Days 252-262…milestones!

So much has been going on!  Some HUGE milestones that I have been waiting for, as they are huge indicators that June is on it’s way and my hubby will soon be home where he belongs!  End of internship, finals for grad school, my half marathon, among other things…so busy yet a really happy kind of busy!

First I need to share this awesome mini path we found to a local beach.  My friend Tim came to visit and we decided to go to a seafood place a town over that my husband loves.  Now when hubby is home, he is way too excited for food to bother going for a walk around the town, so we have never found this awesome path before!  Excited to show him when he gets back!

My internship has drawn to a close!  300 hours in one year DONE!  I know 300 doesn’t sound like a lot, but when they are 300 unpaid hours that you are fitting in along with 2 parttime jobs and a fulltime grad class schedule, plus a deployed husband, it’s definitely a big chunk of time! 

My last day outfit…

The gifts I made for my supervisors…

The nice flowers my supervisor gave me:)

The weather has been fabulous and the puppies have enjoyed MANY hikes lately…gotta love the springtime!

In honor of earth day, I busted out one of my favorite qyotes from one of my favorite books…I would love to get this as a tattoo someday…

Or this…. can’t decide…maybe I’ll get both…

Been keeping up with eating healthy, mainly because I eat the same thing every single day…an example of my tuna burger and broccoli lunches…

I’ve started adding dinner into my routine…trying to get an extra serving of protein and veggies into my diet, especially on days I work out extra hard…

I saw this shirt on tumblr and I WANT IT!

 

Another hiking picture…just because it’s been a huge part of my week…

I think this is one of the greatest pictures ever….as soon as a lay out my blanket to tan, the little monster wants to join me…just as I went to take a picture of her she yawned and she looks like a total monster with her mouth open haha!

Little boy enjoyed the sun as well!

Really ramped up my training for my race…and I’m getting my awesome running legs back!!  Love feeling strong and fit!

 

I’ve been trying to master fallen angel pose in yoga…it’s not perfect but I’m getting there:)

THE COUNTDOWN IS GETTING SHORTER!!!!!! (this countdown is in no way accurate for actual homecoming dates….we only know he is coming home in June, so I have the countdown for June 1st…no security violations here!)

Another hike…this time to the giant field of sand dunes!

MY idea of a perfect day…puppies, sun, and a giant mug of tea!

Yesterday was my long awaited half marathon!!!  A beautiful early start at the beach!

 

Luckily my sister is law is smart and brought an extra long sleeve shirt…I wouldve been FREEZING waiting around in my tank top!

My old roommate came to run with us!  Note her post-race carbo fest…muffin and pizza haha!

I ran with my Pro Compression socks and OH MY GOD…not a single blister!!!!!!!!!!!!  Also my feet didn’t go numb…and my legs are SOOO not sore!  I am in LOVE with these things!!!!!!!

It’s SPRING! THERE ARE TULIPS IN MY YARD!!!!  I love spring, if you couldn’t tell:)

 

 

Look how short that paper chain is getting!  Remember when it went to both sides of the mirror and then over to the lamp!?!  So close!!!!!

And like a true nerd…had to wear my race tshirt to work today:)

Days 244-251…more random updates…

 

Can we tell it’s getting to be that time?  Even though it’s still far away in some regards, it’s also seeming more and more close….meaning it’s been harder and harder to concentrate and keep a train of thought.  My husband is coming home in roughly two months and I am too excited to sit still!  Maybe getting back into this blog, which helped keep me sane at the beginning of the deployment, will keep me sane for the end of it as well! 

Let’s start by introducing what I thought was a GREAT Yoga Journal article, by Coral Brown, a teacher right here in RI!  It is about strengthening your core, but she comes from the stance of your physical, emotional, and spiritual core…I really liked her paralels to strength and acceptance rather than the mainstream “Get a 6-pack now!” type articles in most fitness magazines.  Cool stuff, check it out!

I taught a fair bit of yoga the last two weeks…always the anchor that keeps me grounded!

I am super psyched to be feeling healthy and STRONG again, finally!  My muscles are back , I feel energized, able, and so happy and confident in my body again.  I credit so much of this with yoga.  Running has definitely been a huge factor, with getting my legs and energy levels and strength back, however yoga has been the biggest change in my life this year…teaching 4-5 times a week plus my own practice….my arms are stronger and more jacked than when I used to lift every other day.  I never realized the power of body weight exercises like chataranga and crow until now!  Love feeling strong and seeing new progress every week!

Sunny weather means lots of hiking for the puppies this week! (Also it was school vacation so I didnt have internship for five whole days!!)

 

 

I made them pose for a few pictures, they weren’t too amused haha.

By the end of the week, Chlo-chlo was EXHAUSTED, so she took a nice nap in the sun… MOST EPIC PICTURE EVER…

Every send some prayers out for our little foster pup who my mom adopted…he was attacked by a dog out on a walk and has a few puncture wounds:(  He is healing well, but it is such a shame that the other owner was so irresponsible…police are investigating and it looks like the owner may be charged with cruelty to the dog, which makes sense because dogs aren’t just vicious for no reason.  Sad situation, but I am glad he is feeling good…sending good vibes his way!

We went for a wonderful hike this weekend…well actually two…one to tire the dogs out, then another one to find this awesome view and climb some fun cliffs!  Of course I had to do yoga on every boulder…

 

And who can see a bridge without DOING a bridge on it?  Not this girl…

I also used my mornings off to finish painting the living room!  Yay for happy bright colors every where!

And…..surprise!  More hikes at my favorite place!!!  These sand dunes make me feel like I’m living the dream out West, so that’s what I pretend whenever I’m hiking there…

Poor pups were tired after all of my hiking adventures this week…they say “Ok, you can go back to internship now!”

 

I LOVE this mix on 8tracks…so perfect for this upbeat sunny weather we’ve been having!

We finally have a working LIGHT in our bedroom!  Since we’ve moved in we’ve relied on awkwardly placed lamps that have resulted in lots of stubbed toes…now let there be light!!  Next project before hubby comes home is a nice dark wood floor install and then our new bed comforter set…I think the dark browns will make the lavendar walls look less tacky..it didn’t look as ‘purple’ in the sample…

On a side note, this just about summed up my week….I made SO many cookies!

Took the pups for another hike today…then we got kicked out because apparently the air force uses the area to practice air drops of supplies on random days…super safe!  Haha.  I decided to go for a 4 mile run, which for some reason was a struggle…need to take some time off so I am all rested up for the half marathon….which is in less than two weeks!!!!  It snuck up on me fast, and my longest run has been less than 6.5miles…it’s gonna be rough…

On a side note, when I flipped to the back of YJ today, I saw this….how…is…this…even…possible….???? 

Days 240-243…slacking off! (but not really)

I’ve been slacking off on the technology front!  But only because everything else has been such a whirlwind…finding out I got my new job and will start in May, figuring out how I’m going to fit in my last summer class, taking over for my boss when she left on maternity leave, juggling classes and portfolio work and finishing up my internship hours (only three left!!!), keeping in touch with hubby and realizing how soon he’ll be home, and lots of house projects!!!  And of course tons of quality time with my kids, aka the doggies  

Let’s start out with a gratuitous shot of the pretty new shirt my aunt bought me on my way out the door with tons of caffeine for internship…

I got a super creepy letter in the mail…

Really “Greg”?! WTF?!?  I looked this creeper up and apparently he is a RI contractor or something so maybe he just tries to do real estate in a super unprofessional way?  Either way, a handwritten note seems pretty creepy Lifetime movie stalker of the week to me, so I was a litle freaked out for a while…

The dogs did plenty of weird silly things over the last few weeks…

We are all SO glad it is finally nice out!!!  Tanning in the yard was a must!

I got a new pair of Nike Airs…my favorite!  Well, a new old pair…these were an ebay find:)  And no, I’m not gross, I wash all the shoes I buy on there so it’s technically just me being a cheap broke grad student…

Stairs are DONE!  These stairs have been an eye sore since we moved in…first with the puke green carpet, then with the mismatched scuffed paint and old carpet nails.  I finally had the time and patience to paint them to a beautiful welcoming entryway:)

Looks like real wood!  Dont tell anyone I was super lazy and just picked a nice dark brown paint to look like wood. 

Chloe got a bath…

Puppies napped multiple times…

Days 229-239…When it rains it pours! Oh April showers!

There has been wayyyy too much going on lately for me to keep up with daily blogging!  I’ll just fill in on the highlights of the ten day span that life got hectic!

First, my lovely husband sent me this fraken-box full of awesome gifts from faraway lands…

Neat painitngs, scarves, a little lapis lazuli lion, another bracelet…I’m one lucky girl!!!

I have been inspired by some positive and calming quotes the last few weeks…I loved this piece of art I saw online…I kind of want it as a painting in my house!

I’ve been keeping up with my training to some extent…no super long runs, but a nice jaunt in the woods down to the water was a pleasant 4 mile loop.

Following my run, I enjoyed some coconut blueberry yogurt and homemade granola!

I really am enjoying my little ‘altar’ in my room…peaceful pictures, my little buddha statue, and nice candles…helps me relax before bed!

Homemade granola oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are the BEST invention.  Don’t judge me for making them the size of a small plate…

The weather is getting SO nice…hiking with the puppies is becoming a much more regular occurence!

And the crocuses have started to come up!!!

I had a few yardwork days, including starting a bonfire to burn off some scrap wood we had laying around!

The pups indulged me with some photoshoots, as usual.

 

Trying to get Chloe to pose for a cute picture…she said NO I WANT TO BITE YOUR HANDS!!!!

Saturday I went for a nice long run at a new park near Providence (well new to me!)  I dont know how I’ve lived here so long and never found this place before!!!!  So cool!

There were swans!!!

Well…it’s almost half way to the distance I’ll need by April 28th…this isn’t going to be my best half marathon ever, but I’m glad that I am still commiting to just get through it.  I think it’ll be a good motivator to keep up my training, and also such a great milestone to get me to May and graduation!

 

PS I love how McDonald’s advertises on the mapmyrun app…REALLY?! 

I am obsessed with my ProCompression socks!  wore these after my long run the other weekend and they are AMAZING.

More puppy spring weather photoshoots of course happened after my run!

Later on both dogs decided they HAD to sleep on my lap…no one at a time crap, both needed lap time RIGHT NOW!  Oh, pathetic attention hungry pups…

 

 

We enjoyed yet another hike at the sand dunes…love this place!

I absolutely love collecting little positive affirmations, especially regarding healthy body image…I found this gem on tumblr the other day and had to share…  I love this message, I have recently stopped weighing myself.  I am still focusing on eating healthy and working out every day, but I realized I was placing way too much importance on the number on the scale and for no reason.  No matter what I did, I couldn’t get the numbers I wanted, and it seemed the only time they changed was when I wasn’t even trying.  I decided it was time to put away the scale and just focus on how I feel and how I look.  I would rather be strong and healthy and doing all the things I love than be at a lower weight and be tired, miserable, and obsessive. 

My mom and aunt visited and brought up our little foster who they adopted…three amigos back together for the weekend!

Ultimate doggie fighting matches ensued lol…

We tried to relearn some basic obedience, but my mom has definitely spoiled him!

Many yoga adventures were had…and I got a new yoga shirt!  Time to play around with some balances!

 

 

 

Kindle decided that since he is big and strong now, he would play with a TREE BRANCH.

The deployment paper chain gets shorter and shorter…I feel like I’m climbing the walls!  It is so close yet so far away…I am just restless and a mess right now!  I know I need to focus on the small landmarks along the way…the half marathon, graduation, my new job, etc…but it’s hard to not just fixated on that homecoming day!!!!

Just for fun, a crazy chloe picture…

I decided to plant some flowers when I got out early from my internship…a new rose bush, azaleas, and some lavender!!

I’m hoping since they are hardy plants, I can keep them alive…I’m not the best at the whole gardening thing haha.

My big project has been redoing our stairway…phase one complete…check back for phase two!

It was in the 70s this week!!!!!!  Tanning on a blanket was a must!

And of course the epic Jack joined me…in all his epicness…