livin on love & lovin it

Excuses, excuses, excuses....

2011-08-23T18:41:00.000-07:00

We all know that I am a terrible blogger. I'll spare the excuses and tears and give you another photo overload of the last few months. Keep on scrolling, there are quite a few... Enjoy!

Drum roll folks.... For the first time in a very long time I now have short hair! I got a crazy idea and had to chop it off before I chickened out. Thankfully I LOVE it! It's been a really fun change and Ben loves it too. :) I was worried because he loved my long hair so much.

Ben went and helped our friend paint and finish welding the grill that he built. He was so dirty! He looked like he'd been working in the coal mines.

I"ve been riding my bike to work since I can't run anymore and wouldn't you know it...? I got caught in a rain storm. It poured and poured. Every inch of me was SOAKED!

Broulim's (local grocery store) had cherries 0.99 a lb! We got gobs and ate them by the handful until our bellies could take no more. It was fantastic!

Who knew that here in Rexburg you could pick your own wild asparagus?? Boy was it delicious!! Look at the size of that bugger. It's a beast!!

We went camping at Willow Flats with Ben's parents and Brother and his family. We had so much fun!! Ben got to fish and we hiked to the stream to get fresh pure water. It was delightfully delicious and very cold!

We hiked to Lower Palisades Lake. It was only 4 miles in to the lake. Not too hard of a hike with some up and down hill. It was such a perfect day to go and the hike was absolutely beautiful! We took Mojo and were amazed that he made it the whole way (well almost). Poor guy... his hair was so long, it was super hot and he would lay down every time we stopped. We felt bad so threw him in our backpack right at the end. Then we had to give him a bath and he was so filthy he got shaved the next day!

I will try (just like I always say) to be more consistent so you get better stories, descriptions and all that is good. Thanks for stopping by and having faith that one day... just one day... I'd post. :)

Where to begin...

2011-06-19T10:14:00.000-07:00

It's been a while eh? Lots of going ons at the Vinton place of residence. Ben just got back from Denver where he went with a school trip to scope out some possible internships. It wasn't as fruitful as we had hoped but Ben was able to meet Brother Bauke (sp?) Who used to work for Meryl and Lynch. He said he would be more than happy to get Ben and interview, all he had to do was say the word! He was very warm and receptive to Ben and we're very hopeful!

On Memorial Monday we went to Yellowstone with some friends of ours. We took the camera but the battery wasn't charged (sore subject) and got no pictures at all. We did get to see TONS of bison, old faithful, and that's about it through the blizzarding snow. We still enjoyed ourselves and are looking forward to going back when the weather looks more promising.

Last Saturday June 11th was my half marathon. Natalie (running partner and awesome friend) and I placed 6th and 7th for our age group and finished with a whopping time of 1:51:48 Not as fast as I was hoping for but pretty darn good considering the amount of ENDLESS hills we had to endure. And yes... We have pictures!! Mom, Ethan, and Matt came up to cheer me on and poor little Ethan ended up in the hospital here in Rexburg on Saturday night with acute apendicitis. He was so brave and such a trooper though! Surgery is a big scary word to such a little guy but I was so grateful that I was there to help the whole process be a little smoother. Plus I got to show my family where I work and they got to meet a lot of friends I work with. Happily he has made a full recovery.

This was mile 10 or 11 I think? I don't feel that happy inside, but the run was really beautiful and the weather was perfect.

It always feels good to pass people, we got a surge of adrenaline! Plus pink shirt chick and her friend kept running and stopping and they were driving me crazy!

Almost to the finish line! Yahoo!

Natalie and I after the race.

Sweet Benny and Mojo after we had crossed the finish line. I love my boys!

I refinished our dresser and a few other D.I. treasures...that I DO have pictures for! And now I absolutely LOVE them. Thanks Rachelle for your help!

This shelf was for $10 at D.I. but I talked them down to 8 because the knobs were missing!

After... Painted red and and distressed and stained.

Our dresser before was green with brown shelves. Long story...

After... We painted it cream with a brown top, antiqued and distressed it and stained it cherry wood. We LOVE it!

This bad boy was $25 af D.I. also a hideous green

Sorry I don't have a better picture. We painted and stained it the same as the dresser. It looks great!

That's about all that makes up the recent news. We'll keep you updated on more fun filled happenings as they come!

Absolute Bliss

2011-04-12T10:52:00.000-07:00

I have so many things to be happy about today. I don't think anything could get me down! I took a turn for the better on Sunday. Probably because Mom came to visit and brought extra love. I'm feeling so much better!! I'm getting cabin fever from just sitting around the last week. But I have to remind myself that the two weeks is worth the wait so I can get out there running again. Today is SUCH a beautiful day! The sun is out and compared to how its been if feels so WARM! Yesterday was our 2 year anniversary! I can't believe it's been 2 years already. It's funny to look back on where I thought we would be by now when we got married and compare it to reality. My husband is amazing. I love him so much and am grateful for him every day. He's been such a huge help since I had the surgery. He's always so full of love and patience, He's incredible. In honor of such an amazing day I thought I would post some of the things that make my heart soar...

New toothbrushes

Freshly shaved legs

Brand new whites socks

The smell of my laundry detergent

When I say something silly and get a real genuine laugh out of Ben.

And of course... SUNSHINE!

Here are some random pictures as well. No specific order or event just things we've been dong lately. Enjoy...

Aren't they cute?? That's our nephew Holden. We haven't seen him for a while and couldn't believe how big he was! We went down to Ut see Ben's parents who just moved to Mapleton.

Emily with Mom and Dad Vinton at Willem's birthday party.

Cute Holden eating cake.

Willem with his yummy birthday cake.

Isn't Emily so cute?? She made a space ship cake. It was awesome!

Going up to a friend's cabin in Island Park for the weekend. We went snowmobiling and hat a lot of fun!

Beautiful drive on our way to Island Park.

Ben will be so proud of me for posting a picture of his beloved Buggy. This is right at the top of Jackson pass. We were going to Jackson Hole as part of Ben's birthday.

Another picture of the beautiful scenery on the way to Jackson.

Mojo's new Christmas sweater and ball. He chewed the ball to pieces and threw up all night. Good thing we had some Pepto Bismol!

Our beautiful Christmas tree in our lovely home. We didn't have one last year which was heartbreaking. I had to work so we did Christmas by ourselves but it was actually really nice.

Smiling with all our presents.

Ben is really excited... What could it be??

Our sweet little Mojo... before he got his hair cut!

Me getting ready for work. How blessed night shift.. I do not miss you and hope we never meet again

Dreaming of better times

2011-04-08T20:31:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'll be honest. I did not think recovering from surgery would be that bad. I thought every day would be an improvement of the last and I would be good as new in no time! Wrong. I wake up after a restful night with Tylenol PM and am hopeful that today is the day. Today is the day I have no more gas pains, I can eat with out getting bloated, I won't feel like my belly button is stitching open when I turn the wrong way, you name it, I have a lot of things I am looking forward too. So far my diet consists of chicken broth, toast, Gatorade, grape juice, saltines, and of course water and Ibuprofen. Ben ordered pizza and even that wasn't too appealing. Every time I think of food my gut rumbles the gases and my mind is changed almost immediately. The one thing that has sounded continually delicious is Ramen Noodles but I refuse to stoop that low. So until then me and my liquids will have to be content to live together in harmony. I should be grateful after all because aren't there starving children in China??

Aftermath of Surgery

2011-04-06T19:30:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted but seeing as how I had surgery today and have a 2 week recovery ahead it's safe to say the posts will be plentiful. Oh by the way... I got my gallbladder out

Surgery was so much better than I thought! I was so nervous! I saw the nurse anesthetist (Lane) when I was working yesterday and asked him if he would read his scriptures and pray the night before so he would have the spirit with him for surgery! haha And you know what?! He did! He told me that he was reading about the gift to heal and the gift to be healed. He said "Rachael, you have the gift to be healed and everything is going to be perfectly fine." And of course thanks to the meds I got teary eyes. What a comforting thing to go "to sleep" to huh?? The next thing I remember I was in the recovery room waking up and squeezing Lane's hand in my right hand and my Surgeons hand in my left, both for dear life!! I was so out of it my heart rate was 30bpm, I was breathing only 8 times a minute... I'm a lightweight!! I kept asking them all if I had pooped the bed or tooted in their face! Then I had to know if they thought my belly was fat? Apparently I was concerned about that. I told my nurse that I liked her so much and kept asking everyone to be my friend. When I got back to Ben in my room I smiled and told him I didn't toot and I have so many friends!! Haha oh the things we do and say on drugs. Those drugs have a love/hate relationship though. I LOVE that they made me sleep and that I don't hurt that bad but HATE that I've thrown up so many times. Yuck, it's absolutely the worst!!

Here are a few pictures... Hope you enjoy!

These are the incisions with the bandaids off. The one on top looks like kind of gnarly! And yes, my stomach is still ridiculously bloated and swollen :( Oh six pack... where have you gone! Will you ever come back??

I'm not announcing I'm pregnant... They blow your stomach up with gas so they can see all the organs better. I just have 4 little incisions and they white tape under the bandaids stays on for 2 weeks.
These are all the presents people have brought me!! Thank you Jessica, Cort, Tecia, Chelse and Gena. You are all so thoughtful and such good friends I love it. (Not pictures...super sexy panties we give our patients at the hospital)

Health Food: Fact or Fiction?

2011-03-23T12:17:00.000-07:00

I like to think we're pretty healthy eaters. We've cut out sweets (well...kind of...). We eat fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and even eat sprouts I sprouted myself! (Thanks mama Vinton!) I have an amazing "eat clean" cookbook with recipes to die for! There have been a few though that we'll definitely only make once. For example... Leslie's eggplant chicken... Need I say more?? When we eat healthy we feel a thousand times better and it's such a good feeling knowing that we're giving our wonderful bodies the absolute best. So along our path of health food consumption, I've been getting a lot of books from our local library, one of which is called You Are What You Eat by Dr Gillian McKeith. She knows so much about food and what's good and why it's good for you. But she is also an extremist. Let me give you a list of some of my favorite and you can decide for yourself.
1- You have toxins in your body if you use a computer or cell phone on a daily basis. (guilty)
2- She groups tap water in the same category as fruit juices, carbonated beverages, teas, and coffee...
3- If you have a line running down the middle of your tongue you lack the necessary enzymes to digest cows milk (Don't we all?? Maybe that's her point...) and we should avoid it at all costs.
4- We must use "food grouping" when we eat to prevent our stomach from fermenting our food and causing gas. For example: fruit must never be mixed with any other foods, meat and carbohydrates must all be eaten separately. You can mix veggies with carbs but not meat (maybe that's my problem).
5- If you're feeling a little "gunky" just go for an enema or colonic hydrotherapy... (Are you for real?? I feel like I have enough experience with enemas to say no way, never, I'd rather die thank you for the offer).

Reading her book has helped me realize that I don't have to do and believe everything I learn on health or nutrition. I need to take a little from all the sources I read and adapt them to our personal life style. Being healthy is important and it truly does make such a difference in every aspect of our life! And it wouldn't be right if I didn't thank my wonderful mother in law for sharing all her immense knowledge. She is amazing!

Oh lovely sunshine... Won't you come my way?

2011-03-16T21:36:00.000-07:00

I'm getting the winter time blues, and a pretty bad case at that. We cracked and finally went tanning. I know I'll get cancer, and yes I know I should know better, and yes I'm ashamed yaddy yaddy ya. But I had to do it! I needed to feel warm rays on my skin fake or not! And now... all I have is a lobster red belly and still no sunshine.

I started getting hopeful because it seemed to be warming up. We had a lot of, dare I say, "nice" days where it wasn't snowing, the sun was out, and we only suffered 20mph winds. Let's be real... that's amazing for Rexburg. 20 below is bad enough without the wind searing through your many layers that were a measly attempt at warmth. Our apt is even cold. Don't get me wrong, we love where we live but I swear on my life they left out the insulation when they built it. Ben finally got tired of paying for heat that wasn't even working. As we sat wrapped in blankets with runny noses and frozen toes, Ben came up with his idea of the "warm room". We turned down the heat to 60 degrees except for in the computer room where we also have a small T.V. and lovesac. We close the door and crank it up to 70 degrees. Once we thawed it turned out to be quite delightful and warm. The only downside? Chili for dinner...

Now I know that being from Logan I should be used to cold winters but Rexburg can definitely hold it's own when it comes to lasting, miserable cold. So here we sit in our warm room praying for spring to show is forgotten face and knowing it most likely won't for several more months. Ben cannot graduate fast enough and get an internship in say... Florida?? How blissful it would be...

Inspiration Sensation

2011-03-07T21:07:00.001-08:00

Now I'm not trying to toot my own horn but I had a really cool experience with "what goes around comes around" and how motivation can go a long way.

I went running with my friend Amber Hendricks last week (absolutely LOVE her). Well we both went to run on our own, saw each other, and decided to run together. She ended up running 4 miles with me which apparently she had never done before. She wrote about me on her blog that night and said the nicest most amazing things! I didn't even realize at the time that I had helped her so much but running with me had really pushed her to keep going and kept her from focusing on how tired she was.

A few nights later Natalie (my new found friend and marathon partner, woot woot!) and I went to a spinning class taught by this dude Richie (aka cycling machine). Now I'm not sexist but generally speaking guys can bring it like no one's business and as I watched him strap on his gloves and buckle in his shoes I knew he was intense and that I was in for a sweaterrific experience. Boy was I right! We were on the front row so there was no way I could show weakness. Richie was so motivating. He knew just what to say to make me want to pedal faster, increase the resistance, and push through the fatigue. Long story short, the workout was amazing!! At the end he shared some really inspirational things. He talked about a man, weighing in at 300 lbs, who decided to race in an iron man triathlon after watching his brother cross the finish line in first place. He worked at it and just a few years later, did that race. He talked about how only we can decide how fast we run, how far we go, how great we can be, even how righteous we are. it's up to us if we succeed or fail. Our minds can do amazing things and we always have more in us than even we know. In the end, if we quit or give up, the only one we're letting down is ourselves.

If I had been working out on my own I would have quit a lot sooner than I did that night. Instead of focusing on how hard it is or how tired I feel, I need to change my attitude and focus more on how much progress I've made and how amazing I'll feel when finish and reach my goals. I helped Amber meet a major goal by encouraging and running beside her those 4 miles. Richie showed me how strong I can be and how much I have in me for that pedal pumping hour. Whether we're being inspired or doing the inspiring, it feels pretty darn good.

Marathon Madness

2011-03-03T18:03:00.001-08:00

So I have finally done it. I've worried, and stressed and debated and planned and pestered Ben until he just can't take it and made the decision... I am going for the full 26.2 sweaty, awesome miles of a marathon this summer in the great town of Ashton Idaho! Ever since my two half marathons and sprint triathlon last summer, I have caught the racing fever! The energy is unlike anything I've ever experienced and the sense of accomplishment is supreme goodness. At first I thought "there is no way I can run 13 miles, ever!" But I did it... TWICE! And this year I'm setting the record. Ben always asks me why in the world would I ever want to inflict so much pain upon myself WILLINGLY?? But that's the thing, to me, its not painful. Not one bit. It's relaxing, and therapeutic and something that's mine all mine. I love the mind numbing sensation that running brings. It's an escape and its so personal. I have time to think and there is no better time than early morning when all the world is quit and peaceful. Running a marathon has always been this foreign concept and seemed like such an out of reach dream. But folks... here it is, only 25 weeks away.

Thank you Chels!

2011-03-03T18:00:00.000-08:00

You can all thank my dear friend Chelse for being wonderful enough to finally show me the ropes of blogging. Now I feel less like a bafoon and more like the blogger I long to be. So big thank you to Chels!

Sick and Tired

2010-08-21T00:06:00.000-07:00

I am sick and tired of this blog! Everywhere I look people have blogs that are so cute and they have pictures and memories and all I have is this measly stench infested sorry excuse of a blog. BAH! To think I can have so much patience with an 80 year old at 3 am who can't remember where she is but pull out my hair the minute something on the computer isn't as easy as the ABC's. I honestly think everyone I know has a blog but me! Why do I have to make it so hard? This calls for an intervention. My blog may not be pretty but gmail here will soon helo me transform it into such the best I know it.

California... Here we come!

2010-03-28T18:07:00.000-07:00

Rexburg is known for it's wonderful warm weather, and long sunny days by the beach. I'm so tan now people speak Mexican to me on the streets! Ok... we all know I'm lying. It's been so cold here for so long we couldn't take it anymore! I had a week off of work and we just took off and headed down to California! Yahoo!! Being able to roll the window down and feel the sun on my face! Ah... such a wonderfully long overdue feeling. So we set out in the morning after I got home from work and of course, to my dismay I FORGOT MY CAMERA! So Jill, my long lost high school friend had her camera and was kind enough to let me use hers for a few cheesy shots with Shamu which will be coming shortly. All in all I would say our trip was a an utter delight and coming back to Rexburg was the saddest day on the year. :(

HaLLowEeN!

2009-12-08T14:52:00.000-08:00

It was pulling teeth to try and get Ben to decide on a costume he would wear. I am not kidding you, i thought of EVERYTHING under the sun and Ben didn't want any of them. So what you ask did we finally end up wearing? Oh yes... Target special $13.99 FOOTY PAJAMAS!! We both wore them over to a friends party and Ben was embarrassed at first but everyone loved them and they were actually quite comfy! We'll have to bring them home and model them for you at Christmas!

Life Lately....

2009-12-08T14:36:00.000-08:00

So Mom Vinton e-mailed and was so kind to inform us that we are the only ones in the family with out a blog so I guess I need to get my act together and get this thing finished!

Ben is almost done with school for the semester and has never been more excited. He bought a season pass to Grand Targhee so with that and hopefully a full time job (keep your fingers crossed) he'll be busy but having fun this winter. I have been able to meet a lot of really neat people at work and am so thankful everyday for my health and family that loves us. We never really know what we have until it's gone. The last few days I had the pleasure of caring for a boy who was quadriplegic. This young man had a personality that filled up the room and such a positive outlook on life despite his situation. He sees the good in everyone and is truly grateful for everyday he is alive. It was a very humbling experience to realize how blessed I am, and how much I take for granted. I made a wonderful friendship and am so grateful for all the things I learned from him in just those few short days. I absolutely love my job and nothing brings me more satisfaction than being able to help people with things they can't do on their own. It definitely opens my eyes to how hard some people have it and I'm grateful for that reminder.

Playing the part of real grown ups...

2009-08-23T20:10:00.000-07:00

So much has been going on the last few weeks! School and work started up again for Ben and it's keeping him very busy. I'm pretending to be a nurse and I think I almost have everyone convinced.... I'll finish my orienting the end of October and then I'm out there on my own. It's going so well and the reward of being able to care for such sweet people definitely outweighs the stress and achey feet.

We're now a blogging bunch!

2009-08-23T10:05:00.000-07:00

So this is what happens when we're both out of school and I suddenly find myself with more time than I know what to do with!