I've Got the Ring and a Date

Remember how I told you about our boyfriend/girlfriend/fiance/fiancee thing we had going on?  and rememeber how I told you that the real deal might be approaching?  Well, it finally came!  This past week has been the greatest week of my life! 
Mr Fantastic was supposed to be home on Tuesday evening.  What did he do instead?  He surprised me late Sunday night with a ten minute warning!  Happiest day in a very long time.  Oh, but wait.  There's more!  Thursday night he took me out to look at the stars.  It is something we do from time to time.  Not really often, but enough that it didn't seem suspicious to me.  I sat on the hood of the car while he stood next to me.  It was freezing cold but totally ok.  He kept going into the car to get another drink of mountain dew.  I think he was just really nervous!  After we looked at several different constellations for a while, I was getting a little too cold.  I wsa ready to leave but he kept procrastinating and finally "saw a really bright and sparkly star"  that he had to point out.  His finger looked kind of funny shaped but I figured I was imagining things until he pointed the light of my phone at the tip of his finger.  I gasped!  I asked, "really?"  He turned to me and asked me to marry him.  "Renay, will you marry me?"  Through my sobs I managed to say yes as we hugged and kissed.  Then he tried to put the ring on my right hand!  I love him!  I adore the ring and as always with him, it is way more than I deserve.  Officially, the greatest night of my life!!!  Of all my favorite things in life, he is my favorite of all of my favorites.  He is my everything! 
Today he left to go to Afghanistan for a year.  He may be back for a visit in August, and he might also get another little vacation 3-6 months after that, but a whole year is still a really long time.  I miss him already!
I have two things to look forward to in all of this:  Next May when he comes home for good, and next Labor Day weekend when he becomes my super amazing, extra fantastic, perfect for me in every way husband!

He's all mine for the rest of our lives!

Couldn't be happier to spend forever together

The wedding set

Closeup: Yes, the wedding band is rose gold with pink diamonds

Such a gorgeous vintage feel

And for now...the engagement ring I'm lucky enough to wear!

I hope all of you have a great week.  Although my Mr Fantastic is gone, I'm still on a high from the week we spent together! 
Loves!!!

Currently...

Listening to the hum of the refrigerator and the puggly pup snoring away
Eating an enormous bowl of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and pineapple
Drinking a bottle of water - drinking water from the tap around here is asking for trouble!
Wearing My workout clothes still, but I did take off my shoes and socks
Feeling a little excited because I feel like I finally have a time frame for seeing my man  - fingers crossed, two weeks!
Weather is hot and sunny lately!  Let's hope it stays
Wanting a maid to help clean the house and do the laundry
Needing to do school work, but I have no desire to after my computer freaked out and wants to spell check everything using a French dictionary
Thinking about all the things on my list that I still want to do before Mr. Fantastic gets home
Enjoying my healthier new body and the process of getting to where I want it to be

Computer Banning

I have made a huge decision this week.  Since Mr. Fantastic has been away, I have been reluctant to start very many projects, let alone finish any of the ones that I had on my list to finish while he was away.  Part of it is loneliness and part of it is laziness.  My school work has been suffering as well.  Most of the time it is because I don't feel like doing much.  I don't like that one bit though.  I need to do stuff.

Now, I have done stuff, but it is not what I want to actually do in the long run.  In other words, I have been the worlds biggest procrastinator!  No good.  What have I done to procrastinate, you ask.  Well, I have an addiction.  Dun, dun, dun!  I am addicted to the internet!  Yuck!

So, my biggest hugely big project starts today, April 15th.  It is called "THE COMPUTER BANNING PROJECT"  *gasp* Yes, I am actually going to do this, and not just for a week either.  I am banning myself from the computer from now until Summer is over!  Holy Crap!  You read that right, I am banned from the computer for 160 days!

Okay, so that sounds extremely dramatic!  I think that is exactly what I need though - dramatic change - in order to be happier, more productive, and an overall better person.  However, let me say this, there are exceptions that will make this seem far less dramatic.  So, here are my "rules" to follow in order for this project to be successful:

1.  Computer and Internet use is acceptable for school.  Duh, I'm going to school online so I can't exactly ban myself from that if I want to get anywhere with my education.
2.  Messenger and Video Messenger are acceptable for use with AND ONLY WITH Mr. Fantastic.  With him away, it would hardly be a good idea for me to ban that.  I do need to see him/talk with him from time to time in order to keep myself sane and for the obvious reason of keeping our relationship in tact!
3.  Since email is also a very important tool for communication, I will allow myself to check my email from my phone.  By checking it from my phone, it will keep me from accidentally getting caught up and getting online.
4.  Each week I will allow myself to watch my 3 television shows on Hulu.  Since Hulu is on the internet, I will need to use my computer/internet for this.
5.  Each week I may also have 2 hours of "play time" on the internet to update my blog, and maybe use pinterest to inspire me for new recipes and projects. 
6.  I may use my phone a few times a week when it becomes important to update my facebook status in order to show my family that I have not jumped off a cliff somewhere and I am still alive!

Oh my goodness, I still can't quite believe that I have decided to do this.  I am obsessed with the internet. 

I would challenge you to try something similar.  I am not suggesting that you give up the internet for 160 days, but try doing it for a day maybe, or even a week.  I think that you would be surprised at all the things that you can accomplish in that time-frame.  When we aren't distracted by technology, it leaves us plenty of time to fill up with things that actually matter - family, friends, hobbies, talents, new food experiments, going to the gym, gardening, journaling, crafting, photography, and the list just goes on and on!  Try it!

This last week, although I have not banned myself, I have tried to cut down on my time.  Look at what I have accomplished:

Got the living room a little more organized

Hung up new artwork in the living room - this is still not complete though

Created a cute little nook in the entryway

Straitened up the formal living room and got a rug for in there

Made and drank a lovely sangria

Put together a staircase for Pugly Butt to climb into bed with

Started my seeds for the garden

Planted Sweet Basil in the pugly planter

Got my hairs did!  Had all the ugly unhealthy stuff cut off and added some layers

Drew up plans for the garden as well as had a friend help me get the lumber from Lowes

Have you done anything great and fun this week?
Loves!!!

40 Questions - Part 1

Have you ever been over to the website Marc and Angel Hack Life?  Let me just say that I love it.  There are always amazing posts over there that really get you thinking about the deeper things in life instead of just the superficial surface stuff.  They had a great post yesterday that got me thinking about life.  Life is tough, and so were the questions they posted up.  I challenge you to think about these questions yourself. Not all of them are pretty or glamorous or even fun, but they are serious questions that you should be asking yourself.  Ponder the depth of your life with these questions.

If today was the last day of your life, would you want to do what you are about to do today?
This one reminds me of my favorite quote, "Do you want this once more and numerable times more?"  Nietzsche was an amazing philosopher that believed that our eternity would be one moment of our life lived over and over forever.  The question he posed was with the intent of making you question each thing you did and whether it was worth spending eternity doing it. 
Today I got up and cleaned the house.  Then I left for the gym were I did an hour of Zumba with some pretty cool gals.  After that, I met a friend at Lowe's to pick up a ton of lumber - he hauled it in his suburban for me.  I drank a full coconut of coconut water, ate half a watermelon, relaxed for a few minutes, and now I am blogging before I start my school work.  I'd say I feel pretty good about what I have accomplished today and could live with myself for it.  Is it what I want to be doing on my last day?  No!  However, I really don't think that flying to Virginia for the day to spend it with Mr. Fantastic would really work out well since it is not actually my last day and I have a lot of school work to catch up on!

What worries you most about the future?
For me, this one is more than just a worry, it is me being scared.  Mr. Fantastic leaves in May for Afghanistan for a year.  What could possibly worry me more than that?  I worry about being alone.  I worry about him being away from me.  I worry about the obvious trouble that could come of him there.  I worry about when I will see him again.  The list goes on. 

Are you holding onto something that you need to let go of?
I'm holding onto the grudges I create for myself.  I let the negative things that people do, outweigh the positive things they do.  I feel that friends should act a certain way, and when they don't I hold onto their failures.  I hold onto them like they are the worst things in the world.  For that reason, it is hard for me to feel kindness toward friends who have hurt my feelings and/or betrayed me. 

If you had a friend that spoke to you in the same way that you sometimes speak to yourself, how long would you allow that person to be your friend?
I guess this kind of relates to the last answer for me.  If I feel betrayed, I don't hang around those people too much after that.  Lately I have been doing a lot of positive self talk.  I am starting to actually feel great about myself again.  Before I started eating healthy, going to the gym, and loosing weight though, it was an entirely different story.  I would have never remained friends with someone like myself if I had thought of it that way!

What is the difference between living and existing?
Living is all about doing, being present, loving, enjoying, singing, dancing, and being excited about life.  Existing is simply being here physically and going through the motions.  I choose to live.  (I will be posting about this more later this week.)

That is a lot to think about in one sitting.  I will continue this short series in increments of five.  Yup, that means you get this series for a total of eight posts!!

Currently

relieved that I have tomorrow off from work and finally get to start addressing my hearing loss issue again!
running around with my head cut off trying to knock out my to-do list before Mr Fantastic gets home
determined to lose 10 more pounds before he gets back in May
addicted to pigtail braids.
loving my leaner body since I've been eating so great and going to the gym at least 4-5 days per week
making raw cookies
noticing how much work Mr. Fantastic does now that I am the only one around to do it
thankful that I got my taxes back today!  Nailed it!
proud the determination that I have had the last 6 weeks although, I need to remember to stick to it hard!
watching Once Upon a Time, Community, and about to start Battlefield on Hulu
anxious to ease up on myself and start going to school only part time instead of full time while working full time and doing everything else as well.
happy that Spring is finally here
ready to start building my raised beds for my garden
working on about 8 million projects at once
marveling That tomorrow makes one month since Mr. Fantastic has been away.  Just over a month to go before he comes home for a few days before deploying.
wondering when I will get to see my family again.
changing my "get energy fast" techniques to eating carrots and apples instead of drinking coffee and soda!
planning a tropical all inclusive vacation for sometime in the next few years.

We've Spent a Quarter! Oh My!

Tthere is that old saying, "Time is Money."  I love it because it is true.  Everyday when I drive 3 hours round-trip for work, I think to myself about how I wish I got paid for it.  Sure, I make a decent salary, but my gas money eats into it pretty bad, especially with gas prices reaching toward $4.00 a gallon now.  I've got a pretty fuel efficient car, but that only matters when I drive 70mph constantly.  Of course I don't do that, as my 2 most recent speeding tickets will attest for. While I get 41 mpg when driving  like a calm person from Utah is expected to, I only get 30 mpg when I drive like a person from any other normal state.  Mind you, I have lived in Michigan, California, Arizona, Texas, Tennessee, and Utah.  I have also been through Wisconsin, Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Oklahoma, Missouri, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, south Carolina, Virginia, New Mexico, and maybe even a few more, so I kind of have a really good idea of how people drive all over the country.  Utah is the worst so far!

I digress!

With the idea that time is money looming over my head, let's break a year down into monetary terms.   If we consider that we are spending time throughout the year, then we are also spending money...therefor we have spent one quarter of our dollar so far for the year.  When I was a kid, a quarter was a lot of money!  The tooth fairy didn't even leave a quarter under my pillow for a molar tooth!  Now I''m pretty sure kids get at least a whole dollar for just a regular front tooth, don't they? 

So now that I've spent a whole quarter, I have to decide if it was worth it for what I got in return.  So far, what have I done this year that accounts for spending a whole quarter on it?  Well, let's take a look:

Spent a week in the hospital 

completed my first term of school

achieved the President's list for my academic progress

worked for over a month on a special team at work where I have learned a ton of new stuff

 hosted a gender reveal party at our house

sent birthday cards almost on time

 went to the first annual games tournament party for work

 started the RAW DIET

lost 20 pounds

 started going to the gym

 started many projects around the house

have been away from Mr. Fantastic for 3 weeks now

got accepted to a vocational rehabilitation program for veterans which will in turn help me to finish school

got an MRI on my back after injuring it 3 1/2 years ago - thank you ARMY and Uncle Sam!  Jerks!

got my first mani/pedi in almost 2 years

got a dehydrator

got a food processor

stopped saying yes all the time, and realized I have to say no sometimes to protect my own sanity

did my taxes and won!

So, was all that worth a quarter?  I'd say so!  I think I have been pretty accomplished so far this year.  I am remaining curious by trying new things - new foods, new activities, new projects, new schedules, new classes, new jobs, new people, new tasks - and I am trying very hard to survive while the Mr. is away.

How did you spend your quarter?  Was it worth it to you?
Have a great weekend!
Loves!!!

52 Lists. 52 Weeks. Fours

This list actually has four lists within it!  How cool.  So here are the requirements for this weeks lists.

1. four places you've visited.
2. four things you wish you could get paid to do for a living.
3. four things you are looking forward to.
4. four people who inspire you the most.

Here are my 4 lists of fours:

1.  Australia, Germany, South Dakota, New Mexico
2.  Photography, Pinterest, Stationary Design, Procrastinating
3.  Mr. Fantastic coming home, our landscaping being done, having a place for everything and everything in its
     place, finishing my degree
4.  Mother Hen, Mr. Fantastic, My instructors, Grams

Pictures!

I realized today that I have been boring in my posts.  Nobody really loves a blog without pictures, right?  So I decided that I need to share some pictures with you in order to keep you interested.  In keeping with the idea that I've written too much, I'll stop writing and let you enjoy!

 We had a tournament party with all of the friends that we work with.  It is something we have wanted to do for a while, but last weekend was a perfect excuse.  We were all sad to see some great people leaving and have no real idea of when we will see them again.  The party was a good way to say "see you later, alligator!" We work super hard, so we deserve to play super hard and that is what we did.  Mr. Fantastic came out in 1st place.  I'm so proud of him!!
Loves!!!

Missing My Mister!

I miss Mr. Fantastic so much and it has only been a week.  I really need to start being more positive though.  I can't keep lounging around feeling sorry for myself.  I need to stay busy.  I decided to start thinking of ways to pass the time....
I really need to start looking through his comic books and find some awesome images to replicate and put on some huge canvases for his gamer room. I need to stop avoiding people and go have a fun time with old friends and new friends alike.  I need to throw myself into this RAW thing and really enjoy uncooking.  The same thing goes with the whole fitness thing.  I keep telling myself that I am going to start exercising, but then I realize it is so much easier to just lounge around.  Sure, the raw diet has helped me loose 18 pounds in 2 weeks, but I have also been at a standstill for a while and not really lost much.  My goal for the year was to loose a lot of weight, but my goal for this 2 months is to loose 20 more pounds.  That will bring me down to 200!!  That would be fabulous, but I can't do it by being lazy.  I need to do laundry when the basket is full instead of waiting until I have nothing to wear.  I really need to get going on all of the home improvement projects in order to surprise him when he comes back for the week before he leaves for a year.  I need to remember that it is okay to cry, but I also need to remember to laugh and smile too.  Since it is just about Spring, I should probably get around to the whole Spring cleaning thing!  I also need to stop procrastinating on doing my taxes.  I know I will get some good money back so I'm not really sure why I keep putting it off.  I need to stop forgetting about the goals I set - you know, the monthly ones like painting my finger nails.  I'm going to have to remember that being lonely does not mean that I need to spend money to make up for it.  We have a fence, a yard, a sprinkler system, a garden, and a deck or patio to put in by June.  We need to save money, not spend it all!  I think I might need to actually go to a salon and get my hair trimmed too.  It's been nearly two years since I have gotten that done.  I trimmed it myself about 6 months ago, but I did a really bad job of it.  I kind of think I want layers now!  I am starting to run out of time to pre-plant my garden.  I need to stop procrastinating on that one.  I have lofty dreams though.  I want to plant everything that is plantable when I know that I could never eat all of that food by myself.  Maybe I need to start investigating a stand alone freezer.  Oh, and I should probably try to sell our extra dryer and our extra dishwasher!  I whould probably try to enjoy myself a little too.  I don't need to be sad all the time.  Instead, I should really try to be happy, try to dance around like a fool, try to laugh at myself whenever possible, and maybe even sing in the shower and in the car!  I need to start really thinking about the whole wedding thing.  He bought a ring you know!  Of course it isn't on my finger yet, but that's only because it isn't made yet.  I am struggling with the location thing.  I don't want to make either of our families upset or make them feel that they aren't as important as the other family.  I think that we want to get married here.  I know that my family at least might not be thrilled with that for money reasons but I don't know what else to do. And most of all I really just need to relax.  He will only be gone for 2 months.  I will get to see him again for a week or two before he actually leaves for a year.  Everything is going to be just fine.  He loves me and I love him, and life is wonderful!
I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Loves!!!

Is Spring Finally Here?

Are you ready for Spring yet?  I know I sure am.  We had a tease last week, but this week it started snowing again.  Back home in Michigan they had a huge blizzard two weeks ago.  Then it got really nice and warm all of a sudden and melted most everything.  This past weekend my Uncle took his boat to the lake and used it to cut through the remains of the ice to help it melt faster so that he and his friends can start water-skiing!  Yes!  They are absolutely crazy!

 I love my family!  The biggest thing that I miss about Michigan are the summers.  I miss the nice warm summers that didn't get unbearably hot.  I miss always being at the lake and in the water.  And mostly, I miss my uncle taking me water-skiing all the time.  I have not gone in probably 8 or 9 years!  That;s just crazy!
Well, enjoy your Monday!

52 Lists. 52 Weeks. Currently...

I love currently lists!  I keep seeing them pop up all over the place and I tell myself that I need to start doing them because it would be fun to look back on, but I keep doing other stuff instead like spending every waking minute on pinterest getting ideas for projects that I keep putting off!  No better time like the present!
listening:to silence...unless you count the sound my puppy is making as she drinks water!
eating: Today I had carrot cake for breakfast and lunch and I had chocolate ice-cream for dinner.  mind you that these are all RAW and therefore fake versions so they are actually very healthy!
drinking: I should totally be drinking water, but I am honestly not very thirsty at all,  I have been enjoying coconut water lately though!
wearing: yoga pants and an Australia t-shirt!  Pajamas!
feeling:lonely and sad.  I really miss my MR
weather: crazy and indecisive - just like it has been all winter.  I'm ready for a real dose of Spring!
wanting: My MR to come home, ambition to work on projects, and my classmates to stop being so juvenile!  Oh, and maybe a trip to IKEA!
needing:My MR., a shower, to do laundry, to not have to drive to work all by myself this week, the results of my Mammogram!
thinking: about how hard it is to live across the country from my family.  I miss them a bunch!
enjoying: resting, my puppy, being lazy!

Yes, a lot of that list talked about my Mr, but I can't help it.  Being away from him is really challenging for me.  He is not only my Mr, but he is my best friend, he is the only family I have in Utah, he is my puppy's daddy, he keeps me sane and grounded, and he keeps the noise level in the house at a nice level.  I'm very lonely without him.  I'm sorry if I sound sad.  I will really try to work on that!
I hope you all have a great start to your week!
Loves!!!

52 Lists. 52 Weeks. Goals for February

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!  That's what I get for being late all the time - a list that doesn't make sense for me to make!  I'm pretty sure this has happened to me before, right?!  Interesting!
Well, I know what I will do, I will share with you my list of things to try and accomplish in the next two months while Mr. Fantastic is away.  Here it is:
Paint the Mudroom
Build a bench and put up hooks in the Mudroom
Complete the tile back splash in the Kitchen
Paint the Kitchen
Put the handles on the cabinets in the Kitchen
Stain the table dark
Break all the tile out of the center of our dinning table and re-tile it
Finish the wainscoting in the 1/2 bath
Put up artwork in  the 1/2 bath
Find a little cupboard for the 1/2 bath in order to store toilet paper
Make and hang up curtains for our stairwell
Sew a seat cushion for the window seat in the stairwell
Paint the cord hider in our living room to match the wall
Paint some comic book inspired canvases for the gamer room
Hang shelves in the gamer room
Finish painting the wall in our Bedroom
Hang up the curtains and shelves in our bedroom
Paint the tops of the night-stands in our bedroom
Finish decorating our bedroom
Paint the master bathroom
Build a shelf and mirror frames in the master bath
Paint the guest bathroom
Install bead-board in the guest bathroom
Decorate the guest bathroom
Complete the "In this house we do..." painting in our entryway
Set up the digital photo frame that Mr. Fantastic got me for Valentine's Day 2 years ago
Make or buy a rug for our hallway
Finish making my jewelry holder/display
Paint the door edges of all the doors a bright and awesome random color!
Hang up lots of pretty pictures
Work on putting together my office/studio/craft-room/school room
And that's it!  Ha - I know, you are probably wondering, "that's it?"  It sure is a ton of stuff to accomplish in 2 months.  I will probably not accomplish even half of it, but wish me luck.  When I am not watching television, I will be working hard on this stuff.  That means I am going to also have to be more efficiant in doing my school work.  I really need to start a time planner again!

Well, I hope you all are enjoying the weekend!  Is the weather nice were you are at?
Loves!!!

52 Lists. 52 Weeks. Recipes I Need to Make

As most of you are aware, I have been doing the RAW thing and totally loving it!  Pinterest is my best friend.  I have also read several books with recipes and even just ordered two new recipe only books from RAWMAZING!!! So now I have been learning all kinds of new ways to make my food interesting and keep my tummy full while also keeping my taste-buds happy.  Here are some recipes that I can't wait to try:

Apple Pie
Chocolate Eclair Cake
Spinach and Wild Mushroom Quiche
Cranberry Walnut Cheese
Rocket Walnut Pesto
Onion Bread
Cinnamon Raisin Toast
Satay-style Butternut Noodles
Basil Zucchini Wraps
Raw Apple Sauce

Don't these all look amazing?  I am having so much fun learning about my body, learning about my health, experimenting with delicious food, and making great recipes. 
Have a great Humpday!!
Loves!!!

52 Lists. 52 Weeks. Alone Time Fun

Had I made this list when everyone else did, it would not have been nearly as important to me.  Today Mr. Fantastic left for Virginia to do some job training for 2 months.  He will be back for 1-2 weeks in May before he takes off again.  When he leaves in May, he will be gone for a year.  I hate that so much!  I hate that he will not be next to me when I go to sleep at night.  I hate that he won't be there to laugh and smile with me, or to drive to work with me while I sleep in the passenger seat.  I hate that I won't be able to hold his hand.  However, as much as I dislike him leaving, there will be a lot of things for me to do by myself again.  This list is especially meaningful now.  Here goes...fun things to do alone:
-ride my bike
-paint cool canvases for Mr. Fantastic's gamer room
-house fixer-upper projects
-Shopping!
-drink yummy cold drinks in the sun
-suntan
-Starbucks while I'm doing schoolwork
-watch my favorite tv shows
-laundry only when I want to!
-wine parties
-dance around the house
-listen to laud music
-build things
-buy myself flowers
-thrifting
-garage sales
-gardening
-long walks
This is going to be a long year+ but I will make it.  I'm going to head over to Elise's blog to be reminded of all the neat things she did to keep busy while her hubby was away.  Her blog is amazing so check it out here!
Hooray, Tomorrow is Humpday/Wednesday!
Loves!!!

52 Lists. 52 Weeks. Resolutions

As you all are aware, I'm not a big resolution gal, but I sure do like to make goals.  As a reminder, here is my list of goals for the year:

lemon water in the mornings

turmeric  tea

write one hand written snail mail letter at least once per month

send flowers to someone for no reason

back up all of my digital files to an external hard drive and keep it all organized

complete 12 exciting just for fun projects that I have on my fun projects to try list

read 12books for personal enjoyment

Plant Hydrangeas

make an amazing blanket for our bed

complete 3 canvas paintings

try a new recipe each month

make 6 loaves of bread

keep a what I did today 3X5 journal

host an awesome dinner party

host a wine party

strive for only 23 1/2 hours of sedentary activity each day

blog at least one per week

achieve a 3.5 in school

get engaged 

feel great in a size 10 pair of jeans

plant herbs

create a birthday planner calender and stock up on cards to send out for special occasions

learn one "ballroom" type of dance

go one full week without my cellphone

research getting my business license and follow through with a plan

do one commissioned project

organize my office and set it up for productive activities

paint my fingernails and toenails at least once per month

go on a picnic

go to a concert

make valentine cards and send them

Take more pictures

Yeah, I know, It's pretty big!  Trust me, it will probably grow and shrink and grow and shrink over the course of the year too!  The thing I love about setting goals is that they are fun and you can always change your mind!
Have a happy Monday/Funday!!

Ring Ring Bling Bling!

So, back on President's Day, Mr. Fantastic and I went out on a window shopping trip.  Now this wasn't your average window shopping trip.  This was a very very important shopping trip in which we accomplished a few different very important things.  The very first thing that we did was get a ring cut off of my finger.  Beofre he went to Iraq last time, Mr. Fantastic get me a beautiful ring with my birthstone.  He had me size the ring for my left ring finger as a token of his love for me -A promise ring sort of deal!  That was when I wore a size 8.  Now I wear a size 10.  It's strange what 3 1/2 years will do to a body!  Needless to say, that ring was not coming off of my finger on its own!  I still have a slight line where that ring was, but other than that, I'm feeling pretty naked!
So, we had to remedy that situation by taking a look at some pretty ring replacement options.  Mind you, these replacement options were much more extravagant than that original ring!  We looked at all kinds of gorgeous things...white gold, rose gold, white diamonds, pink diamonds, etc. ect!  Then, after three different stores, I was brought to tears by the most amazing option I've ever seen.  I found the one I loved!  It is a combination of white and rose gold as well as a combination of white and pink diamonds.  It is perfect and perfect for me! 
So, fast forward to today.  After a few secret trips (presumably to the jewelry store) and a few secret phone calls (presumably from the salesman), he is off again, and this time I have a pretty good idea that he is making some final decisions and exchanging some money!  I do know that they have to special order the ring that I want because it is normally made in all white gold with all white diamonds.  The only reason that I know what it will look like with pink diamonds and rose gold is because we borrowed a piece from another ring.  Also, because of my crazy big fingers, they cannot just re-size the ring because all the diamonds on the band would constantly be falling out.  It takes about 58 days to get it in after ordering it - just enough time for Mr. Fantastic to get home from Virginia where he will be going for the next 2 months!  The question is, did he decide to go with one of the options that they mentioned....picking out the center stone and having it placed in a solitaire setting so that I have something to wear until the real deal comes in.  Either way, I am going to have a gorgeous engagement ring on my finger within the next two months!  EEEK!!!!  So excited.  Now it will be official.
So, do you wanna peak?  Ok, but it's only a peak.  It's not the exact way it will turn out.

Imagine the two outside bands in rose gold with pink diamonds instead of white.  Also, imagine the center stone as a cushion or princess cut instead of the round stone.  Without the center stone it is 1 1/2 carrots and he is talking about wanting me to have a center stone of at least a carrot.  I'm telling you ladies, this man is fantastic!  I was happy with smaller, but he insisted!  HAHA- that never happens!  More updates to come.  Enjoy your weekend!
Loves!!!

RAW: A Yummy Taco Lunch!

So, I'm really loving this whole raw food thing.  It's going pretty great.  I have lost a total of 13 pounds now and held it off!  That's awesome.  My skin is still feeling amazing, as is my hair.  It doesn't get tangled nearly as bad either.  I am already beginning to feel a lot more comfortable in my clothes.  It's always great to feel like you actually look good.  There are a few things that I am struggling with yet though.  The big thing is my digestion.  After a large salad or plenty of veggies I get stomach pains.  From what I have learned, this is from a weak intestinal system learning to digest fiber.  It can also be caused from improper food combining.  I'm still learning and don't want to give up.  It's going to take a great effort, but what I have decided to try doing is to eat my fruits, and drink my veggies for now.  Then I am going to slowly bring in the whole veggies. 
I wanted to share a yummy taco lunch I made. 

"Nacho Cheese"

"Sour Cream"

"Taco Meat"

Salsa

First layer the taco meat into the cabbage leaf or lettuce leaf

Add some salsa

And some nacho cheese

And then some sour cream

Cilantro and avocado taste great, too!

Top it off with raw almond milk "cheese"

Now fold it or roll it up

And ENJOY!!!!   Yum Yum!

Enjoy the last bit of this week.  I am going to be trying to enjoy it as much as possible.  It is the last week before Mr. Fantastic leaves for two months.  Sad-face :(
Loves!!!