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