Galaxy Pants

My friend Jessica recently introduced me to these two women:

 Gabrielle Bernstein

and 

Heather Waxman

These women are master meditators. Gabrielle calls herself a "Miracle Worker." Ok, I'm sure on some level for some people she is. Both of these women are actually very sweet and have great little 5 minute meditations for free online to help you learn to meditate. I used one of Heather's "Raise your vibration" ones when I was having a crappy day and it was excellent (they are also on iTunes and the podcast app and on youtube)

The other day, Heather and her friend Bex did a 4 day series in which they were both wearing these: 

Now, obviously if they were BOTH wearing them to meditate, galaxy leggings are a crucial part of any meditation activity. So I did the only logical thing. I got some. In order to be a better meditator. 

 I don't think I've meditated since. But I love them. And if you would like to meditate, here is one of   my favorites:  Transformation Meditation

Triathlon Training

So for the past few months, moving into this house, living alone, and adjusting, I was in a pretty good funk. It was really hard to get out of. I was falling asleep on my couch, sleeping in my contacts, and just not taking great care of myself. I was pretty miserable, and I knew this couldn't last any longer. It wasn't all the time, but I just couldn't get into a good routine. So I decided to do a triathlon. Because that's what I do when I need some good motivation. Plus, it was a new year's resolution anyway. I chose May 10th for my sprint distance tri and Sept 1 for my Olympic distance. I've done 2 sprints before, but the one in September is going to be a little more than twice as long, and I'm a little nervous (It will be in Texas, and Byron is doing it with me!). I found these training schedules from the Tone It Up girls right as I was looking to get starting. It was perfect timing! http://toneitup.com/2013/07/tiu-triathlon-training-calendar-workout/

Crossing these days off is the best ever. :-)

It's been the best thing ever. I also realized I needed to make peace with my carbs. So I've made sure I've had rice or quinoa or some casserole something at lunch and then basically stuck with seafood and veggies for dinner. And given myself a little something chocolate every day to help stay on track.

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Peach Ginger Scallops

On saturdays, I make protein pancakes upside-down.

After a run. Or a bike ride. Who knows? :0)

Brea and I made these. They look nothing like the recipe, but they tasted great!

Feeling buff..

Flounder w/ Papaya Poppy Seed dressing. mmmm....

After the triathlon. I don't look nearly as tired or sweaty as I actually was. 

I was 9th out of 19 for my age group. 

The numbers are the best part. 

This lady is 58. She did a half ironman in Kona, Hawaii. In the ocean. And she kicked my butt in this race!

This looks way more delicious than it actually was.
Besides the fact that it was way too much work. 

This, on the other hand, was easy and soooo delicious!

What my meals look like most days. Not including breakfast or dinner.

I've now officially worked out 6 days a week for 5 weeks. I feel so much better and so much healthier. It's been so fun to watch my body change and to just get in this routine. I even take my vitamins every day and I've been working my way through Isaiah every night, which is a challenge in itself. :) But it's all been so good. 

I even did a mini-sprint last week and made pretty good time. It was good practice. 

A few weeks ago Stephanie and her kids and I went to Bartlett lake so I could practice swimming in open water, because it makes me so nervous. I have such good friends to do stuff like this with me. And her kids were so cute about it all. 

My one in May is in Lake Havasu and my medical assistants and Stephanie and their kids are all coming to spend the night and cheer me on! So excited!! 

I am the Laurel Advisor

Please do not ask me how this happened. You would think I would be a little too crazy to have this calling. But apparently Heavenly Father thinks I am just the right mix of crazy and righteous and fun to have some sort of good influence on these girls. It makes me nervous, but for now I'm just trying to get to know them!
They also made me camp director. Obviously. Just kidding, except that I really love girls' camp and it's at Lake Powell this year. On houseboats. So really, it sounds way more like vacation than camp but whatever :-)
We did New Beginnings last month to welcome the new girls into Young Women's; we each had a value and made a little "Mall of Values." Mine was knowledge. I loved my table :)

Temple Open House

In February was the Gilbert Temple open house. Most of the people I work with are not LDS, but they ask me questions all the time, so with the opportunity to see the temple, a field trip was in the works. :-)
Now, to be fair, none of us really knew what we signed up for. The line took two hours. Like 2 full hours. I thought they were going to kill me. The kids were so restless, but were really trying to have a good attitude. I think Alicia's little girl only cried 3 times.
I had to help Tori remember not to swear in line.
This was all very new to them!
But the best part for me was when Tori turned around in the celestial room and said,"This DOES feel like heaven! It really does."
Even though we were all so tired and didn't get home until 11. On a Tuesday, I think they really loved seeing it. It is so beautiful (and I did my first session there last night, and it was great.)

Bridgette Got Married!

We look exhausted in this picture so I made us black & white. :-)

My friend Bridgette means the world to me. She was my trainer at Scottsdale Healthcare and then became my supervisor. She was the best ever to me, and we have so much in common. When I started working there, she was in a crappy relationship that just dragged on for forever. She finally ended it a few years later, and started dating a guy she had dated about 15 years ago. And they got married last month and it was just adorable. It was so good to see her so happy. Jonmark went with me, and, even though he was feeling kind of sick, he had such a good attitude. And he drove all night from Utah to be able to leave on time (it was in Tucson). It was so fun to spend time with all the nurses from the hospital that I just love and miss. And it was a beautiful wedding!

Random Life Happenings, Part 2, Meet me in Vegas

The amazing thing about having Jonmark in my life, is that he IS still in my life despite all our craziness. And sometimes I just need to spend time with him. Right before Christmas, Jonmark left to go to Vegas for a few days on his way to Utah to spend time with his family. I was talking to him and saying how I wished I could go when he said the unexpected, "Drive up with me and then fly back the next day."
Turns out I could totally do that. And not even miss work or church or anything (I mean, we did do Vegas church, but it worked). Perfect. (And it was ALMOST my birthday!)
So, thanks to Allegiant, I booked a cheap ticket for the very next day, and we headed out. His friend Jared came with us (ok, so technically I went with THEM) who was really nice and just got out of a very crappy marriage so it was nice to all be there together. We went to a fancy club called XS which was very fancy, and very Vegas, and a nice lady and her daughter thought Jonmark was adorable (obviously) and bought us all $8 Red Bulls all night, which was crazy, but whatever (I only had one!). It was all so funny. I felt so dressed and yet so cute and so glad my hemline was not right at my butt. I don't know how anyone could dance that way! Clubbing, really, at this point in my life, is not my thing. But, honestly, it was a blast, and I'm so glad we went.

The woman who loved Jonmark. Gag.
Just kidding. She was sweet. 

Sunday Morning

The most flattering mirror ever

Because sometimes we still have arguments.
And these turned into the most beautiful tulips. EVER.

From another little date we went on that was QUITE fancy and was our first date in probably a year. 

And then in February, I was there for a conference on bioidentical hormones, and he was there on his way to Utah, too, for work. So we had amazing lunch at Bouchon, saw Cirque de Soleil at the Bellagio, and had $43 of random snacks afterwards- like salads and strawberries and a sandwich and two bags of Jalapeño kettle chips. And I have zero pictures of that trip except for the food and my room. But it was so fun and unexpected and made my conference so much better :-)

Best sandwich ever.

My room was on the 25th floor! :-)

Loved these pretty veggies!