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1/2 Anniversary Recap

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Daily Bible Verse

“Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands give me delight.” – Psalm 119:143

 

As you can see, I’m pretty pleased with how quickly the bruise is going away!

Our basketball game last night was nothing to talk about…somehow, we pulled off a win, but we didn’t play well at all.  I think a lot of it was because the team we played wasn’t nearly as athletic as we were.  They had heart, but we played down to their level.  We started out with a 20-3 lead in the first half and ended with a final score of 39-31 points.  It was terrible. 

 

Moving on… As I said in my last post, our 1/2 anniversary was Sunday…we’ve made it a weekly thing to go to Wegman’s for lunch after church, and we both look forward to it every week.

If you’re looking for inexpensive, delicious sushi, I recommend stopping by Wegman’s.  You won’t pay nearly the amount you would at a restaurant, and many other places don’t offer brown rice in their rolls!  Accompanied by a salad with my favorite tri-color chickpea assortment.  I think the dressing is some kind of dijon mustardy/sweet vinegar/basil that it’s in.  Whatever it is, I love it!  it flavored the rest of my baby spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, blanched broccoli, peppers, and musrooms quite nicely.

For dinner, I wanted to take him to a special place that I had bought a Living Social deal for in our area called Theo’s.  Unfortunately, when I called to make our reservations, I found that they were closed on Sundays. BOOO.

I’m sad that Ruby Tuesday’s has such shotty lighting for food photography…otherwise, my salad would look much more appealing…Jarid still looks pretty handsome, though, no?

baby spinach, peas, mushrooms, cucumbers, carrots, zucchini, broccoli, & green peppers x2

I brought along my own dressing…Annie’s Lite Honey Mustard.  Jarid doesn’t care and thinks it’s cute (: We spent the rest of the night cuddling and watching Horrible Bosses….I KNEW he would love it!

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So, thank you all for your “congratulations” on breaking my record.  Haha…I’m positive that this one is going to be the last time I’ll ever make it past 6 months with anyone…if ya know what I mean ;)

Got any creative date suggestions for the boy & I?  We’ve been ice skating, to color-me-mine, to the <a title="Oh, This Has Gotta Be The Good Life beach, to <a title="Baseball & The Boy baseball games, aquariums, and concerts.

XO.

 

 

 

Surrender Sin.

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Is anyone else completely dumbfounded by the fact that God can totally and completely change our hearts if we surrender it all to Him? Just another amazing way that He proves his love to us. Sure, it feels like we’re losing control…because we are.  Giving everything over to Him means that we fully understand that we AREN’T in control.  Why would we want to be when HE knows what’s best for us, after all?

I had a new bar for breakfast on Sunday!

They’re called Solo Bars and they are delicious.  As you long-time readers are well aware, I don’t care for much that is lemon flavored, but this sweet, yogurt-covered bar was an exception.

The company sent me a few flavors to try out, and I’ll be elaborating more when I do the official review, but for now, let’s just say they’re fabulous.  They’ve got a very low glycemic index, which is awesome for an energy bar, because it means you won’t have to deal with blood sugar spikes!

For my workout today, I did the typical 15 minute Insane Abs video, some biking and then ellipticalling.  “Secret Millionaire” kept me entertained for a little while, but I got bored kind quickly, since I do the same routine just about everyday.  I really wanted to focus on my core, so I seeked out an old fave…Windsor Pilates

I only burned about 400 calories, but I forgot to capture the HR monitor screen on my camera.  Afterward, I just wanted something cold and refreshing with a little bit of protein for my muscles!

Greeeen monster to the rescuee.  Hugee handful of baby spinach, 3 ice cubes, 3/4 C. unsweetened vanilla almond breeze, Splenda, 1/4 C. canned pumpkin, and 1/8 C. peanut flour.  JUST like a peanut butter milkshake, I’m telling you.

I got a shower, did some school work, and hung out.  Before I knew it, lunchtime rolled around.

No, that’s not spaghetti…it’s Shiritaki Noodles :)   And I piled on the steamed broccoli, canned mushrooms, and light ragu mixed with garlic lovers’ hummus to make a lunch bowl fit for a queen.

We had a birthday party to get to in Lancaster, and on the car ride there, I snacked on a Coconut Cream Pie Larabar…my FAVE!  Around 5, Momma FF, the sister, and I met some of our favorite ladies at Ruby Tuesday’s for dinner!  We were all headed to an Amy Grant/Michael W. Smith concert at 7!

Table #1 left to right: Randa, Momma, Lin, & Kimmie!

Table #2 was Susan (who adopted me for the night, since her daughter couldn’t come along) & I

Along with mother/daughter couple #2, Jan & Bek.

Incase you’re a newbie, Ruby Tuesday’s is one of the only chain restaurants that I actually enjoy, because they’ve got such a ridiculous salad bar.  Sometimes I even imitate their salads at home!

Baby spinach & mixed greens for a base, broccoli, cucumbers, carrots, zucchini, peas, tomatoes, mushrooms, cottage cheese, chickpeas, grapes, and balsamic vinegar

When we left, I had a happy belly.  The only thing that could have made it better was the next stop on our itinerary! Can you guess?!

If you said Starbucks, you would be correct ;)   I got a tall coffee with sugar-free vanilla & sugar-free caramel flavor shots.  Just like at home!

Randa got a caramel frapp & bek got a mocha latte. It’s funny how different all of our tastes are. 

The weather was nothing but rain, so we got to the venue looking like drowned rats, but didn’t care.  It was a blast to be there all together!

For any of you readers who have had the privilege of seeing a show at the American Music Theatre in Lancaster, you know that it is beautiful inside!

This picture doesn’t even come close to doing that chandelier justice!  It was exquisite!

Our seats were pretty high up, but there isn’t a bad seat in the house!  Unfortunately, my stupid battery eating droid died before the music started, or I planned on doing my first VLOG :-/

The two together were awe-inspiring.  I didn’t even know many of the songs they played, being that a lot of it was from their older albums, but it was enjoyable, none-the-less.

When it was over, after ten, we left and hit a HUGE blizzard in Harrisburg.  Cars in ditches, accidents all over the place, and a car full of scared-to-death girls trying to soothe themselves by singing to the CDs we bought at the concert.  God brought us home safe and sound.  He is always faithful!

XO.

The Road To The State Championship

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At about 6:30PM on Friday night, we pulled up to hotel in West Virginia.  We were pleasantly surprised that the brand new hotel we were staying in looked nothing like its surroundings…rundown, empty space.

After a quick check-in, we each threw our bags into our rooms, admired the clean, classy space, and got changed to head to dinner and practice.

It was a little odd to us that the entire back wall of the room was a huge mirror. 

My friend, Julie asked me if we could room together and I quickly agreed!  I’d say she is my best friend on the team :)   We have a lot in common with our faith and we’ve really been support systems for one another throughout the season.

There was a nice flat screen in the room, but we actually didn’t even use it!  Most of our time in the room was spent getting showers, sleeping, and doing devotionals! *Note, the Enjoy Life cookies on the desk!  I brought them for my roomie because she has to eat gluten-free!  She LOVED them!  I sent her home with the remainder of the box  :)

After a quick minute of regrouping, the team headed for dinner together.

I’m telling you, this place was in the middle of nowhere.  We saw only a handful of restaurants that were within 10 miles of the school/hotel.  I thought that within a college town, there had to be more to do…I was wrong!

Dinner was interesting to say the least.  The menu wasn’t too shabby, and I ended up ordering a roasted turkey breast sandwich on rye bread with lettuce, tomato and onion with a side salad and vinegar on the side.  The lighting was total crap, though and I didn’t get a good shot of the meal.

The meal was much more about the company than the food, though.  Team bonding is important, especially before a huge game!  These two ladies are our sophomores, Julie & Steph…some of the sweetest girls you’ll ever meet!

I’m going to miss these girls so much.  The season wouldn’t have been the same without each and every one of them.  Don’t worry, though, we are already checking out beach houses this summer for a long weekend trip together! 

After dinner, it was time for our last practice.  The gym was super old!  One of the guys told us that the brick was all original, too! 

We ran through some basic quick drills consisting of layups, shooting, and press breaking.  After brushing up on all of our plays and getting in some foul shooting, we headed back to the hotel to shower and get some rest.

In the morning, Jules and I got some breakfast.  I made her a greek yogurt mess with banana and cereal.  I don’t know how I managed this, but for some reason, my food pictures escaped my camera!  Ironic, isn’t it?  Seeing how this is a food blog and all?!  I had packed the go-to breakfast as of late – aka banana peanut flour oats.

Next up, we did our devotionals together.  It was a really cool thing to be able to have a friend to talk to about spiritual growth and seeing Jesus in our daily lives. 

Before we knew it, we were lacing up our Nike’s and it was gametime.  The school we played, Potomac State College of West Virginia, had 15 girls, which to us was unheard of, considering we had gone through our season with a total of 7-9.  Two of their players were there on scholarships as well.  I wasn’t intimidated in the slightest, however, which was abnormal for me.  I was just excited to be there.

Potomac State had quite a few big girls.  Coach decided to put me on their best offensive player while we were in man defense, and she wasn’t too difficult to guard. 

The only thing I struggled with was getting pushed under the basket when it was time to box out and rebound.  I can’t complain about the way our team played.  We fought until the very end, but a dry spell toward the beginning of the game gave the opponent a quick lead that we just weren’t able to close the gap on.

Potomac State 88, HACC 70: The Lady Hawks (16-2) came up short in the Pennsylvania Collegiate Athletic Association championship game after falling behind early. Sami Cox (Halifax) and Lakisha Lemon (Milton Hershey) scored 19 points each to lead HACC. 

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I’ve got more action shots, but they’re on Momma FF’s camera, so you’ll have to wait until I can upload them! Like I said, we had a wonderful season.  Friendships were grown, talents were shared, and a family was born :)   We adore both of our coaches, and can’t wait play again for them next season.  I’m really going to miss Jules and Steph (our two sophies, though!)  We plan on putting together a summer league team, too! EPCC Champs and State Runners-Up; Final record: 16-2.

After the game, all of the fans and the team hit up Ruby Tuesday’s for lunch.  The game was at noon, so we were all starving by the time we reached the restaurant!  I was so thankful that my family came the whole way to WV to watch me play.  They are the greatest.

Gram & Pops

Morgy & Paige

Incase you’re a new reader of the blog and don’t already know about my love of GREAT salad bars like the one at Ruby Tuesday’s, here’s a reminder!

I don’t think my team had ever seen a person eat so much salad.  They totally followed my lead, though ;)   Haha.

They all joked that my salads were a work of art, piled high with baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, zucchini slices, red beets, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, carrots, edamame, mushrooms, cottage cheese, and chickpeas all bathed in some balsamic vinegar. Perfect post game meal if you ask me!

When we left, we saw Bumble Bee in the parking lot from the Transformers movies!  I kid you not.  It even has the emblem!

The latest Transformers movie was actually taped in Washington DC, so it’s a good possibility that this car was the actual one, right?!  At least that’s what I told myself to amplify the “coolness” factor :)

Haha.  All in all, it was a wonderful trip with wonderful people.  I cherished every moment of this season and am so thankful that God gave me the opportunity to be apart of something special! I owe it all to him!

More on the weekend, coming up in the next post!  And stay tuned for the winner of the Green Giant giveaway!

XO.

Salad Momma.

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Breakfast was another success, thanks to Quaker :)   I think I can officially consider them one of my favorite companies.

1/3 C. old fashioned oats, 1 egg white, sugar free vanilla Torani, 1/2 smashed banana, and 1/4 C. frozen bloobs

After microwaving the oatty cake until it was cooked though, I put the bloobs in and microwaved again until they were thawed. 

Next, I added the icing which was made from 1/2 scoop vanilla Optimum Nutrition protein powder and thinned with water.

It was a breakfast fit for a queen!  Like a mix betweena a blueberry and banana muffin!

The warm oats warmed me to the bone, just before heading out to face the cold walk to work.  Luckily, my little sis is a sweetheart and starts my car for me everyday before she gets picked up for school.  My Dad says it’s best that the engine has some time to warm up when it’s this cold outside.

Coffee doesn’t hurt either ;)

Work isn’t bad.  Not much else to say about it though.  It’s not very “exciting” work.  Lots of paperwork and processing since I’m in human resources.

Two slices of Arnold’s 10 grain bread; One with forty spices hummus, sliced turkey, tomato, and alfalfa sprouts; One with 1 tbsp. fat free cream cheese, a smear of fat free ricotta cheese, and no sugar added apple butter.  On the side, a can of cut green beans.

I mostly just look forward to lunchtime and 4PM when I get to leave and head to the gym.

This snack bag fueled me through a 2 and 1/2 hour workout!  It contained a 100 calorie pack of cocoa roasted almonds, 1/2 banana, and some dried, unsweetened apple rings from Oh Nuts!

Practice is back to the original time (5PM-7PM), so I’ve got a whole hour to waste in the fitness room before it starts.  I just did 20 minutes light cardio on the Cross Ramp and then some ab work on the floor mats.  The end result, practice included?  1012 calories burned, 180 max hr.

1/3 C. oats + 1 egg white + sugar free vanilla Torani + cinnamon microwaved for 2 min. until cooked and topped with 1 tsp. fat free cream cheese & sugar free boysenberry jam

That little beauty was consumed upon my arrival home until I had time to throw together a beastly dinner salad which was inspired by my love for Ruby Tuesday’s salad bar.

Get ready for this massive list of ingredients cause it’s comin’ atcha…annnnnd go:

Baby spinach, broccoli, raw zucchini fries, sliced beets, diced cukes, baby carrots (halved), canned sweet peas, fat free cottage cheese, chickpeas, and dressed up in some Fat Free Vidalia Onion dressing with beet juice.

Yes, I was quite a proud salad momma :)   With some NewTree chocolate for good measure.

Dessert came in liquid form and was slurped out of this adorable tall glass that we picked up on our many adventures across the country.  This one in particular came from the Old Spaghetti Factory out in Kansas where my sisters’ basketball team was playing in a National Tournament.

It may not look like much, but this PROTEIN PINA COLADA put me over the edge into an “uncomfortably full” feeling. 

3/4 scoop vanilla Optimum Nutrition protein, 1/2 C. canned crushed pineapple in juice, 1/3 C. fat free milk, 3 ice cubes, 2 tbsp. unsweetened coconut, and 1 butt of a banana.

It was amaaaaaazing.  Super creamy and frothy.

I facebooked and video chatted for the first time last night!  My friend, Kirk sent me an invitation to download the “Tango” app on my droid.  It’s SWEEET.  Try it out!

Have you ever used video chat or Skype?  What do you thinK?  Pro’s, con’s?

XO.

(Almost) Wordless Weekend Recap!

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Amazing Meal Vanilla Chai Kale Green Monster; Breakfast

Workout Stats

Oatmeal + Peanut Flour + Egg White Cookie

Bry Guy on the roadtrip to Philly where we  visit Aunt Bran, Uncle Jare, & Baby Bowman

Aquarium in Abington Memorial Hospital at the Special Care Nursery where we visit Baby Bowman.

Lunch salad

Snack in the waiting room

Jare helped me study while everyone BUT me got to visit with Baby Bo.  I went to visit with the bestie, but only a few select people are allowed in the “secure baby area“.

I finally got to give Bran her birthday gifts!  I ordered her a beautiful, handmade necklace in support of Baby Bo from Jules Jewlery.  On the website it was called Itty Bitty Footprint Charm.  The closure is my favorite part, it’s actually a little heart that connects the ends! I also gave her an Aeropostale gift card because she refuses to spend money on clothing for herself ;)  

From the hospital, we took Bran & Jare out to dinner at the Ruby Tuesday’s in the Willow Grove Mall.

Times Two.

The proud parents :)

The mall was beautiful and we strolled around after dinner in search of the Cheesecake Factory, where everyone but me ordered a dessert to go for the ride home. 

As beautiful as they were, I knew how they would make me feel having eaten some (aka: stomach ache + long car ride = bad idea), so I opted for the Vitatop that I had stashed away in my purse as my dessert ;)

Brooke, Bran’s sister let me take a photo of her chosen flavor! 

Check out the layers of chocolate, cheesecake, peanuts, and caramel!  Helllooo Snickers Cheesecake!

Don’t worry, I had some chocolate on the way home, too!

TT dropped me off in Harrisburg where I met up with seester FF for a movie!  We saw “Easy A”, which isn’t exactly a family film, but it was cute with a great ending message…

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It was an all-around good day, and it ended with a great seesterly bonding time.

XO. Recap II coming soon!

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