High Fitness (Find Your Happy!!!)

This is my "I workout while I'm pregnant, so I better let everybody know about it + so please validate me for working out while pregnant post."

Jokes.

... but we all know that person, right?

I would almost consider myself that person if I didn't have this bad habit of grabbing a donut (specifically square donut from Lehi bakery!!!) and Diet Dr. Pepper right after my High class every Saturday morning... ha. Don't worry, though...because Chris is totally on board with that routine because a donut + a caffeinated beverage is the magic concoction to make me have what we call a "productive AF" Saturday!

ANYWAY, sorry to get sidetracked by donuts/caffeinated beverages! The real reason I started writing this post was to declare my love for HIGH Fitness!

First of all, if you haven't been to a HIGH class yet, you need to - like yesterday! Holy endorphins! So many feels! It's not a rare occurrence to find me tearing up during the warm-up (even when I'm not pregnant). I JUST LOVE HIGH FITNESS OKAY!? Annnd maybe my body doesn't quite know what to do with any emotion besides cry?

But really, as I was coming home from my workout the other night, I couldn't help but get a little emotional thinking about what HIGH Fitness has done for me these last couple of years.

In February of 2016, I remember just being so sad + discouraged after trying to get pregnant for almost 8 months, and then finding out I don't ovulate. I remember reaching out to my friend, Jenessa,  telling her I need a friend in Lehi and that we should hangout and that's when she said, "I have been obsessed with this HIGH Fitness class... you should come try it!"If you know me, you know I am not usually a "yes" type of girl (I know I'm the worst), but this is one of those things I actually said yes to and I'm so grateful I did - I was hooked after my very first class!

Pretty sure it was love at first... burpee? But really! I remember the music just being so fun, and the choreography was so simple + easy to follow. It was such an empowering class! I loved how I felt after and I loved that the class environment was so welcoming. Two years later, and I still feel like that with every class... it never feels like a competition or you're being judged. It's just a bunch of awesome chicks looking to have fun and get their sweat on + trying not to pee their pants.

It may seem like I'm getting sappy and emotional about a fitness class, but that's only because I'm getting sappy and emotional about a fitness class. I'm sorry, I can't help it! HIGH Fitness came into my life when I feel like I needed it most, and it has been a constant ever since!  I am forever grateful that I was introduced to something that I could always look forward to even while going through some of the most difficult things I've ever been through in my life. I love how it makes me feel physically/emotionally, I love all the women I've gotten to know from class, and I love that I've found something that makes me feel like... ME! Most of all, I'm just grateful I found something that makes me truly HAPPY!

Okay, I'm starting to realize that this post is getting more lengthy + sappier than a lot of my posts about Chris... so I guess I just want to end by giving you my unsolicited advice:

Find YOUR happy!

I hope it's HIGH Fitness... but if not, that's okay! Just find something that you can always look forward to. Preferably something that gets you moving and sweaty. Maybe it's weight-lifting or Zumba or walking your dog... whatever it may be, just make sure it's something for YOU.

...and then top it off with a square donut + caffeinated beverage.

NOW GO FIND YOUR HAPPY, GIRL!

- - - - - - - - 

Okay, please forgive this what I'm now just noticing very scatterbrained post... it obviously sounded a lot more motivating and uplifting in my head post-HIGH the other night. Endorphins + my weak blogging muscle don't make quite as lovely of a concoction as donuts and caffeinated beverages.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Our countdown for 2018 didn't end at midnight last night. . . 

We'll be counting down until May 2, 2018 - or until our baby GIRL decides to show up! 

...my heart still kind of sinks/somersaults every time I let someone else in on our secret, because I have so many mixed emotions with this pregnancy (obviously grateful is the biggest one!!!), but then I try to remind myself that my uterus doesn't know when I announce that I'm pregnant, so to stop worrying, you big weird! Plus, this little miracle deserves to be celebrated, too! Even if it scary for me and Chris.

We are so so SO grateful that everything has gone well so far during this pregnancy and pray that it can continue to for the next 17 weeks. The one true "resolution" I have for this year is to have this girl arrive here safely. Okay, and maybe not eat so many freaking carbohydrates + read "The Infinite Atonement" (thanks for the recommendation, Whit!), but that's it! I swear. 

Even though 2017 brought on the hardest trial I've ever gone through, it also brought me some of the happiest moments of my life - my time with Jett and Graham, drawing closer to my Savior, growing closer with my family, and of course, getting pregnant again with this baby girl. A good word to sum up 2017 would definitely be G R A T E F U L. 

Here's to the new year! + hoping I'm a better blogger in 2018 (ha!)

SaturDATE

Saturday marked the end of my first week of "The Summer of Shay," and I gotta say, if all my Saturdays this summer are like this one, I am completely okay with that--it was one of the best Saturdays I've had in a while!

It all started with Chris waking me up on Saturday morning chipper as can be and asking, "Are you going to eat cereal and play tennis with me this mernin'?" So that we did! I'm not sure if I'm getting a lot better at tennis or if Chris is getting really bad, but I actually beat him! So obviously it needs to be blogged about. Honestly it's probably because we've been playing pickle ball so much--our tennis game is so off! But I'll take any win against him I can get since Chris never let's me (or anyone for that matter) win. He's such a rat that way, but he just reassures me that it's to keep me humble.

Not pictured from our Saturday: Helping Tom G spread  mulch aka "human shit" (as my sister-in-law, Kat, reassured us it was) around Tom G's yard + me being the tarp girl making sure the human shiz didn't make a mess all over the lawn (a Tom G specialty job!). Even if the reality of it was us spreading shiz all around the yard, it ended up being so much fun to me! Mostly because we got to hangout with the Gourley gang and sip on some DP while doing so, but also because there is something almost therapeutic about working with your hands in the yard, no?! Does admitting that + fantasizing about planting my own garden mean I'm getting old? If so, sign me up!

After spending time with the Gourley gang, we had just enough time to come home and shower/blow all the mulch out of our nose before meeting up with my siblings (minus Haley. boo bunko!!) to eat at MooYahs (insert Hallelujah chorus here) and go laser tagging. Did I mention this was an "adults-only" date? Because it was. And it was awesome. Don't get me wrong, I love love love my nieces and nephews, but it's fun to spend time with my siblings when they don't have to worry about their kids + conversation about sex, farts/poop are a lot more frequent. We went laser tagging at Provo Towne Center in the tiniest laser tag place I've ever been, but it ended up being a lot of fun!

Pretty sure there was a lot more swearing/cheating than your average laser tag group, but that's why I love my family! We are hilarious... and competitive--to say the least. We also must be a sick, twisted, immature group since we could not stop laughing about the form Chris' back sweat took after laser tagging... 

Are we immature or are we immature? But don't tell me you don't see it, too!

To top off our Saturday, we stopped at Sonic and then talked about going to see a late night showing of The Avengers, but then our inner-senior citizen reminded us to calm the freak down and that bedtime is at 9:30, so we convinced ourselves that "we'll go see it next weekend..." and hopped into bed before 9:30 (seriously--sign me up for that old people life!). 

Pure bliss. 

Marathoning(!!!)

But first, a first-world problem: Having so many pictures you want to share on Insta or Facebook but not wanting to be annoying, so you just settle for picking one... that was me after my marathon. I know! I know! I'm rolling my eyes, too. But isn't that what blogs are for? Acceptable picture dumps of crappy, phone-quality photos?! Indulge me.

 This marathon just seemed a lot better this time around...there were a lot less flapping bum cheeks and side-road pee-ers than I remembered, also, because I got to run it with my brother! Running is so much better with someone, especially when that someone is a sibling. I feel like I've gotten a lot closer to my brother through training and I will forever be grateful for that. It's also a plus having a hot husband waiting for you at the finish line with flowers and being your race paparazzi ;) I guess the only bad part about my marathon this year was tripping at mile 25 and scraping my knees. Oh, and miles 16-20.

I kept telling everyone after my race that I'm probably going to stick to half marathons for a little while, but now that I'm starting to heal and I've graduated from baby giraffe to senior citizen walking down the stairs, I'm gettin' that itch for another one... we'll see, though. I don't think Chris is quite ready for me to dish out another $90 to NOT sleep in on Saturdays for another 4 months...

Even if the training is long and painful, I'd still recommend running a marathon to basically anyone. It's probably one of the most challenging things I've done--physically and mentally. Not to mention one of the most rewarding. I'm not talking about the comments and praises from other people, either (I realized this weekend how awkward I am after someone congratulates me. I just kind of shrug my shoulders and say thaaaaanks in a voice 3 octaves higher than my own). I'm talking about the satisfaction that comes from accomplishing your goal, and seeing what your body is capable of. You'll seriously surprise yourself! If running a marathon isn't really your thing, I hope you find something out there that can offer you the same rewarding feeling.

Now that I've given my inspiring, thoughtful, pre-game talk (maybe it's my internship?!), I'll just leave you with some  FAQs I got this weekend:

What was your time? 4:27:13.7 (slow and steady wins the race, right?!)

Did you beat your PR? Barely, by like, 7 seconds! I'm blaming my inappropriate relationship with Dr. Pepper for that one + not being able to go potty before, during, or after the race (TMI?)

Are you sore? YES YES YES. Not as bad today, though.

How early did you have to wake up? 2:45 am

Are the last 6 miles really the hardest? I didn't think so. For me, it really was miles 16-20. Mile 21 is where I got to see Chris and my family and that really pumped me up and helped me keep going + there were Otter Pops at mile 23.

Do you want to do another marathon? Absolutely! I'm just not sure which one or when yet...

How long did you train? Too damn long. Five months. (If anyone is interested in the training schedule I used, feel free to email me)

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Now that I've finished this humble brag post, I'm off to enjoy a big huge bowl of honey combs and an episode of Grey's Anatomy (officially hooked!) with my beloved basketball shorts and top-knot. Happy Monday, folks!

I'm waiting for...

-another day I get out of class early

-the next time I roam through Costco with my mom and ask her Is this a better deal than Wal-Mart?! every 20 seconds

-the next time I have completely empty laundry baskets

-my nephew, Dash, to come with me to my mom's again and open the door to a ice cold diet DP from McDonald's (my mom just gets me)

-Chris to surprise me with another cupcake from Cravings 

-the day Chris will let me win in tennis (he claims he's just "keeping me humble")
-the day that I really do beat him in tennis
-my phone to start taking high quality, "blog-worthy" pics of us playing tennis
-Chris to be happy about taking said pics
-another day to procrastinate my homework assignments because there's only two weeks of Spring semester left and I'm already in summer mode
-the next time I expect to have just another typical Tuesday and realize it's one of the best days I've had in a while

life after finals

Life after finals is the best. Besides the mini panic attacks that come at night because you're so sure something is due, and you have to tell your body to calm the freak down. Am I the only one who suffers from that?! Anyway, ever since finals ended on Wednesday, I've just been so happy! I haven't had to be to work until 2 o'clock every day, so I've been able to fill my mornings with running, cleaning, and watching Kelly and Michael. I even managed to squeeze in a little hike with my sister, and visit my grandparents (which deserves a whole post of it's own).Yesterday was kind of like my last hoorah before Spring semester starts. So naturally, it involved food and Chris.

Does the picture of me drinking water from a Bud Light cup give you a clue where we went?! That's right, Lucky 13! We can't get enough of this place. They seriously have the best burgers in Utah--just go try it already! Unless you're under 21, because ya know... it's a bar... so you can't (sorry, Shelbs!). 

I love going up to Salt Lake to eat with Chris. I always feel so spontaneous and adventurous getting on Front Runner, which I'm sure most of that has to do with the fact that I need to "act natural" so I don't get caught using Chris' pass, but that's besides the point. It's always fun switchin' up date night and going up to Salt Lake City. Our visit up there did not disappoint--we literally talked about how good our meal was the whole way home. It's the meat! They probably ground up a sirloin steak to make their patties. And the fries! Oh, the fries! They put just the right amount of garlic on them! It's a good thing it was just me and Chris in the car, because I'm sure anyone with us would have rather jumped out of the car and walked home. But that's what I love about us--we're foodies, and we like it that way.

This week has been such a great break from school... I'm not ready to start Spring classes! Can I please just stay home and watch Kelly and Michael forever?!

gratitude.

The other day in my Mind/Body/Spirit class we talked about gratitude.

Now I know what you're thinking, "Great, here comes another thankful list for November. Scroll down..." Stop scrolling! Come back! This post isn't going to be a huge list of things I'm grateful for! Promise. But if it was, would you really just keep scrolling? Why don't you like meeeeee!?

Anyway...gratitude! My teacher talked about how being grateful improves our health. She told us about an experiment that found that people who thought about what they were grateful for had boosts in their immune system, and those who actually voiced their gratitude had 2x more of a boost in their immune system. How cray cray is that?! I loved that we got to learn about the physical benefits that come from gratitude rather than just the spiritual benefits, ya know?

That lecture also made me realize how much I suffer from an ungrateful heart. I suffer from what I like to call the comparesies. I am constantly comparing myself to others, whether it be on social media, at school, church, or good heck, even with random strangers at the grocery store! I compare, feel bad for myself, start wanting things I can't/don't have, and then just get irritated or sad when I don't get them. I see now how not being grateful literally effects my health! Even if I do get something, it's not long before I find something else to want. It's a vicious cycle. I've realized that comparesies also makes me constantly look towards the future, instead of  just enjoying the present moment and being happy with all of the things I'm blessed with every single day.

So for this holiday season, I want to make it a goal to keep a gratitude journal and just write down some things that I'm grateful for every day. Don't worry, I won't bore you with my list on here, which I'm sure will consist mostly of food and other things like eyebrows. And hopefully this will help me narrow down my Christmas list for Chris ;) But really, I know I need to be more  grateful for what I have, and what better time to start than this week with Thanksgiving coming up?! I know, I know... so cliche. But it's a start, right?!

Also, I know I said I wasn't going to make a list of things I'm grateful for, but I never said I wouldn't say ONE thing I'm grateful for. Loophole! So I'd just like to say that I'm grateful for Swig in Provo. Oh Swig, what would I do without your Dirty Diet Dr. Pepper's?! Actually, I do know. I'd fall asleep easier, be on time to class, and save money, but that's besides the point. You can't put a price on happiness, especially the happiness that comes from a DDD and a sugar cookie.  It's the little things ;)

Here's to being more grateful and boosting immune systems this holiday season!

Lately...

One-Lately we have been leaving each other notes. Chris slipped that one under the bathroom door that I had locked myself behind after a long, hard day of studying, and a test score that would make you believe otherwise. That little note made a huge difference, and I still can't get myself to throw it away...

Two-One day when we were taking advantage of the amazing weather that Utah has been having lately, we busted out a kite! And Chris decided that collecting kites would be a good idea (Chris is a very passionate person if you can't already tell). 

Three-No, that's not a pancake. That would be what we like to call our downfall lately--deep fried corn shells. This has been our go-to meal/snack lately. I'd like to thank mama Sanderson for teaching me to eat those with just a little cheese and salt. Our house that constantly smells of fried food, and our scale that has to hear our excuses ("I'm sure it's just all the water I drank just barely!") are not so thankful for mama Sanderson. Fried shells are a bad idea for the thighs.

Four-We recently celebrated our friend's birthday by going up to the shooting range. I'm proud to report that I actually did hit some clay pigeons...even if I was shaking the rest of the night, and my arms were sore the next day. 

Five-Lately we have been obsessed interested in a little show we like to call Prison Break! Oh.my.goodness. it is intense! Even Chris is into it (which is sayin' something since he doesn't get too attached to TV series). We have definitely become one of "those" couples that just watches TV and movies, and you know what? I love it. It has become our nightly routine pulling out our couch bed and poppin' in a disc of Prison Break. Sadly, that picture was the best out of 4 attempts for trying to document our Prison Break experience (sometimes I wonder if blogging is worth the stress it brings me?).

Six-Chris has been up to more projects around the house lately. He fixed one of our cabinet doors in our kitchen, fixed a belt in our vacuum, and (my favorite of all the projects) finally hung up one of my favorite wedding gifts we got above our bed! I'm gonna have to start steppin' it up and make it a project of my own to paint our headboard black so our room finally matches. 

Life is good.

:)