Merry Christmas!

Merry Merry Christmas! It was a wonderful day here at the Skrobacz house yesterday, and we even had a white Christmas! The first Christmas gift came on Christmas Eve when I was able to attend Christmas Eve Mass with my parents and a couple of my siblings. My heart was so happy to be there with everyone. I loveeee going to mass so when my family goes, too, it brings me more joy than I can say! 

We slept in on Christmas morning, and after getting up and having a cup of coffee, Kate and Nathan came up from their place in Boulder. Every Christmas morning, we start out with my dad reading a list of exciting events that have happened for each person in our family throughout the previous year. It's wonderful to reflect on the blessings of the year. More and more I am realizing that sometimes crosses become very heavy during life, so the list my dad reads is a great reminder of the joys in life that we have to carry us! After my dad reads the list, we open "secret santa" gifts. Instead of getting something little for everyone, we all draw names from a hat at Thanksgiving and get one nice thing for one person in the family. After secret santas, we open our stockings and then the rest of the gifts under the tree. I think this year more than any other, the best gift of all was to be with family. I think I can speak for everyone when I say that we all enjoyed the company of one another this year and felt refreshed. After gifts, we all had a little breakfast and relaxed. Then, I went down to visit Kathy and Jen and give them their gifts. My heart ached missing our little brother, Connor, so I was glad to just enjoy some time with Kathy and Jen. Here's my girl during our visit: 

PS- melts my heart when she does the squinty nose smile. I just love this pretty lady. 

After visiting for a few hours with them, I returned home and our family decorated gingerbread houses- such fun! Then we cleaned up and made room for the feast my mom was preparing all day. She's a wonderful cook and I'm so grateful for the family dinners spent laughing, sharing, and loving around the dining room table.

I think another joy from this Christmas was the joy I felt from my family and friends supporting me pursing what I love. My parents put a stuffed animal horse in my stocking and it was so endearing to me. I brought it to Jen's to show her and she wanted to name him "Bud"... so Bud it is. I also may or may not have made my gingerbread house into a "gingerbread barn". It gives me so much hope that my family believes in me and inspires me to want to encourage others to pursue what brings them joy. 

So as we enter into 2015, I hope to continue seeking a deeper relationship with God so that I may come to a better understanding of who He created me to be. I feel more and more alive every time I leave the riding center, so I can't help but believe that this is a part of what shapes my heart and soul. My older sister, Kate, told me last week that she heard this quote- "If something is both terrifying and  amazing, pursue it with all your heart." As I've mentioned, I couldn't be more grateful for the love and support of family and friends. Wishing everyone a very God blessed, happy, healthy, and self-loving year ahead! 

Fuel For Life

I've debated whether or not to write about this but I figured I would. I'm a pretty open book and if nothing else, it's good for me to look back on these posts to see where I've been. 

When I was a sophomore in college my doctor pulled gluten out of my diet. Being a college student and then fresh out of college with no money, I wasn't able to stick to it all of the time. I tried my best to stay away from it, especially at home, so that when I would go out to eat or there weren't other options, I would allow myself to have it. I've worked with my doctor regularly since then, and this week he laid down the law again... time to really focus on eliminating gluten and sugar from my regular diet. My body really doesn't process gluten, yeast, and sugar well. Gluten isn't as much of a problem for me as sugar--- #chocoholic. I am hoping that by writing about it on my blog, I'll be able to be more honest with you/myself and hold myself more accountable. I'll try not to be obsessive about it, but since it needs to be my lifestyle 100% of the time, you may see it come up once in a while. I have a deep desire for a simple life, and while it can be challenging to see resistance of temptations like food as "simple", the idea of a simple diet has always been so appealing to me. If we think about some of our ancestors, they lived on a verryyyy simple diet. None of this processed food. Yes, it tastes great, but it doesn't fuel our bodies as natural, whole foods do. Anyways, here begins my journey of really dedicating my diet to food that fuels my body. 

I feel like my previous post and this one have been very open and honest about some of the ways I'm changing my life... I guess you could say a mini "quarter life crisis".... but I can also say I feel like I'm simply becoming more fully me and pursing the things that make me the best version of myself. As many women do, I sometimes struggle with finding ways to love myself. I've realized that I actually DO loveeee that I love the simple, western life style. It lights a fire in my soul. I realize life is a journey filled with many ups and downs, but I'm trying to figure out how to have more "ups" than "downs". I'm excited to see how doors open in 2015 for me to pursue the healthiest ..."unbridled".... version of myself <3 font="" nbsp="">

Back in the Saddle Again

Well, it's been quiteeee some time since i've made any entries and I'm not sure anyone follows this anymore, but I would like to get "back in the saddle again" and write on here more, simply to document my journey and have something to look back upon. 

The greatest joy in my life right now is volunteering and riding at Colorado Springs Therapeutic Riding Center. I spend Sundays working with the kiddos and get to ride myself on Fridays. I absolutely love every minute I get at the riding center. It truly is what brings me joy and I am so grateful for the opportunities I've been given to participate so much at CSTRC! I have fallen in love with the horses there and it's been neat to nourish friendships with them, too. After talking with many wonderful friend and family, I've come to a new understanding of pursing the things we love. I'm not quite sure if I can express the passion and love I have for the riding center... so I suppose it is what I must pursue! My friend, Erin, asked me tonight if I would call it an "unbridled love" hahaha... punny and YES! Unbridled love :) The riding center empowers the kids that ride and has truly changed so many lives, including my own. For those who don't know, the horses's gait is closest to that of a human, so it's very physically therapeutic for people, as well as emotionally and mentally. My friend, Jen, has been taking lessons since she was very young. She's the reason I started volunteering at therapeutic riding centers. I would go with her and watch when we were little, and when I was old enough, I started volunteering and helping with her lessons. Her mom, Kathy, swears by therapeutic riding and believes it's the only physical therapy that has worked for Jen. I have to agree. When I side-walked with Jen in high school, she was very weak and had little to no core strength. It would take myself and another person walking next to the horse just to hold her up straight on the horse. Kathy recently sent me a photo of Jen (below) and, while she still needs some assistance, her strength is clearly much improved and I was impressed to see that one of the sidewalkers is basically just there as a spotter! The slogan at CSTRC is "the ultimate horse power" and indeed, it is! The second picture below is Jen getting kisses from Sugar after a lesson :) 

When I grow up I wanna be like Jen, so I guess an obvious first step is to get up on the horse every week, right?! ;) Here's me on Broadway, my main man at CSTRC.

Thanks for riding along with me on this journey... It's wonderful to share with so many beautiful people. More to follow... 

Losing weight vs losing weight

Why hello! It's been a little while... The working world gets in the way sometimes ;) Things are going well with my job. I was given the opportunity to go on an installation in Nebraska last week- it was great to see a project come to life! :)

I've been feeling called to write about my Lenten journey for this year which will require me to be pretty open and honest... but hey, we're all wounded, right!? This year, I felt convicted when someone asked how our Lenten sacrifices or "fasts" will bring us closer to God. So many people, especially us ladies, give up chocolate or cookies in hopes of losing weight. While I don't judge anyone who is doing this and can totally relate to this desire because I've been guilty of it in the past, my perspective changed this year. I was thinking about the idea of "losing weight". I really feel that Lent is not about losing weight in the physical sense, but rather losing the weight of a cross we bear by drawing close to God. For me, my fast relates to food but let me explain... Here's where I get honest- before Lent started, I snacked a lottt when I got home from work. I didn't really even think about it sometimes. So, I decided to give up snacking and try to better plan my meals for weeknights, remembering that it's more about being healthy and taking care of my body than controlling the food I eat. Let me also say that I've already failed a couple times since lent has begun. I'm human and I'm far from perfect. But I'm still trying. And praying. A lot. And that's where I try to focus on being happy and healthy in my relationship with God... not losing weight physically, but rather spiritually. Last time I checked, Christ endured the biggest cross of all- so what makes us think He can't help us with our crosses? In being obedient to God through a "fast" during Lent, we can only grow stronger in our faith, so long as our focus and fasts are purposeful. If Jesus fasted for 40 days, so can we... and we don't have to do it alone!  I am so grateful for my family and friends who are willing to meet me where I'm at and love me through my "human-ness"... I've been very blessed by so many peoples' insights, perspectives, and experiences. Chances are, you who are reading this, are one of those people. And chances are, the cross you bear has been endured by another person you know, and that someone is willing to walk with you as a "Simon" figure, lifting a little bit of the weight. My hope is that everyone would know how much they are loved and come to a greater understanding of their worth in Christ, sharing the crosses we bear during this Lenten season.

As a final note, I want to mention that so often we feel "controlled" by things like religion or traditions in the church... or like it's "weird" to be so devout, or that those who don't have the "right" focus for Lent are doing it "wrong".  I put quotes around "right" and "wrong" because I don't have the answers to everything. I may think I know in my heart what is "right" but that doesn't mean that someone else's way/opinion that is different than mine is "wrong"... Again it comes back to trust in the Lord, asking HIM for the answers to what you should be doing as an individual for Lent, and making your time purposeful for your life and relationship with God. God loves each of us and wants to make the most of our life. The way we respond can either make the weight of our cross heavier or lighter... the choice is up to us.

"The God of angel armies is always by my side" - Chris Tomlin

All things new

Oh boy... It's been a while since I've posted because lots has changed! I've barely been online at all because I've been in the process of moving to Colorado Springs to work at a design firm! God's truly had a hand in all of this... Of course I've done some of the leg work but I've tried to trust fully on His will. It's worked out pretty well so far and I'm challenged each day to remain completely reliant on Him. I will say my Nana seems to be present in all of this too... Before I got hired, I had to come to two different interviews. On my way to the second interview, I was praying/thinking of my Nana and about 10 seconds later, a car drove by with the license plate "NANANME" (nana 'n me)... crazy or what!? Soo... they hired me part time and I decided to move and look for another part time job... three weeks later, they hired me on full time! They specialize in specialty clinics (eye doctors, surgical centers, etc) so it's just what I was looking for... again, a great gift! I got to start designing this past week... I'm working on a remodel for a pediatric center. It's exciting to see the work of my degree come in to fruition. I still have the thought of teaching in my head but I'm excited and thankful for this experience. It's definitely opening my eyes to the stresses and realities of the working world but for now, I'm just trying to stay present in each moment and enjoy this new adventure! I know there's a lot more to discuss but I have to get myself together for the week. Hope all are well!

Oh... PS- my mom and I went up to Peak to Peak highway a few weeks ago before I moved and saw this... pretty amazing

Waiting

I've been doing a lot of waiting recently. The more I think about it, a lot of life involves waiting. Waiting, listening, and acting. Waiting for a job, waiting for the mail, waiting for your wedding day when you're engaged, waiting 9 months for a behbeh, waiting at a red light, waiting in line at the grocery store. At the moment, I've been waiting to hear from prospective employers, waiting to hear God's call, waiting for my slowww computer to load, waiting for yummy meals to finish cooking, waiting to see if I'll EVER overcome the desire for chocolate all day err day (hahaha yeah right), waiting for my turn to use the car, waiting for my seeeesters to come home. So what do I do as I wait? Do I waste time on Pinterest/Facebook? Do I let my mind wander where it shouldn't? Or do I take care of myself? Do I embrace the silence? Do I make good use of my time? Do I spend time with God? That last one's should be no question... Yet some days I find myself going through the day and the most time I spend with God is a small meditation for 5 minutes. I guess it's better to be connecting in some small way than not at all. A good friend from GSV recently sent me a blog about waiting. The part that stuck out to me was when the blogger said that we may be waiting to hear from someone (a phone call, response to an application, email, facebook, etc) but the reality is that God is always calling us and always waiting for us. How will we respond? In the Christmas clay-mation "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town", one of the songs is called "One Foot in Front of the Other". It's that simple?! Easier said than done... One day at a time, we can figure out one thing at a time, while we wait and listen to God's call in His time.

As I mentioned, my mom and I have been waiting for food to finish cooking because we've been trying to make some Pinterest recipes. I pin sooo many recipes but never try them. So my mom and I decided to try at least one new recipe per week... It's a lot of fun! Here's what we've tried...

Turkey Stuffed Peppers 

(Delish! http://www.skinnytaste.com/2008/11/turkey-stuffed-peppers-45-pts.html)

Kale Smoothies 

(I used nonfat plain greek yogurt- very good and really good for you! http://taste-for-adventure.tablespoon.com/2012/05/11/strawberry-kale-smoothie/?nicam4=SocialMedia&nichn4=Facebook&niseg4=Tablespoon&nicreatID4=Post)

Santa Strawberries
(I made this just because we had extra chocolate frosting from my mom's bday... bit of a fail you might say hahahaha may be cuter if I tried to do it right. Joe ate the three little guys I made so I guess they were tasty... just not so attractive ;) http://pinterest.com/pin/87116574012918057/)

Shrimp Stir-fry

Lucy and I just made this up... 1 red pepper, 1 orange pepper, broccoli, carrots sliced, snap peas, some toasted sesame seeds, garlic powder, a little bit of sesame oil... stirfry all the veggies together and then add the cooked shrimp! 

Sesame Sticks 

(these are from the flat belly diet cookbook)

I don't have photos for these but they look like the photos on the websites:

Bruschetta Chicken
(We used italian dressing and it turned out just as tasty! http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2009/04/grilled-bruschetta-chicken.html) 

Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole
(Not my favorite- although I looooove broccoli and cauliflower. The marjoram in the Italian seasoning was what made it a little bit too much for me... it may be better w/o the seasoning... http://www.mccormick.com/Recipes/Vegetables/Broccoli-Cauliflower-Casserole.aspx)

Spinach salad with avacado, chicken and goat cheese
(We used feta- I love goat cheese but we had feta at home so that's what we used :) http://www.recipegirl.com/2012/04/02/spinach-salad-with-chicken-avocado-and-goat-cheese/)

Now that I've spent my "waiting" time writing this blog, I think my next step is back to my job search... Cheers to putting one foot in front of the other! 

Home

I am soo happy to be home! Family, friends, mountains and 4 country stations FTW!

I have nothing but time to job search and reflect on my year in New Jersey... which can be a blessing or a curse depending on how I let my mind wander ;) Some days are like this: 

And then you have days like this: 

I couldn't be happier to be back in Colorado. There's something about the simplicity of life here that I love so much. I got back from NJ just in time to go to the Larimer County Fair... the epitome of country: Country music, beer, mountains in the background, animals. Winning! We walked around and looked at all the animals... I love the horses but I decided I also love the pygmy goats... sooo cute

My whole family was home for the past two weeks. Kate went back to WA today :( We had fun together while we were all here... ermergersh! soooo many laughs. Kate, Lucy and I went to the lake to the "beach" the other day. Not the same as the real beach, obviously, but I still loved it :) 

I've been to two weddings since I've been back. Congrats Molly and Mikey and Cesca and Joseph!!! It was so good to see so many friends from CSU... Today, I got to catch up with Steph Pott between the ceremony and reception. Steph and I have so many pictures in so many random places... a pink castle in some airport on our way to Florida, Times Square in NYC,  the boardwalk in New Jersey, an old church in the upper east side in NYC, the trolley in fort collins today just to name a few... 

I miss hanging out with everyone all the time when we were all in Foco! How is it that college came and went so quickly!? Lucy leaves for college in two weeks and it's bringing me back to when  I went to college. Some of it I don't remember (like how I shoved all my stuff in a little dorm room) but some of it is fun to think about... Who knows, maybe one day I'll be back in school... for now it's just job searching (everything from healthcare interior design positions to nannying, retail and assistant teaching positions) and catching up on life. It's been an adjustment to merge my life in CO with my service life in NJ. A bit more challenging than what I expected buuuut yet another learning opportunity. As my GSV roommate, Christina, said, "Well... this is something we've never done before..." Normally, I'd giver her sass and say "deep, Christina, reaaaaally deep." ;) but I think that's actually a great motto... every day, even if it's the same routine, is different and full of new experiences giving us different perspectives. Grab a brew and enjoy the little moments! As I continue my job/life search, I find a lot of hope in the conviction I had to come home. I am so certain God was calling me back to Colorado, so there's no doubt about me being home. It's just a matter of trying different doors to see which one has the right path for me!