tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70438994899361392552024-03-05T14:34:46.994-07:00This Radiant LifeRadiantKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17926722504480507674noreply@blogger.comBlogger631125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043899489936139255.post-31917944249915817772017-06-29T16:03:00.002-06:002017-06-29T16:03:46.589-06:005 weeks in: First impressions of parenthood<div style="text-align: left;">
So, my little pint of Chunky Monkey is 5 weeks old. Yeesh.</div>
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It's been a pretty good five weeks, as far as things go. We've had our share of challenges, like being stuck inside for a solid week, because the weather was far too hot for a newborn. However, we've had so many wonderful times too, mostly sleeping baby cuddles, which far outweigh the stresses of those hard times. I mean, can we all agree that a sleeping chubby baby is the closest thing to perfect ever? In case you need further evidence of this...</div>
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Having a newborn is the strangest thing ever. There are days when I feel totally capable. We're all happy, the milk is flowing the way it should, and I even manage to shower AND wash my hair. I might put the same yoga pants and t-shirt on after my shower, but you know, baby steps. But then there are also the days where I never even re-do the bun I slept in, let alone shower. The baby is extra fussy, and no matter what either Ammon or I do, we are unable to soothe our little chunk. Those days bring us back to reality, and remind us that this parenting thing is no joke.<br />
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There are some key lessons that I've learned over the past few weeks though, and I think they're worth sharing. They are less parenting advice (although there's a little of that), more general life reflections: because parenting isn't really an activity, it's just a phase of life.<br />
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<li>Even if you think you don't need help, you totally, absolutely, unequivocally need all the help that you can get.</li>
<li>Hire a housekeeper. Even if you don't have kids yet, or you don't think you have the budget. Your life will get so much better.</li>
<li>Tune out 98% of what is on Facebook. It will make you anxious, cause you to second-guess yourself, stick you in the middle of the comparison trap, and generally make you miserable. The "hide notifications" button is your friend.</li>
<li>You can go a suprisingly long time without washing your hair if you put it up and never take it down.</li>
<li>Sometimes, the best advice doesn't come from the leading researchers in the field, but from [your] parents, doctors, and nurses who have been around the block. Parenting and life advice may often follow trends, but trendy is not always effective.</li>
<li>Google the answers to questions you're too embarrassed to ask. Like, "Is it normal for newborns to be bow legged?" Or, "When do babies start rolling from tummy to back?" Often, I feel silly asking people these things, because there's never a convenient time to ask someone who might actually know the answer. Enter the one time that the internet is your friend as a parent. Just make sure that the question is specific, and that you don't get sucked into a rabbit hole of second guessing what is currently working for you.</li>
<li>At the end of the day, you can't let other people's opinions on how you're rolling with the punches get you down. They don't know you or your family in nearly the same way that you do, so unless they are a respected advisor, like a Doctor, take everything that they say with a grain of salt. And if they are a trusted advisor, think about their suggestions, and really examine how they might or might not work before taking them at face value. There's tons of great advice out there in the world, but that advice is not going to work in every instance for every person.</li>
<li>Finally, it's okay to not fully embrace certain aspects of your life all of the time. Big adjustments take time to come to terms with. Go at your own pace, and do the best you can. And if the rest just sucks, it's okay to feel that. It'll get better.</li>
<li>Kissing a baby solves just about any problem that you might have. So does holding a sleeping baby.</li>
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For the parents out there: What life reflections would you add?</div>
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RadiantKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17926722504480507674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043899489936139255.post-40395337587938463612017-06-26T14:31:00.001-06:002017-06-26T14:31:44.722-06:00Oh baby!<div style="text-align: left;">
Guys, I had a baby! And it was a boy!<br />
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Kaden Elliott was born on May 24th at 1:50am, weighing 8lbs, 3oz and 20 inches long.<br />
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He is, without a doubt, the most perfect thing I have ever seen. I can't believe we made him.<br />
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And while he's still brand new, he fits into our family almost as if he's always been here. He is his daddy's son through and through!<br />
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You can follow me on instagram for even more baby pictures: @radiantkristen.</div>
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RadiantKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17926722504480507674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043899489936139255.post-42516715130611934382017-04-29T18:44:00.002-06:002017-04-29T18:44:53.166-06:00Final countdowns...<div style="text-align: left;">
As we near the home stretch of starting life as a family of 3 humans, it has become apparent that we have a number of different countdowns going. Life is never slow around here, and we constantly seem pulled in so many directions. For instance...</div>
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My due date is 24 days from now. 24. I don't even know what to say to that. Ammon and I were talking about how in one way, that seems so far off still. I mean, I'm pretty darn big at this point, and still getting bigger - though blessedly, that progress seems to be slowing down some. My belly is also dropping, which I think makes it seem even bigger than it really is? I don't know. It's just big.</div>
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This picture is actually 3.5 weeks old, so it's not really accurate. Just imagine bigger than this, and that's where we're at right now.</div>
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But at the same time, 24 days is virtually nothing, especially when you consider just how many things have to be done in the days leading up to delivery. We assembled a bunch of stuff today, which is good, except that we have about 10 shipments from Amazon still set to arrive over the next two weeks. We still have to get carseat bases installed in both cars and checked. We have a hospital tour this week. We need to get hospital bags packed. Ammon needs to change the oil in both of our cars. Laundry needs to be done. And SO MANY OTHER THINGS.</div>
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My last day of work is in 11 days, which means that in 8 working days, I will be done with work. How the heck did that creep up so fast? For those of you not in the know, the State of California disability program allows you to take up to 4 weeks of disability leave prior to your due date. After much <strike>consulting</strike> arguing with my doctor over the pros and cons of taking 4 weeks off before delivery, we settled on a 2 week leave. It's a compromise for both of us. As the day gets closer though, I am becoming more and more okay with taking that time off. I am tired, and grumpy, and uncomfortable, and hot all of the time. Just today, it seems that the 3rd trimester swelling everyone talks about has started to set in, which I'm guessing has something to do with the fact that it's a good 15 degrees hotter today than it's been since last October. So that's neat.</div>
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My last day of my classes this term is in 8 days. After this class ends, I'm done until mid July, at which point I only have 4 more classes until I graduate! This is such a big deal for me. I've been working towards this degree since before I started this blog. It's been a really long time coming, and with each passing term, I am finally starting to see that this dream is actually going to become a reality. This particular class I'm finishing right now has been exceptionally challenging from a workload standpoint, and I've really struggled with it, largely because of everything else in my life. It's going to feel nice to have 8-ish weeks off from academic pursuits.</div>
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So, if you couldn't tell by now, starting May 11th, I plan to be laid up on my couch watching Netflix, napping, and reading as much as I can. I'm hoping that it doesn't get old too fast, and that this whole "I'm the size of a small whale" thing motivates me to be a little extra lazy. I know other people talk about nesting like crazy in those last few weeks, but to be honest, I haven't felt up to any of that. I'm totally cool with not having the nursery ready when the baby gets here - they're going to be sleeping in a cradle in our room for the first few months anyway. I figure that so long as it's done before they move over into the nursery in 3 months or so, we'll be doing okay.</div>
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What are you counting down the days to?</div>
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RadiantKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17926722504480507674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043899489936139255.post-35789254813631426462017-04-04T22:25:00.001-06:002017-04-04T22:25:21.040-06:00Half-bath remodel!<div style="text-align: left;">
So, I decided to <strike>procrastinate on</strike> take a break from my governmental accounting class for a bit to share with you our remodeled half bath! One thing I really can't stand about the original design of our house is the bathrooms... They have ridiculous counters that stretch over toilets and non- cabinet sections. They also have mirrors for miles... Like, they ALSO stretch over toilets, because apparently, men need to be able to look at themselves when they pee? I just don't get it.<br />
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So this is what it looked like before. Note the wall-to-wall mirror and the counter that extends only as an excuse for the mirror to be there. SO DUMB! And the lino... oh heavens, this lino is all over our house, and it makes me weep. So way back in October, before we announced the impending arrival of the baby, Ammon decided we should just get after this project. So we did. And for about 6 weeks, we saw some serious progress.<br />
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After demo... Almost nothing left! There was some serious drywall work in here too - don't be fooled that we had it easy by not taking out the drywall. In some ways, we might have been better off ripping out the walls altogether.<br />
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Next came re-doing the floors. We picked these nice taupey-gray hexagonal tiles, and we're really happy with that choice. Which is good, because we bought enough to also do the laundry room and the upstairs guest bathroom (we bought that much on purpose, not because we're bad at math).<br />
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I don't really have any other intermediate pictures, because the walls got mostly painted, and then Ammon had a minor hernia surgery, and spent 6 weeks recovering. Ammon was NOT happy with the color of the walls until we got all of the furnishings and fixtures in, so I didn't take pictures, in case we had to change the wall color at the last minute. So from mid-November until sometime in early-mid January, my half bath sat with mostly painted walls and newly tiled floors. It was pretty depressing.<br />
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But then! The reno bug hit again! Or nesting. Whatever. Inspiration struck, and Ammon decided it was time to wrap this baby up. And in very short order, our bathroom suddenly transformed into this:<br />
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I mean, can you beat a pink powder room with a dark vanity and oil-rubbed bronze fixtures??? It's nearly all care of Home Depot, in case you're wondering. We used Behr's "Cupcake Pink" paint, but we had them lighten it by 50%. We probably could have asked them to tone it down even more, but it's worked out okay as it is. Vanity, vanity top, and mirror came as a special buy set from the Depot last summer for $399. And the fixtures... they sure weren't cheap, but in such a small space, we wanted things that we loved, and we wanted everything to match. Our biggest expense hands down was these fixtures, which are from the Porter collection by Delta. We even replaced the drawer pulls on the vanity so that they matched (because I'm OCD like that).<br />
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Oh, and the inspiration for the whole room? Those adorable hummingbird prints, which I found on Etsy. We pulled the color for the walls out of one of the prints, and went from there.</div>
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Our next project is replacing our front fence. Our old fence blew down in a really bad storm just over a month ago.<br />
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We hated this fence anyway, so it wasn't the end of the world... But man, it was a pretty darn inconvenient time to lose the fence. Our area is in the rainy season from November through March, so only now is the ground starting to dry up enough that we can start looking at pouring concrete footings for new posts and rebuilding. I'm **hoping** that maybe we'll have a new fence before we have a new baby, but I'm not holding my breath on that one...<br />
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RadiantKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17926722504480507674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043899489936139255.post-31991323050607100672017-04-01T18:49:00.001-06:002017-04-01T18:49:12.962-06:00Winging it<div style="text-align: left;">
These days, it feels like there just isn't that much of plan. There is, in that we go to work Monday through Friday, and I'm still plugging away at school, and we have an unbelievable number of commitments and appointments. Those things, they just kind of happen - except for school, which I'm forcing to happen, but that's a different story. Everything else though, we're just making up as we go along.</div>
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For instance, food: We're loosely following the meal plans that <a href="http://www.skinnytaste.com/" target="_blank">SkinnyTaste</a> puts out, but I'm not nearly as on the ball with sticking to our meal plans lately. We've been eating out a bit more again, largely because I'm TIRED all the time. Like, the kind of tired where you go to bed at 8:30pm, you're so tired. </div>
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Also, because it's just fun to eat out, and that is going to be limited once this kid makes its grand appearance. We went out to dinner a couple of weeks ago with my cousin, and I got 2 desserts. It was a great decision.</div>
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How I spend my free time has also been largely up in the air. Some days, I can literally conquer the world. Unfortunately, this almost always is followed by a day where it is literally impossible to get off of the couch. Like, we went to this gorgeous spot overlooking the beach in Pacifica to take my maternity shots, and I had plenty of energy. The next day, I watched Netflix for 6 hours, and we skipped church because I was so exhausted. Oh yeah, that's a thing these days too: We started going to church. This is a pretty big deal for us, if you know both of our histories with organized religion and our personal beliefs.</div>
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Last thing we're winging? All things baby-related. This is the entirety of the progress we've made in preparing for the little bundle we're expecting 7.5 weeks from now. A crib with no mattress, and a handful of space-themed clothing items that I couldn't pass up. I figure that as long as the nursery is done by the time this kid is 3-6 months old (when we expect to transition him/her out of our room), we're doing okay.</div>
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Oh, and did I mention we aren't finding out the gender of the baby until birth? Because that's a thing we're doing. Leave your guesses in the comments!</div>
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RadiantKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17926722504480507674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043899489936139255.post-47110054153335295782016-11-20T09:11:00.001-07:002016-11-20T09:11:41.551-07:00Writing about hedging foreign investments is boring<div style="text-align: left;">
Good morning! It's cloudy and rainy this weekend here, how is it where you are? The weather here is so weird - it's really hot and dry in the summer, so everything dies, and then it all springs to life in the winter. Our yard is ridiculously green right now (All weeds), I just can't believe it. Then my friends post pictures of 8 inches of fresh show, and talk about the first big accidents of the year that coincide with the first big snow of the year, and I remember why we were so happy about a move to California: easy access to snow without having to live in the snow.</div>
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I really don't have much to say today. I'm avoiding a paper that I'm working on about the documentation a company must have when they elect to hedge a foreign transaction. Yes, it is exactly as boring as it sounds. You know what isn't boring though? The fact that if I just buckle down and work, I will be done with my Bachelor's degree in December 2017! There is light at the end of this tunnel!</div>
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Also, we have wild turkeys that live all over the suburbs out here. This is across the street from a school and a shopping center. Totally unrelated to anything, but funny, right? They all mysteriously made themselves scarce about 2 weeks ago - I'm thinking they started fearing that they would end up on someone's table, and headed for higher ground.</div>
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In other random news, I have been craving the steak salad from Costa Vida so hard lately. In fact, I had one for lunch Friday, and another one yesterday. They were both magnificent. The baby is doing this really fun thing lately where he/she makes everything sound revolting except for one food. Generally at lunchtime. If I try to convince myself to think about eating something else, I get nauseous and start gagging. So instead of fighting it, I roll with it. Please don't judge me.</div>
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And speaking of baby, we're already bumpin' a little bit around here. I'm almost 14 weeks now, but this was taken a few days ago. It's hand to believe that in such a short time my stomach went from being mostly flat to looking like I've been eating Thanksgiving every day. I'm curious to see how much more pronounced it is at Christmas, when I'll be about 19 weeks. I'm already transitioning into maternity, and haven't been able to wear pants that weren't leggings for almost 3 weeks now. </div>
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Anyway, that's it. I should get back to foreign currency financial instruments, because this baby is not going to bring its own money with it. Unless he/she is ridiculously adorable, and becomes the next Gerber baby or something... We can all have hopes and dreams, I guess.</div>
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RadiantKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17926722504480507674noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043899489936139255.post-20721969284702768822016-11-13T22:46:00.002-07:002016-11-13T22:46:45.335-07:00Guest Bedroom reveal<div style="text-align: left;">
Guys, we did it! We finished our guest bedroom quite a while back, and it's already had visitors in it TWICE. Granted, it was my parents the first time and just my mom the second, but it counts, right? I've literally had this post in my drafts since June, so I thought it was time to show off what we did.</div>
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Before: Vertical blinds, builder beige, and stains galore. Out of all of the spaces in this house, we knew it would be a big win for us to get this done, and an easy place to start, if a bit time consuming. Carpet is staying for now, so it was a matter of sprucing up the walls and getting rid of the ugly blinds.<br />
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After: I mean... Wow. We impressed ourselves on this one. I wanted to create a homey space, that almost anyone would feel welcome in. I realize that lovers of ultra-modern would probably loathe to spend the night, but luckily, we don't have any super-hip ultra-modern friends or family. </div>
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First up, I spent 4 hours scrubbing the heck out of the walls. It was brutal, but paid off in huge dividends. There was so much stuff on the walls, that it would have been a nightmare to try to cover. This is that same corner shown above. Look Ma, the black stains are mostly gone!</div>
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Next up, I painted the ceiling and we primed the walls. Ceiling painting is my FAVORITE thing, guys. I don't know why, but I really, really like doing it. Plus, who doesn't love being covered head to toe in paint spatter when you're done? We ended up doing 2 coats of primer - the walls soaked up a ton of primer, and we were also covering over paint samples, which took some extra attention.</div>
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We were amazed just how much brighter everything looked once the beige was gone! Also, pro tip: just go ahead and buy your Kilz (primer) in 5 gallon buckets. If you're doing more than one room, you will definitely use it, and it applies really thick, so it doesn't go as far as a gallon of paint does.<br />
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We also did 2 coats of paint. It's a pretty standard sized room that holds a queen, and we used about a gallon of paint for both coats. The color is a super soft, pale blue by Glidden called Blue Frost. Yep, like the gatorade flavor. But the paint color is soooooooo much prettier than the beverage color. Trust me.<br />
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From there, everything else was pretty simple. We found the headboard on Wayfair, and added in furniture we already had: The nighstands were our old ones that Ammon made to match our old bed. We found the rocking chair and the dresser at our favorite thrift store back in CO. There's still some small details missing, like a mirror to go over the dresser, and something for the top of the dresser. But really, this room is ready for any guest who wants to come visit.</div>
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If you want to come next summer, though, you might need to get in line - apparently the new baby is quite the draw with our close family and friends.<br />
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RadiantKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17926722504480507674noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043899489936139255.post-53320548281814287942016-11-11T20:17:00.001-07:002016-11-11T20:17:52.973-07:00Becoming "that" blogger<div style="text-align: left;">
You know that blogger who used to blog all the time, and then life got boring, so they stopped. And then! Out of nowhere that same once boring blogger starts blogging again because BAM they're pregnant?</div>
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Yeah...</div>
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I pulled the ultimate blogger stunt and convinced my husband to take an ultimate blogger picture with me, with my favorite blog-friend turned real life friend behind the lens. All so that if I decided to suddenly be a preggo/mommy blogger, I was prepared.</div>
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Side note - getting a pregnant woman onto a tree branch 6+ feet in the air isn't super hard, but getting her back down is. That was probably unwise.</div>
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I guess now is where I tell you all how blessed we feel and how overjoyed we are. Yes, all of that. Mostly Ammon really, because he's the wonderful, caring, and romantic one in this relationship. I'm over here just feeling fat, nauseous, and exhausted, and asking the OBGYN every time we go in if it's actually a real baby in there. Suffice it to say that while I'm thrilled by the idea that we will have a kid in the near future, it really hasn't hit me with quite the same force that morning sickness and general malaise have.</div>
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But thank goodness for this guy, who has totally stepped it up lately. He's remodeling our half bathroom for me, doesn't let me carry groceries, and insists on indulging my food whims and wants. It's a little embarrassing how much I've let him spoil me. He's even suffered through the dreaded pregnancy hanger which is infinitely worse than regular hanger. I had no idea.</div>
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That's a great book idea, in fact: "Pregnancy... I had no idea". It could literally fill volumes.</div>
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Oh, and if you're wondering, we're due May 23rd.</div>
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RadiantKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17926722504480507674noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043899489936139255.post-38134547888908439622016-06-27T22:39:00.001-06:002016-06-27T22:39:11.308-06:00Right things<div style="text-align: left;">
Oh snap, it's been a minute. I bet you thought I forgot my password for blogger or something. No, none of us are quite that lucky (yet). But anyway, how are you? I hope you're doing well, wherever you are right now. I can honestly say that here, things have been better recently. So much better. We've started trying to work out again. I'm trying to make some friends. We're settling into this new life that we spent the last year shaping, and I have to tell you - it is starting to feel right.</div>
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Right like handmade lemon custard ice cream from the best ice cream shop in the Sacramento valley. Oh my word guys, if nothing else I post convinces you to come visit me, let this be what does it. I almost wept it was so good.</div>
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Right like buying the watermelon socks that the bike shop had on sale Saturday morning between the two group bike rides, and putting them on immediately, because they are everything.</div>
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Right like the CUTEST tiny little purple bell pepper there ever was, and super sweet yellow pear tomatoes from our backyard.</div>
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And right like this sneak peak of our MOSTLY finished guest bedroom, just hours before my parents used it a few weeks ago. We haven't gotten around to hanging the artwork yet, but really, it's so close to done that it counts around here anymore.</div>
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Tell me what's going right for you these days... I want to know!!!</div>
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RadiantKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17926722504480507674noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043899489936139255.post-4319565733741241812016-05-05T23:33:00.001-06:002016-05-05T23:33:28.417-06:00Catching up, and air mattresses<div style="text-align: left;">
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Oh hey! How are you guys? I'm just over here, vegging out and being super lazy. Extraordinarily lazy for me, in fact. Like, at this point I've been so lazy that Ammon and I might be sleeping on an air mattress when my parents come to visit in a few weeks, because I haven't gotten around to picking out/buying our new mattress set yet.<br />
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Ooooops.<br />
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In my defense, a lot has been going on lately, and it's taken my mind off of home stuff. Which is good and bad. Good, because the amount of money we spend when our minds are on house stuff is staggering, and we get a little obsessive over each detail. Bad, because we can't live in our guest bedroom forever... Or can we? No, Kristen, you can't sleep in the guest room forever, even though it's turned out to be stupidly adorable, and you have no idea how you are going to decorate your master bedroom. That would be silly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBTxox0oY-0UUgYPPxEj5nPd33JDS4NavQnklAR6aOb3kTzzrWreAbasutSELdae4RrwU5nMuoyDo6qLsv59qVVgSentVIBn1O6RlWBunJimTAEGHtYkDxY8gb0O3tzgcEOMq68SGuC0/s1600/IMAG0333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBTxox0oY-0UUgYPPxEj5nPd33JDS4NavQnklAR6aOb3kTzzrWreAbasutSELdae4RrwU5nMuoyDo6qLsv59qVVgSentVIBn1O6RlWBunJimTAEGHtYkDxY8gb0O3tzgcEOMq68SGuC0/s640/IMAG0333.jpg" width="361" /></a></div>
Just a little sneak peak of that cute as heck guest room. There's actually a bed, nightstands, and a rocking chair in there now, but I'm trying to hold off on taking any more pictures until it's 100% finished. But it feels very antique and bed and breakfast-y. Not the vintage look that is so cute and <a href="https://magnoliamarket.com/blog/" target="_blank">Joanna Gaines</a> has single-handedly brought to the front of everyone's attention. More of things that look like your grandparents or great grandparents might have had in their old farmhouse. Comfortable. Homey.<br />
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Anyway. The stuff I've actually been doing. Yes. On to that stuff.<br />
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The term is finally over. Finally. That was a rough one. Not because the class was hard. In fact, the opposite was true. I had Finance this term, which I had already taken as part of my Associate's degree. I tried to petition to have it counted, but they refused. Which was silly, really, because the class I just finished was leaps and bounds easier than the one I took for my Associate's degree. Except for the final, that is. For my first class, our final was an online multiple choice and short answer test. For this class, it was a major Financial Analysis project. Barf.<br />
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I spent 2 weeks straight doing very little other than working or working on that project. It was my hill to die on, and boy, did I almost die on it multiple times. But in the end, I pulled out a 10-page boring as all get out financial analysis that I am stupidly proud of, and my professor remarked was one of the best in the class. I breathed a huge sigh of relief last night when I got my final grade. Even though I was done on Saturday night, it never feels like you're 100% done until the final grades are posted.<br />
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And then right as I was finishing up the term, Ammon was sick for a few days, and I started a cleanse, which gave me the "detox flu" for a few days. Guys, seriously pity Ammon. I'm on a crazy-restricted diet right now, plus I'm not drinking coffee. AND I was sick for the first 3 days of the cleanse, because my body was overwhelmed by the detox. I've been trying to not complain and take it in stride, but it left me not feeling like myself, and unable to do much of anything. I ended up sleeping on the couch one night, because I was in so much pain I couldn't get comfortable in bed and I was keeping Ammon up. It was bad news bears, guys. Bad news. Short lived though, because I'm now on day 6, and feeling mostly normal. I still get some crazy headaches a few times a day, but nothing nearly like those first three days.<br />
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Oh, and then last night, it was girl's night. I met up with the girls I met at the winery a while back, plus 2 girls I hadn't met before. We had a lot of fun. If I' being honest, this was probably a good use of my time - getting out of the house and making new friends is becoming a bigger priority for me, as we're finally feeling settled into our lives here.<br />
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It was declared that I'm the Charlotte of the group, which I'm entirely all for. Whenever I watch Sex and The City, she's the character I identify with and root for. Like, when she went off on Big and it sent her into labor? I was cheering for her all the way!<br />
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And then tonight, I decided that we needed to have burrito bowls, since it's Cinco de Mayo and all, and Ammon decided that he didn't want to eat gluten-free, soy-free, refined-sugar-free limited grain vegan with me at home (I told you it was ridiculously restrictive), we should go to Free Birds. And oh man, that burrito bowl was like heaven in my mouth. Obviously, this meant that I couldn't possibly work on the house, because once you've had dinner, the night is practically over, right?<br />
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So, yeah. Maybe I'll work on house stuff tomorrow. Or maybe I'll find another excuse to put it off. Air mattresses aren't the end of the world, I guess...<br />
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What SATC character did you always identify with?<br />
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What's your favorite strategy for putting off housework?<br />
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RadiantKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17926722504480507674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043899489936139255.post-30098931316260869902016-04-25T20:36:00.003-06:002016-04-25T20:36:54.045-06:00Stream of Consciousness<div style="text-align: left;">
Ammon's downstairs right now blaring some awesome crooner style jazz and doing the dishes. And all I can think about is how jealous I am, because I'm sitting in our office where I'm supposed to be working on my final project for my Finance class. Spoiler alert: It isn't going well at all. I thought it would be a good idea to analyze his company, since part of his compensation package is vested stock options. Instead, I find myself very concerned over our financial future. The stock market can be such a Debbie Downer.</div>
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Speaking of downer's, these "scones" were a huge disappointment. I had really high hopes for them, but when they literally fell flat in the oven, so did all of my dreams. It's probably good though, because I've had some decent baking successes lately, and I was probably getting overly confident in my skills. Nothing like flat scones to remind you it's all a work in progress, I suppose.</div>
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This, my dears, is a loaf of Sourough I made that was decidedly NOT a failure. Ammon, who professes to hate sourdough, seemed to enjoy it. How I'm able to win with wild yeast, but fail with baking powder is completely beyond me.</div>
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Speaking of things made more delicious with yeast, wine. Oh, wine. And beer. And cider. You're all delicious, but I'm planning on quitting you. I've got a 2 week liver-cleanse program coming that I'm super excited about, but in order to do any good, the tasty beverages have gotta go buh-bye. Glad that Girl's Night at the winery was this last weekend and not this weekend, because I would be sad indeed. I'm planning on starting the program as soon as it gets here, so any day now. I'll keep you posted on how that goes. </div>
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Oh, and did I mention I'm planning on going off coffee for those two weeks too? Feel sad for my husband and co-workers. And perhaps pray for them.</div>
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RadiantKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17926722504480507674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043899489936139255.post-3531676025507697472016-04-24T17:03:00.000-06:002016-04-24T17:03:20.355-06:00Why can't we be friends?<div style="text-align: left;">
I've been struggling a lot with making friends here. Oof. That was a hard start to this blog post, but it is true, and I don't know any other way to start this off. It hasn't been a small struggle, it's been a huge struggle. I knew it would be hard, but I didn't expect it to be this hard.</div>
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When I was 18, I moved over 1,000 miles away to go to college, and I knew nobody. It was easy to meet new people, because when you're in college, you have to go out and interact with the rest of the world. There are classes, on-campus jobs, clubs, activities, parties, dorms, and more that are all pushing you to meet new people and make friends. Back then, meeting people was easy, but making friends was harder. I ended up making some amazing friends, people I still adore to this day. But it wasn't without its challenges.</div>
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Then I moved back home after college, after meeting some of the greatest people a girl could ever be blessed to meet. And it was hard-ish to meet new friends, but not impossible. After all, I had grown up there - I still had friends, and those people had new friends that I became friends with. It's how I met one of my favorite best friends on the planet, in fact.<br />
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And I also started working at a furniture store that changed my life forever by bringing love and friendship with it.</div>
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And naturally, I continued to build on friendships as Ammon's and my relationship grew, as we changed jobs, started school, etc. We built a great network of people, and as I look back on it, it was remarkably easy. We were surrounded by some the genuinely best people I have ever met.</div>
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When we moved here, I expected that the same thing would happen, and for Ammon at least, it kind of did. He has 2 fantastic co-workers. They're awesome, and we love to hang out with them. But I haven't been nearly as lucky. I've really struggled with friends. I've struggled with myself. I've struggled with being ready to put down roots here, because when I do, it means that this isn't just an extended vacation, it's our lives, and they're now being lived out in CA. Far away from those fantastic people who I have relied on so much over the years to bring me out of my introversion, and far away from the fun.<br />
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So where does that leave me? Well, I joined a website that helps you make friends. So basically, it's online friend-dating. I mean, I think we're all pretty clear that finding love and friends online works... Blogging has brought me several friendships, and so many people I know met the loves of their lives online. So maybe. just maybe, I can use this tool to find some friends out here too, not just all of you incredible people from all over the world. Last night I got to meet up with 2 ladies who use the same website that I'm currently on. We went to a winery that was doing a concert, and it was pretty fun. There was definitely some awkwardness, and it was hard to talk too much over the music, but it was a good first start.<br />
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Am I convinced yet that this is going o find me the friends of my dreams? No, it probably won't. Honestly, at this point it's just about getting me out and engaged in society again. Trying something new, and getting (far) outside of my comfort zone. But I wouldn't hate it if I found a new friend or two in the process.</div>
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Where do you meet friends?<br />
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Is it easy for you to make friends?<br />
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RadiantKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17926722504480507674noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043899489936139255.post-82177241735487263232016-04-17T09:45:00.001-06:002016-04-17T09:45:47.476-06:00A little house tour maybe?<div style="text-align: left;">
Happy weekend, everyone! Weekends around here lately have been a flurry of trips to Home Depot, homework, and home repair projects. AKA, it's pretty much like living our dreams right now, because I don't try to put limits on what we do and don't need at "the Depot". Inevitably, if we don't get something, we're going back in a day or so for it anyway, so I might as well just bite the bullet and stick it in the cart now, right? </div>
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But anyway, I figured I should show you what the house looked like before we started doing anything, so that when we start showing you what it looks like after renovations, you all can fully appreciate our toils. And also, it's fun to look at houses... at least, we think it is.</div>
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This is us with the outside of the house. It's a 2 story 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath house with a 2 car garage. It's got Stucco siding, and was built in 1994. We really didn't want a Stucco house, or a house that was younger than us, but it was a really great deal, so we decided to overlook these deficiencies.</div>
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When you first walk in, it's like a choose your adventure story. You can go straight into the living room, or you can make a hard left, and there's a hallway with the half bath, a storage closet, the laundry room, and the kitchen.</div>
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The family room opens up onto the dining room, which has access to the yard. The light fixture screams early 90's to me - I think my parents may have the exact same one in their dining room (their house was built in 1991).</div>
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Californians in the 90's were obsessed with tile countertops in kitchens, almost every house we looked at had tile counters. I hate them with a burning passion. I do not hate my butcherblock island, though. That I adore almost as much as I adore kittens. We need to sand it down and re-seal it, and the top isn't actually affixed to the base, but no matter. It's still great. On the far side of the kitchen is a breakfast nook, which we're using for storage and housing the dog right now.</div>
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Laundry room that also has a door to the garage.<br />
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Half-bath. The home-builders loved extended counter-tops and oversized mirrors in this house, as you will see.<br />
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At the top of the stairs is a great loft area. We lived in the loft for the last month while we got the guest room ready. </div>
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Upstairs hall bathroom. More counters. More mirrors.<br />
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The guest bedroom. We planned on moving into it right away, but after we washed the walls and they were still all gross, we decided to make fixing it up our top priority. Friday night was our first night sleeping in there.<br />
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The other upstairs bedroom. It's our office right now, and as we speak I'm sitting at my desk under that window. Eventually we hope it'll become a nursery, but probably not for a while yet.</div>
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Our Master Bedroom. It's HUGE! We are getting a new bed, because a Queen sized bed would look silly in this room. This is also the only room I am planning on getting professional help with decorating. I'm entirely at a loss as to what our space should look like. <br />
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The Master bath. More countertops, and more mirrors. There's another vanity section with another sink not shown in this picture. My entire sorority pledge class could look at themselves in this mirror with no problem.<br />
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I told our realtor that I wanted to buy this house as I was laying on the floor making carpet angels in our master bedroom closet. Really, it's a true story. Ammon has some big plans for tricking this closet out and making it super functional.</div>
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So there you have it! One month into home ownership, and we wouldn't trade any of this for the world. Once we start having some finished projects, I'll start sharing the results!</div>
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RadiantKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17926722504480507674noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043899489936139255.post-18656526716807562502016-04-08T16:06:00.000-06:002016-04-08T16:06:08.304-06:00Pictures from the outside<div style="text-align: left;">
Please believe me when I say that our yard is a DISASTER. Like, I cringe when I go outside, because I don't want to be associated with our house from the outside. It's just mangled from years of being used as a rental and the worst drought in California history, followed by an epically rainy "winter". I say winter in quotes, because there was very little that made it feel winter-like.</div>
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But never fear, I have found a few wins in my outside spaces. I'm too nervous to show you what the whole place looks like until we're also showing you after pictures. Like I said, I'm embarrassed to be associated with our exterior situation right now. So it's just the cute little pockets.</div>
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Yes, you did see one of the cute IKEA flower buckets already. But not both of them. And not both of them, along with the peppers and tomatoes I planted. And yes, that is a mop in the lower right corner. Nope, it sure isn't mine. Inherited house crap for the win.<br />
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Guys, this rose tree... I don't even know how to impress upon you how marvelous it is. It smells incredible. It's thorny as a porcupine, though, which is bad since it's right on the front walkway. I'm going to try to employ some creative pruning.<br />
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This is the mystery rose bush that just started blooming today! And the blooms are orange! I was cheating by trying to sneak a peak at some of the buds that are just starting to break open, and it looked like there might be a yellow bloom in there too! But again, it's right on our walkway, just dying to take out innocent passerby. </div>
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Good thing we found my pruning shears a couple of days ago.</div>
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RadiantKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17926722504480507674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043899489936139255.post-58605632146054238532016-04-07T10:08:00.000-06:002016-04-07T10:08:04.158-06:00The changes keep coming!<div style="text-align: left;">
I've been trying to write a post about our home-buying adventure for several weeks now, but the words don't seem to be flowing right. I can speak the story just fine, but somehow, it isn't translating to the written lexicon nearly as well. </div>
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In the meantime, a lot has happened. For one thing, we've turned in keys on our old place, and are living in our house! There's so much work to do, and we aren't as on top of it as I might wish we were, but the reality of life is that you still have to function in normal society while updating a house, particularly if you're doing all the work yourself and have limited funds. So far we've torn some holes in the walls to make sure the water damage we've got going on was not translating into massive mold problems (it wasn't - yay!), we've replaced the kitchen sink, spent several thousand dollars at home depot, purchase appliances, and started working on the guest bedroom, which is the bedroom we're going to live in while we renovate the Master Suite. Right now, we're living in the loft - it's a good thing it's just the two of us right now!</div>
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"Exploratory holes". This one is in our Master. <br />
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The first Home Depot trip of many.... Luckily, it's the only 2 cart trip we've made so far.<br />
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There's a saying about kitchen sinks, isn't there? I think it's safe to say that everything in this house is getting the once-over.</div>
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Another big change - I got a new job! My last day at my old job was yesterday, and I start my new job on Monday. I'm looking forward to a few days off to get some stuff done, like finally getting a CA driver's license, and trying to get our guest bedroom put together so that we can get out of the loft. It's just awkward to be sleeping so out in the pen, even if it is just us and the animals. Also, our loft is pretty darn ugly, and it's going to be my next project to start on while Ammon works on the more construction-heavy projects in the Master, so I'm looking forward to getting going on all of that.</div>
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One of my favorite changes though, is that I'm experimenting with Sourdough starter! It's something that I've been hearing about for my whole life, and wanted to mess around with for a few years now, but never got up the courage. I found an easy tutorial for making your own stater <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-your-own-sourdough-starter-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-47337" target="_blank">here</a>. My starter is ready to go today, and I'm going to try this <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-beginner-sourdough-sandwich-loaf-recipes-from-the-kitchn-48192" target="_blank">hybrid yeast sandwich loaf</a>. It seems relatively goof-proof... but we'll see! This could all be one big disaster. I would show you a picture of my starter, but it just looks like a thin pancake batter... nothing exciting at all.</div>
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However, I will show you a picture of the flowers I planted in a cute metal bucket from Ikea. When I put two of these buckets in our cart Friday night, Ammon wanted to know what in the world I intended to do with them. He looked at me like I was a little out of my mind when I told him I was going to plant flowers in them, but he has since come around. I've also planted some tomatoes, and will be planting a few peppers and a box of herbs. Not going to lie, I'm enjoying the fact that spring in California is super mild, and spring planting starts in March and April. The bright pops of color on our back patio do a lot to improve my mood. </div>
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What's new with you lately?</div>
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RadiantKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17926722504480507674noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043899489936139255.post-41670802395009436452016-03-16T22:41:00.000-06:002016-03-16T22:41:04.705-06:00Experiences<div style="text-align: left;">
I was in the car driving home today, and this song came on the radio.</div>
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The first time I heard it, Ammon and I were in the car together, and he remarked on how painfully awkward it is sometimes to hear people younger than you talk about their life experiences with a lot of weight, in the same way that older people do. I thought it was an interesting point, but I really wasn't sure where I stood on the notion.</div>
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When I heard that song today, it made me realize that we don't choose when we have our most formative, life-altering experiences. We all collect experiences as we go through life, and it's true that younger people simply have fewer life experiences. They just haven't had the opportunity to gain as many as someone older. BUT I also realized that it's probably really unfair to diminish the experiences that a younger person has. You never know when those pivotal moments are going to happen that really shift the direction your whole life goes. They could happen at 8 years old, 16, 22, or 62. It's only when we reflect back that we can truly see our experiences for what they are.</div>
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For me, as I look back on my life I am struck by two moments that have played a profound role in shaping my current world. The first was going away to college at 18. Moving over 1,000 miles away and not knowing anyone really changed the way I interact with other people, and the way that I see myself. While I am by nature pretty introverted, going away to college taught me that I can put myself out there, and make friends. All things I am struggling to re-learn 12 years later, but I know I can do it, and that's valuable to me.</div>
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Oh, 2003. Dang, I feel so old sometimes. Also, outdoor lifeguarding did such awesome things for my hair - doesn't everyone love a little green in their frizzed-out hair? Also, that girl... one of the first real friends I made at college, and I still adore her. She is the best.</div>
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The second experience was when I was 24. I had just gotten out of another relationship that was fairly short-lived, and I was at a loss for what the problem was. Why couldn't I just find love already??? I had lunch with my mom, and as we were sitting on the patio at Chipotle eating our burrito bowls, she gave me the best advice of my life. She told me to stop dating boys that wanted me to help fix them - that if I needed to save something so badly, I should o down to the humane society and adopt a puppy, because as far as saving humans goes, we can really only save ourselves. I mulled on that for a time. And then I made a critical decision - no more dating losers who wanted me to help them get their lives together. I didn't want to be the reason someone did "xyz" thing they thought they needed to do, I wanted whoever I was with to do those things for themselves, and because they knew their self worth.</div>
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Within weeks of making that decision, this guy asked me out for Chipotle. It was kismet. And what you might not see in this picture that was taken less than six months after we started dating was that we were already head over heels in love with each other - even if we weren't ready to say it out loud.</div>
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What has been the most significant experience so far in your life? How old were you?</div>
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RadiantKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17926722504480507674noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043899489936139255.post-78110428895811554792016-03-12T10:27:00.002-07:002016-03-12T10:27:27.654-07:00Miracles happen<div style="text-align: left;">
Guys. It happened. An absolute miracle, something that I never thought would happen for us.</div>
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We bought a house. Well, at least we convinced a mortgage company to buy a house for us, and let us pay them for it over the next 30 years. <br />
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This is the dream that we always dreamed, but never thought would actually happen We struggled for such a long time, and had so little, that to now have this happen... it's so good. So, so, so good. <br />
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There is so much more to this story, so many things that I have been dying to tell the world for the past month, but didn't dare, just in case it all went up in a cloud of smoke and dashed dreams. And now I can tell you all, but not today, because we have got to start making this house our own. </div>
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Have a wonderful weekend!</div>
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RadiantKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17926722504480507674noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043899489936139255.post-80955093469285499322016-03-03T21:01:00.001-07:002016-03-03T21:01:08.920-07:00Rays of sunlight<div style="text-align: left;">
I was writing out the word "Maryland" at work today, and it suddenly occurred to me that if I lived in Maryland, I would want to change my name to Mary, and then make friends with someone else named Mary so that we could sing "This Land is Your Land" together. It was one of the first moments in a long time where I started to feel a little bit like myself again, and it was so significant to me that I wanted to share it with the whole world. I don't imagine that, had I shared my little musing with anyone, they would have seen it as anything but silly and a bit absurd. </div>
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To me, that thought felt like a little bit of light cracking through especially dark storm clouds for the first time in a dark mid-western winter. Those of you who have spent a winter in the mid-west know what I'm talking about. Sometime in late October, the sun goes away, and isn't really seen again for months. I remember instances in college where the sun would come out in February, and everyone would peel off their outerwear, despite the 20-something degree weather, and just bask in the glory of sunlight for a bit. It's exactly what I did today: basked in the flow of sunlight, despite circumstances that would normally encourage different behavior.</div>
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In July after we found out we were moving, I went into survival mode. We had so much to do, to prepare prior to our departure. Mentally, physically, emotionally, it was a lot to handle. And even after we moved, it has been a lot to handle. I haven't stepped out of survival mode, and next week will mark 6 months since we moved here. Survival mode has been good to me in a lot of ways. It got us all out here in a mostly orderly and organized fashion, it helped me gain employment, and it helped us start to establish routines and patterns in our lives. It has helped us rebuild our life in a new and wonderful place. But until today, I could not start to enjoy all of these things that I had built.</div>
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The stress, the pressure, the overwhelm, it's still there. We are not settled into permanent housing yet, although that is hopefully just around a bend. We still don't have a good support system yet, and I don't feel comfortable in my new life. But for a few minutes today, I was back to my normal self.</div>
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It was bliss.</div>
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RadiantKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17926722504480507674noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043899489936139255.post-28471574629541304922016-02-24T23:16:00.002-07:002016-02-24T23:16:54.323-07:00When the words aren't right<div style="text-align: left;">
I'm sorry I haven't been here that much for a while. I actually come to this place pretty often. I start to write, to create, and.... the words come out, but they either come out wrong, or they just aren't right. I don't understand it, really, and I find myself deleting draft after draft of the things I wish I could tell you.</div>
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I just don't remember how to do it anymore.</div>
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How to express the hard stuff without coming across too self-deprecating, too pathetic, too sad.</div>
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How to express the thoughtful stuff completely, yet concisely, and in a way that matters to anyone (even me).</div>
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How to express the joy and goodness without seeming like a braggart.</div>
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How to share who I am in this very moment right now and be okay with showing that to people, even if I'm not okay with it.</div>
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And maybe that's the crux of it - being okay with myself. Being okay with being utterly joyful about the blessings we have received, and being okay with the dark times. If I'm being quite honest, I feel quite uncomfortable with both states of being. There are some wonderful people like my husband who have no problems with this, they just accept whatever is here, and they consider it valid. I envy them as I'm over here, trying to talk myself out of whatever I'm feeling, because it's "too happy", or "too sad".</div>
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Why do I have to regard whatever I'm doing as too much? As my dad always says, "Everything in moderation, except moderation." Shouldn't that apply to feelings too? I don't know, now I'm just spouting nonsense. </div>
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...But if we're gonna talk about moderation, it wouldn't hurt to mention that is something that I just haven't practiced much of lately... to the tune of 12 pounds. Ouch.</div>
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RadiantKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17926722504480507674noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043899489936139255.post-17900690250559266032016-02-06T21:04:00.000-07:002016-02-06T21:04:16.606-07:00I might have a stalker now. Neat.<div style="text-align: left;">
So, I got my hair done on Thursday. My first time since we moved here, in fact. My cousin is getting married next weekend, and I wanted to look all cute and stuff, like we women-folk are wont to do. But the outcome of this haircut is not what I'm here to tell you about. Oh no, that would be pretty boring. I'm here to tell you ll about the events surrounding and during the hair appointment, because they are far more interesting.</div>
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So, I bought my Groupon for my hair appointment (don't judge, I don't know the area, and we're trying to be thrifty), and made my appointment. I was a little surprised when the stylist told me she could fit me in the next day. It was a quick conversation, which was great, because I was at work, and I don't like taking personal calls during the day. <br />
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Except that a few hours later, she called me again. I was busy, and didn't answer, so she sent me a text message requesting that I call her. Okay...? So while I was making our dinner, I decided to call her back, just to make sure she didn't need to reschedule. It turns out she just "felt bad" that she had to rush our earlier conversation, and just wanted to chat. Uhm... thanks, but my introverted self doesn't want to make small talk to a stranger over the phone. I have a mother for doing that with. So I get her off the phone, and she immediately sends me several LONG text messages with directions to her salon (helpful), and a full recap of the conversation we just had (pointless). At this point, I was about 10 seconds from cancelling my appointment, but I had already dropped $57 on this venture, and I decided that my hard earned money shouldn't go to waste... after all, it could be a great haircut and highlights, right?<br />
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So Thursday evening I get to the salon a few minutes early, and it's obvious she isn't there. No problem, I just worked all day. A few minutes alone in my car scrolling through Instagram and Facebook is like heaven. My social anxiety and depression have been pretty bad since we moved, and going straight from work to an appointment with a chatty hairstylist had me in a near panic. Except, my bliss was shattered when she called me to tell me that she was running late, and to "chat" yet again. I assured her repeatedly that I didn't mind the delay (because I really wanted to take off for the hills screaming at this point), and tried to dodge her attempts to drag me into a conversation. So I scrolled a little faster through Facebook, desperately searching for those last minutes of peace before the deluge of anxiety riddled conversation that I knew was coming. Boy, did it not disappoint.<br />
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So, she arrives at the salon. We walk in, and I start explaining my strange hair, and exactly what I want. We fumble through the consultation and I hope that maybe, just maybe, she will read body language and realize that I'm not a chatty hair client. I'm a bliss out in peaceful quiet for 2.5 hours client. Instead, she launches into a barrage of personal questions, including asking me if I have kids, and if we want kids. I tell her yes, and that we would like them sooner rather than later. Immediately, she responds with -<br />
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"Oh, I have a recipe for that. It's so natural, and even women with fertility issues always get pregnant when they try it. Even women who try IVF."<br />
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So, I nod and laugh nervously, hoping she realizes I don't want to know her secret recipe and more than I want to know what McDonald's puts in their "special sauce". Instead, I get treated to -<br />
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"It's all about position. You have to do doggy style, and then stay with your hips in the air for 20 minutes afterward to keep everything inside you."<br />
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Oh God. I've been here 20 minutes, and she's telling me about how to have sex with my husband. Someone please send a life raft equipped with Xanax. She has color on my hair now, there's nowhere for me to go. What am I supposed to do? She's asking me even more personal questions now, and I'm so shocked that I'm just answering every question she asks. It's like my own 5th circle of hell in that little salon chair as she tries to find out more about me than my closest friends know in under an hour.<br />
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And then she asks me if I have life insurance on my husband. And this is where things take a turn and I just start outright lying to her. She is asking specifics about what kind of policy it is, how much it's worth, what the long term benefits are. Luckily, I know enough about life insurance to tell her all about a policy that we don't actually have, because I'm convinced that her goal is either to a) steal my or my husband's identity, or b) kill my husband so that I can get his life insurance proceeds. Neither option is very appealing to me, honestly.<br />
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By now, I've been there for almost 2 hours, and I still have foils on my head. She keeps repeating bits of our conversation entirely out of context, and it's freaking me out. I have nothing to say, and I just want to run away, even if it means losing the value of my groupon, but again, she as me by the hair, and I'm worried that if I wait until I'm home to take the foils out of my hair, it's going to be bright orange (I worry about this because one time my cousin had a reaction to hair-dye once that streaked her hair safety-cone orange. Sexy). So I'm still stuck. THEN it hits me: if she puts me under the dryer, she won't be able to talk to me. Why I didn't think of this sooner, I don't know. So, I get her to put me under the dryer because I know it will move the foils along faster, and simultaneously keep her from telling me about the intricacies of sexual positions as they relate to various reproductive goals. It's the most relaxing, wonderful 15 minutes of the entire 3.5 hours I was there, I tell you.<br />
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I think I blacked out most of the rest of the appointment, but I do remember her talking to me about how she isn't attracted to her husband physically, and how she never wanted to marry someone who was charming or attractive. Which was weird, because she had just asked me to show her pictures of Ammon, where I had pointedly mentioned I found him to be very attractive. I think she also tried to find out exactly where I live. I told her our apartment complex's name, and took heart that it's a big complex... the chances that she'll figure out which apartment is ours are slim.<br />
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And at last, I was ready to escape with hair that doesn't meet my expectations for a "good" haircut, but was good enough. But she follows me out the door chatting the whole way, and demanding that I follow up with her about how much I like my hair. She also asks me to text her when I get home. She also tells me that now I have a friend in the area, and she will tell me all of the best places to get food, drinks, household goods, etc. Uhhhhh, when did we become friends??? I was working hard to be polite, because all women know that the cardinal rule of the hair salon is to never piss off the stylist. But I definitely was not trying to give off the "let's be friends vibe".<br />
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I texted her when I got home, because I knew that if I didn't, she would be calling me to inquire about my whereabouts, or might even do a drive-by of the complex. She sent me three text messages in response, and reminded me again that I have a "friend" in the area.<br />
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It's a good thing that I live right next to the police station.<br />
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RadiantKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17926722504480507674noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043899489936139255.post-21498653880711395062015-11-29T10:19:00.001-07:002015-11-29T10:19:38.585-07:00My kitchen mojo<div style="text-align: left;">
Guys, if there is one really, truly positive thing that our move has done, it is this: it has given me some serious kitchen mojo. I have always liked to cook and bake, but I tend to be somewhat mercurial about cooking, and in the past I let that "I don't want to cook" attitude take us right to the loving embrace of Chipotle. But not anymore.</div>
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I will say, having a shiny new kitchen with pretty appliances probably helps a little. It is TINY, but has decent storage, and almost enough counter space.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjynTcxr8htTPG0ltQljuPlN1mDCMRzV4MG0TZVT7FkrxB0EK3tWb9p84rIuDQBSNn9rE1BNKcAnGuypV4NzrQGDWhSwcu3EU6ArQGM-mx-SqUyHSfn8G55j-Y0xr8yRHoE3uvtYFg4PYY/s1600/IMAG0082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjynTcxr8htTPG0ltQljuPlN1mDCMRzV4MG0TZVT7FkrxB0EK3tWb9p84rIuDQBSNn9rE1BNKcAnGuypV4NzrQGDWhSwcu3EU6ArQGM-mx-SqUyHSfn8G55j-Y0xr8yRHoE3uvtYFg4PYY/s640/IMAG0082.jpg" width="362" /></a></div>
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That picture is from moving day. Like I said, it's tiny, but surprisingly functional. So far in my tiny kitchen, I have made many things. Things like:</div>
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Spaghetti Squash with homemade tomato sauce (our first home-cooked meal in our new home!) </div>
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Fresh artisan bread (no kneading required!) </div>
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Pesto BLT with roasted broccoli (on homemade bread) </div>
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Sloppy joes on homemade rolls with roasted potatoes and green beans<br />
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Grilled apple and cheese sandwich on homemade bread (are you noticing a theme here?) with extra apple slices for good measure<br />
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Homemade pita bread for gyros and pita pizzas <br />
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Whole wheat bread I made yesterday to go with creamy chicken and rice soup.</div>
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Oh my goodness, the bread I have made lately! I always used to think Ammon didn't like bread, but it's far more complicated than that. Ammon LOVES bread, but only when it is baked fresh. He doesn't do store bought, or 2nd day bread, he's all about bread I bake, or bread that is totally fresh from a bakery. And now that I have discovered how easy and cheap it is to bake my own bread from scratch, we are eating more bread than I have in an awfully long time. It's certainly a far cry from the low carb, high fat diets I have tried in the past, and I'm totally okay with it. We're following a meal plan that's goal is to feed families real unprocessed foods, while still being budget friendly. It is working for us. The food is that throw-back food to the stuff I imagine that my grandparents and great-grandparents would eat with little complaint. We're eating a lot less meat, and this one-time vegan really likes that. All around, it's been a big win for us.</div>
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My love of baking is starting to transcend to a whole new level. I remember this happened when I discovered the world of vegan cupcakes and cakes. I could not get enough of making desserts. This time, I literally can not get enough of making bread. I have a pan of homemade cornbread drying out as we speak for cornbread dressing, which I'm going to stuff into acorn squash for dinner. And if this is a sickness, I desperately hope there is no cure. I'll take all of the homemade breads and goodies, please. Ammon just needs to keep paying for my gym membership =).</div>
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RadiantKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17926722504480507674noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043899489936139255.post-72192373523194401232015-11-21T12:15:00.000-07:002015-11-21T12:15:11.820-07:00Different goals for a different time<div style="text-align: left;">
It took 4 weeks of healing, but last week I was finally able to get back to working out. Woohoo! That silly little cyst in my armpit knocked me farther back than I ever could have imagined. Even now, I still have an open wound there, but it's managed by a band-aid, rather than the tender loving care of the medical team at Kaiser. Oh, have I mentioned how much I love Kaiser healthcare? I had it briefly in CO way back in 2007, and LOVED it. It was an option through Ammon's work when we moved out here, and I was quick to jump back on the wagon. A lot of people in CA are actually not big fans of the Kaiser model, but we love their integrated model of care, how streamlined everything is, and their focus on prevention.</div>
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My love of Kaiser is not the point of this post, though it is an interesting aside (I think). The point of this post is that I'm doing things differently with fitness this time around. It hit me last week that what I'm really all about right now is getting to a point where I can maintain a reasonable level of fitness throughout pregnancy. I have little interest in doing races right now (even though we have a 5k tomorrow - it's just for fun!), or in chasing some unrealistic body-image expectation, like 6-pack abs. I don't even care so much that my weight is a little up again. I'm trying to make fitness something enjoyable and sustainable right now. Which is hard for me, because those aren't words that fit into my view of working out.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Beckham approves of my new workout goals, and rewards me with cuddles post-run</b></td></tr>
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Right now, all of this means that I'm chasing a crazy goal, just for fun with running. I'm using this <a href="http://www.jennyhadfield.com/training-plans/zero-to-running/" target="_blank">Zero to Running</a> plan to work on building up to running for 30 minutes at an 8:00/mile pace. I sure love Jenny Hadfield's plans because they're realistic and customizable. I love one of the notes to this plan, which says to replace the "weeks" with levels, and keep at a level until you can comfortably complete the prescribed workout 3 times in one week. Since I'm chasing a goal that is pretty big and unrealistic given my previous experiences with running, I anticipate that this will be a long-range endeavor. So far, I'm on week (level) 2, and so I'm doing 1 minute intervals at and 8:00 pace. </div>
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I'm also making an effort to lift heavy-ish things twice a week. I've always been fully aware of the many benefits that this can have for sport performance, but it just hasn't been a priority, because I hate it. I hate being so sore that I have a hard time going to the bathroom. I know other people love this, I just don't. But I'm trying to come to terms with it, since it's such a beneficial thing. I've found that variety is key here, and I haven't done the same strength workout twice since moving out here. I'm also thinking about doing<a href="http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/21-Day-Butt-Workout-Challenge-38579543?utm_source=shopstyle&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopstyle" target="_blank"> this 3 week challenge</a>. Even though it repeats workouts, it's only a few times, and it's a do-able time duration for me. Plus, despite being a "booty" challenge, it makes a point of providing total-body workouts and being kind-of balanced, which is good. Booty strength is a big part of running, and a nice booty is a big part of a happy marriage, so it's a double-win for me right now.</div>
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Proof I go to a gym, because I'm not sure anyone would believe me otherwise.</div>
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Also, if you don't believe me that a poppin' booty is good for marriage, go ask your man-friend. </div>
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RadiantKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17926722504480507674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043899489936139255.post-13571594289017600922015-11-14T10:04:00.001-07:002015-11-14T10:04:26.746-07:00Recent thoughts<div style="text-align: left;">
I keep wanting to blog, but then deciding that the random little things that I want to talk about can't round out to a good blog post without getting boring, or depressing, or straight up strange. But I remember that sometimes, I used to just throw all of the random thoughts in my head out there list-style, and that seemed to fit the bill. So without any further explanation, here are my recent thoughts:<br />
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<ul>
<li>We bought a new rug right before we moved out here, and I love it. It's completely different from anything else we have, and I think that's what makes it so great. It really highlights Gunner's Chocolate lab-ness too. </li>
<li>I always forget how much I love running until I have taken a break and I start over from scratch. Something about working through running from the beginning stages really reminds me of what running does for me.</li>
<li>When I left my job at the Housing Authority, I really wasn't emotionally prepared to leave. It has made the transition to my new job incredibly difficult.</li>
<li>The COO at my new company reminds me of Michael Scott from "The Office". He's not a 100% ringer, but there are little mannerisms there that totally get me every time.</li>
<li>Trees should not still have green leaves in mid-November. Get it together, CA.</li>
<li>I forgot how much I enjoy tax law and tax preparation until I started my tax class a few weeks ago. Taxes are the reason I got into accounting in the first place, and it's completely re-affirming that I need to go into the tax field after I graduate. I was debating some other paths, but there really is no more obvious path for me right now.</li>
<li>I feel really isolated and alone out here. The people I work with are never going to become as close of friends as those I made at work in CO, and since I was out of commission with that cyst-issue for 4 weeks, I really haven't been doing anything that gets me out and meeting people. </li>
<li>Probably as a result of feeling so lonely and isolated, I really miss blogging, and the amazing community that I used to have in blog-land. Does the blogging community exist anymore? Or did it disappear like a rainbow unicorn?</li>
<li>One of my cousins that I have never met invited us for Thanksgiving. Her parents will be there, and her dad is the guy who dressed up as a farmer for our wedding. Do you remember that story? Anyway, my Aunt and Uncle are awesome, so we will be going.</li>
<li>Blogger is being stupid right now, and only inserting images above the bullets. I just tried to insert a picture of my uncle as the farmer 6 times, no dice. If I was a real blogger, I would care more, but let's be real... those of you actually reading this anymore have seen the picture before. It's nothing new.</li>
<li>The produce we are able to get out here is unreal compared to what we got in Colorado. And the prices! Everything is so much better when you can actually get it locally.</li>
<li>I agreed to be the "wellness champion" at work for the wellness program. The program is pre-designed, and it's super easy to implement. This is awesome, because I just want to do all of the fun stuff associated with wellness programs anyway, like organizing water drinking challenges, healthy snack pot-lucks, and fun runs.</li>
<li>We had a black IPA last night that neither Ammon or I liked at all, which is sad since black IPA is my favorite style of beer. It was ridiculously strong, too: One pint knocked me down pretty hard.</li>
<li>I think we're finally ready to get serious about having a baby. I know I am... for the first time in a long time, I'm not all that jazzed about finding a race to train for, I just want to work out to be balanced. This is a strange feeling for me.<br /></li>
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What random thoughts have you had lately?</div>
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RadiantKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17926722504480507674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043899489936139255.post-14779154091544823712015-11-01T10:45:00.002-07:002015-11-01T10:45:19.824-07:006 years<div style="text-align: left;">
It's hard to believe it, but 6 years ago today, a cute boy asked me to get a burrito with him after work. I didn't want to go, I was tired from working all day and I needed to get home and feed my cat. That cute boy convinced me to go anyway.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqfwJmJxBBp77nnWp7-u73LZexX2JRTphkwSZ5uVmEgYoCw6KJqxbqDYM0YV-nqsGQBHIyHkeKRHrOGiHUcXTwTtl_uwp6HE1u8TYe52TievQjD1qmIfMlv4yysJ8YxA5wXl4K3prPJI/s1600/25760_832975164033_2839718_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqfwJmJxBBp77nnWp7-u73LZexX2JRTphkwSZ5uVmEgYoCw6KJqxbqDYM0YV-nqsGQBHIyHkeKRHrOGiHUcXTwTtl_uwp6HE1u8TYe52TievQjD1qmIfMlv4yysJ8YxA5wXl4K3prPJI/s640/25760_832975164033_2839718_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first ever photographic evidence of our relationship. Look how young we were!</td></tr>
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Back when I was younger, it turns out that I went on a lot of first dates, and I never knew that they were dates. Dates with boys I really liked, and thought that they were way out of my league. If we're being honest, it didn't even cross my mind that I was going on a date with him, because he was a cute boy, and it was just a burrito, you know? Also, his work uniform made him look like he was 12, so I was entirely unsure if he was even 21 yet.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGaM10rB8G2Kb3uzghsmtpqoUJrNHvigATyS600mVpoZtvfcQ8I1-jy7Z_xWPFCFFe0Old85Xs3ICYFsNOVPiTy-DsJvms-vHpGOgptyiwJM2aGiL4ub9IdH6AUZWmus426kJLleVt6Ng/s1600/75630_10100333659964619_6339660_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGaM10rB8G2Kb3uzghsmtpqoUJrNHvigATyS600mVpoZtvfcQ8I1-jy7Z_xWPFCFFe0Old85Xs3ICYFsNOVPiTy-DsJvms-vHpGOgptyiwJM2aGiL4ub9IdH6AUZWmus426kJLleVt6Ng/s640/75630_10100333659964619_6339660_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Well, after finding out that not only was he over 21, that he was <b>older</b> than me, one major issue was overcome. And then I saw him in real clothes, and realized that the cute boy was a handsome man. And somehow, despite better judgement, he agreed to keep dating a clueless girl who never knew when she was being asked out.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTGx2MJj8Zh_CCcyss8r3FgSkxUw0kMZ0OHlkoeP8nTt-ema4BtIRDjICUTQk9JtcsFWdIT02_-M6ncxeqXbwL7_2VpWnwC6i7GGuKcfjSjY44plBF2PIYPM0ir9JTVq-RAKaUeifSguI/s1600/IMAG0149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTGx2MJj8Zh_CCcyss8r3FgSkxUw0kMZ0OHlkoeP8nTt-ema4BtIRDjICUTQk9JtcsFWdIT02_-M6ncxeqXbwL7_2VpWnwC6i7GGuKcfjSjY44plBF2PIYPM0ir9JTVq-RAKaUeifSguI/s640/IMAG0149.jpg" width="358" /></a></div>
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And 6 years later, I'm still the clueless girl, and he's still the cute boy.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdp_ntVBLqfDtBErrbFnfQjXqYK1rKSNXscTRa5yKAdtL4u_reEoklrYom6tJlyUurRzEqF-yVrgG-RG_yta9WR6s_7i9tHgmx4XqJadQdF9tMcNhSDH6Fbb9ypHh57-XFwG8PmuJqPss/s1600/IMAG0557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdp_ntVBLqfDtBErrbFnfQjXqYK1rKSNXscTRa5yKAdtL4u_reEoklrYom6tJlyUurRzEqF-yVrgG-RG_yta9WR6s_7i9tHgmx4XqJadQdF9tMcNhSDH6Fbb9ypHh57-XFwG8PmuJqPss/s640/IMAG0557.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We've both changed in the last 6 years, maybe even more than our hair has changed. But the flutters I get over that cute boy that I get to date haven't changed one bit. I'm glad that he was my last-first date, even if I was entirely unaware of the circumstances.</div>
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And tonight, we'll go get a burrito, because that's just what we do.</div>
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RadiantKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17926722504480507674noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043899489936139255.post-78240810334000973342015-10-17T11:03:00.002-06:002015-10-17T11:03:35.885-06:00Workout setbacks<div style="text-align: left;">
***Warning*** If you are easily grossed out by body stuff, just skip this post and come back some other time. </div>
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If there's anything that runs like clockwork just as much as my propensity for cycling in and out of shape, it's that once I decide it's time to get back into shape, I will face some sort of major setback early on. And guys, that most definitely happened, and in a big way.</div>
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I have had a little cyst in my right armpit for several years now. It was a benign little sebaceous cyst, and it was really deep, so there was nothing to do about it, except see if it was going to get worse or better on its own. Well, it decided to get worse, and on Tuesday morning, I woke up to an ache in my armipt. When I took a look, it was swollen. I wasn't sure what was happening, because I had heard that painful swelling could mean that the cyst was working itself out, or that it had burst and was infected. Since our insurance is still in processing right now and out finalized, I also wanted to wait and make sure that there was a problem before trying to get in to the Dr. By Thursday, things were much worse, and I was pretty much constantly in agony. So I got myself in to the Doctor's office, where it was confirmed that I definitely had a burst infected cyst. And so now we're treating that loveliness with antibiotics, hot compresses, and ibuprofen. There is definitely no working out happening, because I'm pretty much in agony anytime I move quickly, or my right arm moves. Fun, right? We're hoping hat by Monday, things will have progressed to the point where either my body can re-absorb the cyst, or it will start seeping out and the doctor can excise it. Obviously, I'm hoping for re-absorption, because it's a much faster healing time. However, I'll really be happy for progress either way, because it will mean that this setback is that closer to being over.</div>
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Ya know, just putting a hot compress on my armpit. No big.</div>
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I hate that these setbacks happen, but I realize that they serve such a valid purpose. They serve as evidence of my desire and dedication to my goal. If I am just as motivated to get back to my workouts afterward, I know that my goal is valid and important. If I have no desire, it's wake-up call that I should probably stop and re-evaluate what I'm doing and why I thought it was a good idea. Right now, I would love to be able to go workout and keep improving my fitness again. Every time I drive by our new gym, I wish I could go in and get to work. These are good signs. I know that I'm on the right track. It's going to happen for me, and before I know it, I'm be back in the game. </div>
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Do you have workout setbacks? If so, how do you handle them?</div>
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RadiantKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17926722504480507674noreply@blogger.com2