faith. family. fitness.

Seattle is ROUGH. At least, that's what I usually think. That's what I *usually* SEE... But, LISTEN TO THIS! (This is a long one, but I swear, it's worth it!) We stayed on a Pier in Seattle for our 1st Anniversary this last weekend. I bet you didn't know that we have a hotel LITERALLY built on a pier, did you? NEITHER DID I! #andImaNative LOL But, it was AMAZING!!! 😍 Jay had planned out a bunch of super fun mini-adventures all over the city so we walked or biked, or RODE as

I SEE YOU!! 😜 Some of you have been watching all this time... carefully NOT liking or commenting on any of my fitness stuff! 😂 You love Alyssa: the writer, the widow, the new wifey, the mom... but you're not sure why I've taken such a "stance" on my health this last year. 💁🏼 And, it feels, well, INTIMIDATING to your way of life or thinking... You think my results are AMAZING! ✌🏼 You think it's all "well & good for someone like her." You maybe even finally have caught the

Austyn looked up at Jay when he was getting her ready for church today &, as she often does, brought attention to the important. . "Daddy..." ... she waits two heartbeats & then, once she knows she has his full attention, "I REALLY love you." . He reciprocated, as per usual & then used the opportunity today to remind her that her "Dad in Heaven" loves her, too. #heartmelted . I'm DAILY reminded just how BLESSED I am to have this second chance at love & this glorious pu

I felt like a FAILURE... . I HAD BEEN a serious athlete in college & I KNEW how to take care of my body. . I EVEN had a gym membership, classes paid for at an awesome little local yoga studio & I lived just a FEW BLOCKS from a Whole Foods.... . But I COULD NOT get my health under wraps. . I KNEW I could control my auto immune disease if I could find balance. I KNEW I could beat my depression, my anxiety & my general feeling of FATIGUE if I could just get my butt i

STOP RIGHT THERE!! ✋🏼 . Don't you look at my pictures, my words or my social media account & think, "that could never be me." . HONEST-TO-GOD (& He is a big deal to me...) Where I am now WAS NOT even a POSSIBILITY in my mind a little over a year ago! 🤷🏼‍♀️ . Before ABS, there was UNBELIEF that I would EVER be able to be healthy again. . Before BEAUTY, there was a time where my entire world consisted of CHARRED ASH. . Before ENERGY, I was a 27 year old who was

Austyn prays for a brother or sister nearly every night. 🙏🏼 "Mom, when will we get our baby?" Austyn asked me out of the blue while we were cleaning up the playroom. 🤔 "I don't know, honey. We WANT a baby but we have to wait & see what God's plan is for us." "But, we WILL get a baby, Mom!!" She said, with clear confidence. "Why do you think that, babe?" "I KNOOWW because we prayed to God for one," she said in the most matter-of-fact tone I've ever heard. 😏 Even though her

You know "THAT PERSON" that loves to throw a WET TOWEL over your flame? 💦🔥😡 Every once in awhile, I'll run across someone who tells me to STOP BEING SO FREAKING POSITIVE. EVERYTIME it churns my stomach. Hot tears burn my eyes.... A little because it stings but MOSTLY because it makes me SAD. FOR THEM!! 😢 Because I REMEMBER a time in my life where positivity bugged the POO out of me, too!!💩 #notTHATlongago I used to look at people's posts or listen to them talk & think, "

We met in a PARALLEL UNIVERSE. I was 19 & working my butt off at 3 jobs to pay for school & rent with little time for "fun." Jay was 21 & owned a nightlife business while running all the club scenes, "party boy" as heck. 8 years later... In our NEW LIVES, we reconnected. I was a different person. Widowed & single mom to a beautiful but energetic little girl. I'd gone through enough challenges to learn just how important it IS to celebrate the good things in life. He was a dif