Things we learned in April

New friends: We've had the privilege of making one! It's never too old for anyone, isn't it? Over this past month we've done a few things together, and it was just a time in our lives where we felt God calling us to reach out to this particular person. It's been terrific!

Let's get better: We're both pretty healthy and have been for all our lives, but this month we decided to see for ourselves- that is, make actual, adult doctor's appointments and be more proactive with our health. I (Holly) go tomorrow, even though I'm currently battling cold-like symptoms, and Kelly went earlier in April and, aside from some joint issues, received a clean bill of health :)

Honest conversations and realizations: Sometimes you have to have them, be it for setting the record straight or coming to that conclusion that you just have to let go. It's one of the many ways we grow as humans.

Cars are expensive: Both of us had some unforeseen car issues arise this month that left us needing to pinch pennies for a few days. Be prepared!

Mental illness is real: Our sweet, dear friend bravely shared her struggles with depression in a candid, honest way, because so often these types of conversations are brushed aside. A sobering reminder to always, ALWAYS be kind and considerate to others, because we never really do know what the other is going through. Treat others with compassion, and be grateful for what you have.

Birthdays can still be fun: For the first time since either of us can remember, we rang in 26 out of school, out of home, and actually...out of Kentucky! We spent our birthday weekend in Chicago, where we nearly froze to death, ate way too much, and just cherished the moments we got to spend both together and with Justin.

Those that we hold in our hearts never truly leave us: Our beloved Grandpa passed away on our birthday (April 9) three years ago this year. It's almost every day that something or someone reminds us of him.

Happy b-day from Chicago! 

The meatless results (and a house update?)

H and K: It has been seven days since our last post, and if you remember, we took it upon ourselves to go one week without meat.  So...how did we do?

Honestly, we didn't find it too challenging.  Some days, it was hard walking up Main Street and catching a whiff of the cafe's burgers, or resisting devouring an entire order of chicken wings from Papaleno's.  We did have one "cheat" day, Saturday, in which we attended a cook-out sponsored by Kelly's work.  We didn't go too crazy, though, in the sense that we both had just one chicken wing. Fried rice became a good friend of ours. Our weight didn't really change either, which we kind of expected, but that's ok, considering that wasn't the end goal.  We were just curious...and a little bit broke.  So will we do it again? Probably.  We had to get pretty creative with some of our recipes, but overall we enjoyed incorporating more veggies into our diet. The drastically reduced cost of groceries for the week was a good incentive, too!

And this concludes our one week without meat.  We learned a lot, had a good time...but honestly, if anyone would care to drop off a couple of steaks or a rotisserie chicken, that would be pretty amazing.

Switching gears a little, and we're just going full disclosure here, because we can do that here.  In case some of you are a little behind, we are in the process of moving, this time into a house.  We do have a house lined up, although we've only seen it from the outside.  However, here's where the situation gets a little hairy: The family that is living in the house now is waiting on a closing date for a house they're buying.  Once they get their closing date, they will move out, and we will move in. We are not buying, we're renting (Just in case that wasn't clear).  We do not know when this closing date will be.  It's been two weeks since we first made contact with our eventual landlord.  When I called him last week, hoping to affirm my fear of him not giving the house away to someone else, he informed me that they still had not reached a closing date, but that he still had our contact information and would reach out to us when they closed.  That was a week ago.  We still have not heard anything.

Honestly...it's been hard.  Our many frustrations with our current living situation, for reasons we don't wish to discuss at this time, have nearly reached a tipping point.  Let's just say it's gone on too long. Period.  In addition, it's just the waiting...the waiting and waiting for a phone call.  My (Holly) hopes soar every time my phone rings, and plummet when it's someone else besides the phone call we're anxiously waiting for.  It's the doubt...the doubt of wondering, nearly agonizing ourselves, if this is ever going to happen at all.  It's discouraging- another day that passes with silence, with no news. But through all of this, we've learned a lot about grace, and we are thankful for that. I (Holly) read Proverbs 3:5-6 recently, and I've been heavily meditating on that, relying on that promise in God's word.  We've been praying.  We've been praying a lot.  And still waiting.

So that's where we are right now.  If you feel led to pray for us, please do so.  And pray for the family that is waiting on a closing date; it's probably just as frustrating for them, if not more so, than it is for us. But we KNOW that something better is coming, and we KNOW that God is faithful.  It's just that some days are easier than others, and we thank God that He can handle our joys and our frustrations as well.  Thanks for following along with us, as always.  We hope to hear something soon.

The H and K Food Experiment: 1 week of Meatless

Holly and Kelly: On the way home from grocery shopping, in which we grossed in approximately $56 for about a week's worth of food, we decided to partake in a wee experimentation of food challenges. The first one? One week with no meat. However, it's not entirely without meat; we currently have two meals planned, one with fish and the other with eggs in it. Other than that, no meat. Nothing. No chicken, no red meat, no bacon, nada. No. Meat. You might ask, why are ya'll doing this? Well, we've read numerous web studies and through word of mouth have heard that not eating meat supposedly makes you feel better, have more energy, and not to mention meat is expensive these days.

We're just not eating meat. We're not changing any other of our activities of daily living, which means Holly is still going to walk to work and we're still going to do ReFit on Monday nights. And we're going to a work potluck for Kelly's work and have decided to not eat meat there, which we are certain will be quite challenging. So there you have it. One week without meat. At the end of the week, we will report back and see how it went. How we felt, how tempted we were to sneak in a cheeseburger, that sort of thing. We're going to see if our weight changes as well. Wish us luck; the challenge begins tomorrow!

Adios to 2014: Looking ahead to 2015 and what's to come

Holly and Kelly: With the end of 2014 just 2 days away, we thought this would be a good time to wrap up our blogging for the year and look ahead to what the new year may or may not have in store for us. We decided to do this today because tomorrow we're packing up to head to Ohio, working, taking care of things before we ring in 2015 on the road. To start, 2014 was a great year for the two of us! We both experienced some firsts, went to a lot of concerts and met some awesome musicians who love the Lord, went to A Long Expected Party and bonded with fellow Ringers and bonded over why and how Tolkien's work has changed our lives for the better. Saw the end of an era with The Hobbit. Holly found a job that makes her happy (from Holly: finally) and as for me, even after thinking earlier this year I was going to lose my job found myself getting my act together and not only being a better nurse but just an all around better person. Having said that, here are a few goals we have laid out for 2015 and perhaps beyond:

Remember who we are and whose we are: A simple reminder that we are children of God and that God made us because He loves us so much! This point was in a sermon a few months ago and it has really stuck with us. It reminds us of what He has brought us through and that He will continue to provide our needs, no matter what they are. It reminds us to not worry about what may or may not happen but to really just trust in Him because He's going to take care of us!

"Let me get that." From another sermon that the youth pastor at our church gave. The youth group went on a mission trip earlier this summer, and this was their mentality and sort of motto in order to prevent burnout from a long week of hard work. For whenever we are feeling worn out and just tired, this simple phrase will hold with us to remember to always extend a helping hand, whether we're at work, church, home, wherever. This rolls into Romans 12:11-13, which starts out by saying never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. It's so easy to do that when you're doing something you love. It's easy for the two of us because we absolutely love our jobs. But even the best loved jobs have crappy days, and sometimes we really don't feel like being enthusiastic for Jesus. But we've found even the simplicity of just putting on a smile can go a long way. Give it a go.

Clean up song: I know some of you are thinking....ok, what? When we saw tobyMac last month, he was talking about when he was cleaning up the kitchen with his family he played one of his new singles as the "clean up song." We just looked at each other and were like...we need to do that. So before we clean up the kitchen or whatever, we pick a clean up song, usually a dancey one, and clean up while we sing, dance and whatnot. It's prevented a lot of arguing about who does what and it makes the mundane tasks more fun!

Eat at the table: I know this seems simple, but we rarely eat dinner at our dining room table. We did this while growing up as kids, and it helped us all reconnect with our days and just life in general. Granted, this won't be possible every night, but we're going to try and make it a regular habit.

So there you have it! We hope that 2014 has been great to you all and that you have some goals set for the new year to come. We'll close with a bit of this awesome song from for KING & COUNTRY and we hope these words encourage you. Thank you all for continuing to follow and read our blog! We can't wait for what 2015 has in store for us!

When I'm stuck out in the cold, let me be warm hearted
When the weight's too much to hold, let me be light hearted 
When all I have is not enough, I won't be broken hearted
'Cause you taught me how to love, to live, to learn, to live whole hearted. 

Family pic from Christmas! 

Excerpts from H and K's cookbook

Holly: Ok, let's just be honest here...they're mostly from Pinterest :)

In the spirit of holiday gorging ourselves, we thought it would be fun if we shared a few of our recipes that win us over every time! We hope you try some, and if you do, we hope you love them all as much as we do!

1. Coca-Cola Chocolate Cake

Kelly doesn't even LIKE chocolate cake, but she'll devour this one!  The secret: Coke! :) Added with cinnamon, milk, and cocoa powder, it makes for a surprisingly light cake.  I've never frosted it- it's perfect as is.  I may try it with Dr. Pepper or Coke Zero in the future.

Recipe here: http://mayflaum.com/2011/06/08/the-chocolate-cola-cake/

2. Pumpkin Muffins

You guys, these are the EASIEST muffins you will ever make.  2 ingredients, less than 30 minutes.  These muffins are SO moist!  I've made them with yellow cake, as the recipe calls for, but they're excellent with spice cake as well.  Bonus: They are WW friendly :)

Recipe here: http://sweet-verbena.blogspot.com/2011/08/pumpkin-muffins.html

3. Crockpot Cheesy Chicken and Rice

One of our go-to recipes.  Easy to put together and it makes a TON.  Great heated up the next day (and beyond!).

Recipe here: http://www.southernplate.com/2010/09/slow-cooker-cheesy-chicken-and-rice-the-downside-of-being-a-swan-princess.html

Kelly: 

1. The first recipe I am going to share I actually don't have a link for, but it's one of my favorites and it's so super easy! It's called my healthy chicken nuggets (I don't even remember where I found the recipe) But it's simple; grab 3-4 chicken breasts, thawed, and cut them up into bite-sized pieces. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. While the oven's preheating, mix together Parmesan cheese, olive oil, a tad bit of water, salt and pepper and bread crumbs in a bowl. Take the cut-up chicken pieces and swirl them around in the mixture listed above and place the chicken pieces on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes and voila! Nothing to it.

2. I make a MEAN wedding soup! Delicious and again, quite easy. Instead of ground beef though I use ground turkey. It makes a good bit too.

Recipe here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/italian-wedding-soup-i/

3. The last one also doesn't have a link, but we got it from Pinterest. Though it isn't the healthiest of recipes, it sure is tasty! We call it our chicken and veggie of awesome, or CVA for short, NOT to be confused with the proper medical term for a stroke. Haha!!! Here it is: 3-4 chicken breasts, chopped up potatoes, any green vegetable (we've done green beans, brussel sprouts and broccoli), all together in a 9x13 baking dish, one stick of butter melted all over that, and packet of italian seasoning.  Cover and bake for one hour at 350 degrees. Delicious!!!!

So there you have it. Any recipes you have that you would like to share with us? Let us know!

Your someplace

Holly: Lately Kelly and I have been on a bit of a Numb3rs binge.  If you're not sure what that means, you can read more about it here.  Anyway, we watched an episode earlier today, "The Running Man", and one of the side stories is that Charlie and Don discover their late mother was a closeted, and gifted, musical composer.  Their father feels some resentment because he felt as if he was kept in the dark about this.  At the end of the episode, Charlie and Alan (their father) are having a conversation about this discovery; Alan still feels as if she was hiding something, Charlie believes she wasn't.  Charlie states that people go to their own places to be alone, and he puts it this way:

It's just part of being human, you know?  To want to find someplace solely for yourself, whether it be out in the world or deep inside your head.  

Got me thinking about alone time.  As many of you know I am a very happy and exuberant person by nature.  I love to laugh and I do it often.  Most of all, I love people.  However, after taking several personality tests over the past year or so, and just based on my own experiences in that time as well, I have discovered that I do lean towards being an introvert.  Like I said earlier, I love people, but after being around people for an extended period of time, I need time by myself to unwind and detox.  No, that doesn't mean I'm shy.  Quite the opposite, actually.  In fact, I was surprised by these findings because when I was in college, I was waaaayyyyy more of an extrovert (Probably because I didn't have any time to be alone in!).  Back to alone time:  I think Charlie is dead on.  I greatly look forward to my alone time, even though, given my current schedule, my alone time comes in bursts throughout the day: walking to work each morning with my iPod on and a cup of coffee in tow, at home; writing a blog, in my room writing in my journal, reading a book, binging on a Netflix series, sometimes mindlessly surfing the net.  Despite all those, I do find a lot of my solace in writing.  If home doesn't suit me, you can usually find me at Berea Coffee and Tea with a book :)

Alone time is essential.  Yes, we humans are designed to be social, but there is a time for that, and there is a time for retreat as well.  We all need our "someplaces"; to reflect, unwind, or just simply exist.  To me, it's that very time where I learn the most about myself.  What is your someplace?

Kelly: I consider myself to be a people person. Heck, I'm around them so often that it's just second nature to me. But I think that even the one who loves people the most yearn for quiet and solitude at times. Even Jesus needed times of stillness. On my days off, when I wake up in the morning and the house is quiet, sometimes I just gather in all that is around me. My house, the smell of coffee, the cats either sleeping or running around manically. Even now as I'm looking outside, it's gray but the air is somewhat still with the occasional leave blowing. Very gently. Usually days off are spent in where I say very little, and it's ok for me. I've had Holly ask me how I can just stay at home for days on end and not go anywhere. Other than the fact that I'm used to it, but to be honest it's nice. With a job like mine, I look forward to those quiet days where I sometimes get lost in myself.

For me, I like being outside when the weather is nice. When I take in all that's around me I wonder how people can't believe in God? I write my own blog about my nursing endeavors; it's good for me. I can look back and read about those who have touched me deeply, and also reflect on my growth not only as a nurse but as a person as well. My mom discovered my blog and said "Kelly, I feel like I know you so much more." Often when I write a post I'm at home, alone, reflecting on what I am writing about. My favorite someplace is alone, in my bedroom, with my Bible, journal and iPod. I just let all my guards down and I write. God I truly believes sees what I write, and sometimes I just sit, think and pray. Either in my head or sometimes out loud. And I love my music; music is one of the ways I feel that God speaks to me. So I will close with this; take some time for yourself in your someplace. Wherever that is; we get so busy and wrapped up in taking care of other people that sometimes I think we forget that we need a little taking care of too.

Asking the question "Why?"

Kelly: Earlier today, Holly and I were at our favorite coffee joint having a conversation that carried over from one that started this morning. I was reading on a website I like called Makes Me Think where people post their thought-provoking stories. Some of them are sad, funny, and mostly very inspiring. A few weeks ago, I read a story where a young lady was at her wedding when she was in the food line and her 10-year old cousin was in front of her. It mentioned that the food was a buffet style, but the 10-year-old said she didn't want to eat anything because that's how she would stay "skinny and pretty." 10 years old. Just let that sink in. I remember not too long ago I was taking my roommate to the grocery store, and I was in a t-shirt and sweat pants. This was on a Sunday, because after I got home from church I took my nice clothes off and put on those. She asked me why I did that. I had never really been asked that before, so I replied that I just wanted to be comfortable and that I really don't like dressing up...which is true. She then said that she was more self-conscious than us because she said "I would never go out like that." Which is fine. It's all fine. Some people are like that, and that's fine with me.

As most of you all know, Holly and I have continued to maintain our healthy eating/walking habits for a little over a year now. The improvements we have seen and felt in ourselves have been excellent! For my new job I had to take a new employee physical; to be honest I was a bit disappointed when I saw that my weight had gone up a bit from the last time. But after this morning's conversation, I was much happier. I'm still at a healthy weight for my age and height. I'm continuing to feel good and feel better about the way I look; I found myself perusing bikinis at Old Navy yesterday, thinking that I would probably look ok in one. I guess the point I'm trying to drive in is that we didn't do these changes to get back into bikinis; we did them because they were doable and we wanted to just be healthier. I am so thankful that God has brought us this far and has gotten us to the point where we are comfortable with the way we look. So what if I'm not in a size 2? I don't WANT to be in a size 2; I just want to use the body that God has blessed me with and make it a bit healthier. Life is too short. But for some people out there, that's what they want. They want to be "skinny and pretty." I just want to be happy with the way I look, and I am.

Holly: My message to the female population is this: STOP OBSESSING.  Just stop it.  It's not healthy!  You are beautiful the way you are.  Seriously.  Please stop.  It breaks my heart to see so many beautiful women beating themselves up over one mistake, one pound they didn't lose, one season in which they weren't "bikini ready", one extra snack they had in the day, etc.  Instead of focusing on where we could be, how about focusing on where we are now?  

I remember back when my clothes first started fitting a little looser, I immediately found myself in that mindset; that mindset of "oh, how much can I lose?  How far can I go?  What do I need to do to keep losing, keep losing, keep losing?" I truly believe if our main goal is just  losing weight, then you're setting yourself up for failure.  Be realistic.  Focus on being healthier...the rest just comes naturally!  Trust me on this one.

I bought a couple pairs of shorts yesterday.  They are a size 8.  I haven't been in single size pants since high school.  I'm not going to lie, I did do a little happy dance in the fitting room.  If you thank God for who you are, who He has created you to be, and for where He has brought you to, it all just comes naturally.  We discussed this in an earlier post...this one, to be exact.  That's why I do what I do.  That's why we do this blog.  We don't do it to keep gaining followers, we don't dig through mounds and mounds of sources to try to tweak it, we don't go out of our way to build our reach.  No, we do it because, almost 2 years ago, God laid it on us, and we just enjoy sharing life with people.  I don't need validation  in the form of a typed comment or a new reader to know that people read what we write, because I've had numerous conversations, face-to-face conversations, from people saying they enjoy what we write.  If you want to chime in, great.  If not, well then, we're going to keep writing.  No snot off our noses.  And that's why I continue these healthier changes.  Yeah, don't get me wrong, it's great to see the physical changes, and to receive compliments, but in the end, I just give it all back to God.  Our bodies were designed for Him!!!!  I think it hurts Him when He hears us ragging on and on about how we constantly want to fix something about ourselves that we don't like.  Just think about that the next time you wake up with a large zit on your forehead, or you skipped your workout, or you gained an extra pound.

LOOK! LOOK! LOOK AT ME ME ME!!!!!

Kelly: I feel like that that's what the world is all about. And let's face it, people, there are those that are TMI when it comes to the social media world. They ain't afraid to share NOTHIN! As for me....I try to be a bit more modest when it comes to what I post...and don't post. Yes, I have a Facebook and a Twitter, I have no shame in that. If you see something I post and you start to think...ok....really?? then please let me know. I do not want to post anything that might offend people or make anyone uncomfortable. But what about things that people are comfortable with? For example, when I passed my nursing boards I jawed on and on and on. The more I posted about it though, the more I realized that I was praising the good works and deeds that I had accomplished. And as you know, life is not about me. But it's so easy to slip into that way of thinking; it's jammed into our heads every day. Follow YOUR dreams. Do what's best for YOU. YOU decide what YOU want to do. It's tempting to think that way, and trust me, I am sooooooooooo guilty of it myself. In my life right now, I feel that I do not praise God enough for the little things, and I'm trying very hard to work on that. If it were not for God and His love, grace and yes, conviction, then I would not be holding my RN license in the first place. You see? In today's society, it seems to me that God doesn't even get the credit anymore. That somewhat bothers me, and if you're a follower of Christ, it should bother you too.

Holly: I've had 24 hours or so to think about this, and I don't have much to say about it, so here goes: I see this a lot on Facebook, after someone has usually started a new relationship, lost weight, started a new job, etc.  I feel that in these triumphant times, the line gets blurred between "hey, look at MY achievements and MY success and MY happiness" versus "look at what God has blessed me with.  Praise Him".  You see where I'm getting at?  Trust me, I used to be a horrendous me-monster.  Some instances, I still am.  But over the years, I've done a lot of growing up, and realized that if it was up to me, I'd be in a lot of trouble.  God deserves our everything.  Everything we do, everything we achieve in (or suck at) belongs to Him.  Our society is so selfish and self-absorbed that it scares me.  I think it should scare you, too.

People these days tend to broadcast their entire lives over social media.  If that's your drift, fine with me.  That's not my cup of tea, maybe I'm just modest.  However, I do enjoy reading what my peeps are up to.  But let me challenge you (and myself as well): the next time you're tempted to post that "selfie", that complaint about your job, that flashy new thing you just got, just remember: who are you glorifying?

30 Days of Writing: How you hope your future will be like

Kelly: To be honest, I don't know. I mean, God holds my future in His hands, so I'm going to just let Him decide where He wants me to be and what He wants me to do! I hope that I will still be maintaining my healthy eating/walking habits and will hopefully someday have a place of my own to call home...not that I mind living with sis now! ^_^ I hope that I will be happy with someone eventually, I just don't know who he is yet and when I'll meet him or where I'll meet him. I hope to have a dog, yes. A dog is a must. Other than that, who knows? I just want to be working as a nurse, loving God, loving on some sick people and happy with my life. I'm not picky!

Holly: Still striving and continuing to live like Jesus!  Being called "mommy" and "wife" (although I'm still YEARS away from that, trust me on this one).  Doing work in my field that I enjoy doing (although I love my job right now), or working for my alma mater in some capacity.  Adopting some critters from a shelter.  Having my own place to call home (although my home can't get much better than this right now).  Becoming more active in my church.  Sticking with my healthy habits.  Still keeping in touch with old friends (Skype is a wonderful thing).  Traveling, hopefully overseas again.  Reading.  Definitely need to read more! :)

30 Days of Writing: My body and how I feel about it

Kelly: I feel that this can be a touchy subject for some. I'm surprisingly not one of those people. Overall I am very comfortable with myself and the way I look. I feel good about myself and the way I look and feel. Of course some days are hard; with my ongoing ankle problems it can damper my self-consciousness sometimes. Big bulky braces really do cramp your style and are definitely NOT the most glamorous.

But ever since I started taking care of myself better, I have been impressed with what has come out of it, even though I haven't really done anything crazy. But the results speak for themselves; I have more energy during the day, some of my clothes are fitting looser, and my daily walk with sis is something I genuinely look forward to each day. Also, I am a child of God; He didn't create the "perfect" person. I've learned that He created me for just the way I am, and sometimes it's discouraging because you want to be "pretty" and "beautiful." What does that even mean anyway? I'm not sure, but I love the way I am and that's not going to change, big ugly braces and all. I've attached a video at the end of this post; I saw it today in my nursing leadership class. For those of you struggling with body image and self-esteem, please watch it. Even if you're not struggling, please watch it anyway.

Holly: 9 times out of 10, I am happy with the way I look.  I'm down about 10 pounds since I graduated almost a year ago.  I can fit into smaller shirts and dresses.  I take up walking with Kelly and I think that's helped with the way I look, but it's a good time for us to catch up and talk.  I eat A LOT healthier; I don't crave pop as much as I used to...I nowadays drink it maybe 2-3 days a week, sometimes less, sometimes more, but not every day.  I look at pictures from back when I first started college and I can tell a big difference between now and then.

But then again....I'm a 20-something young woman, and of course there are things about my body that I want to fix.  I'd love to lose 10 more pounds, although many argue I don't need to.  Which they're probably right...but that doesn't mean I still don't want to.  I'd love to fit into single-size pants again, something I haven't been able to do since before high school (but I think I'm getting pretty close...some of my 10's are getting a little loose!).  I am of childbearing age and know I need to start taking folic acid, even though I'm years away from wanting children.  I always need to drink more water.  I can't stand the fact that I'm so fair-skinned; it doesn't take much for me to get burned.  Blame it on the Scandinavian genes.  But do I obsess over these things? Of course not.  I'm not about to go on a crazy diet and work myself exhausted (which doesn't work, by the way.  Sorry).  I know what I need to do, what's working for me, and for now, I am happy with what I am.  :)

Be Happy. Be Healthy...er

Holly and Kelly: My hope for today's post is that it inspires someone who reads this. Almost a year ago (around last May) Holly and I were talking about goals we were trying to set so we could be healthier. We had tried a lot of different things; going to Seabury gym, cutting out sweets and pop and sugar (all of it), and a lot of other things. These things did work...temporarily. We weren't motivated to go to the gym and after a few days of cutting out all sugar and pop we ended up getting frustrated and falling back. Didn't work. So after Holly graduated and we moved where we are now, we were trying to think of what to do. I have food stamps, so we decided to buy healthier food and have switched to whole grains. We only eat enriched when we go out to eat. We don't drink pop as much (ironically I just finished one. Ohhhhhhhh  well). I usually only drink pop 2-3 days a week. At restaurants or when I'm eating fast food I only get a small and only fill it up halfway. Other than that I drink water, milk and coffee with the occasional tea. We also don't eat out as often anymore, probably only 2-3 times a month, sometimes more if we have friends visiting. Sometimes less. And lastly, we walk anywhere from 4-6 days a week, depending on the weather. We walk about a mile (usually to the Community school and back). Since we went shopping today we're not walking today.

L: 1 year ago. R: This afternoon. 

What really irritates me about seeing stuff on the TV and stuff I've seen people do is they do these weight loss pills or "crash" or "fad" diets. If you want to do that fine. I'm not going to judge. But what I will say is doing SIMPLE things WORK!!!

1 year ago. Had to get this dress in a 1X b/c I couldn't fit in any junior sizes. 

This afternoon. Back in juniors! Size 11. Haven't worn that since high school!!! 

Focus on being HEALTHY and not necessarily losing weight.  Do what you are able to do.  We picked walking because everyone knows how to do it, and we stuck with the food mentality of if we keep good food in the apartment, then we'll eat good food.  And moderation is ok.  It really is.  Don't punish yourself: a "treat" every now and then is perfectly fine.  Keep yourself accountable, but don't beat yourself up if you screw up.  Our culture is so unhealthy and it's hard to stay on track; we get it.  But that first compliment you receive, that first thing you try on that's a size smaller than what you would normally wear...it motivates you!  Like we said, do what you are able.  You can do it!  :)

Memoirs from an MRI scanner and a recently unemployed young aaaahdult

Kelly: The Christmas music has started, the cats are hyper and I've been awake since 6AM. Just another day of livin-la-vida-loca! The reason I've been awake so long is that I had another MRI today; hopefully the last for a long while. This one was done because last week, one awesome doctor FINALLY has a name for all my ankle problems!!!! After 2 and a half years of groveling, knocking on doors, pain and frustration, YES. There is a name! Anyway, this MRI was done to see the extent of the problem and what is the next step treatment wise for me; casting first or surgery. She said (the good doctor) that surgery is very unlikely, so keep your eyes open as I will be posting updates. I don't go back to see her until the 10th, so again another waiting game continues.

Anyway, during the scan today the tech asked what radio station I liked to listen to, and I said I'm very fond of K-LOVE; they played music for me since MRI's tend to be rather noisy...if you've never had one, take my word for it. I've had 3. So anyway, I was laying on my back, drifting in and out of sleep and then the radio DJ's who do the morning show were talking about something they read about this guy who was his own "minister of happy." What this guy did was just that...he was just happy. But what he did was change his mindset. The radio DJ's kept talking and mentioned the encouraging word which was from 1 Corinthians 15:58. The premise of this verse is that everything we do is not useless and that we're to work in all things for Christ. One of the DJ's said that with that kind of mindset, daily, it can provide the same eternal gratitude as leading someone to Christ. What a concept. Just something for us to take home; instead of "going through the motions" and going through the daily grind, how's about we take our mundane every dayness and use any and every moment possible for God? Thoughts and actions like that could change us...even the world.

Holly: This especially struck me today.  Last Tuesday was my last day at my job.  Which means yes...I am now unemployed once again.  With the exception of my Mary Kay.  To say I'm anxious, uneasy, worried, all are understatements.  Most of the time I try to keep the faith but sometimes it's hard to not get discouraged.  But when I heard about being our own ministers of happy, it was like a light switch.  Yes, times are scary and uncertain for me right now.  God is taking me through a season that is uncomfortable, boring, scary...I feel sometimes as if I'm on pins and needles, waiting for an email, phone call, ANYTHING.  But that isn't how it has to be.

So how does someone like me be a minister of happy even in the dark times?  I know for me that I have to undergo a serious change of perspective.  I know that I need to use this abundant spare time for God, for rest, for prayer, and being serious in my faith to the point that I solely rely on God for my utmost needs and desires.  Which at this point is work.  I need to work!  I need to stay busy!  But what I keep praying is that regardless of where I end up I want to be used by God.  For now, I wait.  And do things.  Like tonight: I auditioned for a dance ensemble at Berea.   I have absolutely no idea if I'll even get into a piece, but it was the most fun hour and forty five minutes I've had in a LONG time.  I'll plan my party.  I'll sleep.  And pray.  And keep faith.  Because we do what we have to do.

Change thinking to change feelings

Kelly: The last few weeks I have noticed a change in myself. And no, it's not just the 8 pound weight loss. This again is another change for the better. I have been happier. Much happier than I was this time last year. I remember thinking about this time last year; I was so on edge. About everything! The littlest things set me off and it was because I was just so...burned out, stressed out, worn out, worn down, and exhausted. Getting up at 4AM on Tuesdays was extremely draining and it was just go, go, go 24/7. No rest for the weary. And now? I'm not stressed (as much), I'm not tired, and I can't even remember the last time I had a genuinely bad day. What does that even mean anyway, to have a bad day? It's all relative. Anyway, but everyone keeps asking me what my secret is? How did I lose 8 pounds? Why am I so happy and cheerful?

It's GOD.

It was, it has been and it will be. Every morning when I wake up I consciously think in my mind "God, I'm here now. I want you to shine so brightly through me that people notice. I want to have a smile on my face and pass it on." Those thoughts vary daily, but for the most part I start my days with God just changing and transforming my mind. And let me tell you it is AMAZING how good I feel!!!! I smile more, I laugh more and I think positively more. This is also benefiting me because I have more time to PRAISE instead of PLEAD. Not that pleading to God is bad, but I can think of more times when I've said "Dear God, thank you for now" instead of "Dear God just get me through this!" There have been times when some troubles have come my way but I've learned (and am still learning) to just deal with them as they come. And I pray ALL the time "God have Your way in this situation." I don't ask to take it away because we might miss something if we just lock up all our stresses and worries in boxes and pray that they just disappear. I've  EMBRACED those challenges and saddled up the courage to face them. Finally. Now bear in mind, these changes I've made have taken many many months of pre-meditating, thinking and praying. But also these changes have come from inside me as well. I've had to pluck up courage from my strength (which comes from God) to just GO. To just go and live, because it is not God's will for me to live in bondage of all that holds me down. And here's something else; words are just words. Make a plan, pray about it, think about it, and follow through.

Holly: But God...

I am speaking from experience, as well as in concordance with Kelly, but every single word she says is true. This way of thinking has completely revolutionized my day-to-day ways of looking at things, situations, bad drivers, work issues, scary bills, crappy attitudes, cats that won't chill out, etc etc etc...But ever since I've taken the focus off of me and MY schedule, and MY current feelings, and all that I have to do for the day, and turning it into "Hey, God, um, thanks for EVERYTHING, I'm not sure what's going to happen today, but I totally trust You," things have just gotten better.  By all rights I should be having a conniption fit.  I don't have a job in two months, I have student loans to pay off, we're getting zero help from the college in terms of living expenses next semester...there's just a lot stacked against us.  I have hardly zero anxiety.  Seriously.  Because I rest and stand firm in the simple fact of all that God has brought us through, and I strongly believe He will not have brought us to Berea, to here right now, only to just be like, "Well, just kidding."  No.  That's not the God I serve and love.

The thing about faith, though, is that even though God has more than enough faith for you and me, sometimes we have to have faith in ourselves.  I've had lots of conversations with people about how stressed they are, how they're not sure they're going to make it, and they trust God, I can see that....but maybe it's themselves that they don't trust.  Let me tell you: there were plenty of times in my last semester of school where I wasn't sure if I was going to pass this one class.   I decided to shift my focus on GOODDD, saying, God, you've brought me through four years of school.  I'm giving this class to You!  I did that, but I also just kept telling myself, Holly, you're going to make it.  You are.  You have to!  You have so many people rooting for you!!

If you haven't been reading a word of this, please read this: YOU. ARE. NOT. ALONE.  Someone out there is rooting for you.  Someone has faith in you.  Please know this.  :)

My challenge is this: just try to shift your perspective, the way you think.  It takes time, believe me.  But it's worth it, I promise.  Let us know if you need encouragement, prayer, etc.

"You have to change the way you THINK in order to change the way you FEEL." -Robin Roberts

College student confessions; yes, you can do it too!

Kelly: My name is Kelly Korb. I am a fifth year senior. I have never pulled an all nighter and have never skipped a meal. I have also remained relatively low-stress this year. Want to know how I did four years of that as a nursing major? I will tell you.

Set a limit of when to "shut-off": My cut off is midnight. After midnight I stop doing homework and go to bed, even if I still have work to do. Absolutely nobody is forcing you to stay up all night. Your body needs rest and the ability to recharge. You're not doing anybody any favors by overworking yourself. Also, we are not all as busy as we say we are. Are you really doing homework the ENTIRE night you're up? Doubtful. Turn off the computer, the cell phone and SLEEP.

Just EAT. Plain and simple. I hear the excuse "I don't have time to eat." Sure you do. Again, this goes back to the we are not as busy as we say we are. If you can't make it to food service, carry snacks with you to have during the day. Again, speaking from a future health care provider's stand point, your body needs food to keep you going. So like I said, you're not doing yourself any favors by skipping a meal. However, I do know some people who skip lunch just because they can function on two meals a day. Did that a lot in the summer. But if you NORMALLY eat 3 meals a day but find yourself skipping one, two or all 3 periodically, you might want to do some minor adjustments...

MOVE IT! Since May, Holly and I have been walking every night, just to do it. Neither one of us need to lose weight, but we were tired of sitting around the apartment all day. Remember hearing those kid commercials "get up and play an hour a day?" Well....do it. Again, I hear the "I don't have time to exercise" or "I can't find something I like to do." WALK. You want to know why walking is easy? Because we do it all the time! I find that ever since I've started walking every night I can't sit for longer than an hour. Nobody's doing anybody any favors by sitting around all the time. I have read study after study after study that says sitting for prolonged periods of time can be detrimental to your health.

Examine your daily schedule...and re examine as needed. This relates to the theme I've been saying. How busy are we really? Think of a typical day for you. How often do you spend doing homework? Or housework? Texting/calling people? Spending time on Facebook? You'll be surprised at what you find when you actually sit and think about it. Yeah, now that you've thought about it, you realize you're not as busy as you say you are. I'm not as busy as I say I am. But like I said: never skipped a meal or pulled an all nighter. Those were a result of choices I made, and I'm not trying to brag. I'm just saying you can make those choices too. Anyone can.

Holly: Hey...is this thing on? Ok, big college-kid lesson:

ABSOLUTELY NO ONE OR NOTHING IS FORCING YOU TO PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER! 

You hear me? Need me to spell it out for you? Do an interpretive dance? Ok...good.

So stop it.

Pulling an all-nighter is one of the worst things you can do to yourself.  You're screwing with your sleep schedule, you're putting unnecessary stress on your body, and if you're studying, there ain't no way in Hades that you're going to remember everything you studied.  Chances are you'll be more concerned about how freaking tired you are.  You don't have to.  Straight up.  I went through four years of Berea and never did.  You know why? Because I prioritized.  I made a plan of what I needed to do and I did it.  Now, that goes without saying that I never didn't just DO it.  Of course I procrastinated.  But I goofed off when I needed to and I buckled down when I needed to.  But I think more often than not, I was doing what I was supposed to be doing.

Sometimes prioritizing includes making sacrifices.  That's just the way it goes. You get a text from your bestie asking to go out, but you know that you have a test on Monday and you need to study this weekend.  Sometimes you have to be the big responsible grown up kid and say no to fun, your friends, etc.  Bottom line: You NEED to say no to your friends sometimes.  Contrary to popular belief, school is more important than hanging out with your friends.  Yeah, it stinks, but when you get all your stuff done, then reward yourself.  Worked wonders for me...sort of like extra incentive to trudge through all the academia.

Another thing: Listen to your body.  If you've been working on homework for hours on end and you feel like you can't read another word or keep your eyes open for one more second, put the homework away and go to BED!  Don't push yourself.  Sometimes being a good student is knowing your limits, knowing when enough is enough.  Even if you have to do more work the next day, at least you won't be falling over exhausted.  For me, even just doing something small every day was enough.  At least it was something!

Hey, sorry to lay on the tough love, but if you want to survive somewhere as tough as Berea, you have to work your @$$ off.  Take it from someone who survived: You have to do the work.  But I still had plenty of time for fun.  It's all about balancing.  Or drinking obscene amounts of coffee.  Whichever you prefer.  :)

P.S. Get some sleep.  Just do it.

Holly and Kelly's Healthy Habits for 2012 and beyond

Holly and Kelly: Order of who goes first doesn't matter in today's post. Over the last few weeks, Holly and I have implemented some healthy habits that have actually been easy for us to stick with. No, we're not trying to lose weight or "go on a diet"; these are just small changes that we have implemented into our daily lives and eating habits.

* Read things: No. Seriously. You will be amazed at what you discover about the hidden things in food. For years I would eat these crackers (the cheesy crackers with the cheese inside. YUMMO!) Upon discovering one day, I found out that a package of 6 crackers had 210 calories and 10 grams of fat! YIKES!!! Not to mention other ingredients that I didn't even know how to pronounce. Probably safe to skip. Read your labels!!!!!

* Portion control: Easier said than done, right? Not necessarily. Some things we have done have been not going back for seconds, eating on smaller plates and trying to mix things up in terms of what we serve. Also, this relates to serving sizes; stick to those as well.

* Whole grains and other things: This one by far has been the most difficult. We've switched over to whole grain...pretty much everything; waffles, bagels, pasta, etc. In addition, instead of regular ground beef, a tasty alternative has been lean ground beef, turkey and...ground chicken! This goes back on reading; a package of regular ground beef has 31 grams of fat, while lean ground beef or turkey had about 8-10 grams of fat. Simple. Really really simple. Also, Holly and I have been watching out for the "enriched" flour and reducing processed foods, which has been a lot simpler than we thought it would be.

* More is better...in terms of water: Yes. Don't really need to go into detail.

* Walk it out: For the last few weeks now, Holly and I have been walking every evening/night, probably about a mile round trip. I have found that by doing this just every night, I feel better during the next day. I'm not as tired, I have more stamina and my ankle doesn't hurt as often. I will say this as a future healthcare provider; exercise doesn't have to be complicated. You don't have to join a gym, do Zumba and P90X or Insanity every day. If you're a beginner, then exercise like a beginner.

* Say no to salt and sugar: Well....not completely. But seriously. Salt and sugar are so super sneaky. Pretty much everything we consume has salt or sugar in it. For Holly and I, we don't leave salt on the table and on a rare occasion do I cook with it. Most of the time I don't even do that. Also, we've cut out snacking during the day, since I know I often snack on icky things instead of something healthy. As for sugar, again, it's something we've just been watching and paying attention to. Starting this week, we're switching over to sugar free coffee creamer.

* Limiting caffeine: Because too much is not a good thing. Now my definition of too much and your definition of too much differ. For me, I can't drink more than 2 cups of coffee...and that's really pushing it. And also, since Holly and I don't drink pop as much, we see it more now as a "treat" to indulge on every now and then.  But if we have a pop one day then we don't have coffee on the same day and vice versa.

* Good night computer: Last semester, sometimes I would have trouble sleeping and "shutting off" at night. About a week ago, I noticed I was having the same problem. So I tried and tried to find a common denominator, and I did; the computer. For the past week, I've been shutting off my computer about 30 minutes before I want to go to bed, and let me tell you. I have not slept this well in a long time. Give it a try. See what happens.

* Splurge...in moderation. Any of these changes are not going to happen overnight. Be patient. And when starting something, DO NOT CUT BACK COLD TURKEY. You have to REDUCE first, otherwise frustration and possible setbacks always occur...at least they have for me. Be positive, and remember; you have to want these changes for yourself. It may take time, but you'll be amazed at how better you feel and the impact you're making on yourself in the long run.  Feel free to share your own suggestions or comment on ours. Good luck :]

The flaw of today's healthcare in the eyes of a US citizen

Kelly: I will begin by offering this disclaimer; these are merely my observations and opinions. I am not putting myself on a pedestal and deeming myself an "expert." But, I feel that what I have seen and heard cannot be unnoticed. I just saw and heard some very heavy duty stuff, and this is my opportunity to process it all. I borrowed a video from one of my professors titled Sicko. I wasn't really sure what to expect. The first half hour (this is a documentary) discussed several US commonfolk who faced current health problems but because of lack of health insurance or flawed insurance were denied medical coverage. The first two examples were no health insurance, and a guy literally HAD TO CHOOSE which of his fingers to reattach. One would cost over 50k, the other just a little over 10k. Which do you think he chose?

There was more to the video, but two parts of this movie disgusted me the most. The first scenario took place in LA, and there was a guy who worked at some sort of free clinic. He was talking about how one day he was watching the cameras and a staff member escorted a confused and disorientated woman inside...while she was still in her hospital garb. Turns out, the staff of the hospital she came from found out she couldn't pay her bills, so they put her in a cab and drove her to the free clinic.

I'm sorry, but....WHAT?!

Oh no, it gets worse. Turns out when the hospital gets wind that patients can't pay their bills, they dump them. Yes, as in put them in a taxi and drop them off.

I'm sorry, but....WHAT?!

Another scenario focused on several 9/11 volunteers who helped victims get found amongst the rubble. I will say this again, these were volunteers...as in...NOT employees. However, because they were not properly protected because they were just you know, trying to do the right thing, they developed some health complications. But because their care was "too expensive" according to their insurance, they could not get the full care that they  needed. Cut to....Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. This is where some of the 9/11 terrorists ended up as prisoners. They receive...and I quote straight from the film "top of the line healthcare." Yes, along with France and England and other European countries covered by the NHS (National Health Service), and Canada, they receive FREE HEALTH CARE.

Now I know what you're thinking: You mean to say that TERRORISTS who were responsible for 2,000+ lives over 10 years ago receive BETTER healthcare than average US Citizens?

Yes.

So later, the movie director gets a BOAT, takes these volunteers and boats them from Miami to Guantanamo Bay so they can get some good healthcare. But...according to the media, Cuba is one of our enemies. Or so you thought...the 9/11 volunteers are not only NOT turned away, but they also receive the diagnostic tests, cheaper prescriptions and procedures that some of them needed.

At this point in the movie I was crying. I really was. Not only because the volunteers got the healthcare that they truly deserved, but that they had to go to a "enemy" country to receive it. And they got exactly what they deserved, by golly! It's just appalling that this flawed healthcare is what our country, my country I live in, has come to. Refusing to pay for care, dumping helpless patients, denying people health insurance is just...sick. I can't come up with any other word.

What upsets me the most are two things: number 1, I will be working in this. I can't escape it, unless give up everything I love and have worked hard to build and move to another country. I'd make a heck of a living, but the trade off is higher tax dollars. Hmm...yeah, I'd pay higher tax dollars for free health care. Sign me up. Second, I too am fighting tooth and nail with insurance. Apparently, the rest of my physical therapy that I completed almost a year ago won't be covered until I go to the Billing Department and fill out this form that NOBODY bothered to tell me about. My mom had to call my insurance company.

I apologize that this post is so long, but I feel that we need to read this. And even if you're not a health care professional, PLEASE see this movie in some point during your life. It will change your life, maybe for the better, maybe for the worse. But if nothing, your eyes will be opened wide, as mine are. All I have to close with is this; we can do better.

To close, I would like to give the credit to the movie Sicko and all of the directors, participants and producers. Thank you for opening my eyes. Our country as a whole may not be "the best," but as a future healthcare provider I will do MY best to be THE best.