Dream Machine

Normally, I don't dream. Or, I don't remember if I dreamt, but over the last week and a half I have been dreaming like crazy! And, not all of my dreams have been good ones. A number of them have been nightmares. I blame it on the new mattress topper we just got. Drew had one in Iraq and loved it. Unfortunately, he left it in Iraq. It was way too big to stuff in his bags of necessities and all of his other stuff had to be packed and shipped months before leaving. Of course, he choose to hold onto it and enjoy it until the last day and then leave it for the next guy. Flash forward to the present and he's been having a lot of back issues - I think it's from standing so much at Amazon. We finally gave in and order the same mattress topper in the size to fit our current bed. I wasn't too sure about it at first because I'm paranoid about the spine and shoulders and sinking too much or creating bad posture with a super padded mattress. I like a little extra support. At this point I am sold on the comfort of the topper, but boy have I had some strange and memorable/scary dreams! The first few nights I slept on it I had horrible nightmares of people attacking and or trying to kill me. Not cool! Normally I don't remember my dreams at all, if I have one. Drew thinks I am sleeping more soundly/deeper which could be the case. Last weekend I actually woke in a panic - which I have never done before! The nightmares have since calmed, but I am still having odd dreams. The good news is Drew's back seems to be feeling better and he doesn't have the urge to go sleep on the couch or somewhere else.

Speaking of sleeping, Lexi has been cracking us up lately. We use to close the doors to all the rooms whenever we left the house, but over the last two months or so I've been leaving the bedroom door open. She doesn't do anything other than sleep when we're gone and she likes laying next to the bed, or resting her head on the extra pillows on the floor. Lately though, we'll be watching TV in the family room and Lexi will just get up, walk upstairs and lay down. It's as though she's telling us, "Bed time. It's too loud and bright down here, I'm going up to sleep. See you later." Days when I teach at 6am she watches me get ready, she'll go out to go potty, then run right back upstairs to lay down. I usually find her there when I get home.

Memorial Weekend

I can't believe May is almost over. Where does the time go? I know we have been super busy, but WOW June is only a few days away. I can not complain about this weather. After the rain we had at the beginning of the month (more on that coming in a future post) I am so happy to have sunshine and a little heat. Despite being apart for the weekend it was a fabulous one for Drew and me. He had a huge project at work last week so we only got to spend Friday and Saturday together, but needless to say we made the best of it. We spent Friday evening at the Reds game and watched the team beat the Cubs. Saturday was a busy day for me work-wise, but we wrapped up the evening together with a grill-out with his sisters. His Army buddy, Josh, and dog Raina made an appearance for dessert. Lexi and Raina had a blast running around the backyard chasing each other. Poor little Raina was scared to death when Lexi greeted her at the door. She even peed a little ;)

Sunday is such a blur. All I can remember doing is working out and going to the Taste of Cincinnati with my parents. The weather was great and it wasn't too crowded.
After teaching class Monday morning I finally gave myself a chance to relax. Drew got off work early which made taking half of the day off a lot easier. I usually feel bad relaxing when I know he's working his butt off. I even treated myself to a little lounge chair purchase. I wanted to catch up on my magazines outside, but couldn't get myself comfortable. This baby was totally worth it! ps. It was $10 cheaper at Walmart than it was at Meijer!

I could lounge out back all day long. I contemplated buying a baby pool for myself, but thought that might be a little hillbilly ;) Lexi too enjoyed being outside, although she got tired of the sun before me. Taking walks in the morning also helps wear her out. I've been trying to stick to my 10,000 a day and walking at some point with her helps me reach that point. After my original pedometer got wet and ruined I picked up a watch with a pedometer which has helped me get back on track. It's amazing how few steps I take when I'm not thinking about it or when I'm in real estate class.

One Year Anniversary!

What a week! There is no denying Drew and I are working hard! It has been crazy busy around here! But, the biggest even occurred on Sunday - Drew and I celebrated our one year anniversary! We got our wedding cake from A Spoon Fulla Sugar which also offers anniversary cakes for free instead of trying to fork down a frozen piece. Let me just say, the cake (gluten free of course) below is delicious! I had them make it similar to the top level of our wedding cake - chocolate with chocolate mouse  with buttercream frosting. It was/still is delicious! I even pulled out our knife and server/spatula from the wedding night that we used at the wedding. We'll have to remember all of this for future anniversaries.

 It's hard to believe we have been married a year. At the same time, a lot has happened over the last 365 days. We moved into a new home, Drew started working at Amazon, I quit my job and started teaching Pure Barre and handling the studio's marketing, I was trained in the second level of the Pure Barre technique, Drew got promoted to Captain, and I started taking real estate classes. I am sure there are other small obstacles we've over come and or celebrations we've achieved, but these are the ones that stand out the most. As I mentioned in a previous post, Drew is getting another promotion to Battery Commander. The change of command was suppose to occur on the 19th, but they decided to push it back until next month during the two week AT.

Most importantly, we both feel blessed to have each other in our lives. No matter how busy one of us is, we extra time for each other. And, we are looking forward to many, many more years ahead.
Well, I think that's it right now. I keep nodding off and I need to be up at 4:20am. Yikes! So glad I love my job!

Mini Update

Well, not to much to report over the last couple of days. I've been staying very busy between teaching, real estate classes, and babysitting. The next two weeks are going to be crazy, but that just means I'm one step/class closer to finishing my real estate classes and getting my license. I don't know what made me think about it, but a few hours ago I realized just how much "education" I will have by the end of the year. If all goes well, I will have four certifications in Pure Barre and a real estate license. Talk about a busy year! However, that is getting ahead of my self, and being very optimistic since at this point I don't have a license and I only have two PB certifications.

Most importantly, while I have been super busy outside of the home, I am loving every minute of it. I am having a blast teaching PB classes. I taught my first private lesson/class yesterday. There aren't guidelines for private classes which gave me the opportunity to cater directly to the client. I really enjoyed working with the client (who is a college girl), getting to know her and making sure she left feeling confident and comfortable with the technique. It was also fun taking Pure Barre for an hour and a half, explaining just how much it can do for your body when you push yourself.

Real estate will get better once I'm done with classes and can put what I've learned in motion, instead of sitting in a classroom.

Army Proud

We have big news again on the Army front! Drew learned last weekend he is being promoted to commander of the Bravo Battery this month! Our May celebrations are getting bigger. Not only do we get to celebrate our first anniversary on the 19th, but it will also be the change of commander ceremony. Drew will officially take on the role of commander on May 19th. And, as the commander's wife I will be taking on the role of the leader for the Family Readiness Group, which helps support the soldiers and families. I've been a part of it in the past, but I will now be in charge of this battery's group. It's not required that the leader be the commander's wife, but since no one else wants to volunteer for the position I'm stepping up to the plate. Love supporting my husband!

Any who, I think Drew is very excited and a little nervous about taking on the role of commander. Of course, it's a wonderful career opportunity and honor. He just has a lot on his plate and it will ultimately result in more responsibility. However, we both realize that there really is never a good time, there will always be other responsibilities, especially when you're in the National Guard. So... here we go!

What Happen to April?

Wow, time flies when you are having fun, and or are really busy! I can't believe tomorrow is the last day of April! Where did the month go? As I have alluded to in previous posts work has been going great. I'm enjoying getting to know the clients and seeing them get excited about the changes they are seeing with themselves! It's awesome when a move/the technique "clicks" with the client. Just last week I had two people (I won't name names but one of them does read this blog!) tell me that they are seeing physical changes having only taken class for two or three weeks. One told me that her pants that were too small at Christmas are nearly too big right now! The other woman is finally seeing definition in her arms after trying for years to tone them. It might sound cheesy, but it feels really good to help others feel good about themselves and get excited about working out/staying fit.

Me and three other instructors from the area. The two girls to my right teach at a nearby studio. The girl to my left is our studio manager and an instructor

I had the privilege at the beginning of the month to get advance training in Columbus. It as a lot of fun to see another studio, meet other instructors, and take class from an instructor who has been teaching since 2008. She did a great job of giving us new ways of encouraging clients and helping them really connect their mind and body with the technique.

My schedule will be changing on Wednesday so I am looking forward to getting to know some of the evening clients.

Funny story from this morning... one of my 6am clients told me after class that I have improved so much. It was a bit of a random moment in time, but it was really nice to hear. For one thing, it's nice that clients feel comfortable talking to me and another to have someone acknowledge my teaching evolution.

Any who, yes, I taught at 6am this morning which means I have been up since 4:14am. I am exhausted. Bed time.

Celebrating Life and Health

What a beautiful day. I really hope this nice, sunny weather sticks around for a long time. Lexi and I took a nice long walk around the neighborhood and it was so refreshing. I can tell a huge difference in her when the weather gets warmer and she can lay in the sun or run around the yard. She's a much happier dog. Now that the weather is warming up I'm challenging myself to get 10,000 steps in a day. Today I did awesome with about 12,000, but I know I won't hit 10,000 without making a conscience effort to get the extra steps. You'd think that teaching fitness classes all week that I work out a lot. Unfortunately, I don't always get to take class after/before I teach. Next month is going to be even harder with consistent real estate classes mixed in throughout the week and weekends. However, I am challenging myself to attend 20 classes throughout the month of May - 20 in 30 days. I think it's do-able. I'm also focusing on eating a lot better - not as much processed foods. There are so many yummy fruits and vegetables in the spring/summer that there is not reason not to eat well. It also means not buying the sweets and junk food. I've been really good when it comes to drinks. I no longer buy pop. Any pop in our house comes from Drew. And, that's fine. Drew doesn't have to give up pop just because I am or completely change his eating habits, although I know he too wants to eat better and get in to better shape. The neat thing about Drew is, he is always willing to try new things and he adapts pretty well. If I don't buy cookies or chips, ice cream, etc. he's okay with it. But, he will eat ice cream for breakfast if it's in the freezer ;)

I don't know about you, but this past week was a very long week. Long and hard. Our nation went through a lot in a matter of days and many people are still grieving and recovering from the horrific events in Boston. (For me, it's still hard to fathom what led the two brothers to want to kill/hurt so many innocent people. I will never understand. My mind doesn't work like that.) For the last month or so I had been planning to attend my friend's baby shower in Indiana and because of how difficult and sad the week had been it became even more important to me to attend the shower. Not only did I want to be there for her, but I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to celebrate life. A life that will soon be a part of this crazy world. I know my friend is going to be an amazing mom and to see all of the other wonderful people "baby H" will grow up learning from was comforting.

Celebrations of life continued on Sunday as I joined the rest of the family at my parent's house to celebrate Kevin's birthday. His birthday was really last weekend but he already had plans and couldn't  come. So, needless to say, his birthday extended for another week. Once again, it was really nice being with family and enjoying a nice, tasty meal. I am so very blessed to have wonderful caring people in my life. I hope we always cherish each other and our company.

A tough week ended on a high note.