A year in review

Its officially New Years Eve and before I head into work for a crazy busy night I want to reflect back on 2012. I keep saying that 2012 was the worst year of my life...and thats not entirely true. More like mid-2011 to mid-2012 was the worst year of my life for a lot of reasons. However, I always say its the tough times that make you a stronger person so I am very thankful for Gods strength through all the tough times.  These past few months things have really been looking up, and I take that as a sign that 2013 is going to be a great year.  Yes there will be tough times but I think I am a stronger person now and will be able to handle those tough times better now. So enough with focusing on the bad, I'd like to reflect on the good that 2012 brought...b/c there were definitely good times as well! So here are my top 10 best moments/things of 2012.

1. Throughout all of my Mom's treatments every week, I was able to spend a lot of quality time with her which is something I will never take for granted.  Even if it was just sitting beside her in the hospital and holding her hand , I am thankful that I was able to be there. I knew when I lived in California that I needed to get home and be with my Mom. I couldnt explain that to people at the time b/c we didnt even know my mom was sick at that time. And I cant explain it now either, but I KNEW something was wrong and that I was needed back at home for my mom. So while it was devastating to find out my mom had cancer, I am thankful I was in Ohio where I could be there for her, rather than 3,000 miles away. So even though I miss Cali like crazy, I know it was the right decision to move back.

2. Chris and I moved into a new apartment in Fort Thomas. This was a big deal for us because when we moved back from LA we didnt know where our lives would take us next. In the 3 years we have been married we have lived in 3 different states. It feels really great to feel "settled" somewhere. We really love the area we live in, and the best part is the cost of living here is not too bad so we have extra money to take a lot of trips!


3. Speaking of taking a lot of trips....we went on a cruise in May! It was very relaxing and just what we needed.

4. I got with an acting agency here in Cincinnati, and even did a small part in a movie which was a ton of fun! The movie was even more exciting to be a part of b/c it was benefiting the American Cancer Society.

5. Cheerleading Camp. I have been going to cheerleading camp for quite awhile if you count all the times I went as a cheerleader and now as a coach. It is always one of my favorite memories of the cheerleading season.  This year at cheerleading camp was extra special. The girls all bonded together as more than just a squad, but literally as sisters. It was amazing to be a part of it and reminded me why I coach.  Of course I coach b/c I love cheerleading and want to see the girls grow in that sport. But more importantly I coach b/c I want to be a role model and "big sister" to these girls. Cheerleading camp came at a really rough time in my life, and was exactly what I needed to renew my strength in my relationship with God and remind me that I am exactly where God wanted me to be in life.

6. Chris and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary! I cant believe 3 years have gone by so fast and its crazy to think Chris and I have been together for 6 years. It seems like just yesterday we met for the first time and quickly fell in love :) We have been through a lot together and are each others rock. I honestly dont know what I would have done with out him by my side and I feel so blessed to call him my husband!



7. For our anniversary we got to go on a road trip to places we have never been. I can honestly say it was one of my favorite vacations. We had a blast experiencing new things together and spending quality time just the two of us.

8. Chris and I both got hired at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. This was such a blessing and I can not tell you how happy I am to be working there. We loved working at Ruth's Chris in California and couldn't wait for them to open the one here.  A lot of people applied and we both feel very lucky to have been hired.  We have met new friends along the way and absolutely love our new jobs! It was difficult leaving Mitchell's because we love all the people there, but we feel very fortunate for this new opportunity! (All of these photos are credit Erin Heitsch Photography)

 9. I fell back in love with Cincinnati. After moving back from LA I'm not going to lie I thought Cincinnati was the most boring place on earth haha. But Cincinnati is really coming a long way and I have learned to appreciate it once again.  I love living close to downtown, and Over the Rhine has become one of my favorite places.  It is so rich in culture and just different than any other area in Cincinnati. I love working downtown just steps from the Reds stadium. I truly have fallen back in love with the city I grew up in, and even though I still think LA is one of the greatest places on earth, Cincinnati will always be #1 in my heart.

10. I got to spend a lot of time with my family, especially my nieces.  As you probably already know I just adore my nieces.  I love being an aunt, and watching my nieces grow up is something really special.

I guess this year wasnt as bad as I thought ;) Sometimes its best to remember all the good times instead of dwelling on the bad! I have a feeling 2013 is going to be a great year :) I hope everyone has a Happy New Year!!

Tis the Season

I sit here on Christmas Eve getting ready to go to sleep and can not believe it is already Christmas tomorrow and we are getting closer to it being a new year.  As I think back this past year it is such a blur. Part of me feels like it flew by, and the other part of me feels like it was a never ending year. Christmas is such a special time to spend with family and celebrate the birth of Christ, and it is truly one of my favorite times of the year.  Last Christmas, my family received some horrible news that my mom had breast cancer.  As I look back at this last year and relive the memories I want to just burst in to tears from all the pain and heart ache my family (especially my mom) had to go through. I remember how in shock and in disbelief I was when I found out my mom had breast cancer...and still to this day it seems very surreal. You never think those types of things will happen to someone so close to you, and when they do it can literally be life changing. Last Christmas my mom and I got in a horrible fight and I said some really mean things out of anger (not my proudest moment...). It was the next day that I found out my mom could possibly have breast cancer. I was so mad at myself for getting in an argument with her on Christmas...and I couldn't help but think after that "What if she doesnt make it until next Christmas and this is how I will always remember my last Christmas with my Mom?!" I dont like to live life with regrets, but if I could take back that day, that argument, I would in a heart beat.

I am happy to be able to sit here and type out that I do indeed get to spend another Christmas with my mom. Tomorrow I am more excited than ever to spend the entire day with the people that mean the most to me in the whole world. AND I am even more excited to be able to say that my mom is healthy and CANCER FREE. Praise God!! My family has a lot to celebrate this Christmas. To say the least 2012 was not very nice to my family in a lot of ways. However, I think that through all the trials and tribulations that this past year brought, my family is now closer because of it.  That is something that I will never take for granted and that I am so thankful for. You never know when something bad can happen, and you truly have to live every day to the fullest.  Tell the ones you love that you love them any moment you can. Dont be fearful of the bad things happening, but be happy and celebrate the life God has given you. Christ came to earth specifically to die for us so that we could live and honor God in everything we do.  This Christmas I am reminded of that more than ever. And when things are tough, you just have to remind yourself that God is in control. If He brings you to it, He will bring you through it :)

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

The Good Life

My church started a new series his week called "The Good Life" and it  really hit home for me in so many ways.  Ever since I was in high school I have been planning my life out.  Everything from who I was going to marry, to what I would do with my life, to how many kids I would have, I have been planning since I was 16.  10 years later and I find myself still trying to plan out my life.  When I was in high school I always thought...my life will be fulfilled once I find my future husband.  Then I met Chris and we got married (and my life changed for the better) but my thoughts changed to....my life will be fulfilled once I have my dream job of being an actress.  And now my thoughts are...my life will be fulfilled once I have a career I love and start having kids.  But today it really hit me...I have been so busy planning out how to live my life and what to do in my life that I really havent lived in the "now" of my life.  Having a husband, or career that I love or kids are not ever going to completely fufill my life.  The only thing that can completely fill my life with joy and happiness is my relationship with God.  That might sound cliche but it is completely true.  When I was a kid I didnt think about the future, I took joy in the little things in life.  As I got older and more "real life" responsibilities came my way, the little things didnt seem so important.  I am realizing now just how important they are.  Once I got into high school I was always being taught to prepare for your future, and I have always been afraid of making the wrong decisions that will effect my future.  I have spent so much time being afraid to make wrong decisions, or beating myself up about bad decisions that most of the time I just waste time and lose out on every day opportunities. But that ends today.  I am honestly exhausted with always trying to make the right decisions regarding the direction of my life.  God knows that I am not perfect...and thats what is amazing about having a relationship with him...I dont HAVE to be perfect.  Whenever I fail, He is there to pick me back up and put the pieces together.  I'm not sure why this is hitting me so hard today...this is something I have always known...but it clicked in a very real way today.  I feel a huge weight lifted off my chest and just feel so much more freedom to live my life.  Living "the good life" just means living a life for God.  Allowing Him to guide me and not wasting the life He gave me.  Feeling how loved I am by Him, and spreading that love to everyone I meet.  I have already been blessed with an amazing husband to share my life with and thats more than I can even ask for! I would still like to have a career that I love and have many kids...but I have come to realize that even if those things dont happen for me, I still have a fulfilled life because I have Jesus in it.  He died so that I could live, and I will not take that for granted any longer. 

This is going to be such a challenge for me to truly let go and just live. I am going to have to work on this daily, but I know in the long run my life will be way more enjoyable because of it.  So right now I just want to say a few of the "little things" that I am thankful for in my day today.

-It was a beautiful day and I didnt have to work!
-free coffee at Crossroads (always  makes my Sundays amazing)
-I finally got to spend Fathers Day with my dad...even though its a week late
-I got to spend the day with my nieces who I just adore to pieces
-My whole family just got to relax and spend time together with lots of laughs and absolutely no arguing (Thats a big deal...when you get a bunch of control freaks in one place!)
-I made my dad cry while reading his fathers day card (yes I know thats weird to be thankful for that but thats always my goal when I write cards!)
-I had an excuse to watch/listen to the Justin Bieber movie again b/c one of my nieces spent the night.
-I have the hottest guy in the world sitting next to me on the couch right now.

That being said, if anyone wants to hear the series that my church is doing on this subject feel free to check it out on their website at crossroads.net or even come check it out some weekend.  Its pretty much the best place on this entire earth...filled with normal people...no one is gonna beat you with a bible or anything haha!

Thanks for checking out my blog!

Brittany :)

Name Change

Am I really blogging two times in one week?? I am proud of myself I must say! So when I first started this blog a couple years ago I intended to talk about much deeper things.  I felt I had so much to say on a "deeper" level.  I think thats why I don't blog that much because I usually have a million things going through my mind, and I'm always searching for the meaning behind things that,  sometimes I dont look at things on the surface level.  I never really know how to put into words all things things going through my mind, so I usually just dont blog at all.  However, I have found that I really enjoy blogging...even if no one reads it, I think its fun!  I can say whatever is on my mind...whether it be silly or serious.  Either way its a way to just clear my head a lot of times.  Anyway, my point is I really want to get better at blogging...even if I dont feel like I have something significant to say.  I'm most likely not going to post some life changing post and save the world at the same time (although I dream big so who knows...), but even if one person gets something out of what I say then it will be worth it.  And I am totally ok if that one person getting something out of this blog is just me :)

Anyway on to the real reason I am posting! You may or may not have noticed that I changed the name of this blog to "Team Hoover." I felt like it was very fitting because ever since Chris and I got married this is what we have called ourselves. I have been known to yell out "TEAM HOOVER!" followed by a very lady like chest bump a time or two. Mine and Chris' relationship is a bit different than most relationships I know, for the simple fact that we work together.  We are together from the moment we wake up, to the moment we go to bed at night (except for the nights that I stay up until 5am b/c I am a crazy and can never sleep!).  Most of you know that Chris and I met while working together and except for maybe 1 year total out of the last 6 years we have been together, we have worked together.  We toy with the idea of working separately every once and awhile, but honestly I cant imagine not having my hubby next to me at work.  The days I go into work and hes not there, or when he goes into work and I have the  night off, I seriously miss him so much.  (Side note: I'm not some clingy weirdo or anything, I actually REALLY love my space and "me" time haha.) However I have come to realize that Chris and I have truly become "one" in these past few years.  We are 50/50 with everything.  We both clean, we both cook, we both handle our finances, we both work hard, etc.  Of course there are days where I do more than Chris, and days where he does more than me (and in all honestly there are probably more of those days because he is just amazing like that.)  When I take a hard look at our relationship it really resembles a "team".  Now of course we have our days where we argue or get on each others nerves (and those married people who say they dont are LYING haha), but they dont last long and we just try to move on from those days.  We try to be there for each other no matter what, we always have each other backs and would do anything for each other.  We are best friends and soul mates for sure.  The  more I am married, the more I realize just how blessed I am to always have Chris by my side on this journey of life.  I am proud to be Mrs. Hoover and 1/2 of Team Hoover! (I'm so cheesy I just cant help myself...)

Also in case anyone read this and thought "wow Brittany thinks her marriage is perfect and her life is perfect and blah blah blah".  My answer to you is no one is perfect...and I definitely dont think my life is perfect nor is my marriage.  Luckily for me I am not striving to be perfect! Anyway thats a blog topic for another time ;)

3 year Anniversary

So this August will be mine and Chris' 3 year wedding anniversary.  I can't believe time has gone by so fast!  We have gone through so much together in the past 6 years (both good and bad) and I have never felt closer to him than I do now.  We were talking a few days ago about when we first met and it gave me butterflies all over again.  He truly was made for me and I can not express enough how blessed I feel to have him as my husband.  One thing that Chris and I have been able to do a lot these past 6 years is travel.  We've been on 3 cruises, Florida, Hilton Head, Gatlinburg, Vegas, New Orleans, etc.  We drove the long drive to California and back.  We have lived in 3 different states in 3 years.  It really seems we cant stay still for too long!  We have been extremely blessed to do all of these things and have made so many memories with each other along the way.  We were talking a few weeks ago about making a trip somewhere for our Anniversary and couldn't quite pick a specific place that we wanted to go to.  That's when we (I) came up with the brilliant idea that for each vacation we take we will go someplace new.  So that became part of our bucket list....Explore at least one city in every state.  You have no idea how excited I am about this.  There are sooo many places I want to visit! And I am even more excited to do this with my best friend/love of my life at  my side!  So far we only have 12 of the 50 states covered, but on our anniversary trip we will be visiting 4 different states in a week!  Ever since we planned this trip I cant stop talking about it so I'll share with you some of the exciting things we will be doing!

First stop: PITTSBURGH, PA

This is a view from the hotel we will be staying at.  Most of you probably wouldn't be excited to visit Pittsburgh.  ESPECIALLY you Bengals fans!  However, considering I have been a Steelers fan for 16 years and have never been to Pittsburgh I am extremely excited (and also ashamed to admit I have never been there)! I have even talked Chris into going on a Heinz Field tour with me!!! For those of you that know Chris, you know what a huge sacrifice this is considering how much he hates the Steelers haha.  Another exciting thing we will be doing in Pittsburgh is eating at Primanti Brothers.  This was featured on Man vs. Food and I can not wait to get a hold of one of these sandwhiches. 

I mean seriously why have I never thought to put french fries on my sandwhich before?! mmmmm!

Next up will be the fabulous NEW YORK CITY:

Now I have actually visited NYC before, but Chris has not so we are going to explore the city together.  We will actually be going to a YANKEES/RED SOX GAME!  This will be perfect since we both hate the Yankees and like the Red Sox.  Lets just hope we don't get beat up by any New York fans ;) We will be doing the normal tourist stuff while in New York and I am most looking forward to showing Chris Ground Zero.  It is just a really humbling experience to go there and remember all the lives lost on that horrible day.  Here is a picture from when I visited Ground Zero back in 2005:

(Side note:  this picture was taken a week before I met Chris for the first time...so I am excited to go back WITH him.)  Among a million other things we are trying to squeeze into our two days in New York, we will be going to a restaurant called NINJA.  We saw it on the Travel Channel and it looks very interesting...apparently you are greeted at the door by Ninjas with swords haha.  It should be a different experience for sure!

After NYC we will be driving to ATLANTIC CITY, NJ:

We are staying at a hotel called The Chelsea which looks REALLY nice, with a rooftop pool and right on the beach.  I can't wait! While there we will also be visiting the Absecon Lighthouse and having our official Anniversary dinner at Ruths Chris Steakhouse (which I will be happy to not be a vegetarian at that dinner!)

From Atlantic City we will drive to Philadelphia, PA:

This pic is of a cute little bed and breakfast we will be staying at.  We stayed at a bed and breakfast for the first time on our 2 year anniversary and loved the experience.  This particular bed and breakfast was rated #1 in Philadelphia so it should be a great time!  The most important part of our entire trip will happen while we are in Philadelphia and it is what we planned our entire trip around...the REDS/PHILLIES GAME.  Chris and I are both die hard Reds fans...and we both HATE the Phillies.  I am still extremely bitter about them beating us in the post season last year, so we will be sitting right by the Reds dugout and cheering our hearts out for our team!

Our last stop on our trip will be WASHINGTON D.C:

Neither Chris or I have ever been there and with so many historical sites to see, I'm sure it will be a busy and fun filled day! 

Not only am I excited to see all of these places, but a road trip with my hubby will be the best part of it all.  If you have been to any of these places and have suggestions of things we should do/see/eat let me know!!

~Brittany

The Daniel Fast

So about a week ago someone was talking to me about how they were going on the Daniel Fast...so I looked it up and immediately thought it was something I wanted to do. For those who are not really sure what fasting is all about it is basically a restriction of food for a spiritual purpose. A lot of time when people fast they dont eat or drink anything at all. I personally for my own body dont think I could handle that, even for a day. I have always been interested in fasting though so when I found out about the Daniel Fast I just knew it was perfect. Basically the Daniel Fast is supposed to help your body, spirit and soul. Not only will this be such an amazing spiritual journey to be on, but it provides you a way to detox from caffeine, processed food and other chemicals in your body. I have been wanting to do this as well so its perfect that I can fast and do a detox at the same time.

The Daniel Fast is based on the bible when Daniel fasted for 3 weeks. Basically the guidelines for this fast are based on what Daniel ate during this fast. So what I can eat on this fast are things such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, oils, water, soy products, tofu and seasonings. The things that you can not eat are any meat, dairy, sweetners, bread, refined and processed food, fried foods, solid fats, and any other beverages besides water.

Today is my first day on the fast and it lasts for 21 days. I am really excited to see the spiritual and physical benefits that come from this. I think its going to be difficult (although maybe not as difficult for someone who is not already a vegetarian.) but I am ready to push myself for the next 21 days and see where God takes me. Also I want to apologize in advance if you come in contact with me in the next few days of me not having coffee...I cant promise it will be pretty haha.

Since I am doing this fast the next 3 weeks I am giving myself a free pass from my January resolution of doing yoga 3 times a week. I am going to wait to do this resolution until probably February because this fast is already going to be a big change for my body and I dont want to do too much at once. So my January resolution now is to complete this Daniel Fast!

I want to leave you with a bible verse I read today that really encourages me: PSALM 138:8 "THE LORD WILL WORK OUT HIS PLANS FOR MY LIFE-FOR YOUR FAITHFUL LOVE O LORD ENDURES FOREVER."

NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I am not typically one to get all excited about the new year. I think NYE is a little over-rated and I typically work every New Years Eve so to me its about making lots of money instead of going out and celebrating. I feel like everyone gets this motivation for a chance at a new year and to do things differently, only to break your resolutions after a couple months and then wait another 10 months to do it again. At least thats how its always been when I make New Years resolutions. So this year I have decided to do my resolutions a bit differently. My New Years resolution is to make a new resolution every month. So I will have 12 "New Month Resolutions." Sounds fun to me! So around the first of every month I am going to re-evaluate myself and my life and decide something new to do or change in my life to help improve myself. Then I am going to keep myself accountable by blogging about it on here :)

This past year has been different for me. There have been so many times I have gotten on here within the past year to blog about stuff on my mind or things going on in my life and then I have deleted my post b/c it didnt truly express how I was really feeling. This past year has been fun in a lot of ways...Chris and I have been spoiled with 4 or 5 vacations in the past 6 months. But its also been one of the most confusing and difficult years of my life. I feel like in a lot of ways instead of taking steps forward this past year, I took some steps back and that can be very disappointing. I still dont have the words to really explain this past year...b/c like I said its been very good at times and very bad at times. So until I do have the words we will just leave it at 2011 was "confusing." I know I am very blessed, and I am so thankful for many things in my life. But I definitely feel like some changes need to be made. Thats why I am excited for my "New Month Resolutions!" I want to challenge myself more this year and truly live life to the fullest. I am extremely busy (like most people) and if I dont actively challenge and evaluate myself on a regular basis then I will just slip through every day life without truly growing as a person and I do not want that! I want to be a better version of myself every day....spiritually, physically and emotionally. I'm having a hard time choosing just one to start with because I have so many ideas so far! But I have to start somewhere so here we go...

JANUARY 2012 NEW MONTH RESOLUTION:

I will go to a yoga class at least 3 days a week.

This might not sound "life changing" to most of you but for me I think its a good starting place. I fell in love with yoga a few months ago. I actually really hate working out as far as just going to the gym and running on a treadmill or lifting weights. And if I dont like to do something, I usually wont do it (hmmm maybe that should be one of my resolutions...haha). Anyway, for the past few months I have written down on my calendar every week to go to a yoga class. And when those days come along that I am suppose to go I usually come up with some excuse as to why I cant go. And to be frank with myself its just me being LAZY. Ouch. That hurts to say but its true. I love how yoga makes me feel yet I am too lazy to do it on a regular basis. So this resolution should be good for me in many ways!

Alright well hopefully this works! Come 9:30am tomorrow morning I should be sweating it out in my Moksha hot yoga class...stay tuned to find out if I keep my first months resolution :)