Rock Fishing and Boys

Yup you read that title right.  Rock fishing.  Doesn't everyone know what that is? Come on people, seriously? Ok I will explain.
Rock fishing: the process of going with your best friend (the RA) over the woods and through the river to find rocks.  Make sense now? 

Ok well how about this one.  Becky and I went on a hunt for the best rocks EVER for our dorm.  Beck needed them for our program last night.  We decorated them as door stops so that we can keep our doors open.  This creates community.  And community is key you know?
Now that whole boys in the title.  Means nothing.  Other than I had my imaginary boyfriend over.  Yup I am that lame.  Maybe I am just really tired as I write this and think someone will think I am cute for it? Probs not gonna happen. 
The besties keep thinking they are going to be setting me up with someone soon.  Hate to burst their bubble but...AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN!! And you all (as in the besties reading this) know why.
Well that's all I have for you this lovely Friday morning! Hope everyone has a fantastic day and weekend:)

Inspire Me: Healthy Week 5

Oh another week and another time to link-up with Kristen and Raven! I know I say this every week, but I really love this link-up! I love that I am held accountable by it, and that I get inspired from everyone else who links up!
So this week....Yeah.  Well I guess since I lost 4 lbs last week, I was due for a slower week.  I only lost 1 pound but um hello that means I HAVE LOST 20 POUNDS!!!!!!
Yup I am pretty proud of that number right there.  I am right around the 3 months of working on this whole thing, and 20 pounds is right where I needed to be! 
Oh and since that was another 5 pounds, here are some pictures so that you can see my progress.  Each time I take these I think there really isn't going to be much of a change.  But I am always surprised to see that there really is! And when you can actually see the weight loss, it makes it even better! P.S. The bra I was wearing in this weeks pictures is kinda tight so it added a little unneeded pushup.

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Not too drastic and I think I was wearing different pants.  But overall I am VERY pleased!

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When I look at these two picture of from where I started to where I am now I just cannot believe it.  For one I cannot believe I was ever that big.  And two man am I looking good!

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I have been doing the same old thing I always do.  Lot's of working out and watching what I am eating.    Yes it has gotten a tad bit easier being here at school and not at home with Sherry.  But I really do miss working out with her.  She is so good at distracting my mind from what we are doing.  And it is always nice to have that support! Man can I not wait to see her in November!
And now because I am also REALLY needing it I will leave all of you lovelies with some awesome inspiration!

A little treat here and there never hurt anyone!

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Are You Perfect?

This past week or so I have been having some major struggles with everything going on in life.  As we all know by now, I moved back into college.  This was a much bigger transition than I thought it would be.  And I really don't know why.  It's not like I'm a freshie...I am a SENIOR for goodness sakes! I have done this already before!
But needless to say I am still struggling adjusting to where I am.  I am tired all the time and feel like I am running in a circle.
Tuesday night the band All Sons and Daughters came and performed at Milligan.  Let's be honest, I only went because I needed the SFP credit only 46 more to go by graduation.  I really did not have an open to heart to what was going to happen and really just wanted to leave as soon as I got there.
Little did I know God had a completely different plan for me.  He opened my heart that night as well as my eyes to why I was struggling so much with everything going on in my life.  Oh the things only He can show us!
I started to realize that I was focusing on all the wrong reasons for doing things.  I was in the mindset of "I need to be the PERFECT friend" "I need to be the PERFECT student" "I need to be the PERFECT daughter"  "I need to be the PERFECT employee" "I need to have a PERFECT workout" etc.
Notice a theme there? PERFECT.  I strive so hard to do things to the best of my ability.  I never want to let anyone or myself down.  This resulted in me trying to perfect every little aspect of my life.  And let's be honest again: that is not possible!
I needed Tuesday night to make me see this.  I needed to be at that concert worshipping the Lord.  I needed all of that more than I thought I ever would.
Now can I sit here and tell you that I am not completely stress free? No, I still have a ton of things to do.  But by removing that mindset of perfection, I am able to take things a little slower.  I know that I will get things done and all will be ok.  I need to learn to calm down and focus and then all will fall into place.
I will get there...one day!

Good Things Come in Small Packages

Especially when those good things are gifts from home!!  Well kinda at least.  When I left home I had some packages coming for me that didn't come in time so Mamerz had to send some things to me!  Isn't she the best? 
Getting packages from The Momma Hardin (what she wrote on the box) are great!  I mean she is The Momma Hardin, and that little note made me smile big.
So want to see what I got in this said package? Well ok then!
Jewelmint a little while ago was having a deal that if you bought one full price item, you could get a color block wallet for free.  Well I was in need of a new wallet, I really liked the one they had, and well when can I not use a new ring?

 I was totes feeling this one and I am so pleased with it! Question/sidenote: Can you lose weight in your fingers? All of my rings lately have been really loose on me...maybe that's where all the weight loss is from...

Here is the color block wallet I received.  Funny story about it: The site said they would be choosing which wallet I would get.  They had several different color combos, and I am kinda picky about colors so I got concerned about which one they would pick for me.  So when I opened the package and saw that the one I got was black and orange I had a big laugh.  Black and orange are Milligan's colors, so this was perfect!

Also a few weeks ago I ordered this necklace from Carina Lee.  Her and her sweet husband are in the process of adopting another child and these are their adoption necklaces to help raise money for the adoption.  One I love their story, and two I love the necklace.  Seriously go check it out now and get yourself one!

Ok well now that I have shared all of my new goodies, I am off to do some more homework! Hope everyone has a happy Tuesday:)

Can We Say Stressed?

That is pretty much the only word that describes my life right about now. STRESS STRESS STRESS!  Pure craziness is going on I tell you! And to be honest I don't know how much more of this I can handle!
First off I am a schedule kind of person.  And in those rare and random times when I do not have a set schedule, or I am setting one, my stress level goes up.  Yes I have a problem with stress.  Yes I need to work on said problem.
The first few days of classes are always the worst for me.  My schedule is still new to me and I am working on getting use to it.  We go in, meet the professor, I have to tell them that I go by Mosby not Mary, they look confused and ask me if I am sure, I say yes and we move on.  Then we go over the syllabus where I get way more than overwhelmed.
Like my professor said the other day "it is not all due tomorrow".  This is true but sometimes I feel like it is! I am always having to remind myself that while I may not understand 100% right now what the professor is asking for, they will explain it when the time comes, and I will do a good job.  
Also it seems that while I thought I would have an easy going semester with only 15 hours (the lowest amount I have ever taken) I will have a pretty heavy course load.  All of my classes require many readings and all of them have several papers for me to write.  Yay.
On top of that I needed to get my planner organized.  That only took me well over an hour.  Not exactly what I call fun.  But since that thing pretty much runs my life, it was a must do!

Getting organized!

Oh and in the midst of all of this I have been waking up at 6:30 every morning to make it to the gym to work out.  While I like that my workout gets done, I am worn out!  Friday I knew I was heading downhill fast with this attitude of mine, so I took a nap.  It helped.
This weekend I worked hard on getting more organized.  Saturday I decided I would work on setting a schedule for myself for studying for the GRE.  Sounds fun right? Nope that one added to the stress as well.  Every Saturday from here till October 20 will be filled with the GRE.

Saturday morning setup to study

Now I don't want y'all to think I am having no fun here! Friday and Saturday night I went to the Men's and Women's soccer games.  The ladies won and the men lost! Oh but it was fun to watch my friends play:)

Saturday was also filled with decorating the apartment.  We really didn't have anything up on the walls yet in the main living space so we all spent some time getting that put together! Totes fun!

We redid the living room!

"People say you are what you eat...I don't remember eating a Sexy Beast" This is above our kitchen table!

Oh how I look forward to getting more settled in here and becoming much less stressed!

Inspire Me: Healthy Week 4

It's that time of the week again where I spill my guts to you all.  I share with you the good, the bad, and the ugly of what has been going on with this whole weight loss thing!
I love this link-up and I am so glad that I have it here to motivate me.  As many of you may know this past weekend I moved back to Tennessee to start my Senior Year of College!!
And like the last time I moved someone in, it was a whole lot harder than you would think to keep losing the weight.  But I have to say I am mighty proud of myself for keeping up with everything! 
This week I lost 4 pounds!!! I guess all of that stress and worry was for nothing! This means I am 1 pound away from losing 20 pounds!! I have to say I am pretty proud of myself and now know that I really can do this!
It had been a bit of a struggle to make my meal plan work.  And I mean that in the sense of I am surrounded by so much other tempting unhealthy foods that are most definitely not on my diet, and I think I would rather have that! Fortunately I am have been exercising some self control.
I also have some pretty awesome friends who have been helping keep me motivated! 
Monday morning we woke up and hit the gym by 9.  I was able to get in some cardio as well as a good leg workout.  While I got VERY frustrated that the machines here are all different, I pushed through that and made it work.  All the while I was texting my trainer about EVERYTHING the whole time.  I must have done something right because come Tuesday I was most definitely feeling that workout!

I hate this machine with a passion.  I was secretly praying they wouldn't  have one!

Tuesday I hit the gym again with 2 friends.  Did some more cardio and then some upper body.  Starting the upper body is a bit scary for me because I get so concerned about my shoulder.  But I am learning to listen to my body and know when to stop.

Get it Ash!

Wednesday was just a cardio day, and since it was the first day of classes we definitely needed a bit of a break from the weights!
I am so excited to keep moving forward with the weight loss.  So much so that when I filled out my information for my gown for graduation, I put my weight as already 15 lbs less than what I am now! Hopefully by then I will be smaller than that, but I needed something to keep me going!
P.S. Last week I was able to buy a size smaller in jeans! I did a pretty big happy dance when that happened:)

The Start of Senior Year!

I cannot believe it is here.  Seriously seniors already?! Where has the time gone? Someone please explain to me how I just moved in two weeks ago, and now all of a sudden I am a Senior? I mean that's what it feels like at least!
On Saturday Mamerz and I made our way to Tennessee to move me into college for the last time :(  After the long drive (11 hours), we were ready to get some food and then bed! We were able to have dinner with Becky and enjoy our first night in town!
Sunday morning we woke up and had our free complimentary breakfast.  Yeah we got one all because it is Senior Year baby!!! 
We then got ready and headed to church.  I was so excited for Mamerz to be able to come to my church and meet all the people I am always talking about. 
After we grabbed some lunch it was time to head over to Milligan!  It's funny because no matter how many times I move in, or how comfortable I feel about things, I always get the butterflies when I drive on Milligan Highway for the first time of the year.
But of course those go away the moment I see my best friends!  
This year is a pretty awesome year.  For the first time ever, I am living with 3 of my best friends! We are in the upperclassman dorm and LOVING it!  
After unloading the THREE car loads of stuff that I have, we started arranging everything. In what we are calling our "apartment" Becky and Jessi have their own room, and then Kelly and I are sharing a room.  We also have a kitchen and a living area.  It's all kinda small and still resembles a dorm room, but it is so much better than those cinder block, mental institution white walls we had elsewhere.  
So want to see the humble abode?! Oh good because if you keep reading you are going to get your fill of the pictures!

Our kitchen.  Don't you just love that wallpaper?!

The living room.  We totes need to get to work on decorating!

Our shower room

Our toilet room.  Yes we have our own separate room for the toilet.  And yes it is creepy.

And the sink room.  You can't really see it all that well but the other girls put their toothbrushes in either a cute box or mason jar.  Mine is in my How To Train Your Dragon Cup! 
And then there is my room.  I am loving this room and how it has turned out!!

The chevron canvases made it up on the wall!

My desk and window

The closet and getting ready area

Today is the first day of classes! for the first time ever I am taking less than 17 hours.  This means I only have 2 classes! And then I will be heading to work.  
I am so excited to be back and cannot wait to dive head first into SENIOR YEAR!!

Can You Feel The Love Tonight...

I am hoping you sang that title right there along with me.  Lion King is the best.
So lately I have been feeling so loved by many people around me.  I have received unexpected gifts 3 times within this last week.  I love how thoughtful each one of them was, and wanted to say thanks again to all three awesome ladies!
The first one came from one of the moms from work.  Sandy is an instructor there, and we saw her kids pretty much everyday.  Let me tell you, she has some pretty awesome kids.  Now not everyone working there may have felt the same way I did, but I really liked her kids.  
I guess it meant a lot to Sandy how much I took to her kids and watched out for them.  She got me the sweetest gift.

The Sweat Pea lotion was because I am so sweet.  The rubber band ball was because I am so flexible with all of the children.  And the Starbucks gift card was... because I am a college student and I would need it!  Seriously this was too sweet and way too much! In my eyes I was just doing my job :)
The next gift I received was from one of the besties! Jess sent me, as well as all of the other girls I believe, a CD to listen to for our Senior Year.

I was listening to it while I worked out yesterday and today and fell in love with it!  Girlfriend is awesome at putting together a great playlist:)
And then there is Sherry's gift.  Sherry is my personal trainer whom I am going to miss greatly these next three months.  She put together a little going away present for me!  Seriously way more than I would ever expect in a million years.  I thought she was just going to get me the potassium.

She ended up putting together a bag full of fun treats! A new water bottle in my fave color.  Some coffee for my Keurig.  New protein bars for me to try out (she knows how picky I have been about those). Some Skinny Cow treats that I have already opened and loved! She also got me two notebooks.  One  for me to write down everything I eat, and one to write down all of my workouts.  Oh how she loves to make sure I will still be held accountable!  She also got me a book of inspiration. And last but not least some Red Curry Powder so that I will try that Spicy Oatmeal.   Love it all!
Thank you again to everyone for those sweet gifts! They have made me feel really loved!

Inspire Me: Healthy Week 3

Why does it seem that Thursday always comes way to fast? I always have the same thought "I wish I had just one more day"  One more day for this link-up that is! I strive to do my best so that I have some awesome results to share! And this week? I do!!! I finally hit the 15 pound mark! I was so happy that after I weighed I did a little happy dance in my bathroom.   I have been trying for a couple weeks to reach this point and I have to say I am mighty pleased with myself! Here are some pictures!

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I changed up a couple things this week.  Since it was my last week at home I really wanted to go hard and lose this weight.  I have been running for 2 weeks now and I am slowly growing to love it.  I think this change up is one of the main reasons I am seeing results.  Sometimes your body needs a little change! I also stayed on top of my water intake.  I am suppose to drink at least 1 gallon of water a day.  But I had slowly started to slack off on that one without even really noticing it.  Then I heard about this awesome App.  Waterlogged.

Every time I finish drinking a bottle of water I log that amount.  It keeps track for me how much I have had, as well as how much more I need to drink.  It really has helped hold me accountable to drinking my water! This next week is going to be a tough one.  I am moving back into school, and will have to figure everything out there.  New gym to figure out, and how to make my diet work up there.  I know I am going to do it, but sometimes changes can be hard! To end on a positive note, and to give yall a little taste of what I get with my trainer which I secretly love, I will leave you with all of the inspirational pictures she sends me EVERY morning.  No joke.  I wake up and I have one waiting on me!