Lovely Spring

And everything that’s new has bravely surfaced

Teaching us to breathe

What was frozen through is newly purposed

Turning all things green

So it is with You

And how You make me new

With every season’s change

And so it will be

As You are re-creating me

Summer, autumn, winter, spring

-Nichole Nordeman, "Every Season"

It feels as if the year just started, yet here we are and it's April and spring is in the air. I love it when the warm air begins to move through and the plants and flowers start coming out. It's amazing to see how every year, new life is given to the things that were "dead" just a few months before. I love the beautiful reminder of rebirth and renewal. It gives me hope.

I've been a little MIA from the online world lately because I've been doing some soul searching. I've been praying and trying to figure out what's the next step for me. I'm continuing to make changes and adjustments and working to find my niche.

I'm enjoying my job and my writing class and I'm trying new things with my diet and my health. I'm learning to trust that God will see us through... whatever it may be, finances, my health, Jarrod and my relationship. It's hard to give up control, but I'm working on it.

For this month, I'm going to continue to keep it simple.
-I want to start writing every day. Even just 15 minutes at first and work it into my daily routine.
-Continue on working on things for my health, drinking more water, taking the right supplements, getting more exercise and eating the right things.

That may not sound like a lot, but with what I've been dealing with lately, it'll be plenty to keep my hands full.

March on

Wow, March, you snuck up on me and I almost let you pass without putting a little something new on the blog. I completely forgot that today was March 1. But I'm going to be honest, when you're not dealing with the usual going-to-work-every-day-routine, you completely lose track of what day it is. I'm constantly having to check my calendar to make sure I don't miss any appointments or other things I have planned.

March is a great time of year. First of all, it means that my birthday is only a week away! Yea! However, this year is going to be a little different since I've been doing this diet. Usually we'd all go out to eat somewhere and have cake or ice cream or something, but I'm not sure what it's going to mean this year. I'm expecting my shipment of almond flour tomorrow, so I'll have to experiment some... even if it means I have to make my own cake.

And another reason I love March is it means spring is near! In just a few short weeks, winter will be over and the warm weather will be moving back in (even though, it never really left this year... it was like 80-degrees today!)

For me this year, it continues to mean change. As I mentioned before, I'm in my second week on this diet. It takes a lot of dedication and experimentation, so I'm learning what works and what doesn't. I'm hoping to continue to learn and continue to feel better every day! Doing this diet has brought up thoughts about the rest of my health, as well. I'm realizing more and more that I don't take proper care of my body. I don't drink enough water, take the right vitamins (etc.), get enough exercise. These are things I really need to focus on. I don't just want health for my digestive tract. I want health for my entire body. Oh, but these goals are so hard to keep!! I'm hoping once I'm back on a set schedule, to have the motivation to get some stuff going in the mornings before work.

My writing class starts in just about 10 days. I'm so excited and a little freaked out that the same time. I haven't had a class in 4 years. Plus, writing has always been one of those things I've dreamed of doing... I think there's a little part of me that worries whether or not I'll be any good at it. I've been reading a writing book lately. It's already been enlightening. I hope to finish it by the time this class starts.

Finally, I've been enjoying this time off, but it's time for me to head back to work. While I do think I can handle the whole unemployed thing (I know some people go stir-crazy), I enjoy having that structure and balance in my life. I've got a couple of opportunities out there right now, so I'm praying for wisdom in figuring out what's going to be best for me and for Jarrod.

So to summarize for this month...

-Settle in on this diet, learning more about cooking and figuring out the best way to stay on top of it all.
-Take better care of my overall health: need to work on a plan for better exercising, drinking more water, and taking all of the vitamins I need.
-Attend my writing class (and enjoy it!) and finish my book.
-Start a new job and get back to a normal routine.
-Finish my "window project" that I've been putting off recently.
-Turn 26 and enjoy another birthday and another year!

Merry December!

Oh a day behind on December but that's alright with me. I was hoping to write a lot more over the past week, but it hasn't been the easiest week for me. I've been dealing with a whole bunch of not feeling great. I've been doing my best to suck it up and keep on with my life, but yesterday it hit me like a ton of bricks and I ended up leaving work early and sleeping for most of the afternoon.

It helped. I am feeling better today. Albeit, not great, but better. Jarrod and I are supposed to head to the beach today with my sister and Nate and his sister, Lise, and her husband, Matt, and their precious baby Jordan, but at this point, I'm still unsure whether or not we'll be able to make it. I'm taking it an hour at a time right now.

But I don't want to be a downer at the start of this beautiful month! Jarrod hates it, but I've been very much OK with the warmer temperatures so far. Especially considering that last year it snowed the first weekend of December. It was a little odd, however, putting up Christmas decorations in 60-degree weather.

As you can see, we have the tree up, which I love! We found a much better set up this year that actually seemed to give us more room, rather than less. We've decorated the outside with lights and wreaths and I'm still working on some of my indoor decorations, but that's another post for another day.

Looking ahead this month... there's so much going on. My beautiful cousin is performing in the Nutcracker, there are Christmas parties to attend and, of course, Christmas itself! But a big thing going on this month in my life is my 3rd round of the new meds. That's supposed to be the time when you know if it's working or not. And at this point, I'm not feeling that it is, and that scares me. So I'm a little anxious for that appointment in about two weeks and the follow up appointment with my doctor the week after that. I'm feeling the pressure this month.


As for my goals, I have not wanted to get to this part because I feel that I did pretty lousy this month. But I think I'm keeping the same goals and focusing on getting better and preparing for Christmas.

Health Goals
-I realized this morning (not for the first time) how tense I am pretty much all the time. I want to get up some sort of stretching regiment. That's always so hard to start, but healthwise, I think it's necessary for me. Need to drill that into my head! NOPE
-Also, I've fallen out of the habit of taking some OTC meds that I really need to be taking. Need to start that up again. NOPE

Personal Goals
-Party Planning! And, of course, actually throwing a fabulous engagement party!
-Read! ...something! I should probably pick this out by the beginning of the month. That way I'm probably more likely to stick to it. I'll try to figure something out today. EH, I DID SOME READING, BUT NOT WHAT I HAD IN MIND.
-Help put on a great Thanksgiving dinner with both of my families.
-Finish Christmas shopping. Doable? I have no idea. OK, I DIDN'T QUITE "FINISH" BUT I'M HAPPY WITH WHAT I ACCOMPLISHED, WHICH WAS THE MAJORITY OF IT.
-Decorate for Christmas!! (After Thanksgiving, of course)

Happy November!

There are officially no cute alliterations to use for a November post! What am I supposed to say? Nice November?

Anyways, I can't believe we are officially into the Holiday Season. Every year it comes faster and faster. But once we're into November, I don't mind seeing the Christmas decorations starting to go up. I, personally, do not start "celebrating" until after Thanksgiving. I believe in giving attention to one holiday at a time. Plus, I'm much too big of a Thanksgiving fan to let Christmas totally steal the spotlight. But at the same time, this is the month for getting everything ready for Christmas: buying decorations and shopping for presents and picking out what you want other people to buy for you! And I think having malls and stores already decorated really gets you into that mood and makes it more fun. Now stores that are decorated before Halloween... I think that's ridiculous.

But I started off my month right this time. I had to day off (because who wants to have to go into work at 4:30am the day after Halloween?) so I took to the opportunity to sleep in a little and stop by Dunkin Donuts for a coffee. I pampered myself a little with some shopping at Urban Outfitters and a pedicure, so I once again have pretty toes! I chose "Don't Toy With Me" as my color (and yes, I do choose my nail color based on the name). I ended the evening with my wonderful family (sans husband...) to celebrate my mother's birthday. It was a great evening, but I'm feeling it now because it's always so hard to leave family gatherings and I didn't get up getting to bed until about 10 last night, when my alarm is set for 3am.

But as we move into the holidays, the month is already filling up. Jarrod's still in Canada for another 3 days (eesh), the engagement party is coming up, so lots of party planning over the next week-and-a-half, we've got tickets to see STOMP with a big group of friends (I'm so excited!), and then here comes Thanksgiving!

Last month I said I wanted to focus on me and I think I did a good job of that. I've been feeling pretty good over the past couple weeks and I have another dose of the new meds coming up in less that 2 weeks, so I'm excited to see where things go from there.

I have 2 sets of goals for this month. The first are a couple of health-related goals and the second are my personal goals.

Health Goals
-I realized this morning (not for the first time) how tense I am pretty much all the time. I want to get up some sort of stretching regiment. That's always so hard to start, but healthwise, I think it's necessary for me. Need to drill that into my head!
-Also, I've fallen out of the habit of taking some OTC meds that I really need to be taking. Need to start that up again.

Personal Goals
-Party Planning! And, of course, actually throwing a fabulous engagement party!
-Read! ...something! I should probably pick this out by the beginning of the month. That way I'm probably more likely to stick to it. I'll try to figure something out today.
-Help put on a great Thanksgiving dinner with both of my families.
-Finish Christmas shopping. Doable? I have no idea.
-Decorate for Christmas!! (After Thanksgiving, of course)

A different sort of goal

I've been out of loop for the past several days. Actually, I've been holed up in my house catching up on lots of sleep and drinking lots of water.

I had a colonoscopy on Monday, so I obviously had to spend the day before prepping for that (ugh!). It went fine. The results, however, weren't what I was hoping for, but perhaps what I was expecting. I still have to wait about another week for some more results to come in before I know when I can start the new medication.

Then to top it off, I've been pretty under the weather the past couple of days. I'm not sure if it was the procedure or maybe a reaction to the anesthesia, but I've been worn down, dehydrated and nauseous ever since I woke up Monday evening. I was finally feeling better today and got some errands run and the house tidied up... but this evening I'm not feeling as great. I got a little dehydrated again, so I'm working on downing a ton of water!

This is normally where I'd write my monthly goals and, honestly, I have some for this month, but that's not what I need to focus on right now. I need to focus on me and fighting this stuff. Now's the time that I have to make some very important decisions that will seriously affect the rest of my life. So my goal for this month is like I said: focusing me and getting back on track.

As far as last months goals, I did pretty good. However, I didn't read a good book like I'd like to have. I do want to do that soon.

What a month!

Wow, I almost can't believe I did it. I posted the same number of blog posts in 1 month as I did in 5 months last year. Although, 19 posts doesn't sound like that many. I remember when my friend Nancy Ray did 100 posts in 100 days. Now that's some intense blogging! But still, making sure I stayed on top of it this month was a challenge. And as you can see, I just eeked by. No extra posts just for good measure. (Now I may just have to post something tomorrow to throw the whole thing off!)

 

I had to consciously think about it every day and say to myself, "Ok, I posted yesterday, so if I don't post anything today, then I have to tomorrow," and so on. Staying on top of a job with crazy hours, trying to have a life and writing about it is a lot to keep up with. I have a lot of respect for people who do it all and do it all of the time.

 

I would like to continue the trend. However, I think 19 posts a month, at least for the time being, is a little ambitious. I'll probably stick to the 10-15 range. I did like having a goal I had to stick to. It made me write even when I really didn't have anything I felt like writing about (i.e. This post is not about anything). But I'm proud of myself and hope to continue to grow over the coming months... even though I know they're going to start getting very busy with the holidays coming! And who knows, maybe I'll be able to get working on the "project" I talked about a couple of months back.

Dancing in September

"Say do you remember... Dancing in September... Never was a cloudy day..." 

-Earth, Wind & Fire

Fall is ALMOST in the air! The beginning of September always makes me want to get into the Autumn season and pull out the boots and scarves and earth tones, but then I realize I still have another 22 days to go. I try not to wish the summer away because I know as soon as fall gets here that winter is coming right after it, bringing four month of freezing... because I am always cold (just ask Jarrod).

But I am excited about September. I feel that August was spent "catching up." July was a difficult month health-wise which bled over to August and left me pretty exhausted. Plus, my work schedule has been so crazy that I've had little time to myself and has taken a bit more energy that usual. I'm glad to be starting off a month feeling better and ready to take on more.

So for this month...
-As I said in my last post, I want to write more. Here's to 18 more posts!
-Take Rylie for some more walks, now that it's not 100-degrees every day.
-Start planning an amazing engagement party for my brother-in-law and future sister-in-law.
-Finish a couple of my crafty projects that I've started.
-Read a good book. I think I already finished my 12 books for the year, but haven't read a good book in a couple months now.
-Decorate the house for fall on a budget.


-Set up the office. It looks great!
-Start meal-planning again. Did a pretty good job of this.
-Relax. I'm not the best at relaxing, but did alright for me!

Awesome August

Here we are again, at the start of another month. I've always been told that time goes by faster and faster the older that you get. Well I can't imagine what it's going to be like in another 10 years or so. Especially with celebrating my first anniversary and realizing that I've officially been married a whole year!

But this has been an interesting month for me. I've posted before about my schedule changes, which have made for me being pretty tired this month and in desperate need of a vacation. Then on top of that, I've had two bouts of this bug that's kept me in bed for a couple of days each time. I'm just getting over the most recent. Thank God I had taken today off as well! It's given me a chance to recuperate. But then tomorrow, it's back to the grind.

But now, I'm really looking forward to the month ahead. It's the first month in FOREVER where Jarrod and I have pretty much nothing planned. I'm so excited! It's time to relax and hang out with our friends and just enjoy our time together.

And now my computer is about to run out of battery, so instead of getting up to plug it in, I'm just going to wrap this up.

I honestly feel a little lost as to goals this month. I've been sort of out of the loop between vacation time and feeling a little under the weather, that I'm not even sure which way I'm going this month. But a few things I know I want to do:

• We should finally be getting the office set up the way we'd like! That means it's time to get busy with working in a slightly more professional environment, rather than on the couch.
• I've fallen out of the habit of setting up a meal plan, which is great for knowing what we'll be eating and being able to make sure the meals are balanced and not spending too much at the grocery store. I'm starting that back up this month.
• Finally, as I said before, it's time to relax. I think I really need it. 

And last month:

• Get things moving on this project with Rea. Not like I'd like. Moving this on to this month.
• I've been working on changing some of my lifestyle and eating habits (I'll post something on this later in the week), so I really want to stick to them this month.
• Celebrate the most amazing year of my life with the most amazing guy in the world!

June

I absolutely cannot believe that it's June 1st. The past month has flown by, but it's been a good one. So I took the past month or so off from blogging because, as I said before, I've been enjoying some much needed time with my husband. For the first time since before we've been married, we've had some time to enjoy being together and being lazy! When we just had weekends together, our time was so jam-packed with everything we needed to get done and spending time with our friends who we hadn't seen much, that there was no time to just relax and be together. So that's what we did last month. But now, it's time to get back into it and get moving. It's going to be a busy, busy month ahead, so it's going to take some discipline. I've got some catching up to do as well since there's a thing or two from last month that I'd like to share.

 

I'm excited that the summer is finally here... not officially, but with the past couple of weeks of 90-something-degree weather, it might as well be. I love the heat. I'd prefer it to stay in the 70s rather than the 90s, but I still think it's better than the cold winter. Jarrod would disagree with me, especially since our house has been so hot this past week and our AC working overtime, when I really don't even have it set very low.

 

But summer is the time for the beach/pool, grilling, gardening and home projects, and we've taken care of all of those... or at least have plans to do so. We've been grilling like crazy this past week or so. Steaks, burgers, chicken, salmon. It's the best! And Jarrod is awesome with the grill, so it's always delicious.

 

We are just wrapping up on a painting project in the main area of our house, and it looks great. Makes the house feel much more "homey" and warm. We've just got to finish up a little of the trim work and we'll be done. We've got some other plans, but I'll update on those as they come.

 

This month is my sister's wedding, which is just 24 days away now and there are so many things going on! Seriously, we've got a shower coming up this weekend, the bachelorette party the following, then all the little details in between there and the actual wedding date. But I'm looking forward to all of it and can't wait for the big day!

 

• So that's the major goal for this month is taking care of everything involved in that.
• host a fabulous bachelorette weekend extravaganza!
• write a great toast
• stand next to the best big sister ever as she marries a great guy
• there are a million of other things, but I won't list them all here
• Find a good balance between spending time with the hubby, getting enough sleep and making time for writing.

 

And from last month...

 

• Start taking family walks now that Jarrod is off early enough. WE'VE STARTED, BUT NEED TO MAKE IT A HABIT.
• Complete a house project. CHECK!
• Host a Mother's Day cookout for the whole family. CHECK! 
• Get prepared for my sister's wedding, this includes getting some sun at the pool, cutting out the junk food (I'm way too much of a muncher) and finishing up plans for the bachelorette weekend. CHECK! (at least for the most part)

Merry May!

Happy May, all! I know I've been MIA for the past couple of weeks, but I've just been having too much fun spending some time with my husband.

 

He started a new job 2 weeks ago at Gregory Poole Caterpillar and for the first time in probably 2 years we're actually on a somewhat similar schedule. I'm still doing the 4am thing, but now he gets off around 5pm and we have time to eat dinner together (and watch 24!) before I have to get in bed. It's still been something that I'm getting used to. Usually, I have all of this free time after work where I get things done like running errands and writing blog posts and kicking up my feet for a few minutes and watching TV. But now, there are only a few hours between the time the two of us get home, so I've having to prioritize more. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining in the least, but it's still an adjustment... but one I'm really liking!

 

Looking ahead, another month of wedding madness! We've got a rehearsal dinner and wedding coming up this weekend and I'm co-hosting a shower for my sister and her fiance 2 weeks after that, so that should keep us busy this month.

 

-Start taking family walks now that Jarrod is off early enough (Note: this includes having to convince Jarrod to do this!)

-Complete a house project, not sure which one yet. I'd really like to get going on redoing the office, but we'll have to see if the funds are there to do this. Maybe painting the living room...

-Host a Mother's Day cookout for the WHOLE family. This includes Lindseys, Hugheses and Fryes (et al). 

-Get prepared for my sister's wedding, this includes getting some sun at the pool, cutting out the junk food (I'm way too much of a muncher) and finishing up plans for the bachelorette weekend.

 

 

From last month, I didn't end up buying a desk for 2 reasons: 1. I did go looking and couldn't find what I was hoping for, and 2. Now that Jarrod may be working from home some, I'm thinking of completely re-doing the office, which will change what we end up buying, so it may be a little longer before I do that.

Alluring April

I really can't believe it's already April. The first quarter of this year has already flown by and here we are in Spring once again. Looking back a year, I see how far I've come already. This time last year, I spent four days in the hospital and had to undergo a minor surgical procedure. This time last year, Jarrod and I were supposed to be closing on our first home, but at the last minute the bank found some issue with our loan (that we'd had lined up for weeks, yet somehow a couple of days before closing there was suddenly a "problem") and we had to push back to closing date. This time last year, wedding planning was in full swing and we were actually supposed to be taking our engagement pictures before my last minute stint in the hospital. 


I look back and I'm so thankful with where I am today. I don't know things totally under control heath-wise, but I'm not anticipating any hospital time in the near future. We've been home-owners for nearly a full year now, and enjoying being part of the "real world" and learning what it really takes to do that. And while I do miss the excitement of preparing for the wedding, I'm enjoying the after-effects even more.


So here's to this April starting off better than last year's and enjoying the Spring for what it is: a time of rebirth and renewal and a beautiful representation of the life that comes after death.


This April is going to be very busy. We have wedding showers and bachelor/bachelorette parties every weekend except Easter weekend. 


So here's the plan
-Go shopping for a writing desk, so I can have a place to do some work!
-Enjoy having my husband back on the day shift and actually have some time to see each other on week days. So excited!
-I'm in the process of getting things finished up on bachelorette planning, so gotta wrap things up there.
-Help give my beautiful friend Emily a fabulous send off into marriage!




Last month's goals
-Keep honing the budget, because I think I can get it even better than it is now. I'm still working on it. I've found that it's somewhat a trial-and-error procedure, trying to cut back in different areas. And I'm realizing more and more that all of those "extra expenses" each month aren't going away... there's always something
-Get plans nailed down for my sister's bachelorette and wedding shower. See above
-Find some time to relax, because starting at the end of the month, just about every weekend is booked through the summer. Ehh, I guess I did alright here. I didn't relax as much as I'd have liked, but I did try!
-Turn 25 with dignity and grace... and a fabulous celebration! And thanks to everyone who made it so lovely.
-Drive 11 hours to Florida to visit the most awesome cousins! Such an amazing trip! See Sarasota Dreamin' for more on that.

Magical March

Ahhh, I love this time of year (so I know I say that every month, but I really mean it!) March means the beginning of Spring, basketball, and most importantly, my birthday! Although I'm not entirely sure how I feel about my impending birthday this year. It's the BIG ONE... the 2-5! Aren't you supposed to be all grown up by the time you're 25?

Anyways, I'm excited to say I accomplished all of my goals for last month!

-Budget - I've got a pretty good one worked out now and have a good handle on where our money is going. Now, we've just got to stick to it!
-File our taxes - Done! Ready to get that check
-Get my filing done for 2010 - Got it all organized and put away. It's amazing how quickly it all piles up.
-Figure out a good system for writing - Well the issue here is that there's no good system for writing, at least not without spending a lot of money which will mess up my budget! However, I'm very proud to say that I wrote a chapter in my book! Yea!

Now for the month ahead...

-Keep honing the budget, because I think I can get it even better than it is now.
-Get plans nailed down for my sister's bachelorette and wedding shower.
-Find some time to relax, because starting at the end of the month, just about every weekend is booked through the summer.
-Turn 25 with dignity and grace... and a fabulous celebration!
-Drive 11 hours to Florida to visit the most awesome cousins!

Fabulous February!

Seriously?? It's already February? I can't believe the first month of 2011 is already gone... and I feel that I got very little accomplished. Well that just means I'm really going to have to buckle down for February.

 

February always brings some fun with it: there's the Superbowl and Valentine's Day and a couple of great anniversaries, including the first day I ever met Jarrod and now we'll celebrate 1 year since he asked me to marry him! Wow, it just hit me that it'll be 5 years since we met. I have mixed emotions about this because part of me says, "I can't believe it's been 5 years!" and another part is like, "What? I've only known you for 5 years? What did I do for the 20 years before that?!"

This month also begins my more stringent budgeting. I'm going to be more on top of exactly where our money is going. I've discovered that having a lot of friends getting married is very expensive! So that means keeping an eye on other things. I suppose that's a big goal for the month, so onto the monthly list!

 

Last Month's Goals

-I'm going to have at least one chapter written. I've been doing some planning and research, but it's time to get some words on paper. Even if I end up throwing out the whole thing later, the process is starting! I totally did not do this and I'm very disappointed with myself. The one goal I set that's actually got some real purpose behind it and I can't even complete it. There are a number of things I could blame: my work schedule, how tired I am during the week, not having a good place to sit and write... but really it's just a lack of focus. I've been caught up on other things going on this month... stressing out over a number of things is more like it. I need to figure out a good system to keep me motivated and on track.
-Look into graduate degree programs. It's something I've been thinking about for a while, so I want to see what my options are as far as time and cost. [CHECK]
-Put up picture collage in living room. Finally got some pictures printed off! [CHECK]
-Have a fabulous birthday celebration for my husband! [CHECK]
-And celebrate the wedding of my best friend in the whole world [CHECK]

 

I also started implementing some of my yearly goals by reading more and eating healthier. That's always a good feeling.

 

Goals for February

-Budget!

-File our taxes. Can't wait for the tax return!

-Get my filing done for 2010, since right now it's all scattered around our office.

-Figure out a good system for writing, because sitting on the couch with my computer is not going to cut it.

And Another Year Begins

Well, I'm a couple of days late on the whole start-of-the-month/year goals. Blame it on the long weekend I took. My mind was just on vacation!

But here we are starting off 2011. Looking ahead, it looks starkly different than the past year. (However, as of January 3rd last year, I didn't know how much the year had in store for me.) There are still some very exciting things coming up: I already have 3 weddings planned (including my sister, my bestest friend, and another close friend) and know of 3 babies on the way (my cousin, Jarrod's cousin, and my future sister-in-law). So there will be lots going on with all of those events.

My plan for this year is going to be more focused on "settling in." Settling into the house, settling into marriage, settling into puppy parenthood. I had so many things going on last year that I didn't really have the chance to focus on myself and my growth. I hope that's what this year will bring.

And with that, here are my plans for the coming year:

-I want to read more. I think a book a month is a good goal to set, maybe more, once I get into the swing of things. I'm going to be starting off with a wonderful gift and recommendation from my best friend Rea: The Help by Kathryn Stockett.
-Start walking Rylie every day. I got out of the habit when it got cold and sometimes it's just easier to let her play in the backyard instead, but we could both really use the exercise!
-Finish the house. By this, I mean that I want to have each room clean and decorated. I don't mean that I want to complete everything I want to change in the house. But I want to repaint several rooms, hang up curtains in the bedrooms, make the guest bedroom (which has become a sort of "junk room") presentable and hang up some pictures and other things in those rooms as well.
-Cook healthier meals. This isn't a diet or a major change. I just want to include more fruits and vegetables and less sweets. (The holidays really got me hooked on sugar!)
-Set up a more definitive budget and stick to it! We've had a budget this whole time, but I want to really hone it down, cut some things out, make sure we have some spending and savings cash and then stick to it!
-Have a significant portion of a manuscript complete. I want to say just "completed," but I'm not sure if I'm ready to commit to that just yet.

So for this month:
-I'm going to have at least one chapter written. I've been doing some planning and research, but it's time to get some words on paper. Even if I end up throwing out the whole thing later, the process is starting!
-Look into graduate degree programs. It's something I've been thinking about for a while, so I want to see what my options are as far as time and cost.
-Put up picture collage in living room. Finally got some pictures printed off!
-Have a fabulous birthday celebration for my husband!
-And celebrate the wedding of my best friend in the whole world!

Time to get moving! HAPPY NEW YEAR, once again!

There's Magic in the Air

It's finally here! The most wonderful time of the year!

I have this thing about celebrating more than one holiday at once (You will NEVER see me with Christmas decorations up before Thanksgiving!) But once Thanksgiving is past, I'm totally good with putting up the tree and turning on the holiday music. But once it finally hits December, I'm ready to kick it into full swing! I'm actually a little disappointed that my house isn't fully ready for the holidays at this point, but considering it's my first year of having my own home to decorate and prepare, I guess I'm doing alright.

This is the time of year where I revert back to being a little kid. But it's not about Santa and surprises and presents, especially since I never grew up believing in Santa (don't feel sorry for me, I turned out just fine). It's about a kind of magic that seems to enter the world as Christmas nears, where everything just seems brighter and happier. I don't think it could ever matter what's going on in my life, once December comes, I just feel happier and more joyful. The world seems to step away from whatever problems it has and makes the time to be friendly and smile more. For me, it's about pulling out old decorations that I remember as a kid and feeling the same excitement of figuring out where to put them and making up stories involving them. It's about wanting to spend the afternoon baking cookies with my mom or curling up on the couch with my dad. It's about wanting to spend my morning sipping coffee in front of the fire and just enjoy the lights on the tree and decorations around the room (OK, so I didn't drink coffee as a kid, but you get the idea).

And I don't understand those people out there who don't really care for Christmas. Yes, I know that society has twisted it into a consumerist holiday, all about "an exchange of money," but I choose to look past that. So there's no longer that feeling of waking up Christmas morning and running downstairs to see what you got (because Jarrod and I already know what we're getting each other and we're actually getting them a week and a half early), but I always love an excuse to give a present (not to mention getting one in return!)

But getting now to the monthly goals, I'm gonna be honest, between getting my wisdom teeth out, getting sick and Thanksgiving, I didn't get a whole lot done. I did some Christmas shopping and some organizing, and I did have a fabulous Thanksgiving with my family, but everything else sorta fell to the side, and I'm OK with that for now. But this is why I don't want to set a bunch of unrealistic goals for myself for this month, because I know there's just not going to be the time (or the energy) to get them done. I want to enjoy the holiday season and spend some time relaxing and letting the magic of the season sweep me away.

Sweet November

I actually went to see that movie starring Charlize Theron and Keanu Reeves when I was like 15... it was pretty awful, but makes a nice sounding title! Anyways, I cannot believe it's November already and the holiday season is officially in full swing (at least in my opinion, Halloween is the kick off). November is always lots of fun. It's when the Christmas shopping really starts and of course Thanksgiving: a holiday centered around a meal, it doesn't get much better than that! Plus, Thanksgiving has been designated as MY holiday. You see, my sisters and I decided years ago that when we're the ones who take over the holiday dinners and family gatherings, we're going to split up the holidays. So Beka took Christmas, Hannah got Easter, and I chose Thanksgiving! So for the past couple of years I always try to make it over to my parent's the day before to help with all the preps and learn the family secrets! (And by the way, I don't care what any of you say, the Lindsey Thanksgiving turkey stuffing is the best in the world!)

 

I also cannot believe that this is the third month I've been writing up my goals and plans. Although I'm still getting used to the idea of setting monthly goals and working to accomplish them, I really like the challenge and the accountability. I know as time goes on that I'll get better at setting realistic goals and making the time to work to meet them. I actually did a pretty decent job this past month:

 

1. I'm going to get working on the concept! **I did start working on this! Got a long way to go, though.

2. Come up with and implement a plan for keeping the house clean. **At least halfway started this. I have a plan in place, and have implemented it on some days. now going to kick it into full gear!

3. Work with Rylie on some new tricks. **I give Jarrod most of the credit here, but she knows "sit" and "shake" and "get over here!"

4. Wedding picture organizing. **Definitely found no time to do this. Hoping to get to it this month! Maybe!

5. Bridesmaid in wedding **So fun!

6. Decorate for fall and Halloween. **A picture is always better

 

7. Start some Christmas shopping. **Another part-way completed goal. So I didn't actually "start" shopping, but I have pretty much determined what I'm getting for everyone, so now it's time to actually start getting the stuff.

New Goals for November:

1. Get further in the story planning. **I don't wanna just meet a "minimum requirement" every month, I wanna make time for it and make some progress. 

2. Organize, organize, organize! **I want to be an organization nerd (well, at least I need to be!) This may sound strange, but I need to get organized to get organized (i.e. I need lists and plans to keep things in order). Planning on hitting up the Container Store. Maybe I'll be inspired.

3. Christmas shopping! **This month it's not getting-a-jump-on-things; this is the do-or-die month. I refuse to be doing all of my shopping in December!

4. Paint the Living Room. **This is slightly (mostly) dependent on Jarrod and whether he's also got the time for it, but it's something we've been wanting to do and I'd like to put it out there and make it a priority.

5. Help prepare a fabulous Thanksgiving day meal and enjoy dinner with my wonderful family: both of them!

That's all for now. I know with the holidays, things are going to get really busy soon. Happy November!

Happy October!

Funny that I found this picture, because Sarah and I actually put together this exact puzzle once!

I can't believe it's actually October. This past month has gone by so fast. I think I've just been so busy that everything's just flown by. I'm not sure how it happened, but especially the past week or so have been so busy I feel that I haven't had time to breathe. I'm hoping now for some time to relax just a little. I know it's not going to happen today or tomorrow, but maybe after that!

I am very excited to be starting off probably my favorite month of the year with beautiful cooler temperatures and lots of sun: perfect for an early fall day! I just love October! This month makes me think of Pumpkin Spice Lattes, a great color palette of red, orange, yellow and gold, the State Fair (hot dogs and funnel cakes included), light jackets and scarves, and the start of the holiday season. I asked Jarrod yesterday if he'd be OK with getting some bales of hay and pumpkins to put in the yard, and he was totally fine with it! So I'm planning on doing some Autumn decorating this weekend!

I've been disappointed with myself for not completing all that I wanted to do this month. I about had a nervous breakdown the other day because I was so upset at how little I had done. But in the end, I feel that I did a respectable job, especially considering some factors that I had not considered at the beginning of last month. I plan on going through at least a couple of these in a later blog entry, but here we go:

1. Finish writing and send out Thank You notes for the wedding. 

-I did not think I was going to get them done, but I actually did: last night! They're all addressed and just need to be dropped off at the post office, which I plan to do first thing in the morning! 2. Start reading a classic.
3. Attempt to make something from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking"

- So I haven't actually accomplished this yet, but it's OK, because I'm doing it tonight!
4. Start forming a concept for a story. 

-This is my big disappointment for the month, because I didn't start thinking about it at all. After we got Rylie, all of my free time (and all of my "me" time) got thrown out the window.

So after an interesting first month of writing down and keeping track of my goals, we're going to give this a second go!

1. I'm going to get working on the concept! I want to find a way to get myself organized enough to have the time to do that, and not let the rest of life get in the way.

2. Come up with and implement a plan for keeping the house clean. Now that Jarrod and I are finally settling into a normal swing-of-things, I want to be better at keeping the house straightened up. Nothing big here, just getting little things done every day that'll add up to a cleaner environment. 

3. Work with Rylie on some new tricks. You know, beyond just not peeing in the house.

4. Wedding picture organizing. Nancy Ray just told me yesterday that my wedding pictures are ready and should be arriving in the mail soon! I am so excited to not only get to see them, but to start some decorating with them! I've had this plan to put up a picture collage in the living room with some of the wedding and engagement pictures, so I'm ready to get some ordered and put up on the wall!

5. Bridesmaid in wedding So excited to be a bridesmaid in one my best friends' weddings! Bachelorette party this weekend and wedding festivities in 2 weeks!

6. Decorate for fall and Halloween. Can't tell you how excited I am that this is my first time of my life having a home in a neighborhood where we'll actually see some trick-or-treaters! My home growing up was on a mile long dirt road with about 10 houses on it (not ideal for little trick-or-treaters) and other than that I've always lived in apartments. I'm so ready to get the house decorated and get ready for Halloween. Not sure yet if I'll put together a costume, but we'll see. Excited regardless!

7. Start some Christmas shopping. Nothing big here, just want to get a head start so I'm not trying to do it the week leading up to Christmas.


Wow! That's kind of a lot! Especially since I'm new at this whole thing, but we're going to see how it goes. I should stop now before this becomes the longest post ever.

My September

I was going to call this post "My September Goals," but I stopped at "My September" because I thought it sounded much more poetic. That being said, I cannot believe it's already September! I can no longer say, "I got married last month." Moreover, I am excited that Fall and cooler temperatures are on their way. I have a hard time wishing away the Summer because, let's be honest, once it's Fall it's basically Halloween, which is basically Thanksgiving, which is basically Christmas, which is basically 2011, which is basically the dead of Winter! I LOVE everything about Fall... the changing leaves, wearing sweaters and boots, the relief from the heat, the start of the Holidays... except that it's much too short and eventually I'll just end up cold ALL THE TIME. However, I do have a new Coach coat that I haven't had a chance to wear, so I guess it's not all bad. But this year's super hot temperatures (which by the way, I just learned this morning that the National Weather Service has determined that this year's June-July-August are the hottest on record) have made me very tired with the Summer and ready for a change. And that's what the Fall is all about: Change. One of my favorite songs of all times, that I haven't listened to in forever is Nichole Nordeman's "Every Season." It paints a perfect picture of what's so special and beautiful about each season as it comes and goes. (I found a homemade youtube video of this song)

But my point today is to determine my goals for this coming month. I was inspired by one of my favorite people, Mrs. Nancy Ray and her blog where she is always updating her goals and what has been accomplished. I've decided to start off slow, because I can totally see myself overloading on goals that there's no way I can accomplish in 30 days.

1. Finish writing and send out Thank You notes for the wedding.

I know! I'm so behind! But Thank You notes are the bane of my existence. I hate them more than doing laundry, which or some reason is a lot. The hard part is that I am so thankful and appreciative to everyone who was a part of the wedding and who was so generous to me and my husband, and I want them to know how thankful I am... I just wish I didn't have to do it in the form of a Thank You note.

2. Start reading a classic.

I haven't read a classic in a while. Let me rephrase that: I haven't FINISHED reading a classic in a while. Just the other day, a friend of mine showed me a list of "Books to Read before You Die" she'd gotten in high school and I think I'm going to pick something off of there. I'm currently reading a much more recent publication, so that means I gotta buckle down and finish it in order to start a new one.

3. Attempt to make something from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking"

I won Julia Child's book in a drawing last month and I've wanted to go for a test run. I made dinner the other night for my parents and parents-in-law and thought about trying something out of there, but then realized I was probably being too ambitious. Even if it's the simplest entry in that whole book, I'm gonna give it a whirl this month.

4. Start forming a concept for a story.


I just want to start forming an idea in my mind. I used to do this, but I've fallen out of the habit, so I'm going to go buy a composition book and start putting down any ideas whenever they come to me. Sometimes I think I feel that I have to have some great inspiration and get swept away by these characters in my head in order to write a good story, but I know that's not how it usually happens. So I'm going to start plotting. And so it begins...