2019: The Year That Should Have Broke Me

I just refused to let it.

I thought this would be my best year yet.

I started out 2019 traveling the US with my husband, a dream we had made a reality. When our marriage fell apart in early March, I shared about my separation and pending divorce. And as if that weren’t heart-wrenching enough for one year..

I didn’t share that my younger, older brother, was released from prison for maybe the fifth time..? I’ve honestly lost count. (And well hoping for the best, I prayed not to have to live through the worst, again.)

I didn’t share that I had a friendship-ending falling out with my “forever” best friend of 20 years in April.

Or that my step-dad was diagnosed with cancer just before Father’s day.

Or they my mom was diagnosed with cancer in August.

These things shattered my world, one by one, seemingly again and again.

So I did what I do, and I cried. I cried the tears and I felt the feels.

Then, I pulled myself together, and found strength through it all.

I cannot say the whole year was a bust. That brother I talked about is the strongest, most resilient version of himself that I have ever known, and we are closer than ever.

And that friendship I lost in April was superseded by meeting, online and then in person, the most faith-filled, beautiful inside and out, loving and caring girl that I have ever met in my entire life the month before that, and I joyously call her best friend.

Screenshot_20191227-095729 — Enter a caption

My parents are still not 100%, but are both cancer-free, praise God!

And while I don’t know where I want to live or what I want to do with my life entirely, I completed training for my new career in September and have been a flight attendant ever since, a job that I love even more than I thought I would.

In 2019, I kept select people close and I kept God closer. I put my life 100% into His hands, like never before.

I was scared and felt lost, had no idea where to live, what to do, how to feel..or how to do it all earlier this year. So I let go, and I let God.

This isn’t some miraculous turn around story and I can honestly say I’m SO happy this year is almost over.

I can also say that my work life is pretty fantastic but the rest of my life is still messy, and it still hurts.

My parents are on the mend, and I’m beyond thankful for that. My ex BFF and I have completely severed ties but I know that the people I do have in my corner are my people, my family, and my heart. I’m so blessed to have them.

And no matter what, I choose happy everyday. I choose laughing and making new

memories to crying and replaying old ones. I choose joy and excited anticipation for the future.

I know next year won’t be perfect, and I have no false hope about creating a life without ups and downs. But at the end of this year, I find myself with a new sense of calm, a reclaimed joy, and the ability to fully-focus on the good, beautiful, and abundant blessings around me.

I didn’t write this as a pity post, or to brag on how I came out on the other side but yet to share this very real and very raw side of me as this year comes to a close. We all struggle, and we all go through hard things, whether we talk about them, or not.

If you want to share or talk through anything, please reach out to me. I will be more than happy to listen, and show you love, to pray, and be an ear for you to talk to.

And please, give yourself to God, so that He can guide you. I promise you, you can get through the hard stuff. Always believe and stay full of faith, and happy almost 2020 friends=)

Explorations The Life I Live

Where We Are Now: Las Vegas, Nevada

Truth be told, we left two weeks ago. I’m a little behind. Here’s everything we’ve been up to since Houston.

After Houston, we spent a little more time in Texas and visited San Antonio. It was a quick four days but we ate steak at the River Walk and visited the Alamo, you know, San Antonio Texas things.

From Texas we drove through New Mexico and at sunset no less, it was gorgeous. After about 15 hours in the car, we made it to Sun Lakes AZ, right outside of Phoenix.

We have never been before and my parents live there now, so everything was new to us. We arrived shortly before Christmas and both had time off, what a great way to end the year!

To sum up Sun Lakes, my parents cooked like crazy for us, and we ate all the food. We also

IMG_20181225_211948 — My parents house, decorated for Christmas

slept in, worked out, and worked after our time off was over. It was a slow, relaxing jaunt but before we knew it, we were off again.

We spent a week in Sedona and a week in Page before leaving AZ. Sedona was amazing. The mountains, the fresh air, the wine, it gives you all the feels! And Page AZ is in the middle of the canyon lands. If you have never been, these pictures are all I need to convince you. It was truly stunning and nothing you’ve ever seen before.

The Flame

Dragon’s Eye

Heart<3

The last week of January and the first week of February were spent in Vegas. We hiked, I biked, and we ate a lot. We also gambled a little, drank some drinks, and explored.

The first night we were there, someone broke into our car. They really only got clothes and shoes, both of which were worth next to nothing, though I’m sure they thought they had scored. If that’s the worst thing that happens to us during these travels, I’ll call us lucky! (But it was a little sad and of course, we wish we still had the things they took. Boo.)

Now, it’s San Diego for a month. Nick has never been and we’re staying in the thick of it all. Thanks for reading=)

Explorations The Life I Live

Where we are now: Houston, TX

Hello from Houston! It’s my first time in Houston and Nick’s first in Texas,. The weather is Fall-like and the people are nice. We are here through the end of the week but I’m sure you want to know what we’ve done for the past 6 or so weeks, so here it is

After Cocoa Beach, it was on to our old stomping grounds in Delray Beach ,Florida. We spent a lot of time with friends, a little time in the sun, and Nick kept busy with work in the office. It was all around a great time and we were so happy to visit.

The first weekend we were back, we went to a friend’s wedding. We enjoyed visiting with our close friends, Lance and Dana, and it was such a fun way to spend our first weekend back.

The second weekend was filled with more friends, Lisa and Corey, and drinks. The boys had beer, the girls had wine, and we all had a great time. We also had a lasagna dinner with the same friends and spent that Friday night with them at a happy hour as well. We love our Corey and Lisa time!

The next weekend we spent a lot of time in. Haha, so very Emily and Nick of us. We read a lot, I worked and cooked, we got a little sun, took naps, and watched shows. It was a good time.

We ate our faces off at Thanksgiving and went home with legit three bags of leftovers. It was so good, I could eat Thanksgiving dinner every month. And we spent the holiday with Ami, a girl from my church and prayer group, and her family. It was a great time and we were blessed to have been invited. We went out with Dana and Lance that weekend to Cooper’s Hawk, a winery that Nick and I love and turned our friends into fans, too. The wine was delicious and the food was, too.

We couldn’t believe it but it was already the last weekend of our stay, and Nick’s work Christmas party! He works with Corey, so we spent the bulk of our night with them, again. And loved it. Check out the picture, family Christmas card or what? LOL, so fun!

These weekends were super fun and the time with our friends was priceless. I even cooked up a bunch of Chinese food and had everyone over for a feast. We love our Florida friends! However, as fast as we got there, it was time to go, and we were out!

Next stop was Destin Beach, Florida. I have never been before but we enjoyed it. We went to a couple of wineries, walked on the beach, and enjoyed a night in with shows, and cooking as it rained. As fun as it was, it was also very real, and really sad. We visited Panama City Beach and Mexico Beach, both of which were demolished during Hurricane Michael. What a great reminder to be thankful for what you have!

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And now, Houston. We have been here for a couple days and will be here a couple more. San Antonio is next and on the way to Sun Lakes, AZ by Christmas to visit my Mom and step-dad, Randy, and see the new house.

I probably won’t update you again until after the holidays so have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I wish you a blessed 2019 and remember to keep working hard, and never stop praying! XOXO

Explorations The Life I Live

Where Are We Now: Cocoa Beach FL

Yup, we’re back in Florida! This time, it’s only for the short term. And we’re only in Cocoa Beach for the week, very short term. Then Delray Beach FL for a month. But where have we been? East Coast baby!

Last time I wrote, we were in the mountains of North Carolina. I love the mountains and we have never actually stayed in the mountains, so it was truly amazing. We hiked a lot and drove the almost two hours to Asheville for one day. We visited Otter Falls and Lineville Falls, worked a lot, I cooked a lot, and it was really a great time. I want to go back!

Since then, we have been in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, and Bermuda. Here’s what we’ve been up to.

Myrtle Beach was a preplanned family vaca with my in-laws in lieu of Christmas presents last year. We stayed in a condo, on the beach, and had a bright and expansive ocean view. It was beautiful. The temps were hot, so we all pulled out our shorts, sunglasses, and light-er clothes. We took a helicopter ride over the city, went to dinner and a pirate show, and got ice cream in the bustling and touristy downtown. It was a really fun time and I hope we do it again somewhere fun next year.

After that, we went to Charleston SC instead of Murrels Inlet SC for the next week. Originally, we were going to be in Murrels Inlet for a conference Nick had. The conference got cancelled when they thought the hurricane may or may not make it there. We went south to Charleston, where we were flying out of a week anyhow. In the end, Myrtle Beach, Murrels Inlet, Charleston and anything south of North Carolina were unscathed. And besides, Charleston was meant to be.

We stayed at an AirBnb with hosts that were so similar to us, it was as if we were life-long friends coming for a visit. Nick and I took a walking tour downtown and after, Nick took himself golfing. We also worked a lot (like always LOL) and went to a wing bar to watch the Brewers game. RIP Brewers season, you will be missed! From there (Charleston) we flew to Bermuda and back, another conference for Nick. But our hosts from the AirBnb were so great and gracious that we left our car there for the time we were in Bermuda. Thanks again Kara and Ben, we cannott wait for our paths to cross again!

And Bermuda, oh Bermuda! The weather was great, the views were better, and the people there were the nicest. Nick only had two “work days” out of the four-ish that we were there so we even got to explore a little bit. We walked to the local grocery store which was only about a mile away. The prices there are really high but most of what we did at the hotel was covered and we were able to enjoy our time without really spending a lot of extra dollars. Win-win. Among the fun stuff was the beach, a pink sand beach, the exploration to the store, and oh, did I mention the view? Ocean front view again! And those colors and that water, there’s nothing like it. Truth be told, I’m not really a beach girl, but the once or twice a year I do make it to the beach, I really enjoy it. And Bermuda was definitely no exception. Plus, with a cool right off the ocean breeze and 70s temps, the beach may have been “cold” to others but to me it was perfection!

And now we’re back in the states and in Florida and Cocoa Beach is on the menu for the week. We have work planned, I’m going to get into the kitchen again, and workouts, too. Once we leave here, we will be back in Delray Beach, the city we lived in for three years in Florida. We look forward to seeing our friends and, well, our friends! Haha. Nick will go into the office for a bit but the weather is going to be death, still in the 90s and high humidity, the costs of everything will still be high, and the traffic (at the start of snow bird season) will be horrendous. All in all we’re excited for our Florida friends, and because it will be short-term stay. Thanks for reading!

Dairy Free Gluten Free Recipes The Life I Live

Gluten-Free Cinnamon French Toast

I can’t cook for just two people, like I literally CAN’T. I love to cook. I like to cook huge meals with lots of leftovers. And when I try to cook for just two, I always have enough for at least four.

But since going on the road, I needed to figure it out. And in a short amount of time, I’ve really gotten better! I’m buying less but prepping more and thinking about ingredient specific meals before even going to the store. #learning

My Gluten-Free Cinnamon French Toast was a great recipe to do for just two people and not make extras. (But truth be told, if we were going to be in this AirBnb longer than 2 more days, I would have batch cooked these, too, and had several breakfasts for the week.)

Gluten-Free Cinnamon French Toast

2 eggs, scrambled
3-4 shakes cinnamon
2 tablespoons vanilla almond milk
butter and maple syrup

Scramble the eggs in a shallow dish. Add the cinnamon and Almond milk and stir until incorporated. Heat a skillet to low-medium heat and add 2 tablespoons butter. When the butter is melted, submerge the bread into the egg mixture and add the bread slices to the pan. Cook on each side until they begin to brown or to preference.

Top with butter and maple syrup and enjoy. Mmm.

I’m typically not a fan of sweet breakfast but when I do have sweeter things in the AM, they are always simple and delicious like this. I hope you love these as much as me!

Tip: If you like crispier french toast, quickly dip the bread into the egg mixture. For a “wetter” and less crunchy piece, submerge and let sit in the egg mixture for 15 seconds.

Like this recipe? Go HERE to check out my books!

Essential Oils The Life I Live

The Oils That Save My Skin After A Sunburn

It’s almost late September and it (sometimes) feels like Fall, I’m in Wisconsin for a few more weeks, and I accidentally got sunburnt just 3 days ago. Ugh. This is what I did.

I used oils. Yup, my trusty essential oils. And the burn, and my lobster red skin, were 90% recovered by morning. No joke. This is what happened.

I was with some of my favorite friends since high school and we all went to a Brewers game. It. Was. HOT. I’m talking sun without clouds, almost 90 degrees, and the littlest of breezes you ever did feel. I use sunscreen religiously so I did apply!

I slathered on sunscreen..that is on my legs, arms, and shoulders, a spot I always know gets too much sun. But I forgot to get my face, and I forgot to get my upper chest, and DAMN did I get a burn. I meant to sunscreen my face and chest, but one distraction later, and I forgot. That night, it hurt.

But after getting back from the game, I showered my sunscreen off, and added three essential oils with a carrier oil to my burnt parts, mostly my face, chest, and shoulders. My forehead and hairline was the worst by far but like I said, three applications and a good nights sleep and my skin was cured!

I should have taken a before and after because looking at my face yesterday made it hard to believe how red I really was. But if you need to save your skin from a burn (or if you peel,) use this blend and you will be good to go!

Sunburn Saver

1 drop Lavender
1 drop Frankincense
1 drop Copaiba
½ squirt of Sweet Almond Oil (or carrier oil of choice)

Mix this combination in the palm of your hand and apply to your face or any sunburned area.

I’m telling you, this blend will take your skin from tight, hot, and red to better in just a few applications. Be careful in the sun, but if you do get a burn, save your skin with these oils!

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We’re Going On An Adventure

Otherwise known as our life. And we leave in less than two weeks! (Actually move from our apartment in South Florida to become gypsies, digital nomads, or like I like to call it, Airbnb’ers!)

I can hardly believe it. What once was a thought of, talked through, pipe dream is fast becoming our reality, and I cannot wait to tell you about it.

First things first, a little about my story. My hubby and I are anything but traditional. We moved and lived to Panama for 6 months early in our dating life. We came back and got married on the sly. And then, once we were back (home,) Nick found himself his dream job and we left and moved to Florida.

And today, we are coming up on almost three (HOT) years in Florida. It’s really crazy how fast it went. Wow.

And now, we’re on to the next!

We plan to spend most of August and September back home (in Wisconsin,) almost all of October traveling, November back here in the Florida life and by Christmas we will be to my mom and step dad’s in Arizona. Whew!

From there, we plan to spend most of 2019 on the west coast. We have lots of love for California, Washington and Oregon, and are excited to visit new states and areas, too!

The end of this year will go fast and there are so many things I am looking forward to. A Brewer’s game back home, seeing friends and family, walking on the lake path in Lake Geneva and my favorite egg rolls ever are just the beginning.

Maybe I should back up and preface all of this with, both my husband and I have the ability to work remotely. Travel and seeing the nation (and the world!) is on both of our hearts and with the remote work option, neither of us can say exactly where we want to live “forever” or where we want to be even for now. We want to see, and be, in it all!

We talked about this life, this dream, this possibility..all the way back when we lived in Panama. Truly, that feels like a long time ago. It’s crazy how much time has passed, how many things have changed, and all that has happened to us in the last five years.

And now, we both are in completely new professions that hold our passions and allow us to live out our other passions, too, like spending time with our people and traveling.

Life has not always been easy and sometimes, it still isn’t. But things happen and you have to be flexible, and be as positive and patient as you can!

I am so excited. It’s hard to believe. But for now, I must go. I need to pack my life, my place, and my suitcase! (We’re off to Vancouver Canada at the end of this week for 10 days,) and we move three days after coming back. Oy! Oh yes, and don’t forget about that work life, too!

Thanks for reading and do me a favor and put in a prayer for us! Life may not have turned out like we “wanted it to,” or even how we thought it would. But that doesn’t mean it hasn’t turned our exactly how it was supposed to.

I can’t wait to share this journey with you and all of my continued love for natural everything, delicious food, God, workouts, friends and family, travel and everything else Emmy!

XOXO

Explorations The Life I Live

I Love to Travel: Just a Long Weekend at a Mexican Resort

It was Friday April 13th and we were on our way to Mexico together for the first time. Well, I guess that’s not entirely true.

Back in February we went on a cruise and one of the stops was in Cozumel.

But this time we were on our way to Cancun. We were headed to our cozy, chill all-

IMG_20180413_114237 — First stop, water and drinks.

inclusive resort and we couldn’t wait.

Our preplanned transportation service was perfect, picked us up from the airport as scheduled and brought us right to the front door of Sunset Marina. We had arrived.

First things first, some relaxing and drinks on the water. The water was pretty tame

as we stayed on the bay side in Cancun.

Saturday we had planned our excursion to one of seven wonders of the world, Chichen Itza! This site has Mayan ruins and they are truly grand and amazing to encounter.

It was a steamy 96 degrees as we walked around Mexico that day, so I couldn’t wait to go the the cenote, or sink hole, in Spanish. I heard it was “cold,” fresh water and 150 feet deep, and I was so excited!

I was literally the only one though, no one else in my group went in, not even my husband! Where are my friends when I need them?

It was super fun though and perfectly refreshing for how hot I had been earlier in the day. I love cenotes!

That night we visited the resort restaurant for French Cuisine. The restaurant had

different styles of food, depending on the day. The food was good and because we had all-inclusive access, everything was “free.”

On that note, I don’t think there was anything I said more on that trip then “Dos cientos ocho y A (ah),” our room number, haha, we used it for everything!

Sunday morning started with talking with our vacation company. We got to tour Tres Rios Resort and it was beautiful and sustainable and I loved it. However, we didn’t buy anything, this time. By Sunday afternoon we wanted to get back to the pool and relax but it had been raining all day, so instead we hopped in the hot tub to watch the sunset. The hot tub was right on the water so you were sitting on the bay, the sun and sky were so close!

Monday was our last day so we wanted to spend it at the pool. Along with the excursions we went on, we had massages as well and because we talked with or vacation company, all of these activities were comped.

The massage was at two, and by that time we were ready to get out of the sun for a little

while. The massages were great, relaxing and renewing. We went back to the pool and played a quick round of bingo before late lunch/first dinner. To get an extra number to add to your card, someone had to name the only animal with three brains. And guess who knew it? Yup, this girl! Octopus! I win.

Not really, but I did get an extra number for knowing that fun fact. After that, we grabbed so buffet food and went back to the pool before dinner. I even went down the water slide.

Dinner in the restaurant was Spanish themed that Monday night. I ate the best thing I

IMG_20180416_193214 — Garlic Fish and Rice

had had yet in Mexico, Chicken, Wine and Garlic Rice. It was absolutely delicious. We enjoyed many Mexican dishes while we were there but this Spanish dish was just delectable.

Tuesday morning came really fast and because of our scheduled transportation, we spent a long three hours at the airport before take off. Snooze, literally.

And then we were back. Cancun was fun and I would love to visit again. This was not a typical long weekend for us but it was really fun!

Have you ever done an all-inclusive resort vacation? Where did you go? Happy travels!

Oh and PS, I almost forgot, Nick got pooped on HAHAHAHA

Gluten Free Meats Paleo Recipes The Life I Live vegetables

Chicken and Vegetables with Red Curry and Coconut Milk Sauce

Do you ever make a recipe you love, but then you kinda forget about it and don’t make it again for a while? That was this recipe for me.

My husband was the first to make this Chicken Curry dish and I loved it so much. After what we made was gone, I made the recipe again that week, because it was so good. It was my new fave. But..then it wasn’t? I forgot about it!

Then, I thought of this recipe, for some reason on the way back from our Mexico trip, and I just had to have it. This time, I put my own spin on the recipe, including throwing it all in the crock pot, and it came out great. It was so good, I had my leftovers for breakfast.

Chicken and Vegetables with Red Curry and Coconut Milk Sauce

1 pound ready-made gluten-free and soy-free chicken strips
2 red bell peppers, sliced
1 white onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
8 mushrooms, washed and sliced
1 can coconut milk
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons Thai Red Curry
1 teaspoon ginger powder

Add everything to the crock pot and let cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8. Serve it with cauliflower rice to keep the dish Paleo. Otherwise you could serve with rice, rice noodles or as a side to potatoes and a vegetable.

Enjoy!

Like this recipe? Go HERE to check out my books!

Led to Share

Faith, Food, and Real Life

Tag: travel

Where We Are Now: Las Vegas, Nevada

Where we are now: Houston, TX

Where Are We Now: Cocoa Beach FL

Gluten-Free Cinnamon French Toast

The Oils That Save My Skin After A Sunburn

We’re Going On An Adventure

I Love to Travel: Just a Long Weekend at a Mexican Resort

Chicken and Vegetables with Red Curry and Coconut Milk Sauce