Bell's Recovery and My Life Recently

It's gone! The Bell's Palsy is gone. Well almost. You wouldn't know if you looked at me. Unless I was laughing. Hard. That's the only time it shows up. AND when I'm super tired, or I've stared at a computer screen for a long time, my eye twitches a lot. Honestly, I was SO BLESSED to not have it more than two weeks. The steroids worked, but let's just say the week I was on them was VERY interesting. I've never been on anything stronger than ibuprofen, so my body/personality freaked the heck out. Coming off the steroids wasn't pretty either, but you know, it helped cure me, so I'm not really complaining.

I'd like to blame the Bell's for my recent hide out from blogging, instagram and anything social, but that would be lying and be laziness. Well, actually, I hated how I looked so I did shy away from instagram and I guess that meant I didn't really have any pictures to share from my weeks off the social scene.

Pretty much I have been reading, listening to books on CD and working out like a crazy woman. I joined a gym because the only way I can make myself work out is by paying for it and knowing that if I don't use the membership  it would be a complete waste of money, which would make me feel really bad because the King and I are trying to save as much money as possible to buy a house. So far, it's working.

Also, I got a new calling at church. I'm now teaching the young women (ages 12-18) in my church every Sunday. Lets just say I'm intimidated and overwhelmed, but blessed. I've also seen recently, the more I turn my time to helping others, doing the Lord's work and taking care of this here body of mine, I am happier and   less stressed out. Two things I wanted for my 2013.

I'm devoting more time to my husband. At least I think I am. I should probably ask him, huh? I'm trying to be less devoted to my technological devices and more devoted to him. I hate that we will be driving in the car to  do something together and I'm on the phone and he's trying to get my attention and I'm saying mindless things like, "oh, cool," and, "uh huh." That's bad wife of the year material right there.

Speaking of the King and I, I'm thinking of changing my blog name.

What say ye? Good idea? Bad idea?

I am going to be redesigning my blog and wanted to go in a more "it's our life blog" route with the King.

Also, I want to get him to guest post. Everyone comment if you want to hear from him.

Well, happy Friday everyone. I really hope life is treating you swell.

OHHHHH!!!! And please join The Blogger Book Club this month if you read (or have seen the movie - yes, we love cheaters) The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory. Next month is Something Borrowed! We will be linking-up reviews on Tuesday, January 29th and doing the google hangout/video chat on the 31st.

Happy Birthday to the King

No longer a 28 year old, but a much more mature and wise old fart, 29 year old. That's my husband y'all. 

The King is:

+ subtly hilarious

+ driven

+ caring

+ loving

+ MANLY

+ the perfect movie quoter

+ handy

+ easy going

+ relaxed

+ the most perfect man that I could have ever been blessed to have.

Happy Birthday lover.

(I'm sure the use of lover just embarrassed you, but hey, we're married. It comes with the territory).

Love,

You ever loving, crazy and spastic wife.

He's Back

So the King was out of town this whole week. The lucky guy got to go to DC to visit his corporate offices. I on the other hand was stuck at my house not reading anything or watching anything because f my good friend Bell's. I'm not allowed to do anything that strains my eyes.

Anyhoo. He got home last night. Let me tell you, I sure as heck missed the sucker these past couple of days and I cannot wait to spend all of my time with him tonight and this weekend.

So excuse the quick little post. But my eyes are all over him tonight.

My Birthday In St. Augustine

My birthday was last Friday. I celebrated by working and by eating doughnuts.

My co-workers decorated my desk.

 

Also, for my birthday, the King whisked me me away to St. Augustine, one of my absolute favorite places on earth. We left Friday right after work. It was a rainy day and we really hoped that it would be sunny the next day.

That same day, I make Aubrey Kinch's design my phone background. It was perfect for out trip. The motto really was, "wing it."

via

We stopped at this gas station on our way into St. Augustine. It was in the middle of BFE. Seriously  So much so, that this curious little critter walked right up to our running car to grab this Chic-fil-a. Not that I wouldn't have done the same thing, but it was a little out of character for this tiny tot.

We ate dinner at a hibachi place. The King doesn't really care for Asian food, so whenever it's my choice, I pick Sushi or Hibachi. It was so yummy and we probably freaked out everyone at our table with the amount of picture taking it took to get one half way decent picture.

The next day we started "winging it" through St. Augustine. We stopped by the Lightner Gardens...

pre Bell's Palsy face.

... then we hit up the Old City Gates...

Still pre Bell's Palsy face.

... the we walked down St. George Street. It was crazy because we ran into not only one group of friends from Orlando, but another group of the King's friend's from high school. NUTS! As we were talking to his friends, I noticed my face felt funny. We were laughing so hard and I thought, "why does my face feel funny? Maybe because it's cold. Can half of my face freeze?" Well after we said good-bye, I asked the King if my face looked funny. He said yep and took a picture for me.

Bell's Palsy face.

I started to freak out a bit because it is a sure sign of a stroke, but then I realized nothing else felt funny and I felt perfectly fine. After texting the above picture to my sister-in-law and parents, we figured out it was most likely Bell's Palsy. I started to calm down (unlike most of my family) and went on winging it... to the light house, with the other friends we ran into...

the King all tuckered out!

 My and KimmyKae and her little one :) 

After the light house, we ran into pirates. The city of St. Augustine pays people to act as pirates and wonder around, as it is apart of the city's history of being the oldest city in America. It has a HUGE pirate history.

We then ended the night just sitting around in a beautiful court yard letting our feet relax from all the walking. It was seriously the perfect birthday (minus my face failing). So relaxing and the perfect time to spend with my husband.

2013: It's a New Year

So the holidays were kind of insane around these parts. Let me lay it all out:

22nd - Baking day

23rd - Dad's side of the family Christmas

24th - Christmas eve at the Grandparents

25th - Christmas... Our house, parent's houses and parentage's house.

26th - My Grandpa's birthday and shooting with my padre-in-law and brothers-in-law

27th - Sort of Christmas at Janice's and the boys went camping while the girls played.

28th - Olivia's birthday.

29th - Joe's birthday.

30th - My mother's birthday.

31st - New Years Eve

1st - New Years

4th - My birthday!

Also, the King whisked me away from here and took me to St. Augustine for my birthday. While in St. Augustine  my face went slack which later we found out was Bell's Palsy. More on that trip and everything else later. I guess this was to show why I have been AWOL lately.

On that topic, I think this would be the perfect time to get into my goals/resolutions for this year.

For my birthday, my mom printed my blog into a book. It was such an amazing and thoughtful gift. As I was looking through it I realized how much my blog was not about me and my husband and our life together. It was more about link ups, guest posts and sponsors. Not so much this year. One of my biggest goals is to make my blog about me and my husband. I will still have sponsors, but this blog will not be about them or about me promoting myself to have more readers. It will be about my wonderful life I have been so BLESSED to have.

One of my other goals is to prioritize my time. Unfortunately I have to work 40 hours a week to get by in life, but those other hours, I have control over. After work, most of my time should be devoted to my husband and our marriage  my spiritual relationship with my Savior and Father in Heaven, me (i.e. time to relax and take care of my body), my family and then my friends.

No more will I be spending my extra time trying to make time for my friends, but making it less time with my husband. No more sitting around the house when I could be out walking or running. No more just going to bed saying, I'll say my prayers or read my scriptures tomorrow. These are the things that will make me most happy and have my life be more fulfilled and worthwhile. They are what matter. This blog will be devoted to that.

An actual resolution that I have is to walk between 30 minutes to one hour. And my favorite resolution are to read 30 - 40 books. I'll blog about that list later this week too :)

Speaking of books, the January book for The Book Club is The Other Boleyn Girl. We will be linking up on Thursday, the 31st and the Book Club google hangout is on Tuesday, the 29th.

Also, please vote for the February book below.

Can;t wait to start a new year with you all. What are you goals for 2013?

Holiday Break

Each year, my mom and aunts get together with us girls to make some goodies for Christmas Eve:

My no bake chocolate and peanut butter oatmeal cookies.

Ashley and Taylor making cake pops.

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Aunt Jodi making peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate.

Ry Ry Tootie Face being freaking adorable.

Uncle Jeremy making chocolate covered Ritz crackers with peanut butter.

My sister Lindsey and Ry Ry Tootie Face.

Me mixing the Reindeer Food.

My sisters, Amber and Lindsey. They are crazy.

The King and I at my mom's for Christmas with Tommy and Nana.

Ry Ry with her couch!

Lindsey, Tommy. me and Amber.

The King and I at Grandma and Grandpa's for Christmas Eve.

Some of the little cousins singing.

A very true depiction of my family.

The little cousins acting out the Nativity story. I did my time back in the day.

A very blurry picture of my sisters and me.

Jingle Bells with my love.

Cottom's Farm lights.

Mia Worm and I on Christmas.

The King and I on our first married Christmas.

Shooting the day after Christmas.

I wasn't so bad. Definitely not my best.

Rollin with my Homies at the shooting range.

Someday I'll be a Lion King, so enemies.... beware!

Six of the eight Gwyn boys, all ready for camping thanks to their beanies from the sisters-in-law. If anyone is interested the single ones are: back row middle and right, Isaac and Jared, Front row left and right, Spencer and Adam. Email me for more info ;)

Making cinnamon rolls with help from Janice and Joe.

Girl's had dinner at Cotillion Cafe in Wildwood while the boys camped.

Mimi Janice's salad!

Christina and her sandwich!

Olivia turns 7 on the 28th!

Ringing in the New Year with Sparklers.

Olivia and I playing with sparklers.

The King and his fun.

And as always, we get Welch's wasted on New Years!