The time has honestly flown by this past 11 months! I cannot imagine people who can plan their entire weddings in the time span we have left, as I am still completely overwhelmed by what is to be done and feel like absolutely nothing has been crossed off the list as of yet. (I know that isn't exactly true, as the previous 100 or so posts can prove... but it still feels like the "to-do" list is much longer than the "done" list).
Our newest journey towards marriage, as I introduced last week in Wednesday's wish, is the hardest one yet. One would think that courtship, dating, and the road to engagement, added to wedding planning, would put the most stress on the relationship. I challenge that claim. Have you ever tried training with your fiance? This new fitness journey has proven to be an obstacle that Kyle and I will need to work through with more patience and understanding than I've been naturally blessed with. I am not against getting fit and healthy, or even paying someone to help, but an entirely new challenge is posed when the level of competition is present. I am not a competitive person by nature, nor do I do well when others dictate decisions such as what to eat for breakfast for me, so my natural defense mechanism has proven to be getting angry that I have to sacrifice so much time, deliciousness, and relaxed muscles in lieu of eating proteins all day, scheduling my days around working out instead of work, and feeling sore on a pretty consistent basis. However, in the moment while I am at the gym, I feel pretty great, and after eating a solid healthy meal, I still feel satisfied. I just have to get past the initial shock of saying goodbye to cookies or pasta.
On the positive side, Kyle and I kicked off this fitness journey with a literal journey this past weekend. Our weekend consisted of somewhere between 21 and 29 miles of hiking the back country of Arizona in Aravaipa Canyon. A 5 mile hike in with at least 25 pounds on my back in record time, headlamp assistance needed, was the Friday night cardio kickoff. Saturday we ventured down Hell's Hole Canyon and added another 10 miles or so to our total for the weekend. Sunday was the reverse of the Friday night hike in. This is the 3rd time I've done this hiking trip with Kyle, and I really have enjoyed the tradition, sore muscles, blisters and all! We were joined by some good friends and groomsmen. Thank you for REI for supplying our gear (and future registry) and the military for the MREs! Here are pictures to commemorate the weekend, our last 11 months of engagement, and to kick off the final push (to use a mountain climbing term) towards our wedding day .
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| Right before we hiked out of the canyon- a little dirty but in great shape! |
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| Sun setting on the river and canyon walls |
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| A waterfall at the end of a canyon hike |
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| Lunch Break! Representing the Alma Maters! |
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| Photo courtesy of Jared Ross- Groomsman |
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| Hiking through the river with the lush green landscape |
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| The walls of Hell's Hole Canyon- so appropriate for my literary passion |
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