Requests

I can successfully pull out 18 pushups in 50 seconds. We're talking nose to ground push-ups, people. Not but 5 months ago I could barely do 4 of these.... and now I've doubled, no, tripled, no... I've more than quadrupled my upper body strength!

That deserves a smiley face: :)

In other news: Art and I haven't been eating so great since the new year. We're making adjustments in our life right now, and cooking has been put on my back-burner (Art's dropped the ball on his exercise, but a good wife probably shouldn't nag on him about it). With cooking being the last thing on my mind, we've managed to rack up a decent bill on our eating-out fund. Nothing too bad since I do work for Sonic, but still.... fast food doesn't look great on your body, and especially not Sonic fast food.

Anyways, I'd really like to try out some new recipe's for February. Since it is the famous "love month" I guess I should re-open the kitchen to win some extra wife-points. I've been using Pinterest for some delish-looking plates, but I just can't seem to find something that looks good.

Please... any ideas??

Pik-chaas

No laptop means no uploading of our pictures. I've been horrible at taking pictures since our honeymoon, anyway, so there aren't a lot of post-wedding photos to be shared, but I figured it would be nice to share with you all the happenings of our, currently, 4-month marriage:

BBQ with Art and his work buddies

Boy, these guys can be a hoot when they get together!

Sarai, my dear friend, got married, and I was a bridesmaid

(excuse the messy photo, Art took this one.)

Our first Holiday together

Doesn't Art look soooo happy to be taking this picture???

One of my personal favorites since our wedding photos.

A date night out together New Years Eve.

So, I hope you guys had a great Fall and a wonderful holiday season. Now it looks like our next big event will be when I finally get a call about the border job.

Raquel

Aaaaaaannnnndddd....

I'm back!!

Boy, has it been a long while since I've been on this blog. **taps mouse several times** "Is this thing on? Can anyone see this?"

So why the long hiatus?? Well, the screen on my old, yet dearly loved, laptop went out on me a few months ago. With our financial situation, it took me this long to finally save up some money to buy a used, but new-to-me, laptop. Since then, I've used my handy iPhone - which, I believe, is the reason why I didn't lose my mind completely during this laptop-less time.

So, now that I'm back... What's new? Considering we've turned the corner of 2011 and are now heading down 2012, I find it appropriate to give you some of my favorite #hashtags of other people's 2012 resoultions:

@mijastreets -- "Being a better Christian, a better example, and an overall better person"

@shaycarl -- "Don't gain 100 pounds!!!"

@talda -- "Less stripes in my wardrobe. Guess I'll have to start shopping somewhere else besides Old Navy."

@I_amCat -- "This year in #2012 I would love to find that lil sock troll that steals all my matching socks!"

@BrittanyMarie88 -- "I wanna be in the center of a flash mob this year."

@Theirlittlerose -- "READ THE WHOLE BIBLE"

@victoriaannv -- "Clean my car"

@andrewhawk242 -- "BBQ more often!"

@salazardanielle -- "Learn how to boil an egg and make a grilled cheese sandwich."

@hotbars_TMK -- "Not shave at all this year"

@tierralynn -- "Better wife, better mother, better me: which means a healthier and more active me.

And with that, I will stop writing this blog and begin to fall in love all over again with my (new) laptop. *smiles*

Raquel

Mid Week Music Choices

I apologize for my lack of blog updates lately. It's been a busy week/weeks.

Taking a road trip to OKC this weekend to be there for a very dear college roommate's wedding. I'm looking forward to the reunion of us girls and even more, I'm excited to see the look on her fiance's face when she walks down that aisle.

She'll be a bridal beauty for sure.

So since I'm taking a 9 hour drive split between tomorrow (stopping in Dallas to hold my new "nephew") and Friday morning, I'm preparing a playlist of quality music. Here are some of my choices:

The Avett Brothers - "Murder in the City"

The Civil Wars - "To Whom It May Concern"

The Head and The Heart - "Cats and Dogs"

MidWeek Music Choice

If you know me, you know I enjoy a cover song just as much as the original. So when Glee aired a cover of Coldplay's "Fix You" I immediately downloaded the song from iTunes.

Glee Cast Version of Coldplay's "Fix You"

In the spirit of a great cover song, I share with you some of my favorite covers:

All Time Low version of Rihanna's "Umbrella"

Eva Cassidy version of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time"

Coldplay version of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean"

John Mayer version of Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'"

Workin' on my Fitness

I'm taking a Physical Fitness Test in a few months, maybe sooner, and I can't seem to pull out 12 of these 4" push-ups. (I need to be able to do at least 12 of them to get a score higher than 0.)

I've never really had great upper body strength, and every time I try to pull myself up or use my arms to carry my body weight.... I fail. Miserably. Ugh, just the thought of failure makes me want to pull out the baking pans and make myself a BIG.CHOCOLATE.CAKE.

But instead of eating emotionally, I'll lace the Nike's and prepare myself for this long, but hopefully, rewarding, journey that I've got ahead of me.

Yummy Quesadillas

Made these tonight... and they were super delicious.

[insert picture of delicious food]

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I say I made them, but I substituted a normal size tortilla for a burrito-sized one, and instead of cheddar cheese, I shredded provolone (in Mexico we call it Oaxaca) on top, and I seasoned the chicken with lemon pepper.

I've been a married woman for almost a month now.... cooking meals for 2.5 weeks, and tonight I got my first, "Oh yeah, honey.... this is super delicious."

I feel like putting up a gold star somewhere. But like an adult-version. Maybe a trip to Ross will be my "gold star." But, I'm sure the hubby will take that star right back upon checking the bank account afterwards....