the freakin' weekend

Friiiiiiiiiday. 
Praise the Lord and halle-freakin-lujah that Friday has decided to show its lovely face...I never thought this week was ever going to end. 

I had every intention of doing some confessin' with Leslie...or maybe even some fillin' in the blanks with Lauren, but I can barely form a coherent thought much less an appealing blog post. So all you get are a few random thoughts...lucky you :)

Have I mentioned how much I hate working multiple nights in a row? I feel like I'm not a real person when I work 3+...I can't imagine being a 7 on, 7 off nurse--I don't function well being on a total night schedule. Especially when I barely see the light of day and the only people I lay eyes on are the ladies I work with. It does some damage, let me tell you this. I'm trying my darnedest to keep up with all of your lovely blogs and your lives...I have withdrawals if I go too long without them! 

So will you kindly bear with me this morning while I'm sleep deprived and longing for a little outside interaction? I'm writing this post at 4 am (during my lunch break) because I've hardly posted this week and I'm missing the blog world! 

My main reason for posting anything at all this lovely Friday morning is to wish my sweet, wonderful, precious boyfriend a happy, happy birthday! He turns the big 2-4 today, and although I haven't seen him yet to hug and kiss on the birthday boy, we'll celebrate big time today when he gets off work! 

I love this man some kinda big. So thankful for him. I'll spare the cheesiness for the moment being... (mainly because our 1 year anniversary is soon and you'll get enough cheese that day to last another year.) 

We have lots of friends coming into town to celebrate with us...not only is this guy turning another year older, it's also Double Decker weekend here in Oxford, one of our favorite times of the year! It's a huge arts and music festival held on the Square, and life as we know it in Oxford pretty much shuts down and centers around enjoying the day and having a good time. My kind of weekend! Every bed/couch/surface will be occupied, and I'll be playing hostess (a job I secretly, absolutely love!) I'm super excited to see some friends that we haven't gotten to see in quite a while, while enjoying some Rebel baseball from afar and a crawfish boil! This weekend has the makings of being one for the books, so I'll have my camera ready and waiting to document all that these next few days may hold! 

A little 30 Day Challenge update...it's going well so far--I can tell a difference in the way my clothes fit and the amount of energy I have. Haven't weighed yet, but hoping for a few pounds difference once I do! I actually took some "before" pictures last week, so we'll see if I find the guts to post those one day soon! 

I'll admit, I had a down moment the other day and almost just threw my hands up in the air...dieting and working out gets so frustrating sometimes. It feels like such a task some days, rather than just being the lifestyle I've gotten used to. But then I open my computer and see before and after pictures like these that remind me of how far I've come and how much I've accomplished, and I know that I can't give up now. I'm so much stronger than my frustrations! Don't ever forget how important encouragement is to the others around you--that little nudge and extra umph may be the thing your friend or family needs to push through the struggles!

Have any of you ever done Pure Barre? Or BarreAmped? BarreAmped is the version that we just got here in Oxford, and I've only been twice but am loving it so far...such a crazy good workout. The next morning I was sore in places I didn't know existed...muscles I had never felt before. So needless to say, I am gonna keep going, if my schedule permits! It's a little pricey, but I'm thankful for a little jumpstart in my usual workout routine. Can't wait to post more about the working out/dieting in my day 15 post! 

I'm still keeping my fingers crossed on grad school...not so patiently waiting either my acceptance letter or rejection letter, but either way, I know that it's all in God's hands--as hard as it is to hand over sometimes, I know His timing is perfect. Send up a prayer or two if you think about it...my nerves need as many prayers as they can get!

I'll be reporting back on Monday (maybe Tuesday...) with some stories from the weekend to come. Stick around, because there's bound to be some entertainment! Just a few more hours of work, and then I'm off for two days! And you better believe I'll be cherishing every minute of those two short days! 

Happy Friday, my sweet ladies (and the few guys that may find their way around here...) I hope your weekends are full of rest and relaxation...can't wait to read all about them! 

Friday's happy thought...