Fourth of July 2019!

Cue "Courtesy of the red, white, and blue" and "Independence Day" because it was the 4th of July this week and the festivities went on all weekend! Alex and I were both able to get the rest of the week off after Wednesday to visit our families and get a much needed break from work and the wonky weather out in Ohio (Can't say the weather was any less wonky in IL or IN, but hey you gotta work with what you got!). At the end of this post I'll also talk about workouts I continued as well as (attempting!) to eat healthy during the 4th!

*A little day by day rundown of all of the 4 day weekend EXTRAVAGANZA*:

Wednesday:

Wednesday, Alex and I finished out our work days (Enga-neering and therapy-ing and what not) and then we packed in under an hour which is a huge accomplishment for the both us let me tell you. We huddled into Alex's cute little blue Mazda with our fur babies (only had ONE animal have an accident) and we traveled 4.5 hours to Alex's dad, Larry's Farm, in Chesterton, Indiana. The cutest little hobby farm you ever did see with sheep, rams, dogs, you name it! We got in pretty late so we ended up going out to a Pub in downtown Chesterton (An Irish one at that!).

Thursday:

THE REAL KICK-OFF TO ALL THE FAMILY FILLED FUN AND MEMORIES! I'm a huge holiday person and I love getting together to celebrate an exciting occasion with all the food and decorations! It was a pretty relaxed day starting off with hanging out with the animals on the farm and seeing what the daily life of a hobby farmer is. That night, we sat under a cotton candy pink sky and drank some speciality drinks and ate RIBS. Can it get more American than that?! The day didn't go quite as planned, but it ended wonderfully with a beautiful sunset, great drinks, better food, and only a slight barn smell!

Friday:

Once again, bright and early after a successful ab workout, Alex and I left our fur babies with his dad and left for Illinois to spend some time with my family and enjoy some more 4th of July festivities! One tradition my family has done for the 4th since BEFORE I was born was attend the Palatine Festival & Fireworks (which is where I grew up). These days we enjoy rides, food tents, beer/liquor tents, a weird mixture of rock n' roll and country music, and then get some VIP close-up access to the big fireworks show. Along with the festival experience, I also got to see have lunch with my Oma & Opa and then enjoy some leftover grilled 4th of July food.

Saturday: AND AGAIN, we loaded up our car Saturday after a wonderful breakfast provided for by my dad and then we were BACK to Indiana for another family party. Putting a lot of miles on our cars but also putting a lot of memories into our lives! On Saturday we had a huge cookout with Alex's dad and step moms side of the family! There was more interaction with the critters, more frying and BBQing food, and an epic firework show that Alex had put together. His engi-nerding degree is paying off and I am always in such awe of his creative and technical mind! I love that man<3. The shenanigans didn't stop there, we decided in order for me to get home for work on Sunday, we decided to drive at MIDNIGHT Sunday. A few pit stops and caffeinated drinks later and we were home at 4 AM and then it was back to reality/work at 11 on Sunday!

WHAT A WEEK! A lot of traveling, but a lot of fun and a lot of memories made! Alex and I are blessed with big families that have incredible traditions and love attached to them. The trips were so worth it and I am so blessed to have so many people to call family. Last Monday I woke up feeling nothing but love and gratitude and found myself thanking God for weeks and days like these. Treasure them, life goes so fast!

Workouts I accomplished:

Okay y'all not going to lie trying to fit in workouts between parties and traveling was a workout in and of itself! I was able to complete Lower Body, Abs, and Cardio with two rest days to back it up as well. If you're traveling or super busy one week I highly HIGHLY recommend getting your workouts in during the morning hours because the afternoons and evenings will most likely be non-stop. I gave myself those two rest breaks because I feel like my body deserved and I knew I would've stressed myself out and hurt myself by accident if I pushed myself to far. Knowing your limits is KEY.

Eating Healthy during the Holiday:

This one is always super tricky. I tried my best t eat as healthy as humanly possible but given that the 4th of July has INCREDIBLE (what I call) tailgate food and drinks, it's okay to indulge and treat yourself especially on special occasion! I had my fair share of burgers, cookies, chips and MORE! I wouldn't trade it for the world either.

I am such a holiday person so with another holiday not here for another few weeks I can allow myself some time to relax, breathe, and plan for halloween am I right?! (I think thats the next big holiday?!) I hope your 4th of July week/weekend was wonderful and you got to spend it with the people you love and cherish most!