#4weeksfit results.

Happpyy Friday! So at the beginning of May, a ton of us vowed to try a "4 weeks fit" challenge. We made goals, knew we needed to work hard, and (hopefully!) tried our best to make them happen. I'm here to report that unfortunately no, not EVERY goal of mine was accomplished, but with my busy schedule, I sure did try. Lets go ahead and get the "bad news" over with first; what exactly didn't I accomplish?

Run 50 miles this month.

Sadly, this didn't happen. No excuses, I just didn't make the proper time for this like I should've. BUT, you know what I did do? Ran around 35... which is still a huge accomplishment in my book, so no...I don't count this goal as a failure.

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BUT, what DID I accomplish!?

Finish a half marathon.

Heck yes I did!! I traveled all 13.1 miles by foot. No, I didn't run the whole thing, and I sure as heck wasn't fast...but I finished, and that was my only goal for that race. My best friends and I finished HAND IN HAND, how many people can say that?! I'm so blessed to have that vivid, amazing, emotional memory.

Wake up before work 2x/week to exercise.

YES! I am happy to say I accomplished this. Although one or two times it wasn't a SUPER SWEATY workout, it was yoga or deep stretching! But OUCH, that stuff is not easy. I'm excited about getting back into the groove of waking up before the sun to get my day started off right. I have way more energy when I make time for it.

I've not done my absolute best this month...but I sure as heck tried. Here's to improvement, progress, and learning to love my flaws anyway. Bring it on, June (aka busiest month of my life...but no excuses!). How was your month!?

Our very first anniversary.

Caleb had quite a few adorable things up his sleeve for our anniversary. His original plans kind of got messed up, so he improvised. His theme for our weekend was to recreate pieces of our wedding weekend (aka - the best weekend of our lives thus far)!!

On Sunday, on our way back from hanging with friends in Columbus (separate post on that to come later), he stopped at the Outlet Mall and told me I had to spend this cash in his hand (ahem- my "paper gift") for a quick shopping trip! Heck yes! This is something we spoiled ourselves with the day after our wedding, and as it was a holiday weekend, I got a LOT for a very little amount! Once we got home, we finally exchanged gifts! Caleb said he loved the traditional gift item idea, but said he already had something else in mind...so I couldn't argue when I saw this beauty in my hands!

I got a Tom Tom Runner!! You can tell I was ecstatic. Seriously, he knew how badly I wanted a GPS watch, and would never buy myself one. I couldn't help but feel so giddy. I got him a fun Iron Man book (he's obsessed), a few cigars, and also a hobby box (aka, a huge pack of awesome baseball cards...his #1 love...you know, other than me)!

There's a story behind this... when I saw it, I HAD to buy it.

He told me we'd be doing more the next day, and I didn't mind stretching our celebration into another day one bit. So the rest of Sunday night we munched on yummy food and rented a Redbox. I love date nights in!!

Monday morning we woke up and he started cleaning our place right away. I'm 100% convinced that cleaning is a "love language" of mine, and it meant so much that he did this. Like I'm talking laundry, scrubbing, spring cleaning, trash, EVERYTHING was getting done. He's the man. Later once I had showered, it was time to leave! A week or so prior, I had mentioned the idea of getting a quick photo shoot done for us by a friend for free, but told me he wanted us to visit the church we got married at, and do it ourselves. We decided we should recreate some of our favorite wedding pictures. So we made the trek up there, tripod in tow...and had ourselves a blast...even if we were trespassing.

Ah, that man...I love him.

Then we decided to have a little fun.

I promise he thinks I'm lovely...sometimes.

Then he treated me to dinner at Mimi's Cafe where we had our rehearsal dinner last year. It was incredible and was so nice to have quality time with him. I seriously love this man with my whole heart and it meant so much that he made this first anniversary so memorable!

We talked about all the places we've visited in our first year, and all the hilarious and awesome memories we've made along the way. I can't even wait to do it all again after year 2 has passed. That's so exciting to think about. Being married is fun!

*bonus points if anyone noticed those are the same shoes that I wore on our wedding day!! 

Luckily, he deals with me!

So we had the most amazing first anniversary together over the weekend. Caleb had quite a few adorable things up his sleeve, and he has left me very impressed. Blog post to come ASAP... :)

I was thinking last night as I cleaned the crusted avocado off my jeans that I used in my dinner dish, that I have come a LONG way in my "comfort" level with Caleb. I totally remember when we used to date (back when we were wee little babes), and I'd think about our possible future together. My thoughts went something like...will he think I'm going bald with the amount of hair leave in the shower every single day?!... and do I have to clip my toenails in private?? and even worse, what do I do when I wake up next to him and look like a hobo with sick breath?!

...beats me! Somehow Caleb has learned to manage... with my quirks and all.

I take my make up off and look like a total zombie before bed.

OCD overcomes me and I can't sleep until every dish is clean and put away.

I make him say 'excuse me' after every. single. burp.

Sometimes, I even steal the covers.

I clip my toenails whenever I find it necessary, no matter how unladylike I look.

While telling jokes, I ALWAYS cross the line.

I rap to Eminem, verbatim, even though he envies hates it.

After dinner, I don't always 'suck it in', and could care less how big my food baby looks.

I have hysterical laughing fits where I laugh so hard I cry...at my own jokes.

I ask him his opinions on my outfits, even though I'll probably change 2-3 more times.

Photo shoots on my Mac happen all too often, while he's even in the room (Exhibit A seen above).

I can be a bit of a grump when he leaves for work at 5:30am.

My relationship with my double chin is real...and makes for amazing snap chats, that he usually witnesses.

It's a wonder how he sticks around...but somehow, he deals with my weirdness. After all, we've all got our quirks. What makes you weird!?

One year...already!!

This Sunday Caleb and I will be celebrating our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

I mean really...how fast can time go??! This time last year I was running around like crazy, finalizing last minute details for the wedding, getting my nails done, picking up my dress, practicing my vows and stuffing my face whenever I got the chance. I wrote posts like this one and this one in preparation for our big day. Friends showered me with love, family prepared me to leave the home I've always known, and Caleb made me more excited than ever to be a wife...his wife.

I still feel as giddy about this guy as I did nearly 365 days ago...

Dear Caleb, I've never loved you more. They really are right when they say marriage just keeps getting better. You've taught me so much about life in the past year. You've shown me how to let go of my silly worries, and how to push myself in ways I never thought possible. In this first little year, we've experienced more love than I thought imaginable, more loss than I thought my heart could handle, and more joy than my brain could comprehend. You've made me feel beautiful at 2AM with no make up on, and you've made me feel loved even when I felt angry at you over something so silly. Our apartment never really got decorated, and the dishes weren't always done, but we never went to bed upset...and that was one of our goals. We never stayed angry for long, and we always encouraged each other through each dream.

In our first year my dream of becoming a photographer came true, and you joined right in! We took two amazing vacations, and ventured on numerous road trips. We saw parts of the world we've always dreamed of seeing, and we did it together. We bought silly mugs from Goodwill for our cabinets, and sometimes had pancakes for dinner...and I've never had more fun in my whole entire life. If this first year is any indication of how the rest of our lives will be, well then, I can't wait. I love you more than I can even express and I can't wait to see what this next year has in store. You're amazing!

Love, your wife.

Runners Tell All: Race picture!

Today's runners tell all link up was to share a race photo. When I read that about two months ago I laughed because I'd had like ONE race photo from my 5K a few years back (and up until then it was the only race I'd ever run), and lets be honest, it wasn't pretty. As I can't justify the nearly $30 price tag for race photos, I screen shot a few.... whoops!

This was a really good spot in the race for all of us, in the midst of running over 6 miles straight, we spotted a camera man! Woohoo! Still having a lot of fun at this point.

Then we hit a wall...a very hard, hilly, wall. I'd rather not show you the pathetic pictures of me holding my butt, hips, and knees. They were so achy!

But the finish line was finally near. I will forever curse the marathon photographers for cutting my adorable husband out of this shot...but still, its awesome. Pure joy!

I cannot explain how happy I was! I FINISHED!

But can I be honest? I have never been more proud of myself than I was in that moment. I freaking traveled 13.1 miles ON FOOT. That blows my MIND to think about!!!

I felt so many emotions and so felt so many things during that race.
Motivation...
Exhaustion...
Fear...
Excitement...
Disappointment...
Hope...
Pain...
but more than anything, happiness. I was happy. I did it. Something I had wanted to accomplish for years...and I made it happen, all by my bad self! ;)

Hopefully next time I do a race photo-post, it'll be a little more flattering, but still...I'm proud!
I love running!

GET HAPPY!

Do you know what makes me really mad? Rude people! Why do people who don't even know me have to get mad at me in the business world, and in the real world?! Just because YOU are having a bad day doesn't mean you have to take it out on everyone around you. Then I just get sad, because now I know they must have a very negative outlook on life...and well, that must suck for them.

SO I've come up with a list of ways to get happy...and stay happy!

-The obvious, eat healthier food. Of course, you have to treat yo'self to a donut every now and again...but for the most part, when you cut out most of the crap, you stop feeling like crap :)

-Exercise. When I force myself to peel out of bed before work and get in a long, tough workout...I have so much energy throughout the day...and knowing I'm taking care of myself is a great feeling.

-Buy something yellow. Duh! I shouldn't need to explain this one.

-Treat yourself. I know when I OCCASIONALLY splurge on getting my hair done, or eating that snickers at work, or buying a new pair of pants that fit me just right...I feel better about myself, which in turn makes me more confident.

-Make time for what you love. Whether that's reading, playing video games, or clipping coupons...do what you love, because "me time" is important. I really believe its good for the soul.

Drink lots of water. You'll stay hydrated....hydrated people just have more reasons to smile... and you can shed pounds. Sometimes when you THINK you're just hungry in between meals, you just need a tall glass of H20.

-Focus on the good. We've all got crap in our life that we don't want to deal with...but when you make a conscious effort to love your life, and focus on the little things, you'll find yourself happier. Choose to focus on your co-workers victories instead of your own for a day, pay attention to the cute magnets on the fridge at home, and compliment others throughout your day. You'll feel more smiles on your face than you can imagine.

-Do something nice for someone, just because ya feel like it. Random acts of kindness are one of my favorite things to witness.

Have lots of Friday's. If only there were a way we could control this!

What do you to stay happy?

"You're hotter than the sun."

That title? Bahah, one of the weirder things a random 10 year old has ever said to me at a wedding. The one we shot this weekend was an absolute blast. We met a couple of the guests at a previous wedding and they recognized us, and made the reception a ton of fun (even by borrowing my camera and snapping a few shots of us voluntarily, ha)!! It was non stop fun, dancing, and eating. We had originally planned on leaving around 10, then we realized we have the best jobs ever...so we stayed!

I have to say though, shooting weddings is truly the most awesome job. Not only do we get awesome wedding food, cake and favors... but we also get to dance with the bridal party while they get ready, cry behind the camera as they say their vows, and dance the night away with them even while documenting their amazing evening. If that didn't convince you to make a major career change, I don't know what will ;)

We've been so blessed, and this photography business has just been flourishing. We've booked a ton of weddings, and already have a few on the calendar for next year! We truly don't know what our futures look like, but it calms me when I think about going through all of it with my mister. I love that man more than words can express. He is so much fun and I'm so lucky to have scored him in life. 

PS - take a look at the gorgeous bride.

Happy Monday! Make it a good one :-)

"You is kind, you is smart, you is important."

Happy Friday! I've had quite the week, and I'm excited to say I've kept up on my #4weeksfit goals! How is everyone else doing?? Although this week was long, I'd have to say the highlight of it was when I got to go to a women's career luncheon for work! We got there and I find out that Viola Davis is the keynote speaker. I literally couldn't contain my excitement! I love her! If you aren't one to know many names... you'll know she played Aibileen in THE HELP!

She pretty much told us all her life story. I learned so much about her, and have so much respect for her. After her speech, the luncheon was over. A few of my co workers told me to come up with them to get a picture OF her....to which I said "lets try to get one WITH her!", then they laughed at me like yeah, oookay Kayla, good luck with that ;)

Guess who made it happen!?! ME!

To say I was star struck was an understatement. I'm such a weirdo...and I didn't just ask her for a picture with her, I asked her for a selfie... and I insisted (instead of using the stairs to get on stage like a normal person), that I'd hoist myself onto the stage backwards, all while wearing a dress, and tell her how excited I was to meet her...without telling her my name. Not that she probably cared, but still...omg! All I could think the entire time was "you is KIND, you is SMART, you is IMPORTANT"...and as cheesy as that sounds, there have been moments in my life I've had to repeat that to myself when I felt lonely or hurt.

She went through so much, came through extreme poverty, and found our amazing God at the end of it. Her story brought me to tears, made me laugh, and I left happier than I did coming in. I love people who leave that kind of impact on you.

Now, if only I could get a selfie with Katy Perry or Jennifer Aniston next... ;)

Hope you all had a killer week. Happy Friday!!

Thursday brain dump.

Nothing huge to post here today...just thought I'd let everyone know to stay off the roads because my baby brother called me the minute he left his drivers test yesterday and told me he GOT HIS LICENSE! ;) I just knew it when I saw his call coming through, I stopped what I was working on in my cubicle and was so loud on the phone (I know, I'm so professional) with my congratulations to him. I remember how exciting that was, and I want him to know how proud I am!

That being said -- I think it would be fun to make him a "car emergency kit". I'd include a TON of stuff, but here are a few things I'd surely include.

-Car charger (for when he gets lost and his phone is dead so he doesn't have to ask scary gas station employees like I did!)...

-Amor All wipes to keep his whip clean when his whip gets dusty!

-A flashlight, you never know!

-Lots of air fresheners...because boys are stinky.

-A gas gift card, because I love him.

-A fleece blanket for that time his car breaks down in the winter and he has no heat (I know this all too well).

Have any of you ever made a car emergency kit? I've actually been doing a lot of searching and these things are no joke! I truly need to be better about having these things stowed away in my trunk. An emergency may not seem so bad if I'm somewhat prepared!

Happy Thursday!

"Finding a balance", or whatever its called.

It's assumed that every blogger only buys cute things for their home so they can show it off on Instagram...that every blogger is too busy writing their next post than just 'living their lives'...and that all of us are just hiding behind a computer screen making our days look way better than they really are.

For me, blogging is only a hobby; it is NOT my life. It's a fun outlet for me. I started my blog about a year and a half ago for me, and I'm happy to say I'm still doing it for me. 

I wanted to be able to look back when I'm 80 years old, and read these stories to my grandchildren. To show them the letters I wrote to my future husband at the age of 21, to show them how proud I was of myself when I got my first big girl job, and mostly to show them my love for life. 

I firmly believe there are NO RULES to blogging. You do not have to rock all the latest trends, you don't have to write 5 days a week, and you most certainly don't need to compare yourself to that huge blogger who "has it all together", because believe me...she doesn't. 

I find so much comfort in the long emails with blog friends, who talk with me about their accomplishments, thoughts, and even their struggles. I'm so joyful when I can find a friend in this blog world that I can relate too so much that its almost scary. I especially love when I have had the opportunity to MEET a few of them face to face.

Sure, there are nights where I just don't feel like writing a post, so guess what? I just don't. Spending time with my husband after work is important to me, and I have learned how I can fit blogging into my life without taking away from my life. I like to write a bunch of posts ahead of time when I can, so I have more time with the people I love. Just like any hobby, blogging takes time...and its no different than any other hobby...like exercising, reading, etc. We all have our priorities :)

So, I admit it...I'm a blogger, and I freaking love it. 

Why do YOU blog?

linking up with Shanna!

Something blue!

Friday night was my Dad's rehearsal dinner...I rushed out of work and we were on our way to Ault Park for the rehearsal. Those of you who live in Cincy probably know how gorgeous this park really is! I was also waiting for the perfect occasion to whip out these fun heels I bought forever ago!

My Grandma was about to steal them! ;)

Husband.Brother.Dad.

My Dad's Bride!

After the rehearsal, we went to "The Works" and we got to eat on an old train parked by the side of the restaurant! It was delicious and I'm certain I had the best pretzel bites of my life there. My Dad and Amy gave us our presents as a thank you for being in their wedding. Caleb got a giant mug with his name on it and I got a coach wristlet. Yeah, you read that right. She gave me a COACH wristlet. I was so excited!

Saturday the ladies met BRIGHT and early! I packed everything up and the ladies were out to get ready at the gorgeous Gibson House. The house was giant, and I felt like we were in a Pinterest bubble all day!

I got my hair and make up done and was so happy with the finished product! If only I could pay for a professional to "make me up" DAILY, sheesh! Then the ladies and I had a photo booth session before the day went on!

The photographers showed up around 1 and it was time to put our dresses on. I couldn't handle the gorgeous ceilings in this house! It was amazing.

We grabbed our bouquets and hit the party bus and were on our way to the venue! Amy was so sweet and made us charmed necklaces (she sells Origami Owl) and wrapped them around our bouquets.

We had lots of time to spare so we all took some fun photos.

 It rained on and off all day and luckily it stopped just in time for their ceremony. Look how beautiful!

Their ceremony was beautiful, and I obviously have no pictures from that, but snapped a few at the reception. The dinner was great and my brothers speech made me cry! 

It was a fun wedding, and we had a great evening. I'm so happy for my Dad. His vows made me tear up...all I've ever wanted was for him to be happy! 

So here's to the new Mr. & Mrs. Peveler!

Hope you had a good weekend!