Lilley of the field

This morning I did 20 push-ups. Yes, my knees were on the ground, but at the beginning of the summer I could only do 9. And those 20 this morning were after an entire 30 minute arm workout with free weights. While it may be a small feat, I was quite happy. It's little moments like that this summer that remind me that I can do things I didn't think I could. And that is half the battle in any type of fitness. Going to physical therapy and looking for new ways to strengthen by body has been so motivating. Mostly, I don't want my feet to hurt for the rest of my life and that is pretty good motivation enough but I've found some interesting truths along the way as well that motivate me. I am happier when I exercise. I am more confident when I exercise. I see God when I exercise. I realize I am capable of much more than I let myself do or think I can do. That's been the most fun and surprising one. I am able. I can do it. I think what has mostly held me back ...

This is the place where I am trying to heal. This is the place where I have gone each morning the for the past year. Where I have risen many mornings before the sun comes up to stretch and exercise. Because I need to get stronger. I've had plantar fasciitis for 3 1/2 years and I keep waiting to write a post about it once I am healed. I'm not yet. But I am close. Since I painted this chalk board on the wall, the only thing that has adorned it is a verse written in my prettiest handwriting. It's been all fancy and pinterest looking for over a year. I haven't wanted to erase it because it took so much time to construct it. Each detail and design. It looked good. After a walk this morning I felt it was time to take it down and to etch into that chalkboard the verses that I have been declaring over my life and over my feet. My feet are an outward symptom deeply connected to where I am spiritually. I have known that for a while. Although the pain is in my feet...

Warning this is long and detailed. Probably my most detailed post yet about the kitchen because tiling is hard and I don't want to forget what I did. This step has made the kitchen really look like it's coming together! I definitely learned some things along the way and a few things I would do differently in the future. I am in LOVE with glass subway tile. I thought that since I had tiled our shower with white porcelain tiles, I could step it up to the big girl glass subway tiles. Well.... it is stunningly beautiful, but I may go with the white subway tile next time even though I love this look. It was a lot of work. I would probably be willing to do it again if Aaron said yes, but seeing as how he was the one cutting all the tiles and getting a few glass shards stuck in his hands... well I am not so sure he will say yes :\ And I got a couple shards in my fingers and we had to sweep really well after. So we thought we could tile in one day. One day sandwiched between our ...

So we decided to go with butcher block countertops. At first we were going to go with laminate because they are durable and we thought they were pretty inexpensive. But when we went to get a quote, I apparently wanted all these things that were custom that I hadn't realized so it was much more expensive. So we just decided to go for butcher block. We ordered American Cherry from Lumber Liquidators. We also paid for delivery which I highly recommend. They are HUGE pieces. It was delivered in 7 days by an enormous Fed Ex truck. They come unfinished. Aaron cut them on the floor after I measured a gazillion times. Then we made sure they all fit. Aaron sanded them with a random orbital sander down to 220 grit. Honestly, it's still a little grittier than I would like in places, but it's ok. It will wear with time. Then we had debated how to protect them. I am paranoid about water, but whatever, I will get over it with time because we use our kitchen hardcore and other peo...