Big News!

Michael and I are engaged!!

I know I've been MIA these past few months, but I just have to blog about this since November 7, 2014 was hands down, the BEST day of my life! Everyone asks me if I knew it was going to happen. I knew we were going to marry each other. I knew a proposal had to be in the near future based on our talks and plans, but that day I had NO idea!! We were down at my family's beach house for the weekend, heading out for a drink on the pier before going to dinner, and it happened!! Our stroll down the pier at sunset turned into a proposal from the most amazing guy I know! 

It was simple. It was in a place that we both love. It was just the two of us. I love the thought that Michael put into this day and I love that it wasn't some huge production. There were no friends, no family members, no photographers hiding behind the trees. It was just us soaking it all in and that made it even more special to me! We went to dinner at Sonny's and celebrated! At the end of our dinner, the waiter informed us that my brother and sister-in-law called in and dinner was on them! What a sweet way to end our night! Thanks Chris and Lindsay! 

Of course I must share a picture of my gorgeous ring that he designed all by himself (okay my girlfriend Ahnny helped him out a bit)! Michael and I never really discussed rings and we never went ring shopping! Awesome right?! It is perfect for me!! 

I can't wait to marry this man!! November 14, 2015...hurry up!! 

Baby Pettit!

I can hardly contain myself!! I'm going to be an AUNT!! My brother and sister-in-law are having their first baby and he/she is due mid April!! They told me this little secret on September 1st and I kept my mouth shut for an entire MONTH! I even kept it from my parents for 2 weeks! Hellooo...hardest. thing. ever. Chris and Lindsay told Michael and me that Monday when we stopped by their house and I was so surprised! I also felt really special that they decided to tell us in a fun way that was specifically for us! Our family is just over the moon!! Next up will be the BIG reveal!! Baby Pettit is going to be so cute and oh so spoiled!! Auntie Allie loves you already!!

How adorable is this announcement?! 

packing...and moving...sigh

Honestly, is there anyone out there who truly enjoys moving and ALL that comes with it?? I'm fairly certain there isn't! I've known I was going to move for a while now. It was all apart of the plan. You'd think I would have start packing in advance and had it all organized, right?? Well that wasn't the case! I went on a week long vacation without a worry in the world and decided I'd tackle it all when I got home! How hard could it be? I don't have that much stuff! I rent a room & bathroom from a friend and she owns the majority of the stuff in the condo! No biggie!!

Well...my sweet Mom came today to help me pack up my things and load up her car (I'm moving back in with my parents and going to school full time for a year..eeek!)! I may or may not have WAY more than I thought I had! My mom joked and said she felt like she was moving me home from college!! Well that's pretty much the case, just 6 years later!!! In my last move 3 years ago I don't think I got rid of anything! I just moved it on over to this condo!! This time around I got rid of a TON!! It feels so good, like a fresh start!!

Mom and I also grabbed lunch and chatted about the different seasons of life. She asked if I was sad to be moving away from LA after 10 years....I'm really not sad at all. While it's always a little bittersweet leaving a place, I'm also very excited for the season ahead!! Now if I could just be done with the moving part...hurry up Sunday!!

Taking Inventory

CURRENTLY...

Making: a couple picture posts to share with my fitness challengers tomorrow

Cooking: I had eggs for dinner...does that count?

Drinking: La Croix Cerise Limon Sparkling water - so good when you're tired of plain water and it has zero added crazy ingredients 

Reading: Love, Skip, Jump by Shelene Bryan...loving this book that I"m using for personal development! Talks a lot about saying YES to adventures and new things in life, living your passion out through the Lord and serving others! I highly recommend it!

Wanting: July 19th to get here!! Heading on vacation for a week to Oceanside with my boyfriend & his family!

Looking: forward to the changes coming up in the next couple months!

Wasting: time on Instagram is something I do quite often...

Wishing: for a smooth next year while I'm back in school full time & hoping I LOVE it!

Enjoying: Summer!! I'm a summer girl through and through and I'll soak it up any chance I get!

Waiting: for my new shipment of Shakeology - seriously obsessed with my nutritious shakes (ask me about them!)

Liking: that I've made a post within a week of the last one :) sometimes I go a month!! Eek!
Wondering: about the future!!
Loving: on new baby Hank who was born Saturday!! He's dreamy!!
Hoping: for a FUN 4th of July with friends!! I know it will be - it always is!
Marveling: at how awesome these last 4 months have been with growing my own small fitness business! LOVE what I am doing! It's seriously changed me as a person!
Needing: the soreness in my left arm to go away!! Tetanus shots are no joke! I got one yesterday for the first time in 16 years lol!! I know - it's supposed to be every 10!! But really, my arm is dead!!
Smelling: the candle burning in my house...it's summery and makes me think of the beach.
Wearing: a blue tank and yoga pants...what I jump into every night after work!
Following: my 10-day workout circuit plan that I created last week leading up to the 4th!! I'm sore!
Noticing: my love for coconut water has really grown...especially my love for the chocolate one!
Thinking: about how proud I am of my boyfriend! He works so hard & deserves every good thing coming his way!
Opening: a box of chocolate covered raisins - I'm only having a few!
Giggling: about the craziness that is LIFE!!

HAPPY TUESDAY FRIENDS!!!

create

Exactly 4 months ago I decided to JUMP!! I had been thinking and wondering if I could do it and if I'd be good at doing something different; adding something more to my life! What if, what if, what if?! After 5 months of contemplation I decided to become an Independent Health and Fitness Coach! I've always loved fitness but doing this whole coaching thing was going to be out of my comfort zone. Little did I know, it was just what I needed! Working for a few hours each day, creating my business and helping other people, makes me really HAPPY! I changed almost instantly. My point of view about life shifted. The way I looked at friendships was different and more meaningful. My focus started to become more about helping others! Turns out I was helping myself too! I want to be an example of what it means to live a healthy life, no matter your age or what your circumstances are. Everyone is capable!!

There is no doubt that God brought me to this place of wanting to create and wanting to help! I believe that He is using me to help others through my LOVE of health and fitness! I always heard people say "use the gifts that God gave you". Well I think this may be mine! I am genuinely so excited when clients ask for my help, send me texts of their progress in their fitness journey, or tell me that they want to be my first big SUCCESS story! Seeing a renewed confidence in someone else is truly special!! This job is SO rewarding!!

Creating a small business is no joke & it's not always rainbows and butterflies, but the journey is what makes it worth it!! I am learning so much, making progress, and building my clientele each day!! My Dad, who owned his own financial business, is one of my biggest cheerleaders!! He has so many good tips and it's nice to bounce ideas off of him! I'm truly thankful that not only my Dad, but my entire family and boyfriend is supportive of what I'm doing!! Being surrounded by an abundance of positivity is amazing!! 

Thanks for taking time to read!!

xo, Allie

The Hankster!

My really good friends Kristen and TJ are pregnant with their first baby - a BOY!! Hank William (named after both of their Grandfathers) is due June 21st and I can't wait to meet him! So many babies coming into the world this summer! Eeeek!! 

I had the privilege of shooting these photos! 

A couple weeks ago, my girlfriends Ahnny, Katie & I had a shower for Kristen! The theme was POP!! As in "She's Ready to Pop"! It was all green, orange and blue and we had the shower at South Hills Country Club! It was a beautiful day for a lunch with girlfriends and we had so much fun celebrating the mommy-to-be and Baby Hank!! 

change

People who know me well, know that I am not a fan of change. Change is hard for me. Stepping out of my little bubble is hard. I like my routine and the people in my routine. I like knowing what I'm going to be doing every day. It's not that I don't love a little spontaneity here and there, but on the daily I like to have my days and weeks set accordingly!

Until I realized that things were getting serious with my boyfriend last summer, I wasn't really in a rush to move forward. I lived in a cute little brand new condo near the beach and I had my job as a nanny...the same job I'd had for the last several years. I started hanging out with friends from back home (about an hour away from where I lived currently) again and Michael and I never wanted to go a weekend without seeing each other. Something clicked that I was ready to move. I was ready for the next step. While I loved going home to see everyone every single weekend, I was tired. Tired of packing my bags, tired of driving so much, and tired of being away from daily happenings or weeknight birthday dinners because it didn't make sense for me to make the drive during the week!

I also thought about my future. I wanted to do more and I wanted to be able give my future husband and family more! I decided that in the summer of 2014, I'd take the big leap! Did I know what I wanted to do?? No...Did I know where I'd live? No. But I had a year to figure it out and at the time that just seemed so far away!!

Flash forward to this week, about 2 months away from my original deadline! On Tuesday I told the family I've worked for, for over 9 years, that I would be leaving. I'm not kidding when I say that it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. They are my people, my second family, my kids!! We shared tears and talked for over an hour. It was so hard for me to spit the words out, but they were so supportive of my next chapter in life. Sure it's sad and it will be sad on my last day, but it was time for me to move on and they understood that. I am so grateful and thankful for them, more than they will ever know! We just clicked! I fell into that job when I was just 19 years old and never thought I'd stay this long, but I did. God wanted me to be with them. I truly believe that He placed me with that family.

I am super excited for the months ahead. Change doesn't seem so bad afterall. I took a leap a few months ago and started a small fitness business that I am so excited about!! I'll move back home with my parents for a bit (yikes!) in August, and come late August I will be going back to school to become a Registered Dental Assistant. Furthermore, I'll be living near Michael and my closest friends! The next couple years are going to be good and exciting!! God definitely has a plan for us all and I am just going to trust Him with mine. Life is good and He is good! All the time.