Everyone always thinks that it's the major events in a young couple's relationship that helps shape the direction they end up going. I agree to some degree, but my thoughts are that Jesse and I seem to be able to stray away from the major events and let the everyday events shape our relationship.
Valentine's Day was a nice occasion to celebrate, but it shouldn't be just once a year that you give of yourself to your significant other, but often throughout the year.
Sunday
"A Slice of Heaven" comes to mind when I recall the life I've been fortunate to lead ever since Jesse stepped into it. There is a time when people consider their lives to be too fast or just plain ole busy; I felt that way this Sunday after my shift at work. Even though I just wanted to come home from work and relax, Jesse and I chose to go to church almost immediately after I got off. It's nice to know that, despite my coming home from work completely worn out, we both believe in something so heartily that we choose to spend an hour of together in silence for something we value so deeply.
Monday
Jesse had work while I was in class, and then I went to work after class. Luckily for me, Jesse wasn't too far away, volunteering with a local non-profit (Project Purr) at kiosk nearby. Granted it was not the best time at work having customer issues, but Jesse said something to me that made me realize just how happy I am with her: "Even when you are having the worst night at work and are so frustrated that you are angry, you treat me no differently than you have before. You gave me the gentlest hug and sweetest kiss as if nothing were wrong in the world." That made me realize that I treat and act with Jesse like I did when I played sports. When I cross the chalked line and onto the playing field, I block out all the exterior events and noises and only focus on whats going on inside the chalk.
I surprised Jesse by stopping by after work to see her, even though I had said I needed to relax so I wouldn't take my bad day out on her. My stress relief is typically to cook, so Jesse was shocked when I decided that at 10 P.M., we were going to have a crab boil, minus the crab, but with red potatoes, sausage, garlic, and mushrooms.
Crab Boil Potatoes, Sausage, Mushrooms, and Garlic
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| Yum!! Sorry the picture is minus the mushrooms. Yes, I did have a little too much water in the pot, so we had a mess to clean up. (Jesse, you were correct.) |
Recipe:
65.5 oz Red Potatoes
(roughly 25 potatoes)
28 oz Jennie-O Turkey Kielbasa (14 servings)
8 oz (or more) whole button mushrooms
1 head of garlic
5.5 oz Louisiana Fish Fry Crab & Shrimp Boil
The serving sizes for the following nutrition:
2 oz of Sausage
1 Red Potatoes
Nutrition Per Serving:
Sausage:
Calories: 90, Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 30mg, Sodium: 897mg, Carbs: 1g, Fiber: 0g, Sugars: 1g, Protein: 8g
Red Potatoes:
Calories: 10, Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 194.4mg, Carbs: 2.3g, Fiber: 1g, Sugars: 0.5g, Protein: 1.4g
Tuesday
Just an ordinary day with school and work for both Jesse and I. After we both got home, I had the brilliant idea of going to Walmart at 9:30 P.M. to buy groceries. I say brilliant considering I hadn't eaten dinner yet, and Jesse ate dinner four hours earlier. Needless to say, we might have been buying groceries with our stomachs rather than our initial "shopping list" plan. Granted we did buy healthy items or ingredients to make healthy dishes, but we also learned to eat dinner before making a grocery run.
I think there are some things people dread doing, and grocery shopping is typically one of those things. As I said earlier, it's the little things that shape a relationship....even going grocery shopping is enjoyable for Jesse and I to do together.
Wednesday
Not only did I get a nice stretch in at the gym before class, but after class when I got back to Baton Rouge, Jesse and I enjoyed a nice jog around the LSU lakes at sunset. We both built up a nice sweat in the cold, but if the frigid (Yes, I said frigid.... we are from Louisiana and frigid is anything below 60 degrees) wind can help you lose weight, we should have lost an additional 10 lbs each.
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| Taken at the 2 mile mark of our 4 mile run! Having a great jog in the winter night. |
We all enjoyed Zippy's in Baton Rouge, LA. The easiest way to describe Zippy's is a mom-and-pop Subway for Mexican food. How healthy was it you might ask? Probably not that great, but we tried to make good choices. Jesse had a veggie burrito, minus the flour tortilla. So basically she had a bowl of veggies (grilled onions, bell peppers, mushroom, black beans, corn, salsa, and a little rice. No cheese or sour cream; she's going dairy-free for Lent). I can honestly say she eats less meat than I do vegetables, haha. I, on the other hand, had ground beef soft tacos (ground beef, cheese, and salsa). Soft tacos homemade tend to be healthier, so I am content with the decision versus getting a quesadilla or a chimichanga.
What better way to end the night?? No other way except to stop in at Whole Foods for some fresh fruit and coconut yogurt (for Jesse's dairy free life) to prep for our first try at protein pancakes. Yes, we are taking part in National Pancake Week. (I think IHOP invented it for a promotion, haha)
AND... my parents texted me on the way to Whole Foods just to say how much they enjoy having Jesse as a part of my life. I mean, how nice is it to have family that enjoys spending time with their children's significant others?? I always hear horror stories about in-laws from all my married friends.
Thursday
We had a pretty standard day as usual with both of us at school during the day. The great thing about it was that I was off from work for the second night in a row, so I could spend some time with my sweetheart.
When I first got to Jesse's, we left out and stopped at Whole Foods for some Almond Milk. Jesse ran in while I was on the phone with my mother. My mom had been up at the hospital earlier in the day for a relative's injury, which spurred her to think of me and Jesse. A relative had been in the gym and apparently brushed up against a machine and had a cut which got infected over 2-3 weeks time. While my mother was at the hospital, the doctor was telling the relatives that it is actually a common thing for people who typically go to the gym to get an infection such as this. The doctor stated that if the infection gets down into the bone, then the leg or arm has to be cut open to clean all the infection out, with the worst case scenario being amputation. So after my mom heard this, Jesse and I received a phone call warning us about wiping down all the equipment before and after use and to wear pants and clothing that covered bare skin to help prevent cuts that could be infected.
While I finished the conversation with my mom, we drove over to the local animal vet office to pick up Marco (the foster cat) from being neutered. Fortunately for us there were no issues, unlike the young girl behind us in line. As we are waiting for Marco to be brought from the back of the office, the lady behind the counter asks the young girl if she needed help. The young girl steps forward and responds, "I'm not sure if I spoke to you on the phone, but I called about this earlier. I brought my dog in here back in April 2012 to be neutered, well..... he's still got his testicles. I know he has one for sure, I've seen it hanging." The look on most of people around the counter was priceless, and almost immediately and involuntarily I say, "Well this just turned rather awkward for him." Needless to say, we grabbed Marco and ran for the car, hoping they took care of him correctly.
After we got home from picking up Marco, we moved some furniture around in the living room so that we could do a core body circuit.
Core Body Circuit:
- Wall Sit
- Lunges
- Squats
- Planks
- Sit-Ups
- Push-Ups
- Leg Raises
- Bicep Curls
- Chest Expander
- Superman's
Each exercise was 1 minute, with a 15 second rest in between each rotation. We ended up completing 2 rounds of the circuit before we were worn out and starving.
Next up on the agenda was our first try at protein pancakes, which were delicious might I add. We finished up eating dinner and watching The Biggest Loser episode from Monday on the DVR.
Question: You've seen the type of week we've had, what kind of week would be your "Slice of Heaven?"
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