Honeymoon + Being Healthier + More // sept + oct life update

October 31, 2022

Honeymoon + Being Healthier + More // sept + oct life update

I had every intention of writing out a september month update and then I went on vacation and here we are with the end of October. So I'll just smush them together to do a double life update! Keep reading for all the details of my last two months :)

September was pretty chill but also kinda overwhelming? It doesn't make sense that those two things go together but somehow it worked out that way. Elijah and I worked full time, like always, but we also somehow had opposing schedules a lot of the time, so time together was far between but very cherished. I feel like that is a frequently used phrase in basically every month update but that's just the season of life we're in right now haha.

I had a lot of convictions/things I wanted to say so I had two topical blogs that I posted during September that I will share here and here in case you missed them. I love writing blogs that share my thoughts on things or what I've learned recently because it really lets me express myself! These types of blogs are fun because they're a little diary of my life that I'll look back on in the future, but topical type of blogs feel more vulnerable and honest and that's what this blog is really for.
I had an old high school friend of mine msg me on Facebook a few weeks back because she liked one of the blogs I posted recently. We got to talking and while she complimented my writing and said that I was her inspiration for starting her own blog (I'll cherish that comment forever), she said that she wanted her blog to be something that young girls can relate to and that she wanted to tell girls things that she wished she knew when she was younger and honestly, that's the best thing for this blog to be. I want to be that person that helps 15yr olds like I wish someone helped me when I was 15. I was so insecure and in need of some advice and someone to just be a big sister to me. I wanna be that big sister to someone else. So really, if this blog is a place where you can read about my marriage and my vacations, that's cool. I love that, I hope I bring entertainment to you. But if you're someone that needs a big sister to tell you that you're beautiful and God will love you even when you're a crappy human and someone to tell you how to not be a crappy human in the future, I want to be that for you. Please message me if you need advice on literally anything because I wish I had someone that would do that for me. "Be who you wish you had when you were younger" is literally a life goal of mine. Okay, back to life updates haha!

September had lots of pretty sunrises and I'll give you like five examples of this if you keep scrolling til the end haha. I also tried reading again! I remember reading for school and not loving it because who really likes to read books that are assigned in high school? Unless you're an english major or teacher, you can be honest: nobody liked them. So aside from reading devotionals or the Bible itself, I don't really read recreationally. I don't think it's my thing and I accepted it. But I've noticed a loooooot of people have been getting into reading again like in the last three months, reading is all of a sudden cool again. So, I decided my swing at it. But I made the mistake as a girl who hasn't read recreationally in five years, to pick up the Lord of the Rings series to be my first books. Not my brightest moment. I was doing audiobooks a few months back and I appreciated that, but it's hard to find a lot of books that are free for audiobook and I'm all about saving money haha. A co-worker of mine suggested that if I'm going to read something as intense as LOTR, I should probably start with something more chill first. So, I bit the bullet and headed to Barnes + Noble and picked up Sherlock Holmes. I honestly have no clue if it's a kids book or an adults book but I've never read it and that's where I'm gonna start! I'm only a few chapters in but it's interesting. I'll keep you posted on whether or not I like it. And I'm determined to read Lord of the Rings soon.

Because of fall season rolling around, the coffee shop I'm at posted their fall menu, which includes pumpkin spice, obviously. I noticed that I had yet to try pumpkin spice ever, really, so I went to starbucks and had one and hated it. Starbucks is not the place to try a PSL, I'll let you know that now. So, a few days later, I had one of our PSLs, which is a homemade recipe, and it honestly made all the difference. I've become spoiled with our homemade recipes and I don't know if I'll ever go back. Also, we put pumpkin spice in our cold foam and it's a game changer. I don't want fall to end because I wanna drink pumpkin spice cold foam every day of my life.

The end of September meant our honeymoon!!!! Literally a dream vacation cuz we went to ALASKA. Who visits Alaska??! I felt so cool and yet not cool enough to be going to such a cool state. We had the best time. I took like 1000+ photos because the scenery was unreal. The weather was insane too!! We went at the perfect time because it was chilly, but not so cold that it was unbearable for people who live in the farthest south you can go in Texas. We wore beanies and thermal underwear and drank hot lattes every morning and managed just fine. We did so many fun things: lots of fun hikes and trails, visited their conservation center, saw the Northern Lights, visited the zoo, took a helicopter ride to see a glacier, then landed + walked around on said glacier (!!!!!), saw a moose cross the road, saw a handful of bears, ate some incredible seafood and pizza, hiked to a waterfall and rapids, and so much more. But those are the main highlights. I will definitely post pictures at the end for your enjoyment and mine!!

We got back from the coolest trip that we didn't wanna leave, and we got right back to work. Elijah's position as assistant manager (still so proud of him for such an accomplishment) has been a little trickier to handle than mine as a barista, and for good reason. They're growing a lot as a company right now and that means that they're short staffed in the manager department and he's very reliable and indispensable right now. They love for him to work 6 days a week and come in when someone doesn't show up and he's too nice, so he won't say no. I love him for being such a hard worker, but it hurts me to see him so tired and taken advantage of right now. So, he's learning to say no haha. Just pray for him daily if you think of him! It's hard work and he has a lot of responsibility, and sometimes it's overwhelming. But he's also a rockstar at his job and I couldn't be prouder of him and all he does for his company.
One of my favorite moments happened recently, almost right after we got back from Alaska. He wanted to pizza for his weekend night crew as a little motivation + a thank you for working (cuz nobody wants to work the weekends), and I offered to pick it up and deliver it to the restaurant because I'd be home and available. And when I brought it to the store and a handful of his employees realized that the pizza I brought was for *them, they lit up. Huge smiles and lots of "wow!" and "thank you so much!" and it was so sweet. Elijah was in the back, busy doing his job, and so all these employees were thanking me because I was delivering the pizza, but I told them that it was all Elijah's idea and they got even more excited. I could tell how much they loved and respected Elijah as their boss. In that moment, I was so proud to be his wife. Elijah will tell me sweet compliments that his co-workers and employees give him, all the time and I love hearing it. But something about hearing it from his employee's mouths just hit different. I was just so honored to witness it. Also in that moment, I really wished I was his employee so I could eat the pizza too. ;)

I noticed that while being on vacation, I gained a little weight... which was not my favorite news to hear but it was also something that I needed to hear! It got me motivated to be more active! So, I've tried to be more intentional about working out after work and eating less junk food. It's definitely easier said than done, but I'm in it for the long haul! One of my co-workers is very health conscious and quite the motivator, so she's been encouraging me on days when I don't wanna work out, that it's okay if I don't because it's about being consistent and being in the long haul instead of just here and now. She's also been helping me not to drink sugary drinks or eating muffins while at work, and just being a good motivator and encouragement! Every day that I work with her, she asks me if I worked out the day before. And that's enough motivation for me to work out every day because I wanna tell her "yes"! Also drinking more water. I've been very motivated to go into this holiday season with a healthier mindset and to enjoy life and the holidays, of course, but to not get lazy and to still workout and ya know, not gain 20 pounds from christmas cookies and mashed potatoes and eggnog. Pray for me hahaha

Towards the end of October, my friend Alex and myself hosted a girls day/evening as a Gilmore Girls watch party! I bought waaaaay too many snacks (both healthy + junk) and encouraged girls to dress comfy and to come watch Gilmore Girls with us cuz that's what you do in October. Between the two of us, we invited probably 20 ladies, and only three showed up haha. I could've been mad cuz of all the prep and time that went into the party planning (and I've been upset in similar situations in thepast), but honestly, I was so okay with it. It meant that I could eat more snacks and not feel guilty about it, and it led to a more chillax afternoon. We chatted and fellowshiped and watched about 3 episodes in total during the party. It was so fun! I'd like to do it every year in October. Highly recommend having a girls day with friends to just hang out. Not even have a huge party that has a theme or a lot of prepwork but just a handful of girls getting together to chill. So fun.

Come back soon,
Becca