Weekend Recap | The Silver Caboose and Family Time (A Lengthy Post)!

I don't think I could ever make a habit of recapping every single weekend (I mean, look at how Thirty on Thursday fell through... I promise to pick it back up this summer), but this was one for the books!

I'm usually exhausted by Friday evening and am in bed by 8, but as I get more comfortable with my new routine, I'm managing my time a little better and am not so worn out by five o'clock! Eric and I stayed up a little late and ordered pizza and watched TV. I went for a short cardio workout after dinner then came home to find Eric warming up a slice of pie to share. Random, I know, but it was a pleasant night! 

Saturday Vaught woke up right at 6. I made a bottle and put him in our bed while Eric made breakfast. I got a few sweet, timeless photos with our happy, sleepy little guy.

Vaught was back down for a nap before nine and slept until eleven. When he woke up, the three of us got dressed and rode to Collierville. Thanks to my friend Mallory, I'm now part of a book exchange  for children, so I picked out a book to send to a little girl named Mia in Columbis, OH (if you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you'll know more about the book exchange in a few hours because I'll be looking for a few mamas to keep it going)! We also had to pick out a gift for my friend Jenna at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Her bridal shower was yesterday; she's getting married June 27th! 

By the time we left the mall, it was well past lunchtime and we were starved! We chose to eat at The Silver Caboose on the Collierville Square. We'd heard great things about this place but still hadn't been. 

Clearly, we've been missing out! Eric had their lunch special, meatloaf and vegetables. They told him he was in luck because there were only three servings of meatloaf left. "Oh, good, then give me all three of them," he told our waitress. I don't think she believed him at first! If you're new here, my husband is a 6'3", 310 pound semi-pro power lifter; basically, I buy groceries for four people every week because he eats enough for three!

Trains ran all the way around the length of the restaurant!

Vaught was amazed by the choo-choos!

I had their hamburger with a side of fries. WHOOOOOA, WAIT! you say. YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE EATING FRENCH FRIES!!

A few weeks ago after my Wednesday night class, I was starving. I had just started my job at OHS and wasn't packing enough to eat throughout the day. I didn't have time to get anything before class, so I had to wait until after, and for some reason I had a hankering for Chik-Fil-A. I went through the drive-thru and got a grilled chicken sandwich with a fruit cup as my side instead of waffle fries.

I'm about a mile away when I reach into my bag for my sandwich, only to pull out a handful of waffle fries... They'd given me fries instead of fruit. I was so hungry, I said screw it and ate the fries. I guess I could have turned around and went into the restaurant and asked for my cup of fruit, but I was exhausted and hangry. I ate the damn fries.

I'd heard the ones at The Silver Caboose were delicious, and they were! I'm actually glad I got them on the side.

We saved room for dessert because their dessert menu looked amazing! Eric had pecan pie a la mode, and I had chocolate chestnut pie a la mode. They were both delicious!

Before we left, we had to get a photo of Vaught on the caboose... He was not interested. There was a real train going by about two hundred yards away, and he was too busy checking it out!

It felt like SUMMER outside!! Loved it!

Before we went home, we picked up steaks to grill that night. We got home around four, and Vaught refused to nap, so I loaded him up and went to TJ Maxx to return a couple of things. I got a gift card for my returns and bought an outfit and Mickey Mouse sippy cup for him, a new tumbler for myself, and a bag of quinoa for just $5! I love quinoa, but it's so expensive most places. TJ Maxx has great finds in healthy snack foods!

We walked strolled to Target afterwards on the hunt for another sippy cup with a straw. Vaught I couldn't pick between two, so we just got both of them. We ended up buying three sippy cups Saturday night. Whatever.

After dinner, Vaught went to sleep, and I lied down for a little while to let my food settle. Around 9:15, I left for the gym and did a great leg and shoulder workout! I used the Smith machine for my squats; I knew I wanted to go heavy, but I was not about to use a free bar and plates without a spot! I was able to squat 135 for 3 on my own on the Smith machine and was pretty proud of myself. My PR a couple weeks ago was 155--pretty sure it was 165 while I was pregnant!

Mohawks are part of our nighttime routine :)

When I got home, Eric was watching the Grizzles game. We stayed up until past midnight watching the Grizz win!

Vaught got up early again Sunday morning. Eric made us breakfast and we went to my parents' home in Potts Camp for church.

After church, Eric grilled chicken for everyone. While he was grilling, we all sat around on my parents' deck, one of my favorite spots as a child. I realized how blessed I am to have my entire family here with me. My sisters were passing Vaught back and forth, while my nieces played. My grandmother (my mom's mother) was there too, and we all had a chance to just sit and visit. I got a few pictures because I know these are memories I'll look back on and cherish!

I left at 1:45 for a bridal shower for my childhood friend Jenna. We lost touch after high school but reconnected a few months and picked up right where we left off! I enjoyed visiting with her and celebrating her upcoming wedding!

I got her 4 of the 8 dish towels she registered for. And measuring cups and spoons!

We were back in Olive Branch around 5:30. Eric went to the gym, while Vaught and I drove to Kroger for groceries. Before Eric left, he asked me what I wanted to have for dinner. I mentioned chicken, but we both are getting a bit burnt out on chicken! I suggested stuffed bell peppers, and Eric said it was like I read his mind! Stuffed bell peppers is one of his favorites!

I decided to spruce mine up a little and added quinoa with the hamburger meat. I topped them with shredded cheese, mozzarella, tomatoes, and buffalo sauce.

Afterwards, I did dishes, laundry, showered, and laid out my outfits for the next two days for work. All in all, I'd say it was a pretty successful Sunday!

Sorry for such long post, but this weekend was one for the books! It was so pleasant, relaxing, and fun, so of course I wanted to share it with you! I hope you had a great one as well!

Vaught: Seven Months

Vaught Charles Pace is seven months old and is growing, growing, growing!

 

Weight: 20 pounds, 8 ounces 

Length: 27.5 inches

Sleep: Vaught sleeps 10-12 hours per night in his crib in his room. He is still a nap champion, taking three long naps throughout the day. He's begun going to bed around six, which is insane. He'll typically sleep until around 6AM and wakes up right at about the time I need to be leaving. I will be putting our dogs in their crates or packing up my lunch when he begins his wake-up babbling. 

 

Food: We're doing less and less formula now and more solids. I make most of his food myself by pureeing or mashing up produce, but I've also discovered the Happy Baby brand of organic baby food. There's not a flavor Vaught doesn't like, and my mother-in-law found tons of these on sale, so we have a tub full! Organic food for baby can be a little pricey, but it's worth it knowing how good it is for his little belly. He has skipped over a traditional sippy cup but knows exactly how to get liquid out of a straw, so I'm going on a hunt for a kid's sippy cup with a rubbery straw today; wish me luck! 

Diapers: Huggies Snug and Dry Ultra Diapers are God's gift to moms. Just saying. 

Clothes: He woke up one morning and was in a size 9-12 month. He can still wear a lot of six month things, but the pants are like capris on him. Most of the time I just throw him in a onesie and go!

Developments: Vaught sits up really well and is rolling around and scooting on his back. He reaches for things in front of him, especially our food and drinks. It's the funniest thing when he reaches for my drink and tries to put his mouth on the rim of the cup! He's becoming more apathetic and is in tune with the people around him. When Eric and I laugh about something, Vaught chimes in. Out and about a few days ago a baby was crying and Vaught randomly began crying too. This just reminds me that he will feed off of our attitudes and emotions. If he's picking up on things this early, then we're seriously going to have to watch what we say even more. Eric and I both have mouths on us sometimes!

And in case you're not friends with me on Instagram or Facebook, Vaught can say "Mamamama!" now. He has babbled out a few more syllables, but we know for sure what that one is!

Pictures

Sometimes we nap together :)

 

 

 

Have a happy Saturday! We sure are :)

What if we just show kindness?

I see articles and blog posts like these making their rounds on Facebook. You've seen them too. They're entitled things like, What Not to Say to the Working Mom, What Not to Say to the Breastfeeding Mom, What Not to Say to the Mom of Twins, What Not to Say to the Mom of the Screaming Kid in Target.

I've read most of these articles with my brow furrowed, and after reading I'm usually in a minor state of panic. I've said a lot of these things to a lot of these mamas, I've thought. After reading at least a dozen of these articles in the past couple of months, I think I've realized what not to say to my fellow mothers in general: anything. For fear of offending or insulting her, just don't say anything.

But that's not right, my loving, chipper, need-to-know-people part of my being whispers. Are we supposed to just hole up and not talk to one another for fear of offending each other? 

It just doesn't add up... It's definitely not the way I want to be.

I began thinking, as I'm known to do, and I came to a pretty spectacular conclusion: what if we just show kindness? What if we're just nice to one another, no matter what?

An article circulating Facebook at this very moment details a list of things you shouldn't say to the "C-section mother." I was so confused when I read it. I have never defined a mom or her birth experience by c-section or vaginal or natural birth or water birth or any of the other birthing methods, nor have I given thought to how a woman becomes a mother (artificial insemination, for instance). I guess I just thought that we're mothers because we're mothers. We conceived in some form, carried our children for forty weeks, give or take a little, gave birth, and poof! We became moms. The same goes for mothers with adopted children; they're still moms to me. That article is just one of many (too many) what-not-to-say reads making its rounds on social media.

I suppose my main thought and my proposal to you, fellow mom or friend or complete stranger with or without kids, is this: what if we just show kindness? To everyone. To the mom with the screaming kid(s) or baby. To the dad trying to hold it together. To the family of six being way too loud during Sunday lunch our at Olive Garden. Show kindness. Surprisingly, it's not that hard.

That's not to say that there aren't certain things you really shouldn't say to someone of a certain circumstance, but it all goes back to kindness... If we can just be gracious towards one another, we'll never have to worry about saying the wrong thing. 

I have several lifelong goals I hope to accomplish before my time on earth is done. Hopefully, I'll get there. But at the end of the day, all I really want to be remembered for is kindness. You can take my money, my car, my home... But you can never take away kindness. 

Self-Slaughter of the Blogger

I love reading blogs, always have, and I've learned that there are a few people out there who enjoy reading my blog, which makes me really happy! I think of blogging like journaling, only I have to be a little more conscious of what I'm writing so that I'm one hundred percent reader-friendly. In my opinion, nothing kills a blogger's blog faster than bad content. By that, I mean that there are many different ways bloggers commit "blogger suicide," at least by my definition. They are as follows:

1. Randomness
This is where the importance of finding a niche come in. The Lifestyle Blogger category is a bit broad, so I stick to a certain niche I like to call "fit moms." I blog about fitness and weight loss, but I also throw in a lot about Vaught and our little family of three. If a blog is here one day, there the next, then flops back to here, and it's just all totally random, pointless stuff, I lose interest quickly.

2. Plagiarism
This is both an English teacher thing and a blogger thing. Nothing kills a blogger's vibe more than to stumble upon a post that's clearly been copied from another blog, usually a bigger, more popular site.  I can smell plagiarism the second a website loads, and it's the biggest turn-off. As bloggers, we get ideas from each other a lot, but I can't stand to see a recipe or an idea copied almost directly from another blogger. Smart bloggers know to always give the original creator credit when it's due.

3. Poor Proofreading... Or Lack Thereof
Again, this is an English teacher thing, but all bloggers can probably relate: proof, proof, and proof some more. The occasional misspelled word or lack of punctuation is understandable, but sometimes I encounter posts that look as if they were written by a fourth grader. I don't mean to be ugly, but there's no excuse. Sometimes I'm in a hurry to finish a post, so I'll slip up a little in proofreading, but  it's important to always edit your posts as best as you possibly can. When I read a new blog with tons of careless grammatical errors, I am immediately turned off.

"You don't know that."

     Our second baby... No, we are not pregnant again, but we have thought about him or her a few times since having precious Vaught. What new parent doesn't have a few thoughts about Baby No. 2 at some point? When people have asked us when we thought Baby Pace the Second might happen, we've usually responded with something like, "Well, Vaught's so good, we don't want to think about another one just yet," hinting that we're just fine as a family of three (plus the pups). And it never fails (other moms know this, too); someone chimes in, "Yeah, well your second one is going to be a little hellion!" "Enjoy this good one while you can; the second baby is always a nightmare." "You're going to have a mean little girl the second go-round!"

You don't know that. 

I'm just going to put this out there: I think children have the personalities their parents give them. I'm not talking about genetics. From day one, from conception really, I think you can teach your baby to be "good." 

Kate, you've completely lost your marbles. 

No, I haven't, but I keep a spare in my pocket just in case. Hear me out. 

     After getting past the initial shock of discovering I was pregnant, I went about my life as usual. Aside from a daily prenatal vitamin, nothing changed; I was still just normal me. I embraced every aspect of pregnancy without complaint. People kept telling me, "Just wait; you'll be miserable! Wait until you can't see your feet. Wait until you're swollen and sweaty!" It never happened. Well, maybe it did, but I didn't notice. I took everything as it came and accepted it as part of what God was building inside of me. Sure, I felt a little crappy sometimes, but I never was a bitchy pregnant girl. 

     Once Vaught arrived, I parted ways with many of my previous conceptions about motherhood. I threw out the baby books and the Googled advice and just let my mom instincts do the job. Sure, I took all the necessary precautions to protect Vaught and keep him healthy, but I didn't jump hurdles to Clorox my house every day. Right now he eats organic, clean baby food; in a few years he'll be eating cheerios and French fries off the car floor... And I don't even want him near a French fry. I paid no attention to the pro-co-sleeping parents and taught my newborn how to sleep on his own. With a now seven-month-old who sleeps through the night in his own crib, I don't regret that a single bit. I firmly believe that he is such a happy baby because he sleeps independently. 

     As far as new motherhood goes, I have embraced it all and continue to do so each day. I don't get bent out of the shape when things don't go my way or when we're thrown off-schedule. There have been many times when I felt like bawling my eyes out; I chose to laugh instead. I have celebrated the good times and smiled through the bad, and when things got really tough (and they will at times), I told myself, Bad times don't last forever. 

     Please don't tell me that our next baby will be a brat or that he or she won't sleep or that they'll be a little devil-child or that I'll wish we'd just stuck with one (yes, people have said that), or, or, or... Your children are what you make them. Because Eric and I are seriously the most laid back, non-worrysome people you could ever meet, Vaught is likely to be the same way. He just sits and giggles and takes it all in. He is such a happy baby. Even if our next one isn't Vaught made over, we'll love him or her no matter what. 

Visitors from Virginia left us Vaughtless

The light of the English teacher in me has found its way through, as you can probably tell by the alliteration in this blog post's title!

     Eric's mother and stepfather live in Virginia, about 900 miles from our North Mississippi home. On Friday, April 10th, they flew in to visit with us and left with our precious Vaught to spend a few days (roughly six) in Meridian, where my mother-in-law grew up.

     Friday night, we all went for dinner at Como Steakhouse. You've probably figured out by now that this is our favorite restaurant! I hated I didn't get pictures with my in-laws. I'm terrible at the photography part of blogging!

Not sure what to do with ourselves. 

Vaught left with his Mimi and Pawpaw around 1PM Saturday. That would be the last time we saw him until Thursday afternoon. 

The days he was away from us were quiet but terrible. Our anniversary was Monday, the 13th, and I got sick.
My throat was sore, and I ran a fever that night. Needless to say, it was not the most romantic anniversary night! I wasn't the only one who got sick; I got a text from my stepfather-in-law Wednesday around noon telling me Vaught was running a high fever. It was difficult, but I stayed calm despite wanting to pack my things up and drive to Meridian from work! I got to FaceTime with them at the clinic and saw that Vaught was kicking and laughing and babbling as usual. I couldn't believe how cheerful he was even with a high fever. God has truly blessed us with a happy baby!

He got his first sink bath in Meridian.

Vaught and his Pawpaw looking at horses!

     When they got home Thursday afternoon, I pulled Vaught out of his carseat, and he clung to me like it had been months instead of a few days. I spent most of the afternoon cuddling with him. I was so happy to have him back home!

     I love when Eric's mother and stepfather come to visit... Family time, good food, laughing, lots of coffee-making, free babysitting, shopping, amazing meals, cooking, free babysitting, more coffee-drinking, free babysitting, good food, home-cooking, laughing, together time... Did I mention good food and free babysitting?!

     Normally having extended stay company might feel like work, but it's totally not for us. Actually, my husband sometimes says it's the opposite; he says he wishes his mom and stepdad would relax a little more at our house! They are always fixing things around our home, organizing, cleaning... I just tell him that if they didn't want to do those things, they wouldn't. I think it's just something mamas do for their boys :)

They got us these nifty shelves to store things on. I'm encouraged to start coupon-clipping!

     My in-laws left yesterday morning, and I honestly felt like crying. They are so sweet to cook for us, clean for us, and give us all the free time we need together to do things we've not really been able to do since Vaught was born--like work out together. We used to do this all the time and really enjoyed it!

So much good food!

     Don't get me wrong; I wouldn't trade a single second of our new lives as parents for our previous ones, but it was so nice to be able to get out and about, just the two of us. We absolutely loved our week of company and look forward to them coming back in six months; Vaught will be a year old!

Juggling life counts as exercise, right?

I've been a teacher again for not quite two weeks... Life has been busy.

     This past week was a doozy, especially with Vaught being four hours away in Meridian, MS, with Eric's mom and stepdad. You'd think that things would be a little easier with him on "vacation" with his grandparents; it's been anything but! Not having Vaught threw us off our routines, and we didn't know what to do with ourselves.  It turns out I have a lot more energy with Vaught here than with him away- the direct opposite of how I thought it would be. I was so happy to have him yesterday!

     I knew when I got this job that my fitness regimen might be temporarily disrupted, so I decided at the beginning that I would be flexible, careful to not stretch myself too thin. I wasn't at all surprised when this turned out to be true; I have hardly had time to exercise in the past two weeks! Well, I am the queen of "NO EXCUSES," and I used to squeeze in those 10 or 11PM workouts, but now that I'm driving so far every day, I don't feel that it's safe or beneficial for me to do that. I guess realistically, I could have gone to the gym a few nights, but it wouldn't have been very smart!

     I went to Orange Theory Fitness Germantown Saturday morning and loved it, so I'm going back again tomorrow at 8:15... Maybe. Vaught's been a little sick, so I may reschedule my class. Aside from that, I have been to the gym twice in the past several days--not impressive. However,  my clothes are fitting looser and looser. I'm back in my "work pants," and they are soooo loose! The last time I wore them they were nice and snug around my legs, but now I can put them on without unzipping them. I have two pair of black leggings/jeggings that I prefer to wear instead of actual pants. Because leggings are always a yes!

     I'm not entirely sure where my weight is at because I've not weighed since my six month postpartum update. I feel like I'm probably about the same, maybe one or two pounds down. I have slacked a little in the healthy eating department! I was just talking with my coworker and good friend Sarah about how carbs make the best and quickest lunches: sandwiches, chips, crackers, cookies, all of these are so good and so easy to pack but loaded with carbs! The struggle is real.

A local business brought us treats a few days ago; it would have been rude to turn them down :)

     My biggest goal for the next six weeks is to tone, tone, and tone some more for summertime clothes! And speaking of summertime,  I've been browsing bathing suits (what girl hasn't?!) and I have to say that I am loving the trend of the high-waisted swim bottom! It was made popular last summer by Taylor Swift (she has a thing about never showing her belly button supposedly), but high-waisted bottoms are all over the place this year, and I love it! They look good on every body, curvy and skinny girls alike. This will probably be the option I go with this summer. It's very 50s/60s-esque too, which I love! I'm working on a blog post to show a few of my favorites!

I put my gym clothes on before dinner last night with plans to go work out shortly after we ate. It didn't happen. I ate cookies and held Vaught instead. 

So, I guess calling this a "fitness update" is a bit off the mark. Once Vaught is completely better (he's been running a fever), I'll be back in my usual routine. My days are much longer now, but fitness is still a priority. Juggling the demands of life counts as exercise, right?

Wishing you a happy weekend!

-Kate

"I trust your judgment."

Three times--count it, three times-- someone said this to me last week. And it wasn't the same person either; three different people said these exact words to me during my first week at OHS.

"That is perfectly fine with me, Mrs. Pace. I trust your judgment."

"I trust your judgment; you just do what you think is best, and we'll go from there."

"I'm okay with it as long as you are. I trust your judgment as a Sped teacher because I really don't know that much about it."

     I don't know when I'll feel comfortable telling my new co-workers about my blog, but maybe someday when I do, these three people will come across this post, and I just want you to know how appreciative I was to hear these words in my first week at Oxford High.

It means more to me than I can tell you.

     I think there's a bit of a problem with education today. Well, I think there are many problems with it, but one of the major problems that affects teachers is that many of the new laws and procedures have slowly taken away a teacher's anonymity-- that is, a teacher's ability to make his or her own decisions based upon what she feels is best for the classroom and students. In addition to that, all I really knew during my first two years of teaching was the absence of my own anonymity. My decisions as a teacher were constantly questioned, to the point where I began to wonder what the hell I was doing.

     I can tell, through observation and chatting with other teachers at my new school, that that's not at all the case here, and it makes me so excited to get up and go to work each day. I'm not afraid of having to answer to anyone because I know it's likely that I won't have to but that I can and that my judgment will be trusted. I told my new principal at my interview, "If I'm doing something wrong, you've got to tell me. Please don't skirt around it and don't have someone else do the dirty work; come tell me and help me to make it better."

     A lack of communication on a teacher or principal's part is a setup for an abundance of problems later down the road; I know because I have seen it and personally experienced it. However, I don't at all anticipate having issues of that matter any longer. I'm not afraid of asking questions or going to one of my principals just to say hello and let them know how things are going.

I am really, truly happy here, guys. I hope to be a Charger next year!

A local business delivered treats yesterday! I had to indulge!

I'm LOVING my new job, but that doesn't mean I don't need my afternoon coffee now and then!

Come back tomorrow morning for a fitness update! 

Seven Signs You're Totally Happy in Your Marriage

...as told by me, of course. Happy Anniversary to my best friend and partner in all things life!

1. You can say almost anything.

I have little to no secrets with Mr. Pace. I know that I can tell him what's on my mind, free from the fear of judgment. Of course, there are some things he'd just rather not hear, but I know I can always tell him if I need to. Hopefully you can say almost anything too :)

2. You can do almost anything.

Pee in front of my husband? Check. Pass gas? Check... Pregnancy helped with that one. There are very few things I'm bashful about in front of Eric. I feel it's important to keep a few things private (personal grooming time, for instance), but aside from that I have little shame.

3. You can be alone.

I can be away from Eric for up to twenty-four hours before I really start to miss him, and in my opinion, this is a pretty good sign. I don't feel the need to constantly be near him because...

4. You can trust him. Really trust him.

At one point years ago I might have been a jealous girl but not at all with Eric. I really can't sit here and say much about why I trust him so much--I just do. He's such a wonderful provider for our family, a strong head of the household, and an amazing father. It's very evident that Vaught and I sit at the very tip top of his priority list, and that means everything in the world to me.

5. You love what he loves.

I didn't get interested in Powerlifting to impress my husband; I did it because I see how much passion he has for the sport, and I want to share that with him. This doesn't mean that we can talk about it for hours or that I sit down and watch sports on ESPN every single night with him but it's common ground we can share so that we always have something to talk about. Likewise, he's learned a little bit about blogging and teaching, so we can talk about the things I like to do.

6. You're still you. He's still him.

I can't imagine life without him, but I still know who I am. I didn't abandon my love of bad reality TV just because I married a man who hates it. He still goes to the bathroom with the door wide open.. because that's just what Eric likes to do. A little Febreze can go a long way in marriage.

7. You don't constantly talk about how happy you are in your marriage.

This one speaks for itself. Visit my social media accounts and count how many times I have doted on my adoring husband. Not just mentioned him; I mention him often in passing, but really doted. Bragged. Gloated, if you will. You shouldn't be able to find an instance of the sort more than once or twice. That's because I don't really care for people to know how great our marriage is. Is it perfect all day every day? No, but it is wonderful, so I want to keep it private. To publicly acknowledge your husband for doing something extra sweet now and then is fine. But I feel that there's a lot in hiding for the ladies who constantly brag on their guys.

You may or may not agree on some of these and that's great! No matter what, I hope you are happy. You deserve happy.

Happy second wedding anniversary to us!

Our Wedding

I have to admit that I did make one of those corny wedding websites you feel obligated to create once you become engaged, set the date, and start registering for gifts. At the time, I was so over-the-heels in love and absolutely obsessed with planning our wedding. It was literally all I talked about until our wedding day and then for a month afterwards. 

It is only now, two years later, that I look back at our wedding website (why, Wedding Wire, have you not deleted it yet?!) and realize how stupid I sounded. Well, maybe stupid is a bit harsh. I just wish I would have included some of Eric's perspective in the website... Everything was all me, me, me. I wouldn't change a single thing for about our wedding day except for including Eric on some of the decisions a bit more than I did. 

To his credit, he did tell me from day one that all he cared about was saying "I do," kissing the bride, and eating the food. That is all!

So, behold, dear readers: my newly updated, more realistic "wedding website." 

Our Story

We met in 2005. Eric was 17 and nearing high school graduation. I was 14 and in the eighth grade. Things were not going to work between us. He took me to the movies as a kind gesture then I didn't hear from him again until June 2009. I was 18 and a recent high school graduate. Eric was 22. We dated from June until January of 2010. Eric dumped me and completely shattered my world. Like, for real. It was awful. We didn't speak from then until July 2011. I messaged him on Facebook one night and we decided to get back together. The one thing I made clear to him from that time was that if we got back together, we would get married. It didn't have to be any time soon, but it would happen. Eric shrugged his shoulders as if to say, "That's fine, babe."

The Bride

Katherine is a 2009 graduate of Hickory Flat Attendance Center, and a 2012 graduate of The University of Mississippi with a Bachelor of the Arts in English Education. While at Ole Miss, she was a news reporter for The Daily Mississippian and was a member of Phi Mu Fraternity. She is currently employed as a Special Education teacher at Oxford High School and is studying to complete a Master of the Arts in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in English. 

The Groom

Eric is a 2005 graduate of West Lauderdale High School, where he was a member of the varsity football team. Upon graduating, he attended Itawamba Community College and Upper Iowa University; he played football at both institutions. He returned to Mississippi and completed his degree in machine technology at Northeast Community College. He is currently employed at Southern Systems, Inc, in Memphis, TN. 

Our Proposal (as told by Katherine)

We got back together in July and decided by November that we wanted to get married. We didn't really know when, but we knew it would probably be within a year or two. Eric had a good job, and I would be graduating from Ole Miss the next spring. We started looking at rings, and every so often I would show one to Eric that I really liked. I'm not picky though, and it was important to me that Eric do it "his way." 

On May 12th, 2012, I graduated from Ole Miss. I later found out that Eric called several different people at Ole Miss to see if he could come on stage in The Grove and propose to me when I received my diploma. Due to scheduling conflicts, they couldn't work this out. After graduation, we headed to my sorority house for pictures. My back was turned and I was talking to a few of my sisters. I turned around and Eric was getting down on his knee. I have no idea what he said, I just know that I said "YES!!!" 

Our Proposal (as told by Eric)

I didn't really know what I was supposed to do. I went and asked her mom and dad for permission the night before, and they were happy. I was a little nervous that morning, but I knew that Nicole (Katherine) would say yes. After her graduation, we went to the Phi Mu house and I just picked a time and got down on my knee. I can't remember what I said, but I think I asked her to marry me. 

The rest is history... And we are still making it. 

Wedding Date: April 13th, 2013

Location: Paris-Yates Chapel at The University of Mississippi

Reception location: The Oxford-University Club

Honeymoon: The Z bed and breakfast off the Oxford Square

Orange Theory Fitness | A Review

I learned about Orange Theory Fitness from my friend Mallory who goes to a studio in her Colorado town. At first I thought this was just a strange name for a gym, but then one day I was driving down Poplar Avenue in Germantown, when I saw a sign for an Orange Theory Fitness studio in a new shopping center. It was only about 10 miles from my home. A few weeks later, I received a voucher in the mail for a free session. I asked Mallory about it, who suggested I go and check it out (it turns out everyone's first session is free). That was around December though, and I never went. A couple of weeks ago, I finally decided to call and make an appointment. I had read a lot of wonderful things about the studio online, and I knew it was something I would love. It reminded me a lot of the team training classes I attended at the DAC.

 

Morning coffee before heading to OTF!

 

      I scheduled my free session for this past Saturday at 9:30am, but they suggested I get there at 9 to meet the trainer and get a short tour of the studio. When I arrived, I was checked in by a kind girl at the front desk. She and I chatted while I filled out a form with my name, address, and fitness stats. She introduced me to the trainer for my session, and he walked me through the studio. There were three different stations: water rowers, treadmills, and weights. He explained that for that day's session we would divide ourselves into two groups and rotate between the stations. It seemed challenging but fun, so I was excited to get started. Out in the lobby area, I was handed a Polar chest strap and a chip to clip on to it; this would display my heart rate and calorie burn up on a screen so I could see where my HR was at all times of the workout.

What is "the orange theory?"

This is the best way that I can sum it up: basically, there are five stages of your heart rate: gray, blue, green, orange, and red (resting, mild effort, moderate effort, overload, and burn-out/maximum effort). The sixty minute workout aims to keep you in the green and orange ranges for maximum metabolic burn. Supposedly, a one hour workout like this will cause your body to continue burning calories for 24-36 hours after the workout. The workout is done in intervals, with the trainer calling out instructions to increase your heart rate or slow it down to a "base pace."

 My Workout

I joined the group on rowers, mainly because I had never in my life used a rowing machine; I figured I would be super awkward on it, so I wanted to get it over with! It was actually pretty easy--easy to use, but it definitely packed a punch! We warmed up for a couple minutes and were then instructed to rotate between a 350 meter row and a routine in the weights section. Meanwhile, the trainer was cueing the treadmill users ("treads") to increase their incline, increase their speed, decrease this, increase that, and I could hear some of them panting over the  music. I knew I was probably going to get my butt kicked when it was time for the treadmill portion of the workout! After twenty-five minute of rowing and weights (and 90 seconds of "squat-jacks" OMG!), it was time for twenty-five minutes on the tread. It really was tough! I've done my own HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workouts on a treadmill before that I thought were strenuous, but it's nothing like having a trainer push you and motivate you to go faster and increase your incline. I chose a tread were I could easily see the screen and I was constantly pushing myself into the orange zone. I followed the trainer's instructions as best as I possibly could and pushed with everything I had. I was so relieved when the workout was over, there were tears in my eyes! After a cool-down stretch, I went up to him to shake his hand and told him how much I enjoyed it. "I am definitely coming back!" I told him. Before I left the studio, I checked the screen where our workout results were listed; in less than hour, I had burned 560 calories! Shortly after I left, the studio emailed me a PDF document of my workout so I could see the different ranges my heart rate had been in throughout the hour. I'm going to work even harder to stay in the orange zone next time!

In the lobby, I went ahead and booked another session for next Saturday, bright and early at 8:15AM. I am dying to buy a membership but am holding off until I know for sure what's next for our family; it is highly likely that our home in Olive Branch will be listed for sale very soon :)

 

PROS:

The workout is challenging but NOT impossible; modifications can be made easily if you need them.

It's a highly effective workout in just an hour!

I am sore--really sore. That's a pro for me!

You won't get bored; I was told that the routine differs at every workout.

Loud, energetic music. I began doing my exercises to the beat.

Your heart rate is monitored at all times.

 

CONS:

The trainer lowers the music when he's speaking through his mic, but sometimes it was still a little difficult to hear him.

Memberships are a little pricey: $59 for four sessions in a month, $99 for 8, and so on. You can also buy 10 sessions that you can use any time and at any location for $180. That may be what I end up doing eventually!

Been there, bought a towel :)

 

Overall, I highly recommend Orange Theory Fitness wherever you live. It was one of the best workouts I've done in a while! Your first session is always free, so give it a try!