’t so!!  I was so upset.

After some looking around, Luvy found The Banana Bay Club.

Luvy e-mailed them, and Jimmy was super quick to respond to us.  He ended up giving us an incredible deal.  when we got there, we were supposed to be in Villa #3.  We stayed there one night, but there was some plumming issues going on.  

Instead of sending out a plummer, Jimmy asked us if we wanted to move to a different villa.  He said that there were several open including the 3 bedroom Beach House.  He said we could upgrade at no additional cost.  Umm… heck yes!

So, Luvy and I ended up staying in the large and very spacious Beach House!

It has one “master” bedroom and 2 smaller bedrooms.  

One bath.

A nice spacious living room. 

A very nice kitchen.  Even though I only made popcorn, sandwiches, yogurt, and oats in there.

Huge dining area.  This space also doubled for Luvy’s study.

Plus, a great deck area.  We usually ate breakfast out here…..when the mosquitos weren’t eating us up.

The only downfall is that you have to walk about 2 minutes to the beach.  It was no big deal to us at all.  I actually really liked the walk.  Plus, you got to walk right beside this big guy:

Isn’t this place incredible??

It is actually privately owned by Gary from 1-800-ask-gary.  Obviously he isn’t doing so shabby.

The only thing that I wish it had was a view of the ocean.  It rained for a little while a couple of the days we were there, and it would have been nice to still been able to see the ocean.  However, we were extremely happy with where we stayed!

When you go on vacation do you ever stay at the same place?

What are you all up to this weekend??

Love and Mawwage

We made it back home!

Luvy and I caught our flight back to Tennessee early Friday morning.  You all know how I told you that lizards were EVERYWHERE at Siesta Key??  Well, they were everywhere in Orlando too!

One decided to have a sleep over in our HOTEL ROOM!   Luvy found this little guy on the alarm clock.  We tried to catch him, but he could jump!  Needless to say.. I didn’t get much sleep that night.  

We were up at 3:30am to catch our plane.  Friday both of us were walking zombies, but we didn’t have anything on the agenda except our friends Houston and Kristen’s wedding rehearsal.  

It was so nice seeing friends that we haven’t seen in years since we live in Kentucky!

I got to see the Ashleys plus hang out with my sweet April!

Before Houston was whisked away by the real photographer, I snagged a pic of him and Luvy.  We also got to catch up with Randy Davis and Jeanne!  Plus, we got to catch up with Ashley’s (bottom left) husband, Jarrod (bottom right).

Here are some pics of the happy couple during the ceremony!  

The pics are dark… I didn’t want to use the flash.  :)

I am so incredibly thankful that they had Luvy be a part of their big day and that we were able to celebrate with them.  I know that God has incredible things in store for them both!

We forgot to have someone snap a picture of us, so we had to settle on me taking on of us.

Not so bad…

After the wedding, we had to jet, because we had a 4.5 hour drive back to Kentucky!  I was so sad we didn’t get to go to the reception, but thankful for the time we did have with everyone.

Luvy and I have been exhausted today!  However, I was able to get to the grocery and do 3 loads of laundry. 

It feels so good to be home, but I’m so not looking forward to going back to work!

How was everyone’s weekend??

Do you all love going to weddings??  I do!

***Oh… and I took a video of Luvy and April singing at the wedding.  I am putting it up on my facebook page.  Well, at least I’m going to TRY to put it on there.  :)***

 

 

Guest Post: Leaps of Faith

Happy Saturday!  Today, Luvy and I are going to our good friend Houston’s wedding.  He and his beautiful bride are so excited!!

I’ll share the details later, but today I asked a good blog friend of mine, Alex, to share with you today.  Enjoy!

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When Brittany asked me to guest post, I couldn’t help but beam! I love her blog and enjoy reading it everyday.

For those of you that don’t know me, I am Alex over at The Run Within. I am a 22-year-old recent college graduate. After spending my whole youth in MA, I started four years in VA learning the southern lifestyle. Now, I am starting a brand new job in DC in a week. I am a runner, sister, daughter, celiac, humorous brown-eyed girl.

We are all accustomed to change, sometimes change that is bigger than others. Life is full of it (change) either happening when you least expect it or when you need it the most. Whether it is by choice or fate, change is a part of life.

A phrase that I have carried with me and kept close is LEAP OF FAITH. I know you may have heard of this in the Rent song, but to me it means a whole lot more. A leap of faith is one that is not always easy to make, but necessary to do. Leaps of faith have an unknown ending in many cases. That result that you won’t always be 100% certain of. I have taken many leaps of faith in my life. I don’t regret my leaps of faith because each one has taught me more about myself and others. I think it is so important to reflect on those leaps we have all taken because that is how you grow.

1. My leap of faith in recovery. March 2011 I entered inpatient treatment. After suffering five years with anorexia, I was living a meaningless and dare I say miserable life stuck in my ways. I needed a change, although I would have been the last to admit it. However, there was a part of me that knew life could be better, recovery could be worth it. I took that leap of faith and gave up all control. I entered the treatment center and never looked back. I am so grateful for that leap because I am able to stand here today and say I am in recovery. I could not have said that prior.
2. My leap of faith in my job. If you had asked me even six months ago what I was doing after college, I would have never thought I would be in DC out of college. When I applied for the Elrod Fellowship at my school, I wasn’t really sure why I was applying. I knew in college I got so much out of my community service work, but never saw non-profit as a career choice. Working for Build sort of fell in my lap but I am glad it did. It is everything I could ask for, a mentoring opportunity to benefit disadvantaged high school kids. Who knows if I will do this for more than a year, but I am taking that leap and giving it a try.
3. My leap of faith in opening up. I have always been a very closed off person. I was known by my family as always saying ‘I’m good’ rather than saying how I really felt. In order to build relationships though, it takes that openness with yourself and others. I started expressing my feelings, I started blogging and I asked for help when I needed it. We all need others in our life and I learned that this quality was not weakness but strength. Wasting life hiding who I was rather than embracing who I am is not worth it. I learned to be content in my gains, my losses and most of all content in just being me.

Leaps of faith are those moments you take on new challenges and try new things. I love hearing how people have taken their own leaps of faith and what they have received from it. Good or bad there is a lesson learned in these. I hope you all take those leaps of faith – life would be boring without them!

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Thanks Alex!

Have you all taken any big leaps of faith recently?