Some wedding photos:

July 17th, 2011 (Sunset Hills Vineyard)

I am very blessed.

I’m a 32-year old gal living in Maryland. I am a full-time high school art teacher and a part-time Spinning and Bodypump instructor. In the last year I got married to a wonderful man named Greg who is truly my best friend, and we bought our first home together (not in that order). We have two Golden Retriever pups that we love to death and treat like children.

Hiking with Jackson as a young pup

Exercise and food are a huge part of my life and the older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve understood just how important it is to treat my body with care. I wasn’t always this way, though. Growing up, I was always overweight- anywhere from 30-60 lbs. and reached my pinnacle right after college, topping out around 200 lbs (I’m just over 5’6″). I decided to take control of my life and get healthy, fit and happy once and for all. I joined a gym and started eating better and lost 30 lbs. in a short amount of time. And then stayed right there… for a while. It wasn’t until I really started be aware of what I was putting into my body (which was a lot of artificial, pre-packaged, processed crap) and changed my workouts from just zoning out on the elliptical (and barely breaking a sweat) that I really noticed a change. I started taking Spin and Bodypump classes and ate only whole, minimally processed (mostly) organic foods. 30 more lbs. came off and I felt better than ever.

Hiking in Harper's Ferry, WV

Biking in Vail, CO (we got engaged about an hour after this!)

I’ve battled with food and body image my whole life, and that will never go away. I seem to go up and down with the same 10 lbs. (or so) throughout the year, and would like to continue to work on myself and stop gaining and losing those same stubborn pounds. I’ve done a lot of damage to my metabolism through dieting and over-exercise, and am working to to stabilize it now.  I do continue to challenge myself in my workouts and love to seek out new adventures.

I became a certified Spinning instructor in February 2009 and teach two weekly classes EARLY in the morning – and I absolutely LOVE IT! I recently also became a Bodypump instructor- the training for it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done physically and mentally. I love being outside more than anything and hiking and trail running are my favorite ways to get out and exercise. Recently I’ve gotten into yoga, and it’s made me see life in a whole new way (and taught me the importance of slowing down and taking care of your body).

Pikes Peek 10k - one of my favorite races to run each year!

I’m a foodie through and through and live for farmer’s markets and trips to Whole Foods. The hubs and I love to cook dinner together and enjoy a great glass of wine and/or craft beer. I have been slowly teaching him how to be passionate and expressive about food- it’s one of the greatest joys of life!

At The Pines vineyard in The Dalles, OR

Goonies never say die!

One of my greatest passions in life is introducing people to things that I love. I’m a teacher by nature, whether it’s in my professional or personal life- I love sharing knowledge.

Life’s too short to not enjoy the simple pleasures (like a great big bowl of oatmeal after a morning workout)! Thanks for stopping by my blog- enjoy!