Hello there March

Well hi guys!! I'm back after a (almost) 3 month hiatus! 

I have so many things to blog about but right here today I am posting because I want to hold myself accountable. I recently got an Apple Watch and set a goal each day to be active.

For the month of March my goal is to exceed that goal everyday including Saturdays & Sundays. That might mean no nap after church....oh no lol!

I know you were probably expecting me to blog about Christmas or our life since then (don't worry I will) but with it being the first day of March I decided to set that goal!

So if anyone wants to hit me up for a quick walk you know where to find me! 

Happy March!

June Goals

Well it's Thursday and this week has flown by (thanks to Monday)!

I am sharing my monthly goals for June today!

I didn't have goals for May since we had just gotten home from the honeymoon and things were hectic. But one goal that I tried make happen was moving into our home and I gave it to God before we left on our trip and was humbled by His presence there. We are in and I thank God for being there every step of the way!

I can't believe it's almost June!!!! Noah is gone every weekend out of June so we will be soaking up the weeknights together! One of my besties celebrates her birthday, my baby girl cousin will be 12 (how is that possible???), and we will be enjoying the weather!

My June goals will be a task! 

1. Hang pictures.  We received many frames and wall decor so I am ready to get those on our walls and make this home really ours! 

2. Go see the cubs play!  Noah and I get to go see his favorite team play! That was my gift to him on our wedding day :) Ash, Dan, and the boys are going too (since the Cubs play the Cardinals) and we are so excited!

3. Prepare for yard sale.  Am I crazy??? Probably but I have gone through my closet twice in the past 6 months and have a ton to sell. My sister and Noah are also putting items in there! Whatever we don't sell will be donated!

4. Run 3 times/week.  Last summer a few family members and I started training for a mini marathon and I ran 8 miles and then stopped cold turkey.  What was wrong with me??? Well I have ran couple of times in the past month but I really want to start feeling comfortable running 3 times per week! Think I can do it?? It is all mental for me! 

I am also super excited about dinner last night:

White Chicken Chili!

Email me at  blakewalke93@gmail.com for the recipe!

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Book Review April 2015

I've been MIA for a while because we couldn't get my computer to load but I am finally posting!! Since it's the end of April I am letting you know how I did with my goals! I love setting a few goals at the beginning of the month and seeing what I have worked on. 

My April goals are above and how I did on each goal are below:

1. Get Married! That we did :) And we are on our honeymoon and loving it!

2. Read 3 books. See below :)

This is me almost every night!

Gone Girl was so good and thrilling! It has been awhile since I read it and I've read 3 books since then but I was so engrossed in this book! Noah and I watched the movie a couple of weeks ago and all Noah said was creepy lol! 

So I have never read anything by this author until Shay blogged about her.  So I bought this book thinking I would read it on the honeymoon and I picked it up one day and couldn't put it down! I loved her books so much that I bought and read 2 more!  The Hypnotist's Love Story was obviously about a love story but it had a fun twist on it!! 

After liking the first book so much I bought this one and loved it even more! Every book I read by Liane Moriarty is better than the first!  The Husband's Secret was a book with 3-4 different families that all had a secret and then Liane tied it all together...loved it!

I just finished What Alice Forgot and I must say it was eye opening.  Alice fell and hit her head and lost the past 10 years of her life.  She spends the next couple of weeks trying to remember and figure out what went wrong with her life.  Such a quick read!

I recently signed up for a Goodreads account and you can find me here. 

It's a website where you can upload what books you have read, currently reading, and what you want to read.  You can also become friends with people and see what they are reading too! 

3. Move into our home. Sigh, I'll just let you know when we are in!! Instead of hoping for it, we have a place to stay in the mean time and God will provide. 

4. Spend more time with Jesus. This is an everyday struggle but God always forgives and loves us anyway.  I read my Jesus Calling everyday and sometimes that's all I do but when I hear things happening I stop right there and pray for the person or situation.  

So there is how my April goals went, I don't have my May goals made out yet because we aren't home so I may be late on them. 

Books and Monthly goals...and a Bonus!!

This month I read 2 books and I am halfway through my third right now!

I started with this book and it was a very quick read! I had never heard of this author so I thought I would give something new a try!! And I am glad I did!! I won't spoil the book so you'll just have to read it for yourself :)

This book was really funny! I also had never read a book by this author but I will be reading more books by her!!  Basically this book is about being comfortable in your own skin...a very good and quick read!!

 

 

I am currently halfway through this book and I cannot put it down!! This book/movie is well known and I am excited to watch the movie (but only after I am done with the book)!

 

Now for how I did with my March goals!!

 

 

 

1. Read 1-2 books.  I met my first goal!! See above :)

 

2. Walk 2 times a week at lunch. Well..... about that! I completed my goal one week out of the month lol. But I did manage to go to our workout classes at work 3/4 weeks!

 

3. Get room organized. Well I started, we do not have possession of our house yet but the owners (my 2nd cousin) kindly let us put all of our gifts from the bridal shower in one of the spare bedrooms.  We are hoping to get the house before the wedding but it doesn't look promising right now and we are okay with that! We will just get busy on the house after the honeymoon :)

 

 

 

 

Now for my April goals :)

 



 

 

 

 

1. Get married!  It happens April 18th!!!!! 

 

2. Read 3 books. I am already halfway through my first book and I have 2 more already lined up!! I may need to have more on backup with our honeymoon being this month (and I love reading by the pool/ocean)!

 

3. Move into our home! Cross your fingers!! I am really hoping this happens!

 

4. Spend more time with Jesus.  I have been slacking in this department :( But God is a forgiving God and he loves me!! I have my Jesus Calling book & my Bible that I need to devote and make time for.

 

 

****Bonus****

 

I got an email yesterday saying that my readers can get 15% off until 4/3!!!! From Groopdealz (Eleventh Avenue). Just use code Spring15 at checkout!!!

 

My family & friends know how much I love Groopdealz (which they now changed their name to Eleventh Avenue) and here is a bonus to lure you in!! I love this website!! I ordered our comforter set from here!!

 

 

Everything below are things from Eleventh Avenue :)

 

 

I bought this over the summer so it's not available anymore but check back every day because they have new deals!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

My first anything with a "C" on it!! I can't wait to wear it in 17 days :)

 

 

 
 
 

 

Mr and Mrs banner that I used for my bridal shower this past weekend!

 

Don't forget to use code Spring15 at checkout!!

 

 

 

 

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.**

30 Hour Famine/ Weekend Wrap-Up

It's Monday again....

 

 

 

#obsessedwithbracelets

 

 

For the famine I was in charge of games and spent some time cutting and gluing things together Friday...my desk!

 

 

Fun stickers for the kids to wear!!

 

It was cold in the sanctuary so you improvise by putting your arms in your shirt???

The day is not complete without some selfies with other adults :)

 

 

Saturday morning I got the girls up early to shower while the boys were still sleeping and we started our day around 9 am...we worshipped, Joe spoke, and we participated in Sole Hope, which is an organization that makes shoes for individuals in developing countries that have jiggers (little bugs that get in their feet and lay eggs) in their feet...so rewarding!! 

 

They had a little down time so they played basketball and ping pong.  The kids also love 9 square, it is sort of like volleyball and they never stop playing....I even joined in on the fun!!

 

 

 

Love these girls :)

As I posted last Wednesday we all go out into the community Saturday afternoon and collect canned goods for our church food pantry...they did awesome!! Even though it was cold, there was snow/ice on the roads, and their toes were frozen they all stuck with it and were doing it for an amazing cause!
They collected over 1,000 cans and over $100 dollars for the food pantry!!

The group, we had 37 kids there at one time and seeing them go through those hunger pains (and being away from their phones)  and what other children in developing countries go through was amazing! As of right now they have raised over $5,000 dollars and are still raising money! So proud of them :)

 

 



 
 

 
 

 

We had 7 tribes total and they all had to work together for certain games and the canned food drive too!! These kids are amazing and I love being a part of watching them grow in their faith.

 

 

 

Decided to do my nails last night after the long and eventful weekend :)

 





And last but not least my goals for the month.

 

1. Since my invitations are out hopefully I'll have time to read at least 1 book but who am I kidding the wedding is next month so I am sure I will be busy with that but reading relaxes me so I am going to make time for that.



 

2. I need to get out on my lunch break and get some oxygen into this body!! Making it a point to walk twice a week on my lunch no matter how cold it is!! I am crossing my fingers that it's March and it will warm up :)



 

3. One of my goals last month was to get my room organized and I sort of did but this month I need to start packing up some of my clothes since I may (or may not) be moving within the month or 2.

 



I did okay with my February goals, I did not accomplish the whole reading 1 book which is completely out of character for me since I love reading but I did get my bridal shower AND wedding invitations sent out!!!! Eek, that makes me so excited!!!! We get married in 1 month and 16 days!!!! 

 

Life Lately

Sunday we took our engagement pictures!! It was in the 40s so not to cold and the sun decided it would stay in but my mom took these 2 pictures on her phone. I cannot wait to see the pics our photographer took!! Love him :) 

After engagement pics we had dinner at his parents house. When we got there we were excited to see that his sister, Emily, her husband, Andy, and sweet baby LJ were eating too!! We got some snuggles in with him :) 

Landon Joseph :) 

Mom and I went to Evansville Friday night to finish up our wedding registry (Noah had a game). Boy am I glad the registry is finished!! I decided to pickup this gem for all of my bracelets...thanks Versona! 

So I know we are already halfway through February but here are my goals for the month.  I'll let you know how I did at the end of the month...

Monday night I got to see Noah do what he loves....coach!! He puts so much time into coaching and you can tell he is really in his element when he gets to do that!! They even won, which was a plus for me!! :)

Tuesday I was having a rough morning at work so I decided to go out on my lunch and grab a magazine and tea...alone time in the car with my go-to drink and ideas for future dinners (get excited Noah!!) 

Yesterday I went to the store on my lunch and grabbed one of these bars, I've heard great things about them but never tried one.  Man was I missing out, it was so good!! 

Today on my way home from work I stopped at Ash's house (she went crazy on wedding decorations today) to check out what she got done, I am in love with everything!!!!!! Ashley you are the best!! Seriously.  Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule and making my wedding amazing, I love you.  

In the meantime Joe Captain America was saving the day! 

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