"Always concentrate on how far you've come, rather than how far you have left to go."

How was you're week? Did you hit the gym as much as you wanted? Did you spend all weekend shoveling? Did you eat lots of junk food when Nemo hit? Did you spend all day watching movies or reading a good book? Most of the time we focus so much on the things we didn't accomplish rather than what we did! I'm sure your days are jam packed with cooking, cleaning, working, entertaining and so much more, but what happens when we take a moment to sit back and reflect on all we've done. This week I made sure to focus on what was accomplished instead of stressing over all I had still to do.

My Monday routine has been to jump on the bike while The Bachelor is on and boy is it really becoming something I look forward to! I don't have to stress out that I didn't get it done all day because I know once it comes on my heart rate will get up and it helps me refrain from yelling at the TV! :) It's always motivating to flip to The Biggest Loser as well! I especially love when they do their LAST MINUTE WORKOUT, because it pushes me to go harder!

Tuesdays are typically my days dedicated to Yoga! After work I headed over to Greener Posters Yoga studio in West Falmouth for an hour class of Hot Yoga! After that we went to watch Cyn’s cousin Chelsea play basketball or Westbrook High School’s last home game of the season! We were so proud of her as she scored 17 points and she’s only a Freshman! She was on fire! We were so happy to get to see her play one more time this season!

Wednesday I got very exciting news that I got into the Tri For A Cure this summer! I have wanted to do a triathlon for years! I just have been way too nervous but why wait? So this summer I will be competing in my first triathlon and I could not be any more pleased with the wonderful cause. “Since 1976 Maine Cancer Foundation has worked diligently to provide grant funding for cancer research, education and patient support programs here in our state.” I am so proud to say I am raising money for this powerful cause.Please help me reach my goal of raising $350. Every little bit helps.

Wednesday day after work I met up with an old friend to walk the boulevard! It was such a beautiful afternoon and so nice to unwind in the presence of a good friend. Sometimes it’s so relaxing to spend time with someone who knows you inside and out and loves and appreciates you despite everything. We were so chatty we went around 1.5 times! It was a beautiful walk, as always.

Thursday was another day of yoga! And an evening of Basketball to support my cousins! Its times like these that we must remember how important Family truly is. They are the one thing that is forever. Sometimes we might not feel like they have our best interest in mind, but in most cases family is the one that remains. I am so blessed to have such a strong and loving family and I am especially reminded of this over the past week. I am grateful to have the support I do and I would not want it any other way. Take a moment to reflect on those loved ones in your life and be grateful for them. Whether they are blood related or not love is love and we would all be lost without those that surround and support us. I spend my lunch break reflecting down by the water in Portland. One of my best friends showed me this little spot and I love to go and enjoy the beautiful view.

Friday morning we met NEMO! I spent the morning going around to my accounts until the roads got too bad, but gosh Portland is such a beautiful city!

Friday we ventured out to do some snowshoeing over to Murph's house and she made some delicious Chicken Noodle Soup and we watched Pitch Perfect. After a while we headed home and continued the Blizzard celebration with more family friends!

Saturday Morning I woke up and started to head over to my parents and since the streets weren’t plowed I headed out on snowshoes!

It was so windy we could hardly see!

We started off with Baylee's in our coffee, then bloody Mary's and finished with allagash white beer shots!

We even did some crafts!

I have the cutest parents ever!

Dad even got in some drumming!

Sunday morning Mom, Dad & I went for a great snowshoe on Riverside Golf Course! It was a beautiful morning for it!

It was so nice out, once I got home I threw on my sneakers and turned on my iPod and went for a great walk while listening to Andy Grammer Pandora! It was such an enjoyable walk and nice to just have some me time! All in all I got in a great workout today!

This weekend has been so family filled and I couldn't feel more blessed.

Tomorrow we say goodbye to an absolute angel and I remind myself she is in a place of happiness and no more suffering. We love you so much Cheryl and are so lucky to have you as a family member! Every aspect of you will forever grow on in your 4 beautiful children! Cheryl's Crusaders <3.

Every day is a gift and we must treat it like one. Exercise is a great outlet, but it also builds physical and mental strength. Your body is the most prized possession you own. Push yourself this week, but remember to take time to appreciate every little thing around you. You are lucky and able and you should acknowledge it! Do me a favor? Say thank you to someone who has loved and support you all throughout your struggle and triumphs… Be aware that person might just be YOURSELF. Appreciate all the hard work you put in day after day and remember to thank yourself and don’t be afraid to spoil yourself every once in awhile.

"If we wait until we're ready, we'll be waiting the rest of our lives." - Lemony Snicket

The last week in January was welcomed with paperwork on paperwork to get the ball rolling with the house. Cyn and I spend 3 of or the 5 nights of the week at our Mortgage Brokers office signing and making copies of different items. We are so excited to think in just about a month we will be signing the papers to our FIRST home!

Thursday we had the inspection and it went extremely well! We are so grateful there was nothing major! We are slowly beginning to pull everything together! We are surrounded by so much love and support from both our families we are so lucky to have everyone wanting to help us with furniture, bowls, mugs ect. A huge THANK YOU to my cousins Cindy and Dana for being so generous in helping us put our home together with all of their extra furniture! We ended up making our first purchases for the house this weekend and are so excited to slowly start getting items we will need! We plan to put this in the picture in the living room. Such a great reminder of how precious life really is!

Along with the craziness of the house I found time to get in some great exercise on Tuesday. I went to sunrise yoga at Greener Postures Yoga in West Falmouth and after a great day at work Cyn and I joined a pick-up basketball league for 2 hours on Tuesday night! We had a blast and plan to attend every week!

Wednesday was a late night for me with still getting into the groove at work, but I managed to Jump on the Bike while watching American Idol! You must always remember - It’s never too late to bust out a workout! Every little minute counts! Sometimes the best part of working out before bed is it tires you out enough to have a better night sleep! Days where I don’t get in a good workout I find myself restless when it comes time to go to bed. By powering through a 30 minute workout before bed I definitely get a more restful night sleep! Try it sometime!

Thursday afternoon was up into the 50’s which made for a perfect afternoon for a run outside! Since I’ve been cutting back on running because of my foot pain it was such a relief to finally get outside and enjoy a nice 4.5 mile run! Even though injury may set us back it should not make us afraid to continue chasing our dreams! I aspire to get myself back into running to complete a half marathon this summer and a marathon next fall! I’m sharing this with you in hopes you will hold me to it! Late Thursday night my parents came home from Bethel and called Cyn and I to come over with some Ice Cream! We spent the evening with Corona’s, Chocolate Ice Cream and Pinteresting! So glad they had such a great vacation, but so happy to have them back home!

Friday afternoon was much cooler and I bundled up and bust out another 4.5 mile run! There is something about the fresh air and how empowering it feels to push yourself past your limit and trusting the strength of your body to lead you toward success. When things get hard remind yourself that your body knows what it can and cannot handle and it will make sure it lets you know! This allows you to push yourself harder with each workout and this is what helps you grow stronger, faster and more able to reach your goals.

Friday evening we had Portland Pirate’s tickets, thanks to a coworker of Cyn’s who was being honored as and Outstanding Educator as the UNUM starting 6! We had a blast and got 2nd row tickets! We went down to Five Guy’s in the Old Port for Dinner (definitely my cheat night). They have the most delicious burgers! I like to eat healthy because it makes me feel good and I can perform more effectively, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love to splurge sometimes! That’s what life is all about. It is so important to stay healthy and fit for so many reasons, but it’s also necessary to remember by having something unhealthy here and there is NOT the end of the world! My Dad always says “I exercise to eat.” I used to laugh at him, but it’s so true. We exercise to live a long healthy life, but sometimes when we know were going to have a munchy night ahead of us – we can stay on the treadmill for an extra 20 minutes or an extra set of weights. It is all about give and take, and you get what you give into each workout!

Saturday Morning we went and watched Cyn’s little cousin who is in 1st grade play Basketball!

In the afternoon Cyn, Pam and I went to see Parental Guidance at the Cinematic in Westbrook! It was a really cute movie! Are they twins or what?

One of our good friends Meg came over along with Murph and the boys! We made pizza and had a dance party!

Sunday morning I woke up and went to a 75 minute Hot Yoga Class at Greener Postures’ with my Mom! It was so rejuvenating and let me release a lot of stress built up within my body! After yoga my dad made breakfast burritos, Bloody Mary’s and a fire. We had brunch with my grandmother, aunt, parents and Cyn! Family time is the best time! It’s terrible how sometimes we get so caught up in life that we don’t see the people that mean the most to us as often as we should. It was really nice to catch up with my grandmother and Aunt especially! We must be so mindful that you never know how much time you have and it’s so important to make every moment count! Love your life and the family that surrounds and supports you day after day! Be grateful and don’t ever lose touch with people you love!

It’s Sunday night and we’re gearing up for the Super Bowl and the week ahead. I am so very happy with where my life is right now and I feel so proud of the work I put in this week! I cannot believe it is already February but I say bring on another fabulous month! Life is going to give you just what you put into it! Put your entire heart into everything you do! I hope you are staying committed and ready for a new month full of new beginnings! Never give up on yourself and stay positive! Let me know how things are going and if I can add or take away anything from this blog to make it more appealing! I appreciate you taking the time to read this and hope you enjoy it! Remember:

"Passion is pushing yourself when no one else is around."

It’s only the 3rd week in 2013 and major changes are already happening! Monday was Martin Luther King day and where some people had the day off I spent the day traveling in New Hampshire for work! One of my favorite quotes from MLK was: “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” Sometimes we struggle with seeing the bigger picture in life even when it may lead us to our dreams. When trying to reach a goal, the only thing holding you back is yourself and the only solution is YOURSELF! We are all a little afraid to take that first leap toward achieving our dreams but you are your biggest setback and your attitude is what will give you the strength to persevere. After a long day on the road I received the most exciting news in my young adulthood on my way home. Cynthia and I have been on the house hunt for a few weeks now and we received the call from our realtor that the seller had agreed to our offer! We are ecstatic! As of Tuesday morning around 9 AM we are officially UNDER CONTRACT! Buying a house is one of the biggest steps you take and I am so lucky to have such an amazing person to share this process with! We are praying everything goes smoothly and are trying to acquire some things little by little. Luckily we have lots of family and friends who are willing to chip in and help us with a majority of it! We feel truly grateful to have people like that in our lives willing to help us begin our home owning on the right foot! We will definitely keep everyone posted with the progress and would appreciate all the positive energy sent our way throughout the process! :) Once I finally arrived home I had so much excitement and energy built up I decided the best way to calm some of my nerves was to jump on the bike for 40 minutes and do some circuit training with 10 lb weights. Since the bike targets the quadriceps, hamstrings and calf muscles I put together a few exercises for my biceps, shoulders, abs and butt. I did 3 sets of 12 repetitions of: bicep curls & shoulder press, triceps extension, squats into calf raises, knee to chest with hands on a medicine ball and plank with rotation to each side plank. By the time I finished I was whipped and ready for bed!

Tuesday was another day of travel, but I’m beginning to enjoy the ride to over the New Hampshire bridge! Sometimes that gives me just the right amount of me time I need! I decided to go to yoga that evening and it happened to be a fundamental class. I have been practicing hot yoga for 2 years now and like anything in life it never hurts to go back to the basics. Sometimes we get too caught up in a routine that we pass by so many small things that we learn to take for granted. By taking the time to slow things down and re teach ourselves that we don’t always need to be in a ruse we are exposed to things we never even realized in the past. The ability to slow things down can challenge us in ways that make us grow. “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you” are one of my favorite quotes because life is supposed to challenge and move us in different directions, thus ultimately allowing us to find our own destiny. I do believe everything happens for a reason, but I believe we all have the ability to control our destination. After yoga class I went over to Jennifer Wescott’s (Murph) for the Wine night with Cynthia and my sister, Mikayla! Murph showed us all her new furniture from IKEA! I can’t wait to make a trip once we are moved into our new house! We had so much fun we have decided to make wine night a more regular thing! We already have next month planned to do it at my sister’s house and my Dad has offered to drive us our and pick us up! Best Dad Ever!

Wednesday morning I went to Casco Bay Crossfit with my sister! I had gone a few years ago to stay in shape for soccer at SJC and I really enjoyed the workouts. Crossfit is used as a strength and conditioning program for many police academies, tactical operation teams, military special operation units, martial artists and many other elite and professional athletes worldwide. The idea behind it is that fitness is broad, general and inclusive. It is designed for all levels of experience and is very adaptable to every body type. Some of the Crossfit lingo can be quite confusing but one of the words commonly used is “WOD” that stands for the “Workout of the Day.” (For more FAQ refer to http://www.crossfit.ccom/cf-info/faq.html#General0 )

Wednesday’s workout started with stretching and ROM exercises. Then we continued into ladder drills. We probably went through 10 different exercises and set up for out WOD. The WOD consisted of 20 push press’s and 40 double under’s with a jump rope. Every WOD is timed and your name is time are written on the white board for everyone to see giving others numbers to compete against! The idea behind time increases the intensity for the workout. After that was complete we all grabbed some water and did what is called “The After Party.” This consisted of 3 sets of 15 fly’s. Upon completion we all did some stretching and chatting the workout! I HAD A BLAST! I really loved the excitement and accountability everyone has in accomplishing there own personal best! It is a GREAT workout and pushes you to give your all! I could really see myself getting in to Crossfit – FOR SURE! Anyone who is interested should definitely Check Out Crossfit Casco Bay! This is my sister hard at work! She is such a hard worker and has always been such a huge role model in my life!

When I left my house it was 1 degree! So cold and crisp! After meetings all afternoon we all went out to dinner and got to unwind a bit and get to know each other and I truly feel so lucky about this career move and am proud to be a part of this amazing company!

The best part of leaving the house in the dark is getting to view the sunrise on the way to work! I love this more than anything. It is my favorite part of the day! Thursday was spent traveling & learning so much! I am starting to get excited to finally be out in front of my own customers on my own! Once I got home Cynthia had a crazy day at work so we decided to treat ourselves to a yummy dinner! We decided to make Greek Pizza! So we headed to Hannaford and made the most delicious dinner, making us both feel satisfied!

Yes I made her pose! ;) She's such a good sport!

And our final product! Pam and Pete were our testers and Loved it!

Finally Friday began with a shake and trip to Portsmouth for a Team Rally (Meeting) until 2! After I headed back to the branch to get some work done and then home to bust out a great workout before heading to Bethel with Cynthia for the weekend with my family!

Good Morning from Bethel! Mom and I spent the morning playing checkers by the fire!

Then Cynthia, Mom, Dad & I went for a great snowshoe! Such a beautiful crisp day, and so many memories made! I am one lucky girl!

We went to the Tavern for Happy Hour and Appetizers!

And came back to relax and Dad gave mom a pedicure! What a good husband! Haha! Cutest thing ever!