What I Do: {My Daily Life}

With Mike working 8 1/2 hours a day and studying for the bar another 4 to 5 hours, I spend most of my day alone. And as much as that sounds like I am looking for pity, I am actually pretty good at filling my days.

I've been doing these workouts. This girl is tough. She makes me sore. And that makes me happy.

I watch a whole lot of HBO.

I read {currently reading Killing Lincoln}.

I watch the maids. Yes, we have maids. And its very awkward to sit here while they clean. But on the flip side, I'm not leaving cuz I plain have trust issues. But yay for a clean house!

When I feel excited and like I want to get downright sweaty, I actually do venture outside. Sometimes I'll go down to the mall and hit up a museum. I frequent the grocery store a few times a week. I regularly walk down to Mike's work at quitting time and walk back home with him {that's my favorite 30 minutes of the day}. We walk everywhere {except church}. Which is actually pretty awesome. It gives us more time outdoors. Once you make peace with the fact that you just kinda always have a stench and a small stream running down your back, the walk can actually be quite pleasant.

I eat delicious food.

I play with my blog template. Which you may notice is a bit different today. And don't be surprised if you see some pretty constant tweaks here and there. I have a lot of time on my hands!

So what may seem like a really boring, unemployed life, is actually very scintillating to me. I enjoy my days so much and I am really having a blast here in Washington D.C.

Many of these pictures were taken via instagram. You can follow me @abbys14.

What We Read: {Divergent}

 

Welp. I have another book review for you guys!

We actually finished this one over a month ago, but I'm just getting around to sharing the wonderfulness of this book...

Divergent.

I loved this book.

It's not quite as good as The Maze Runner series or The Hunger Games series, but it is definitely worth the read.

Its all the same idea as those other books. You know the dystopian type that seem all the rage these days.

Who needs vampires when you have psycho controlling futuristic societies?!

Here is the synopsis from the authors website...

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her.
And the sequel Insurgent comes out in 19 days...so you better hurry up and get your read on.

What I'm Thinking: {Confessions}

I like to wear my husbands shirts.



I've worn this shirt three days in a row.

Our goal to finish the Book of Mormon was yesterday. I'm currently in Alma. Don't fret, we are working hard to finish, and our reward will be seeing The Hunger Games.

I'm not nearly as excited to see The Hunger Games as I thought I would be. It better be worth the high theater prices I'll be paying.

I hate wearing sunscreen. Therefore resulting in quite the sunburn on Saturday.

Burning your hand sucks.

We don't watch General Conference. Okay, that's not entirely true. If we are home we do. But since living in OK, we have created the tradition of going to Dallas over conference weekend. We have family that come up from Houston to meet us. I know, shameful. But I do catch up on a fair amount of the talks later. Promise.

I'm going to Dallas this weekend!

Oh and I have a boyfriend.

He also happens to be Mike's best friend. Don't worry, Mike knows all about it.

What We're Doing: {BOM Challenge}

I was in need of a little spiritual upliftment.

See, Mike and I read our scriptures and pray together daily. It's how we keep our marriage so dang awesome. Right now, we are in the midst of what seems to be the never ending Old Testament. Don't get me wrong, I love the bible, but man is it long. 

So I said to Mike, Babe, I need to increase my spirituality. What should I do?

And you KNOW what that returned missionary said to me.
Yeah, you know.

You read The Book of Mormon.

Silly me. Why didn't I think of that?
Oh good call, yes I will do that. 

But you see, he doesn't stop there. Reading The Book of Mormon gets him all excited, or something. So he says that we should do a challenge! We will read The Book of Mormon together {but separate, if you get my drift} and we have to be finished by March 25th. Why March 25th? Who knows.

But then you know that you can't create a challenge without having some sort of reward at the end. At least that's what Mike says. So he says, What should be our prize?

And that is where we are stuck. I asked him last night if he thought of a prize, and he suddenly came up with the idea that because The Book of Mormon reading challenge was his idea, that I have to be the one to come up with the prize. And without missing a beat I said, Well really, we should be doing it anyway so we don't need a prize.

So we'll see if that gets me off the hook. Cuz I got nothing. Obviously its gotta be something that we can both benefit from. And we have no free time so it can't be a trip {extravagant, I know, but when I think of prizes, I think of vacations...it's how this little brain of mine functions}. And we have no money anyway, so its gotta be cheap. And it can't be something that we were going to do/buy anyway, because that's just not a good prize.

Ideas?

{For more information on what I believe, click this link}

What We Read: {The Death Cure}

Ah. The final book in The Maze Runner series. Check. {Of course, until August when the prequel, The Kill Order, comes out!} With the long holiday weekend, what better way to spend it than reading Mike a good book. And to finish a book series? Success. I do have to say though, that of the three books, this was easily my least favorite. Exciting? Of course. But it just didn't captivate me quite like The Maze Runner or The Scorch Trials. However, it's still a fantastic series, and I definitely give it my recommendation.

Here is the short synopsis pulled from the authors website: {once again, probably shouldn't read it until you read the first two books}

Thomas knows that Wicked can't be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they've collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. It's up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test. What Wicked doesn't know is that something's happened that no Trial or Variable could have foreseen. Thomas has remembered far more than they think. And he knows that he can't believe a word of what Wicked says. The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine. Will anyone survive the Death Cure? 

What We Read: {The Scorch Trials}

Over a month ago, we finished book two of The Maze Runner series. It.Was.Awesome. I felt the need to blog about the fact that we finished it, even if the blog came a month late. Can't leave you hanging with just the first book! {We are actually well into book three now.} I think this book was better than the first. It's a tough call. But this book had way more surprises. Things I definitely didn't see coming. If you haven't started reading it based off of my book one recommendation, then I suggest you get your name on the library list now, because its getting long. And as soon as the movie cast is announced {movie to come out in 2013}, this book will explode. And then good luck getting it at the library. Here is the synopsis for The Scorch Trials. {Probably shouldn't read it if you have yet to read book one and plan to.} Once again, pulled off the authors website.

Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end. No more puzzles. No more variables. And no more running. Thomas was sure that escape meant he and the Gladers would get their lives back. But no one really knew what sort of life they were going back to.

In the Maze, life was easy. They had food, and shelter, and safety . . . until Teresa triggered the end. In the world outside the Maze, however, the end was triggered long ago.

Burned by sun flares and baked by a new, brutal climate, the earth is a wasteland. Government has disintegrated-and with it, order-and now Cranks, people covered in festering wounds and driven to murderous insanity by the infectious disease known as the Flare, roam the crumbling cities hunting for their next victim . . . and meal.

The Gladers are far from finished with running. Instead of freedom, they find themselves faced with another trial. They must cross the Scorch, the most burned-out section of the world, and arrive at a safe haven in two weeks. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.

Thomas can only wonder-does he hold the secret of freedom somewhere in his mind? Or will he forever be at the mercy of WICKED?

What We Read: {The Maze Runner}

I read. And I love it. But to make it even better, I read out loud to Mike. I love the bonding time that it gives us. It can be difficult at times because I can't just pick up our book and read any time I want, I have to wait for both of us to be available. But its something that we really enjoy doing together.

So, have you guys read this yet? We just finished The Maze Runner a couple of days ago. Oh.heavens. It is so good. I'm not gonna lie, it took me a while to get into it. The way the characters in the book speak is a little different, and because I read out loud, it was very difficult for me get the flow. But the flow came. And so did our love for this book. And the best part? It's a series. So we have already started book two. Then on to book three. And guess what? The author just announced the prequel to The Maze Runner coming out in 2012. I love book series.

Oh. And. A now very common term of endearment in my marriage is calling one another a shank. Reminds us of the little thing we share.

For those interested, I pulled the synopsis from the author's website, so you could all get a little taste of this awesomeness.

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he's not alone. When the lift's doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade--a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they've closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up--the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

The Council of Dads

I just finished reading "The Council of Dads" by Bruce Feiler. This was a fantastic book. I think the thing that I liked most about this book is it reminded me of certain things that I want to make sure that I incorporate into my parenting when I have kids.

Approach the cow

Pack your flip-flops

Don't see the wall

Tend your tadpoles

Live the questions

Harvest miracles

Also:

Always learn to juggle on the side of a hill

Take a walk with a turtle

Hug the monster

These things may not mean much as written, but when you learn the story in the book that goes behind each of these phrases, you will learn why they are so important. This is the type of book that you want to own, so that you can highlight the multiple lessons that are learned.

One day I'll buy it, and I'll reread it with my highlighter.