7.29.2011 | By: Morgan

Changes

So I went up north to go to the beach with some family for Josiah's first time. It was a lot of fun and I hope we get to do it again this summer :)

While talking with my mom and holding Josiah we were discussing some of the things we're doing and how life is going. She mentioned that it seems like I'm so different and she hopes I don't go too craZy or extreme. I wasn't offended at all. I've made TONS of changes. While mixing my ground up almonds together from waffles that very morning I asked myself "whoa, who is this Morgan and where did the old one go." It's just that I have made many, many changes.

To name a few, in the past year I've
1. Married Nate
2. Moved to Stow
3. Started going to U of Akron
4. Got accustomed to driving/going around a major city
5. Started eating Primal/Paleo (no grains, sugar, dairy, and eating way more veggies then ever before).
6. Started Cross fit (intense training)
7  Lost over 40 lbs
8. Started growing out my relaxed hair and actually appreciating/enjoying my natural hair
9. Got involved in a new church/youth group
10. Made loads of new friends/relationships
11. Started volunteering in Inner-city schools
12. Said goodbye to a friendship that wasn't good for me.
13. Taken on Wifely duties of cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, meal planning, every type of planning, ect.
14. Grown in my relationship with Christ. Not as much as I could have but it's definitely a forward motion, I love Him :)
15. Starting to embrace a "minimalist" approach to life - selling books and items on craigslist.
16. Become the vice president of The Student Social Work League at Akron
17. No cable. (but still Hulu)
18. I have become VERY active. Especially compared to my old lifestyle. Each day has something physical unless it's a planned resting day.
19. I'm reading more on theology and trying to understand God from His/my own point of view
20. Cooking almost every meal from scratch. I'm not talking just "not frozen/microwave" crap, (Gave up the microwave 8 mos ago) but I ground nuts, chop a ton of stuff, make almond butter, and follow recipes. This is so big for me because my life used to be TV dinners or hot pockets and I liked it that way haha. How different.

So basically, yes there have been a ton of changes. They've all happened gradually and as a part of Nate and I building our life together. I think this was actually the easy way to do it: together, during the 1st year, and gradually. Nate didn't push me so I had time to do it for my own reasons. Ok the microwave was strictly me honoring my husband and I almost cried, but now I'm so thankful!

So looking at these changes it's important to reflect and think about how things are going up to this point. I feel and look better than ever. I'm happy and my dispotion on life has grown leaps and bounds - I feel like I have a vision and am going the right direction. So yes while a lot of things are different and I'm no longer the "same Morgan" I feel that I am a much "better Morgan" and rejoice in that.

It took time and it had to be for my own reasoning or else it wouldn't be sticking like it has and I would dread every day.

Nope, my life is wonderful and I'm having a blast. It's great to strive and reach for things - it's great to wonder if next year will be better than this one and place your money on the probability that indeed it will :)

Morgan }|{