First NPC Bikini Competition

A few months ago I decided to compete in a NPC bikini competition (NPC website). An acquaintance mentioned she was going to compete, so I thought I would give it a go on a whim. Little did I realize what a huge undertaking it would turn into. For the first few months, I started going to the gym to lift weights and cleaned up my diet a little bit. I generally eat pretty healthy, so I cut back on a few things here and there. The first competition I signed up for was in June, but I ended up bailing on it because I was not ready, so I signed up for the Warrior Classic competition in August. About 5 weeks before the competition I made the decision to work with a trainer. Enter the Claibornes- Ann and Tony are hardcore competitors in men's bodybuilding and women's figure divisions. They both have medical backgrounds and have trained numerous athletes for competitions with a great success rate. I quickly realized that my current routine was not cutting it- they completely changed my diet and tweaked my workouts. I also worked with them on posing. I had no idea how hard learning to walk and pose would be- the movements look completely normal on stage, but your body is contorted in crazy ways. This whole process was one of the hardest things I've ever done. It took an incredible amount of self-discipline to stick to the diet and workout regimen. But I did it and it paid off! I registered for the Novice Bikini Class A division and ended up winning first place! Novice basically means you're a first-timer or you've never placed in a previous competition and Class A is a height class (A=short). Now that I've placed, I can only register for the Open division...If I decide to do this again. People say you get addicted, but I don't think that's the case for me. It was a great experience, but not something I plan to make a regular hobby. Many factors played into making it happen- working from home for a few months, Craig being on terminal leave to help me with diet prep, Laney and general house upkeep. I would never be able to keep up with the diet or workouts if I was on my usual work travel schedule. I'm glad I didn't give up (even though I wanted to many times) and I'm so proud of this accomplishment. Here are a few pics from the day of the competition:

Working the catwalk

A little spray tan and stage makeup does the body good :)

The trophy- I have no idea where I'm going to put it

Craig was soooo supportive throughout this whole process! I couldn't have done it without him. Love this guy.

Celebratory cupcake(s)!!! I think ate about 6 cupcakes throughout the weekend post-competition.

One of my amazing trainers, Ann Claiborne

Also super thankful for my super supportive friends. I received cupcakes, a care package filled with goodies and amazing gourmet cookies to enjoy after the competition was done. I ate everything in sight for a few days post-competition and it was amazing.

I now have a whole new appreciation for individuals that decide to pursue this hobby. It takes an amazing amount of self-discipline and hard work. Even though I don't plan on doing more competitions (I may change my mind), I definitely plan on continuing the workouts and eating clean with a few treats mixed in. Moderation is key :)

Summer!!!

I know, I know...it has been forever! This summer has been unusually busy with Craig transitioning out of the military, traveling for weddings, the typical busyness of work and trying to enjoy the summer!

Here are a few highlights from our summer so far....can't believe it's almost over!

Memorial Day Wedding Weekend to celebrate the marriage of two of our favorite people- Aaron and Abby Raymar! Craig has been friends with Aaron since freshman year of college and they continued to stay close after college when they were both stationed together in Colorado Springs. They live in Wisconsin now and we miss them so much!

Beautiful outdoor reception...the tent was amazing!

While we were back east we got to spend time with Craig's sister and her family. This is Carlee the beautiful ballerina!

 We did a little car camping in The Crags with a group of friends. It was a great weekend- perfect weather, campfires, s'mores and lots of little pups running around!

In June, I enjoyed a girls weekend in Vegas with one of my best friends, Megan and one of her best friends from college, Sarah.  I was also able to spend time with Craig's cousin, Crystal! 

Over the July 4th holiday weekend, we spent a few days visiting Aaron and Abby in Madison, Wisconsin. It was so nice to see their new home and sightsee! We had amazing weather and Wisconsin was actually a lot of fun!

Ice cream shop in the little town of New Glarus

New Glarus Brewery

We have visited so many breweries over the years- it's still fun to visit new ones!

Beautiful Day!

We have a few more weddings coming up later this year for our friends, John and Kelly, over Labor Day weekend and then my oldest brother, Jeremy, is getting married in October. 

Later this month we'll be heading to Charlotte, NC for Craig's Cameron Brooks career conference. It will be an intense few days of interviewing for Craig, but hopefully when it's all said and done, he will have an awesome job and we'll know where our next adventure will be!

I'll try not to wait so long to post again :)

Snowboarding!

It has been a few weeks since I last posted. Work has been busy and weekends have been occupied with snowboarding! In order to take full advantage of living in Colorado, we decided to invest in season passes. We went with the Colorado Epic pass which gave us unlimited access to Keystone and Breckinridge and 10 days at Vail and Beaver Creek. It was definitely worth the money! So far we've gone at least 12 times. 

Before this season, I had tried to snowboard on and off for years, but I never got the hang of it because I went so infrequently. This season is really the first time I can confidently say that I know how to snowboard! I even met my goal of being able to go down a blue run!

Here are a few pictures of our mountain adventures along with a few visitors that came out to see us!

Doug came out to visit us shortly after New Years- we took him up to Vail for some boarding and enjoyed lunch at the Blue Moose

Best pizza at Lionshead Village in Vail

Occasionally, when we head up to the mountains we bring Laney along with us and she hangs out in the car. Craig and I take turns walking her in between runs. Wish we could take her up on the mountain!

Enjoying blue bird conditions at Breckinridge and fresh powder!

Beautiful day!

Over President's Day weekend, Bev and Greg came out to visit us. We had a fun day with great conditions up at Keystone!

This picture was taken at our most recent snowboard outing- we were celebrating because I finally went down a blue run!

I'm so glad I didn't give up on snowboarding! It's a great winter activity and something Craig and I can share together. Looking forward to planning some awesome snowboard vacations in the future..I'm thinking Park City, Whistler and of course the Alps!

Weekend in Vegas

I know- it has been awhile since I've posted. Life has been busy with traveling for work and plans on the weekend.One of those plans being a weekend getaway to Vegas! Since I travel so much for work I accumulate a lot of hotel and airline points. I'm loyal to the Hilton brand and as a Gold level member they reached out to me and offered a highly discounted price to stay at the Hilton Grand Vacation Hotel on the strip. I could not pass it up! The last time I was in Vegas was for my cousin's wedding and I was only 19...you can't do anything in Vegas at 19! The only catch was that we had to listen to the timeshare spiel...more on that later. Here are a few pics from the weekend:

The Paris Hotel

Catching the fountain show outside of the Bellagio

Gambling at the MGM- sadly did not win anything

Craig gambling- also not lucky

Amazing lobster pot pie at Nobhill Tavern at the MGM

The Vegas Strip

The Chandelier Bar at the Cosmopolitan

Amazing Sinatra style band at the Chandelier Bar

Catching the Bellagio fountain show at night

Brunch with Craig's cousin, Crystal, at The Palazzo- best eggs benedict ever!

Interior of the Palazzo

Farewell cocktails at the Champagne Bar

Craig and I had a great time hanging out in Vegas. We caught the Cirque du Soleil show, Ka, at the MGM. Absolutely amazing! I highly recommend catching any of the Cirque shows if you're ever in Vegas. We bought the cheapest seats we could and it was still really good- not a bad seat in the house. Most of our time in Vegas was spent walking up and down the strip exploring the hotels and eating!

We also spent a good chunk of Saturday morning listening to the timeshare presentation. It was extremely tempting! We spent at least an hour after the presentation going back and forth on whether or not we should purchase. We decided to buy into the Vacation Introductory Program, which will give us more time to think about the purchase and take a trip to Hawaii!!!

Happy Super Bowl Weekend!