A Reflection

2014 has definitely been an eventful year for me. I finally got to move in with Kris, 1,400 miles away from my family and friends, and started living my own life. I met Kelsey, one of the best friends that I've ever had in my life. I also made the transition from child to adult and it's been a scary yet exhilarating process.

I've been pushed out of my comfort zone, forced to make adult decisions and learned how to live with Kris as a couple. Needless to say, it's been a very educational year for me. I'm actually very proud of myself. The concept of living on my own, without completely depending on my parents, has always scared me. Being an adult is tough but it isn't the end of the world, like I've always imagined it to be. I've managed to survive seven and a half months away from home with minimal help from my parents. Don't get me wrong, I call them when I need their help but I try not to burden them; I want to learn how to stand on my own 2 feet completely.

Before we got married, Kris and I didn't live together. So, I was a little afraid that it would be a really hard and messy transition for us. But so far, we get along great and we've had minimal problems. I've heard conflicting things about the first year of marriage; some people say that it's the best year and some say that it's the hardest. So far, I'd say that I have to agree with the former. Kris and I make each other happy and seeing each other every day makes every day better.

Kris and I rescued Jax this year and he's brought nothing but happiness into our lives. Adopting him was one of the best decisions that we've ever made. I love coming home to him wagging his tail and jumping around. I love the way that he gets excited when we give him a treat or buy him a bone. I love how loving he is towards Kris and I. In short, I just love everything about him.

Kelsey has changed my life in a matter of a few short months. She's shown me just how important friendship can is and she's taught me the definition of true friendship. I truly feel blessed to know her and lucky to have her in my life.

With 2014 coming to a close, I felt the urge to reflect on the year. And so far, I must say, it's been pretty great!

-Chelsea

The Christmas Tag

Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year! Just thinking about it makes me smile and keeps me in a good mood! So I thought that I'd spread the Christmas cheer by doing The Christmas Tag!

1. What is/are your favorite Christmas movie/s?
My all-time favorite movie is The Year Without a Santa Claus! However, I also love Santa Claus is Coming to Town, The Santa Claus Trilogy, Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas and Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas!

2. Do you open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
My dad's side of the family celebrates Christmas on Christmas Eve, so we open presents after dinner that night. But on Christmas morning, we open presents with my mom's side.

3. Do you have a favorite Christmas memory?
I used to wake my sister up at 3 or 4 in the morning every year on Christmas morning. We'd get to excited looking at the huge stack of presents underneath the tree and separate them. It was always one of my favorite things to do.

4. What is your favorite festive food?
Stuffing!

5. What was your favorite Christmas gift? 
Maroon 5 concert tickets!

6. Favorite Christmas scent?
Fresh-baked cookies!

7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?
We always read The Night Before Christmas before we go to bed.

8. What tops your tree?
A star with Mickey Mouse on it. :)

9. As a kid, what was one gift that you always asked for but never got?
A snowboard. I always wanted to learn.

10. What's the best part about Christmas for you?
Everyone is in a good mood and spreading happiness. It's a time to forget about negativity and just embrace the good things in life, like family and friends.

11. What are your favorite things about Christmas?
I love the food, the gift giving and being with my family.

-Chelsea

4 Years

Four years ago today, Kris and I started dating! It's been a tumultuous 4 years. We've been through a lot together. Good times and bad times. We've grown and matured a lot in those 4 years and we continue to fall in love with each other every day. 

I never knew that I'd end up marrying my high school sweetheart but I'm so glad that I did! I'm incredibly lucky and blessed to have him in my life! I love you, baby! Happy anniversary! 

-Chelsea 

The First Snowfall

I'm from Florida but I recently moved up north. And just a few days ago, it snowed here for the first time this winter. I was so excited! I still am! The snow is so beautiful and it's so amazing to look outside my window and see that blanket of snow there. I'm loving every second of the changing of seasons up here. It's refreshing to have a change of scenery even though I do miss Florida. So I couldn't resist posting a few pictures!

-Chelsea 

Listening

People go through rough patches in life. They're inevitable. They're obviously no fun but they help turn us into the people that we are. I haven't had a rough patch for a while now but I just got into one about 3 days ago. Of course, I'm very distraught about it and it's been driving me nuts ever since it started. I've been trying to find a balance between dealing with it and trying not to obsess about it. I can't seem to figure out the best way to handle the situation because most of it is out of my control.

And ever since this rough patch hit, I've been going to Kelsey and Kris for comfort. They weren't able to think of a way to solve my problem but they did help significantly. They listened. They've been listening to me for days. They've also been giving me much-needed reality checks. I've ranted. I've cried. I've gone silent because I didn't want to talk about it anymore. They've really been there for me and honestly, I've never felt so supported by my friends before. It may not seem like much but being listened to and really being heard are some of the best feelings in life. I know that I'll be able to get through this rough patch because of their support. I'm extremely grateful that I don't have to go through this alone.

-Chelsea

October Reading List

Another month has come and gone, so it's time for me to share all of the books that I've had the pleasure of reading for the past few weeks!

1. Sweet Reckoning- I finally finished the Sweet Evil Trilogy and I'm glad that I read it. I gave each book a solid 4/5 star rating. They were fun and entertaining reads. If you're into paranormal romance or angels and demons, then I definitely recommend that you check this out.



2. Pride and Prejudice- This is a re-read. It's actually my favorite classic. It was so much fun to dive back into this world and revisit these characters!



3. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland



4. Maybe One Day- This was recommended to me on Goodreads because I read The Fault in Our Stars. If you liked TFIOS, you'd probably like this.



















5. Since You've Been Gone- I wish that I would've read this over the summer but I didn't have time to get around to it then.

6. The Impossible Knife of Memory



7. Justice for Sara



That's it for this month!

-Chelsea

Why Jax is Amazing

I have been known to brag about my dog on many occasions. I can't help it. He's too cute and wonderful. And a few days ago, I read a blog post written by a fellow blogger/dog-lover. The post explained the many reasons why having a dog is an asset to your life and I couldn't help but agree. So I started to think about why having Jax in my life was such a blessing.

1. He's adorable- How can you not love that face? I mean, seriously. I'm lucky enough to look at that handsome face every single day.

2. Kris and I are his world- He depends on us for everything: food, shelter, grooming, etc. It's so wonderful to know that we've given him a comfortable, stable home. And he appreciates it. It makes us feel really good about rescuing him.

3. He forgives easily- If he misbehaves and we have to yell at him, after about 5 minutes, he comes over to us with his tail wagging, begging for some cuddles.

4. He's a morning person- Jax wakes up earlier than I do but he doesn't wake me up. He simply waits for me to wake up and once I do, he wags his tail and excitedly walks over to me before giving me kisses. I wake up in a good mood every morning because of him.

5. Unconditional love- I've loved him ever since I first laid eyes on him at the shelter. As soon as I saw him, I knew that he was mine. Every time that I look at him, I'm overwhelmed with just how much I love him. If anything ever happened to him, I don't know what I'd do. And I know that he loves me too. It's a very strong bond between us.

Needless to say, Kris and I are very lucky to have him in our lives.

-Chelsea

Currently (7)

I haven't posted what I've been up to in a while, so I figured that today would be as good a day as any to do so!

• Reading: Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor. I'm about 100 pages into it and it's pretty good so far.
• Watching: Revenge and Gilmore Girls: I'm watching them both on Netflix for the first time. (Please hold your surprised gasps because I've never watched Gilmore Girls before.) So far, I like them both but I'm not very far into either of them yet.
• Feeling: Exhausted from all of the time that I've been spending at the gym lately.
• Excited for: Christmas! I know that it's a while away but I'm finally going to get to see my family! It's been months and I'm so ready for that!
• Loving: The weather! This is my first autumn ever and it's amazing! Just going outside for a walk takes my breath away!
• Writing: I've been working on my book, of course. I'm at a critical part in the story and I'm excited to see where the story goes from here!

So that's all that's been going on with me lately! I hope that you all have had a wonderful long weekend!

-Chelsea

Missing Out

As I've mentioned before, I've recently moved out of my mom's place and moved into mine and Kris' first apartment. We moved 1,400 miles and several states away. In doing so, I feel like I've gained a lot of independence and it's refreshing to know that my life is now officially all mine.

However, sometimes being this far away makes me feel sad and disconnected. My little sister just got her driver's license. My dad moved into a new place. My mom got a new dog. While all of these things may seem little and inconsequential, they're significant because they're happening without me. I didn't get to see any of it. I only get to hear about it on the phone or see photos on Facebook. Don't get me wrong, those definitely help but I have no family up here. So it makes me feel like I'm on some other planet. I can't just drive to my mom or dad's house and spend time with my family. 

It shows me how important family is and how important it is to stay in touch with them. I call my family at least twice a week and I make sure that I keep them up to date on everything that's going on in my life. It's not nearly as much as I'd like to do but it's all that I can do. The Skype connection out here is terrible and the few conversations that we've tried have all failed miserably. So we keep it to the phones.

I can't wait to go back home and visit my family. I've been looking forward to it for months and I wish that I could've gotten home sooner. But it will happen in time. And I do know that when I see them again, it will be a tear-filled reunion. So if you are lucky enough to be around your family every day, appreciate them. Tell them you love them. Hug them. Let them know just how important they are because when you do finally leave the nest, you'll miss them more than you ever thought possible. 

-Chelsea 

Ice Cream Book Tag

I found this tag floating around YouTube and I thought that it'd be fun to do! I love books and ice cream, so why not do a tag that puts them together? If you'd like to do this tag, feel free!

1. Peanut Butter: What is a long book series you want to read but probably won't?
The Song of Ice and Fire series. But don't quote me on that. I might actually read it one day.

2. Chocolate: Name a book that you can read over and over again.
The Lightning Thief.

3. Pistachio: Pick a book with a green cover.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

4. Strawberry: Which book has the cutest romance?
That is so hard to pick but I'm going to have to go with My Life Next Door.

5. Lemon: Name a book with a sour ending.
Allegiant, definitely.

6. Mint: Name a children's book that you like.
Because of Winn-Dixie. This book was actually what got me into reading in the first place.

7. Vanilla: What is your favorite classic?
Pride and Prejudice, hands down.

8. Whipped Cream: Name a long book that you finished very fast.
Insurgent and any of the Harry Potter novels.

-Chelsea

Working Out

Last week, I was at a meeting with a friend of mine named Alex. While I was there, I got a text from Kelsey asking me if I wanted to be her workout partner. She wanted someone to work out with every day and she wanted someone to push her. I had been meaning to get back to the gym, so immediately I replied with a yes. She told me that she wanted to start right after I got done with my meeting.

So when it was over, I headed home, changed my clothes and rode with her to the gym. The next day, my legs were absolutely killing me but I was really proud of myself. Since then, we've been going every day together. It's only been a week but I already feel better. I'm proud of myself for getting up every morning and taking care of my body. I wake up every morning with a goal and it keeps me motivated to be healthy and productive. I can't wait to see the benefits of working out religiously as time progresses.

I'm so glad that Kelsey asked me to work out with her and that she pushes me to do more than I thought that I could. I never liked working out by myself and it's nice to know that there's someone that's there for me every day to make it more fun.

-Chelsea

The Lost Hero

I just finished reading The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan and it was amazing! Contrary to what I originally thought, this book doesn't follow Percy Jackson. Instead, it follows a new trio of demigods: Jason, Leo and Piper. They find out that they're demigods and go on a quest to save Hera while each dealing with their own internal struggles. Jason can't remember anything about his past, Piper is also trying to save her father and Leo is dealing with his guilt from his mother's passing years ago.

I loved the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series so much that I was afraid that I wouldn't like this book. But I was oh-so wrong! This book has adventure, comedy, sorrow, memorable new characters mixed in with old and lovable characters and a fantastic story-line. This book definitely has something for everyone. There was adventure around every corner and I absolutely loved how Riordan incorporated the Roman gods into the story as well. It was also really interesting and refreshing to learn more about other gods, such as Aphrodite.

Riordan is clever, witty and keeps you on the edge of your seat, waiting for more. His incorporation of mythology into everyday life is brilliant and this story is no exception. I could not put this book down! If you haven't picked this book up yet, please do! Or, if you haven't read the other Percy Jackson books, I highly recommend that you do! You won't be disappointed!

-Chelsea

How Have I Changed in the Last 5 Years?

I was recently asked this question and it caught me off-guard. I had no idea what to say. In all honesty, I hadn't noticed any changes up until that point. But the more that I thought about it, the more that I realized that I had changed. As someone that is afraid of change, this mind-boggled me. How could I change without noticing it? I don't know. But it happened and I honestly believe that I changed for the better.

Five years ago, I was 16. Sixteen is definitely a very important age for a girl. It's when we have our Sweet 16 parties and people start to recognize us as young women. I look back at my 16-year-old self and for the most part, I'm very proud of her. I got good grades. I had a close group of friends. I never got in trouble. I never did anything to hurt anybody. But I also never lived.

     I'm so proud of Kris and I for venturing out and making the most of this experience.

That is definitely the biggest change in me. I used to sit back on the sidelines of life and watch everybody else live their lives while I only "existed". I was too afraid to put myself out there, meet new people or try new things. My memories from high school consist of me going to football practice, studying for A.P. exams and catching an occasional movie with my friends. I didn't go to parties. I didn't pull any pranks. I didn't venture out and try to make friends with people outside of my circle of friends. And I really wish that I did. Because all that I taught myself was how to do was stay inside my comfort zone, my own little bubble.

Nowadays, I certainly don't "walk on the wild side" but I definitely do what I can so that I don't make those same mistakes again. I'm in my early 20s and 30 years from now, I want to remember my 20s as the best time of my life. I want to look back and remember laughter, friends and new experiences. So I've done what I can to make new friends and find new things to do. In fact, Kris and I are crossing two things off of my "wish list" this weekend. I want to make sure that while I'm an army wife, I take advantage of every place that I get to live and all that those areas have to offer. The old Chelsea would never have done that.

If it wasn't for trying to meet new people, I never would've found this beautiful place. Thanks, Kelsey!

I can proudly say that I have changed for the better. I'm definitely not perfect by any means but I can say that when I reflect back on this part of my life, I'll remember it with fondness and happiness. I'm glad that I've changed. It's allowed me to grow as a person and enjoy my life more than I ever thought possible.

-Chelsea

August Reading List

I cannot believe that another month has come and gone. It's amazing to me that it's already August. It wasn't a great reading month for me. I got into a bit of a slump. But I still managed to get some good reading done. 

1. She Is Not Invisible





2. Half Bad- This is a book that was on my TBR pile for months, so I was really happy to finally cross this one off.

3. The Story of Us 



4. Tease- I actually found this book on accident. I had never heard of it before but I was at the library and the cover drew me in. I'm actually surprised about how much I liked the story. I'm really glad that I picked it up even though it's not what I typically read.



5. Proxy- I was very surprised that I liked this but it was amazing! It was so much fun to jump into this new world! I can't wait to pick up the sequel!

I'm currently reading Amy and Roger's Epic Detour. I'm about 100 pages into it and I'm loving it so far!

-Chelsea