It’s Week 18 of Finish This! If you’re new here, welcome. This link-up is hosted by LISA (COASTLINED), JEN (The Arizona Russums), BECKY (The Java Mama) and I. If you’ve joined us before, thanks for returning and be sure you add your post to the link-up. If you don’t have a blog, don’t fret because you can simply answer the prompts in a comment. Next week’s prompts are at the bottom of this post.
* * * THREE REQUESTS FROM THE CO-HOSTS * * *
1. Invite a blogger to join the Finish This link up.
2. Comment on at least five (5) blog posts from this week’s link up. One perk of blogging is being part of a community, so let’s show support to one another with a genuine comment!
3. Share on social media using the hashtag #FinishThis.
1. I feel an adrenaline rush when …
worshipping God. Whether I am in church on Sunday morning or on a mission trip in Haiti or walking the cobblestone streets in Jerusalem, my pulse beats when I am worshipping the Lord of Lords, the Alpha and Omega, and The Good Shepherd.
2. I feel energized when …
I’ve gotten at least six hours of sleep. On the weekends, and every other Friday when he’s is off, Husband will tend to Kamden — get him out of bed and feed him his first bottle — so I can sleep an extra hour or two. The extra sleep is glorious; I feel so refreshed.
3. I feel small when …
swimming in the ocean. I love being in water, but there’s something magical about the ocean. I love putting on snorkel gear, floating on top of the water and pretending I’m a fish or sea turtle.
4. I feel big when …
all the time because I’m nearly six-feet-tall but especially when I’m at the gym surrounded by beautiful women in their tiny tanks and short shorts with their perfect bodies and perfect hair and perfect skin and they exercise without breaking a sweat. Meanwhile, Yours Truly is looking like a beached whale, sweating like a pig, and gasping for air. It sucks to be fat, but being fat and having boobs the size of beach balls and jumping rope or doing burpees is downright cruel. On days I participate in a group class, I wear my regular nursing bra (and pads to prevent embarrassing leaks) plus a sports bra to hold these girls down! But my boobs and I are in SWEAT class every Monday morning and I’m doing every interval circuit the other folks are doing, just slower! I’m definitely proud of myself for going to the gym every day and participating in tough classes like SWEAT, Total Body Challenge, Body Pump, and Rip & Ride, but not seeing results is frustrating and being around sculpted bodies is intimidating. Thank God for the support of Husband, Jessica, my trainer, and friends and family who remind me that my hard work will pay off one of these days! Now, if I could just stop loving food so much.
5. I feel indestructible when …
holding Kamden and keeping him safe, warm, and making sure he feels loved. I’m not a violent person, but I’m afraid of what I might do to someone I felt was threatening or harming my child. It gives me chills just thinking about it.
6. I feel stupid when …
learning new photo editing software. I recently purchased Adobe Lightroom 5 and took pictures of a family willing to be my guinea pigs so I’d have new photos to edit. Every day, or as often as I can, I watch or read an online tutorial. Thank goodness for YouTube and photographer’s willing to share their knowledge for idiots like me! I felt like I found the cure for cancer when I discovered how to “import” pictures from my memory card to Lightroom … it’s the little things, people!
7. I feel smart when …
watching The Real Housewives, Teen Mom and 16 & Pregnant. This probably sounds horrible, but it’s the truth! I love watching these shows because they make me feel like a responsible, respectable, mature adult and mother. Watching their drama is like a train wreck, I can’t NOT watch when it makes me feel like I have my sh!t together!
Now it’s your turn. Answer these prompts in a post on your own blog or, if you do not have a blog, simply add your responses in a comment. Join us next Wednesday for another round of Finish This where we’ll answer the prompts below!
Prompts for WEEK 19 (May 14) are:
A lesson I learned from my mom …
To burn calories, I …
My best hair day was …
I am grateful for …
Three 31 
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 6:53 pm
The workout story TOTALLY made me laugh. I am trying to get back into the habit of working out (after WAY too long) and I have been a sweaty breathless MESS! I must look completely ridiculous….my two year old was laughing at me. 🙂
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 7:48 pm
Erika, I have three words for you ….. JUST. KEEP. GOING. I assure you that you’re not alone in the HOT MESS category!!!!!!!! xo, Nicole
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Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 5:13 pm
I identify x8. Great answers that kept me shaking my head and shouting AMEN to that!
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 5:35 pm
AMEN! hahaha Glad you enjoy my shenanigans, I’m so glad people like YOU enjoy this link up each week. 🙂
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 1:49 pm
I don’t know why, but I had a very hard time with these prompts this week. They just left me as a blank most of the time, hopefully I did okay. lol
I am kind of in love with your answers, so much though and wording behind it. Love it! Your stupid and smart I can totally agree with and I totally feel the same.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 2:59 pm
HA! I’m glad you enjoy my shenanigans. 🙂
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 1:42 pm
Okay you are NOT a beached whale…. but you would look funny standing next to me since I am only 5 feet tall! And I am with you on the smart thing…. my life feels pretty darn good and I feel VERY intelligent when I watch Real Housewives!
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 2:57 pm
GO FIGURE …. it’s truly amazing, I’m always friends with the short people!!!!!!!!! hahahahahaha
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Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 11:23 am
Absolutely LOVE all of your answers! I love when I get to sleep just a bit longer, absolutely amazing!
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 2:56 pm
Sara, extra sleep should be the 8th wonder of the world!!!!! I should have taken a nap today, Husband is working from home, but I ran some errands while Kamden took his afternoon nap. Oh well!!!!
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 11:00 am
I totally put the same thing for my “I feel big when”. I’m 5’11” and there’s not a day that goes by where I don’t feel huge!
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 11:05 am
PREACH IT, Gabrielle, I’m right there with you!!!!!!!! hahahahaha 🙂
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 9:34 am
I love the adrenaline rush when I’m walking around doing daily tasks having a conversation with God. To me, there’s just something so precious to be able to talk with my Savior as I clean a bathroom or wash dishes. I can totally relate to your workout situation! I’m awed that you stick to it and go! I am the queen of finding excuses not to go to the gym, they’re just so intimidating!
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 11:04 am
Despite what I currently look like, I’ve spend quite a lot of time in gyms. In high school and college, during the prime of my junior golf career, I was in the gym 2-3 hours a day plus the golf course and driving range. Of course, I was too young, too stupid, and too skinny (at the time) to be intimidated. I wish I was as “fat” now and I thought I was back then. Geesh.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 9:32 am
Thanks for inviting me, I love blog prompts and hopefully will have time to get this one done!
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 11:03 am
Yea! Join us anytime, the link up is ‘open’ all week, until the next one begins (every Wednesday). We’d love to have you. Hugs, Nicole
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 8:27 am
Hi Nicole! Your work out answer made me laugh out loud! I can relate…I have big boobs too and they are so annoying at times! But at least you’re doing it! I remember seeing a quote about running that said something like “you may be a slow runner, but you’re passing everyone sitting on the couch right now”. 🙂 And the “stupid” one I can relate to also. I have trouble with html sometimes and it frustrates me to no end! Oh and I missed the first question somehow on mine, oopsie!
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 11:02 am
No worries, Amber, you’re here and that’s all that matters! You’re a superhero in my book if you known HTML, that stuff is freaking foreign to me. I love that quote, even though I could never run. It’s difficult for me to do jumping jacks without knocking myself in the chin with a boob. Seriously.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 8:26 am
I’m really glad you go to the gym! When I was going to the gym so often I felt like it was a little discouraging to see all the prissy girls run around without sweating and I come out of the gym looking like a red balloon about to deflate.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 11:00 am
I completely understand, Ashley! Of course, I’m always sweating during the warm-up, before we even get to the hard stuff in class. HAHAHAHA!!!!!!
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 8:15 am
WOW where do I begin w this! First… at least you are at the gym working out… kuddos for that! Second… I can’t not wait those shows either!!! My husband always looks at me and says, ‘You know you are just getting stupid by watching these shows!’ and my response is, ‘Oh no, honey, these women make me look smarter!’
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 8:21 am
You are EXACTLY right, Miss Genius!!!!!!!! Not only do I feel smarter watching that CRAP, but I feel a million-billion-trillion times better about my life and the decisions I’ve made. Really, I’ve got my sh*t together after watching their craziness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! xoxoxo, Nicole
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 7:14 am
Oh my gosh that is part of the reason I hate working out at gyms. Sorry real mom here have had four babies and seriously I sweat when I work out. Your last one made me laugh. Shows like that always make me wonder if these people are for real.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 7:51 am
I’m sure the majority of reality shows are scripted in some ways, but I’d still love for them to live a day in my “normal” life when SANE people don’t spend 5K on a pair of five-inch heels they may only wear once. Please, get over your materialistic self!!!!!
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 6:29 am
Nicole I am dying laughing at your workout situation. Do not feel bad.. I’m 5’4 and have boobs like beach balls myself and get cracked in the face while running. Those silly little girls who hop on a treadmill and workout with no effort make me cringe! I totally relate to your gym story 🙂 And Celese is right, don’t be so hard on yourself! You should be so proud that you do workout and are taking good care of the awesome self you are!!
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 7:50 am
(blush) Oh you are too sweet and kind, thank you!!!!! XOXOXOXOXO
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 5:29 am
You’re hilarious. Why don’t you quit being so hard on my sweet friend, though? She’s beautiful and created in God’s image.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 7:48 am
HA! Two weeks ago, I showed up for SWEAT class wearing only my nursing bra. BIG MISTAKE. I got hit in the chin with one of these beach balls I call a boob and that was enough for me. Last Monday, I strapped them down with more bras but still had some bounce. Sweet Lort, these things are huge! BIG HUGS, love you so much. 🙂