Write Me Away From Here

monday and back to reality after an amazing weekend filled with family, friends, shopping and yummy food. what more could a girl possibly ask for? since i was working nights over the thanksgiving holiday, i only was able to stop at my mom's briefly... thank goodness she always makes way too much food... plenty to dig into when i arrived and extra for work. win! my mom and i have gone black friday shopping since i can remember... and work wasn't going to stop us this year! as soon as i got out, i headed home to grab ben and we went out to battle the crowds for all the deals! i'm pretty sure we bought more for ourselves than actual christmas gifts... but... that's okay... right? how could we pass up such great deals? plus, i have no idea what to buy anyone!    ben's mom made another thanksgiving dinner on saturday since a few of us missed the actual holiday... score! more yummy food including paleo/gluten free soft gingerbread cookies (recipe  he

it's 6am on thanksgiving morning and i'm working... then i have to hurry home to sleep so i can wake up early, see my family for a short while, and head back to work tonight. awesome holiday, right? it actually is. sure, i'd prefer to be home with my family all day but this alternative is not too bad. i have a job... the one i've always wanted... and for that i am so thankful. i'm thankful for my family. often times we argue and fight and can't see eye to eye, but they are always there, loving me, supporting me, and keeping me in check. i'm thankful for ben. i have no idea what i did to deserve such an amazing partner in life but i have to be the luckiest girl around. and i'm over the moon excited to marry him in less than a year! i'm thankful for the best soon-to-be in-laws. thank the lord they aren't like the kind you see in movies! i'm thankful for our crazy puppies. they leave so much fur and dirt in our house and drive me cra

hey guys! i've been in a wicked rut lately and i think it's because i work too much and don't sleep enough. over the past few weeks, my workouts have been suffering and i've been playing gym hooky a lot... because that extra hour of sleep in the morning is so necessary. and then i have a terrible habit of beating myself up over crappy workouts and missed workouts. SO UNHEALTHY.  i have to frequently remind myself that sleep is such an important part of excelling in the gym and it's okay to sleep in sometimes (you know, until 0530 instead of 0430). i did lots of bitching and moaning this weekend about my lack of motivation and then, somehow, wha-la, i feel a lot better this week. waking up at 0430 isn't quite so painful as it's been lately and my early morning workout isn't quite so weak and slow. slowly but surely, i'm learning to listen to my body.  speaking of listening to my body, this whole paleo/gluten free adventure is awesome. at work

thanksgiving is less than a week away and i have no idea where 2017 went! from our engagement to new babies to our journey with crossfit and new work opportunities... such an amazing year is coming to an end and 2018 will bring all kinds of new excitement... you know... like our wedding!!! okay, back to thanksgiving... one of my favorite holidays because it includes some of my favorite things: time spent with loved ones and food... all the food.  you know that feeling when you eat a massive turkey dinner and feel like an oompa loompa but then you convince yourself you have room for apple pie and pumpkin pie and cakes and cookies? and then remember how awful you felt after but you tell yourself it's okay because it's thanksgiving and everyone stuffs themselves this much? yeah... that feeling is the worst and so unnecessary! although i've been trying to eat paleo and gluten free about 80-90% of the time, i'm a firm believer in not depriving yourself of foods y

such a dreary, rainy day but the perfect time to start decorating our house for the holidays. after a great workout that left both of my thighs bruised from the barbell repetitively slamming into me, i headed home, turned on some christmas music, and had at it.  the day started with meal prepping and making paleo pumpkin chocolate chip cookies for our gym's "cragsgiving." the cookies might look like little balls of poo, but they taste delicious (check out the recipe here ).  then some christmas decorating and hot chocolate. gotta wait until after thanksgiving for the tree... although i'd love to get it now, i think there'd be more pine needles on our living room floor than on the branches come christmas.  and then i made four bundles worth of sautéed kale and bacon for "cragsgiving" before heading to the gym. the community our gym has created is so amazing... such a fun night filled with tons of food and friends.  now... can you gues

working in medicine and law enforcement can make even the sweetest person jaded and bitter... and in my house we have one of each of these careers... great combination right? it's so easy to forget the reasons we chose these career paths... so incredibly easy... and every once in awhile, usually when we need it the most, something reminds us.  ever since i can remember, i wanted to be in the medical field to "help people." i remember interviewing for physician assistant school and when the interviewer asked why i wanted to be a pa i said just that... "i want to help people." and then he looked at me like i was dumb and said that everyone gave him that answered so give him a better one. so, naturally, i gave him another answer... and i guess it worked because i got into school. but honestly, i gave him the real reason the first time. it was that simple. i wanted to help people when they were in their most vulnerable and sick states.  and here i am, livin

i'm addicted to sugar. i know this. i'm trying to work on it but it's really hard... i think i'd check myself into rehab if they had one for sugar addicted people. and unfortunately, this whole paleo thing isn't fond of sweets but there is no way i am ready to completely give them up. i don't think i'll ever do that because i think it's stupid... why give up something i love so much? dumb. you know, there was a time in my life when i was disciplined. when i wouldn't start eating sweets and not be able to stop. this time in my life was when i was about 4 years old. my grandma likes to tell the story of the time her and i went to the bank and the teller asked if i wanted a lollipop... guess what i replied? "no thank you, i already had my sweets today." what the hell! i really can't believe those kind of words came out of my mouth... ever. i wish i was half as disciplined now as my 4 year old self. oh well... now at least i know suga

hi little one, it's 10 o'clock at night and i'm sitting in bed, surrounded by your three puppy siblings, tired from a long day of work and missing your daddy. right now you're just a figment of my imagination... a dream... one that i relive over and over in my mind. a dream i can't wait to make a reality. you know, there was a time in my life i could never imagine myself as a mother... this all changed when i met your dad... a man i am more than proud to call your father. your daddy has been talking about you for a long time. a boy. one he can take hunting and coach little league and spend hours doing projects with. ultimately, it's his heart that i hope you find. i pray that one day you resemble him... a man who puts others before himself, who works hard and never asks for recognition, and who takes care of his family... always putting us first. i can't wait to see you both together... to see your daddy's mischievous eyes when i look into yours.

family. turkey. mashed potatoes. apple pie. pumpkin pie. black friday shopping. guys, i love thanksgiving! so much! everything about it. and my family has created some of the best holiday traditions over the years. one of my favorite thanksgiving traditions is our apple pie baking contest... it's probably my favorite because i've been the reigning champion for at least the past 5 years... i don't think i'd enjoy it quite as much if i lost... i'm a bad loser. so anyone who wants to participate can bake an apple pie and after dinner we blindfold everyone, give them a bite of each pie, and they chose a favorite. each year my mom and i use the same recipe and we are always head to head with votes... somehow i've managed to win... no big deal ;) so if you want to impress your family this year, try out our recipe below. my least favorite thanksgiving tradition is the one where we all go around the table and say what we're thankful for... so many of my family

comfort food made healthy was a perfect option for a cozy sunday dinner at home. spaghetti squash is so versatile... don't let the squash part scare you away... it basically tastes like whatever sauce you mix it with. so eat your vegetables... your mom will be proud.  Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs (gluten free) Meatballs :  1 pound ground beef 1/4 onion, finely chopped 1/4 red pepper, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1/4 cup gluten free breadcrumbs  1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano/romano cheese  1 egg 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper  2 tsp italian seasoning  1/4 tsp pepper 1/2 tsp salt  Spaghetti Squash: 1 medium sized spaghetti squash Olive oil Salt and pepper to taste   Extras : Red sauce of your choice Mozzarella cheese (optional) Instructions for meatballs: 1. Sauté onions and red pepper in olive oil with a dash of salt and pepper until tender, then add garlic and sauté for an additional 2 minutes.  2. Combine

it's officially november which means it's finally acceptable... well acceptable in my book... to watch the cheesy hallmark channel christmas movies, listen to christmas music, decorate our house for christmas and i couldn't be more excited. i'm sure many of you are reading this and thinking that  i'm one of those people  and honestly i really don't care. sorry! there is just something so magical about christmas time and i like to savor it for a few extra weeks. the cuddling by a fire with so many blankets, the baking, the sparkling lights, the family get-togethers, the christmas shopping and wrapping... it's all perfect so why limit it to december only?!  although i try to live a life full of gratitude everyday, this time of year reminds me to count my blessings even more. and, my goodness, i have so much to be thankful for. counting my blessings...  1. most of all, i'm thankful for ben. my partner in life. my best friend. my confidant.