Enjoying Life

11:08am Laying in the sunshine, listening to the wind chimes and birds sing pretty songs. I have my post-workout smoothie by my side - spinach, banana, super green formula, maca powder, flax seeds, cinnamon, cocoa powder, water, and lots of ice. Tastes so good!! I have really enjoyed upping the intensity of my workouts over the past few weeks, and I'm already seeing great results. Hard work pays off and it's so rewarding! I've been working out 5-6 days a week, usually a routine in the morning and another in the afternoon - a healthy mix of cardio and toning. This morning I started the day with a 20 minute ab routine followed by 40 minutes of intervals on the treadmill. And just a little bit ago I completed a leg routine. This is one reason why my ice cold smoothie is so refreshing! :)

Tony & I enjoy spending our days together. We have lots of fun hanging out, going on little adventures, spontaneous dates, star gazing, and more. But there are some times where fun doesn't do justice to the amount of FUN we really had. Last night was one of those FUN nights filled with lots of laughing and enjoying each others company to the fullest. Magical times really. Our normal Thursday night Bible study was cancelled so we joined our friends James and Tinna at Bonfire's Tortilla Bar. We gathered at a round table outside and enjoyed our burrito fixings and continuous conversation. On the way home, Tony & I stopped by the grocery store to pick out a bottle of wine - a Lodi Zinfandel won the vote. At home, we set up in the front living room, sipping our wine and watching "Jack & Jill" with Adam Sandler. We laughed so much!! And that's an understatement. We had intermissions filled with popcorn making, some dance moves, more laughing, apple dicing, and more. We finished the movie and yes, laughed even more. It was about 10:30pm when we crawled in bed, side by side wrapped in our 400 thread count sheets. We gave hugs and kisses and both went into pleasant dreamland fast. I am so grateful to God for my dear husband. that I get to experience the great joy of being his wife. We are truly the bestest of friends and I am so glad that our friendship has only grown stronger over our 112 months of togetherness. God's sweet kind grace to us!!!

While watering the garden this morning, I noticed one of my swallowtail caterpillars has stationed himself for cocoon making. And I spot at least a dozen more caterpillars chomping away at fennel leaves. So cool!! This makes me miss my real camera all the more, as I can't get clear close-ups of tiny creatures. My camera broke last summer right before our vacation to the outer banks, and I have since been using the camera on my phone. One day soon I hope to get a new camera!! My peas are ripe for the picking and seed-saving. I'll be digging the plants up in the next couple days and planting glorious sunflowers in their place. Yay! :)

There's 4 pictured here - can you find them?

a variety of lettuces amongst cherry tomato plants

onions galore

I eat them straight off the vine

Our front is gradually getting a face lift ~ mulch in our new friend!! :)

peace! :) I have little lettuces and cilantro in the planters. And say hello to one of our new gold tip junipers.
That baby will grow at least 6 ft wide. :) 

Why can't every phone picture come out this pretty? This is my catchall garden
bed by the front porch. Beautiful hostas, mint, gladiolus, petunias, baby basil, daffodils,
and succulent that is slowly creating quite the lovely ground cover. :)

My dear brother Matthew and his wife Miranda recently moved to VA. We miss them and are so grateful for the world of facebook to keep us connected in our day-to-day lives. :)