Five Months and Three Months

Five months ago I met the love of my life.

Okay, we all know how sappy I can get since meeting my Mountain Man, but I sat down to write and stared at a blank screen for long enough. Which is when I decided to start typing the first thoughts that came to mind. Let me try again.

It's been five months since I met Craig and I couldn't be happier, more in love, or feel more blessed.

Still too much? I'll just move on. Why is the five month mark significant? Because as of today, Craig is gone for the summer and I'll be lucky if I get to see him more than twice until he gets back for good in mid August. He left for Utah, where he will be based out of for a summer of fire fighting. I'm extremely proud of him for choosing a job that requires so much commitment. Not only does he give up his summer, he must be in excellent physical condition and works very hard to stay in shape and be ready for work. And c'mon, he's a firefighter, what isn't to love about that?

While trying my hardest to hold back tears, we said our goodbyes. Okay, so I let a few slip. If you know me, you know this is a complete lie. I'm a crier. His shirt was wet and black with my mascara when I finally let him go.  It was definitely not an easy goodbye. And yes, this is the first time I have had to say goodbye to someone I love, who will be gone for an extended period of time. I truly admire those of you that have to do this often or for an even longer time. I know this isn't the end of the world, it's just so hard to say goodbye and see you in three months!

But where, oh where, does the time go? It seems like just yesterday I still had three months until he would leave. And now it's time and he's gone. Before I throw myself a lonely pity party, let me just say that these past five months have been the best months of my life. So what if the upcoming three are a little lonely? He'll be back at the end of the summer and then we can make up for lost time. And yes, three months is exactly how much time I have to wait for him to return.

Not that I plan on sitting at home, knitting him a scarf for when he returns. I don't even know how to knit. And as much as he loves me, I doubt he'd wear a scarf. Actually, I know he wouldn't. Maybe a beanie? Anyway, that's not the point. The point is that I will miss him terribly. So much so that I have to keep myself busy and focused. What am I focusing on? Oh, just a few goals I have set for myself. Ones that I am aiming to have reached by the end of the summer when he returns. So not only will I be counting down the days. Literally. But as I get closer and closer to attaining my goals, I will know that I am also closing the gap between the time he left to the time he comes home.

Curious about my goals? I knew you would be. Here they are, all typed into my blog so that not only do the Mountain Man and I know them but now you do to. And now I must reach them.

Debt Free. If openness was an issue for me we'd have a problem here. I also wouldn't have a blog. Lucky for you, it's not. I have mentioned this in a previous post, but I am living the consequences of a previous swipe-of-the-plastic-credit-card addiction. Luckily, I'm not too far in the hole. But I'm hoping to be completely debt free by September, if not the end of the summer. Totally doable. I just need to make sure I put my blinders on when I walk near a mall, store, cafe, restaurant, or any other indulgence that could send me into a shopping frenzy. And fear not, I have taken care of those tempting little squares of plastic that have whispered over my shoulder as I looked at purchases I could not afford. They are frozen in water in an empty peanut butter jar in my freezer. Where they shall remain until all debts are paid. And then the Mountain Man and I will have a pizza party while we watch them melt. Who says grown up goals can't be celebrated with a good ol' pizza party?

Stella & Dot. Have you heard? No, because I haven't told you. A few moths ago I became an independent stylist with Stella & Dot, a jewelry company with b-e-a-utiful jewelry! Unfortunately, I haven't been very committed to getting it going as a successful business and I plan to change that this summer. Here's the website if I've peaked your interest:

www.stelladot.com/EricaJensen

Please do contact me if you have any questions or would like to host a Trunk Show. Hosting is FUN. I do all the work and you and your best gal pals get to play with jewelry. Plus, as a hostess, you receive 25% of the Trunk Show profits in FREE JEWELRY. But enough of the sales pitch. My goal is to build my business this summer. And if you just so happen to help me do it, well then the wine is on me! (You can hold me to that.)

Garden. In my last post I told you about the Garden Box Craig built for me a few weeks ago. Well it's time to get gardening! Not that I really know what I'm doing. I sure love to eat veggies, I just don't know how to grow them. Yet. My goal is to have a plentiful supply of edible vegetables growing in my lovely garden, by the end of the summer. Stay tuned in to see if I have a green thumb. It sure would be news to me!

Body. Oh yes, you know where this is going. Time for a body makeover. Not that I am displeased with the way I look, so before you judge my reasons, read on. Not that making yourself healthier and changing the way you look is a bad thing. I do, however, think it should be done the right way and for the right reasons. So what are my reasons? Well first of all, I got my bum back in the gym a little over a year ago and liked the results. I was back into running and enjoying it. However, work, stress, and flat out laziness took over and I was back outta shape again. Since meeting Craig, his healthy ways have rubbed off on me and I no longer eat processed food (as much as I can help it), I cook at home probably 100 times as much as I used to, steer clear of eating out, and try my oh so hardest to limit my sugar intake. That's a toughie. Boy, do I like my sweets. And I've gotten myself back into the routine of working out yet again. But this time it's different.

Seriously, it is. I once thought I needed to be a runner to be fit. While running is a great way to stay thin and trim and healthy, I don't think it's for me. Maybe in the future, but I have my goals set elsewhere. And I began to get bored with running, which is also a very good reason to move on to a new workout. To start from the beginning, this goal of mine started when Craig and I decided to hike to the "Mountain Spot" in September when he gets back. It's not really called "the Mountain Spot" but that is what we refer to it as. I actually don't know what the area is called. This particular destination has special meaning. It's probably Craig's favorite place, or at least top ten, and extremely beautiful. However it's a difficult hike. Even for my Mountain Man. So I need to be in great shape to enjoy the hike. Not that I have to, but really, do I want to hike up a mountain that even an experienced hiker such as Craig has to prepare himself for? I think not. I think I'll be as prepared as a gal can be. Along with this desire to conquer the mountain, I want to change my workout and get more out of the gym. Second part of this goal? To conquer the weight room. Meaning, I've had enough of the hours spent of just cardio and sidestepping the intimidating free weights area. I've never been one to sell myself short when it comes to hard work, so it's about time I step up. So far, I've been an animal. Grunting and sweating my way around the gym like I was born to do so. And really, wasn't I? Our bodies are capable of doing amazing things. Yet, we take them for granted. I honestly want to see what I can do. To fly by my old marks of good enough and set new records. Yesterday I went up five pounds in how much I was lifting and I can feel myself getting faster in my cardio sprint intervals. I felt like jumping around and high-fiving everyone. I refrained. However, it's these small triumphs and benchmarks that are going to make this journey so fun. It's going to be hard work, but bring it on.

I don't necessarily have anything I am aiming for with this goal. I'm going to be happy with whatever results my body produces. It's going to be a change in lifestyle that is my goal. So that by the end of the summer this wasn't just a summer project, it's a new way of life.

So there you have it. My to do list while Craig is gone for the summer. Along with these goals, I want to enjoy the summer with friends and family. Even though I'll be missing him, it is summer. My favorite time of year.

90 days. Today is the official start of my countdown. The past five months have made me so happy and I know they will carry me through the next three months. Even more, the love we have is so special, and it too will get me through three months without the Mountain Man. And even though August 19th can't come soon enough, I'm going to enjoy my summer.

The Mountain Man himself, and I, right before he left as we revisited the very spot we went to on our second date. And yes, that is an early 90's Bickleton sweatshirt. It's my favorite.

Favorite Mountain Man, favorite sweatshirt, and one of my favorite spots. I love this picture.