Blessing · Faith · Happiness · Life · Lifestyle · Reflection · Self Care · Thankful

Just Wait…

Two of my least favorite words: “just wait.”

I heard these words from so many people when Jordan and I were engaged and just married. “You just wait until you’ve been married a few years. The new will wear off and you’ll be just like the rest of us’ Or my favorite, ‘You just wait…enjoy the honeymoon stage while it lasts!” I never will forget how discouraging that was to hear. Why must people tear others down? Why can’t you just let people be happy?

And now we are hearing it again, but for a different reason…”You just wait…you’ll find out soon enough!” (Pertaining to ANYTHING child related – behavior, eating habits, how I’ll never sleep again, school activities, tantrums, how our house will never be clean again, how expensive babies can be, and the list goes on and on…). Don’t you think we’ve thought about all of this? My husband and I are 30 years old. And while we don’t have a real clue what we are about to get ourselves into when Grayson arrives, is it really necessary to make us feel defeated as parents before we even get started? I know that I won’t get much sleep the first several years (I’m already getting good at running on 5 or 6 hours or so just due to pregnancy). I know that my child will not be perfect and he will act out in the most inopportune moments, and he’ll probably say things that embarrass us from time to time. I know that boys will be boys, and we will probably have broken windows, messy floors, stinky clothes, and lots of jokes about bodily functions.

But I prayed for that.

I admit – after wanting to be a stay-at-home mom for so many years (that’s all I wanted to do when I was in high school), I totally changed my mind when I graduated college and started working. It took me a long time to get mentally ready – well, as ready as you can be – to start trying to have kids. But once God showed me that the time was right, I prayed for those things. I prayed for the sleepless nights and dirty house. I prayed for the chaotic schedule that we’re sure to have that will completely throw off my beloved, familiar routine. However, I also prayed for the snuggles, and the “I love you Mama,” and getting to see my husband be a dad. So let us enjoy it – even if for a short time. Let’s turn the “just waits” into “Just wait until you lay eyes on your son for the first time’ and ‘Just wait until you get to hear those sweet baby giggles.”

I know life is hard. And I know I don’t know how hard it can be just yet. But life is too short to “just wait” on the bad things and focus on the hard times. So for now, I’ll “just wait” on Baby Grayson to get here and for my life to be changed forever. And I’m completely ok with that.

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Fashion · Lifestyle · Plant Based · Reflection · Vegan

I’m Back…

You guys!!!

 

I had NO idea I had been gone so long. Has it really been almost 9 months since my last blog?? A lot has happened during that amount of time. Time really does fly when you get older, and I don’t think I’m a fan! Recently, God has placed a call on my heart to begin blogging in my business again, so it looks like I’m back to stay 🙂

 

Let me catch you up on a few things…

 

August 2017: We began building our forever home! This has been one of the toughest and most exhausting processes I’ve ever been through, but it has been so worth it. We are very fortunate and very blessed to be building such a beautiful home out in the country on family land. We are almost to the closing date – in fact, we should be able to start moving in within the week!

 

September 2017: We celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary in Disney World! We had a phenomenal time in the most magical place on earth – we are such kids at heart!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 2017: November was both happy and sad. I lost my dear Pawpaw at the age of 90, but I know that he is in a better place and I wouldn’t bring him back even if I could! November was also the month that my husband’s family traveled to Starkville for the weekend for my father-in-law’s 60th birthday. We had a great time watching the Alabama vs Mississippi State game – even if i was the only one happy with the outcome! 😉

This is also the month that we decided that a plant-based diet was the best decision for us. We had both been feeling super sore and stiff every morning, and we were also always tired and sluggish. We had heard great things about the benefits from some close friends of ours, so we decided to try it for a few weeks and see if it was something we wanted to stick to long term.

 

December 2017: December was filled with our usual – lots of Hallmark movies, Christmas lights, hot chocolate, cozy fires, gingerbread houses, but this year we also got something even more special…a trip to the mountains with my family! We had such a good time – even if the cabin we stayed in had no running water for two days, ha! I’ll always cherish family time, and we had some of the best that trip for sure!

  

 

January 2018: January was another sad month for our family. This was the month that we lost Jordan’s Pawpaw King. Again, we know that he is in a better place and that he will never hurt again. We are simply selfish and wish they were here with us. We are truly thankful for the many years we got to spend with both of our grandparents, and we are eternally grateful for the values and morals instilled in us by them!

January was also the both that we decided to go strictly plant-based. Up until this point, we had been eating a mostly plant-based diet, but we never truly made the decision that this lifestyle was definitely what we were going to stick with until the beginning of the new year. My husband’s acid reflux is all but gone, and we are both feeling better than we have in months. He has currently lost 12 lbs, and I have just over 5 lbs – an added bonus!

February 2018: February brought about a new extension to my Fashionably Fit business! I decided to partner with a jewelry company, and I could not be more excited about how it is going.

 

March 2018: March was special because we got to meet our newest nephew, Brennan! He is a little doll! Our house was also getting extremely close to getting finished, so we got to do a few fun things like buy new furniture! (even though Jordan wasn’t particular happy about that one!)

 

Now we are in April, and I cannot wait to see what this month will hold! We have already gotten to celebrate Easter (my favorite holiday!), and we should be closing on our new house any day now. My jewelry company is releasing the Spring Catalog next week, and I know that business is about to get crazy! (Seriously, this stuff is SO pretty!!)

My goal for this blog is to continue to bring you articles that pertain to your own Fashionably Fit lives, so I’ll be talking about lots of fashion (including makeup, outfits of the day, and jewelry), as well as workouts and my new way of plant-based eatings (and recipes that go along with it!). This year is going to be the best one yet.

 

So, until next time…

 

Xoxo,

Rachel

Bridal · Faith · Happiness · Journey · Life · Marriage · Reflection · Wedding

How’s the Married Life?

“So how’s the married life?”

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I wish I could count the number of times I’ve been asked that question over the past two weeks. Each and every time, I smile and say “It’s wonderful! I couldn’t be happier!”

…but then, I am almost always met with the words “Enjoy it while it lasts.”

 

How discouraging, especially for a newlywed. I have waited twenty-eight years for this. I actually had to wait twenty-six years just to meet the man God made for me. Why put a damper on my excitement?

Better yet, why does it have to be this way? Why does the happiness have to end? Why do couples have to grow stagnant and forget why they fell in love with each other in the first place?

 

IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY.

 

Maybe – just maybe – it goes deeper than that. Maybe couples forget their first true love instead, Jesus. Once they forget to put Jesus in the center of their relationship, everything begins to fall flat. Now, I understand that Jordan and I will hit rough times. I understand that we will get angry with each other and disappoint one another. But I never, ever want to enter into the place of constant bickering and misery that I see so many couples in today. I want to continue to date him. I want to continue to love him more each day. Most importantly, I want to continue to grow together in Christ.

Dear friends, I encourage you that if you are in that stagnant stage, do not grow bitter and spread your unhappiness to others. I ask that you examine your heart and have a real discussion with your spouse to make things right. Marriage is meant to be a beautiful thing. It is a true gift from God, and a gift that I do not intend to take lightly. It may have taken twenty-eight years of patience, but from this point on, the smile I wore on my wedding day never has to leave again.

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“Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” – Mark 10:9

Fitness · Goals · Heath · Nutrition · potential · Reflection · Success · Throwback · Transformation

10 Years Later: A Time of Reflection

My ten year high school class reunion will be held on Saturday. THIS Saturday. Wow, how time flies…

10 Year Transformation

Although I won’t be attending the reunion, the mere thought that it’s actually occurring made me begin thinking of just how much has happened in those short ten years:

  • I went to college and after FINALLY deciding on a major graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting
  • I met some of my very best friends
  • I finally got rid of those 90s bangs…
  • …and clothes…
  • I have a career and work with a fantastic group of people
  • I bought my first car
  • I bought my first house
  • I lost 45 pounds and grew to love fitness so much that I became a health coach
  • I am engaged to a wonderful man who truly is better half, and I get the privilege of marrying him in September 🙂
  • I found out that I get to add “Aunt Rachel” to my title this fall!
  • I have learned that “success” is defined in many ways and I continue to strive for it daily in everything I do

Life is just beginning. Sure, it seems like an eternity and just yesterday all at the same time that I walked across that stage in May 2006 and received my diploma, but the truth of the matter is that life has truly just begun. Reflecting back on these ten years makes me realize how precious time really is and that we should not waste a second of it. So my question to you today is this: “Are you spending your time doing the things that matter?” Will you look back ten years from now and wish you had done things differently? I challenge you to stop to take a moment and be honest with yourself. Are you being intentional with your time, or are you just getting by? These ten years have gone by in the blink of an eye.  I can only imagine that the next ten will go by even faster.

And by then, I can only imagine what items will be added to the list! 😉