Contentment

Contentment Prayer:

Lord, help me to be grateful for what I have, to remember that I don't need most of what I want, and that joy is found in simplicity and generosity.

Enough by Adam Hamilton

Happy Wednesday!

Sometimes I need to remind myself

We've all made New Year's resolutions only to let them fall by the wayside a month or two later. Sure there are some we've kept strong for 3 or 4 months, but yes, them they too fall. And of course there are the few, the very, very few that we accomplish and doesn't that make you feel GREAT!

Well recently I've made some goals for myself that are life changing and important, so in hopes of them NOT turning out like many of my past New Year's resolutions I'm beating my attitude to the finish line! I can sense when I'm starting to digress from the path I want to be on, only recently did I discover this sense. But now that I know it, there's no way I'm letting it get the best of me. What I'm a doing to stop it before it gets into full swing?Lists.

I have made two note cards regarding my two most current goals. The first one is labels "5 Reasons I Won't Spend Money". This really wasn't an issue for a while, but now that I'm getting a paycheck again I'm starting to see my old ways. AND the holidays DON'T help because I want to buy decorations or spend more than I allotted for my Christmas budget, because my sister HAS to have this or that. So here are my 5 reasons:

1. I love my future husband (Jake) and want great things for us.
2. I have self-control (I know I do, it's just believing it).
3. There are BILLS to pay (yup, there always are).
4. I have dreams to achieve.
5. I want to see the people I love (you know who you are).

My second note card is in regards to my running. I was doing so well and then I had to go and tell the world about it! Now in my somewhat defense, it has been raining in New Orleans like crazy. Yup, everyday it seems like exactly at 3:00 pm the rain starts. It wouldn't be a big deal but since I needed to make note card #1 I am forgoing a gym and running outside to save money. So here are my "5 Reasons to Work Out":

1. I want to be healthy for my children (my future children and I want to be healthy when I decide to have children as well).
2. I plan on running a 5k.
3. I would love to feel comfortable again with myself (it's a wonderful feeling to not feel self concise in the clothes you are wearing).
4. Two piece swimsuit (that's all I'm saying on that one).
5. I want to be my best me (physically, emotionally, and spiritually).

So there you have it. The plan is to carry these around with my the first on in my wallet taped to my debit card and the second one just actually in my house by the front door. When I get my debit card out to buy something I'll see my list and hopefully think twice about if it's a need or want. When I get home I'll see my card and decide if just feeling "lazy" today is a good enough reason. Let's see how it goes, I'll keep you posted. Have a great Wednesday!

Me likey!

Sorry for the short absence. I have been substitute teaching!! And let me tell you, it's so hard being the sub! I mean I can't personally say that I gave any of my substitute teachers a hard time but I sure do remember some high school boys who did. I have been thinking about getting my teacher certification and I thought getting a taste of what I could possibly be doing wouldn't be a bad idea. Now in New Orleans the school system is strange to me. I grew up in a town where you had one type of school. Public school, and it worked out great for me! Now my boyfriend also went to public school in Little Rock and is a big advocate of public schools, but I'm starting to learn that it really just depends on the place you are living! I have been subbing at public schools so far, but I plan on having a taste of some charter schools and of course private schools. I'm sure they will all be very different and I want to see if I might be able to find a place at any of them!


Moving on.....

I LOVE GLEE! For someone with no cable I sure do find enough time to watch my shows online!! Thank you Internet! If you haven't seen Glee, you must watch it! Especially if you like musicals! (As I do). And a quick note about Grey's. First off, I'm sad to no longer get to have a girls night. Kinda hard to do when you don't have any girlfriends that live in the same town as you. Second, although I did think the season premier was good I think I felt that way just for the fact that I was excited it was back on. I'm much more excited to see Private Practice!

Cast of Glee

Cast of Private Practice

And finally.

I am going to run a 5K. Over at Janie out of Debt I'm participating in the last 100 days of the year and it made me think that I should also do something meaningful with my last 100 days of 2009 (besides getting my financial life in order)! So I thought the best thing I could do for myself is get back in a state of good health! I am using the couch to 5K program (you can find it online here). I like it because it eases you into it. I didn't want to say anything until I had proven to myself that I would stick to it. So I figured if I could get through the first week and start on the second that that was a sign of future success. (At least based on my previous attempts). I haven't picked my 5K yet and I might not actually run it until next year, it all just depends on what I can find that fits my schedule. I will make sure to let you know how my progress goes! But now you know so I am now webcountable. He he.

OH! And did you see that Jon Gosselin is halting production of Kate plus 8. I'm sure he's pissed that they wanted to give Kate her own show. Now look, when I watched Jon and Kate Plus 8 I was always on Jon's side, I mean sure he was just being lazy sometimes, but I felt like Kate was so overbearing. NOW it's a whole different story. The man is acting like a 20 year old and I can't stand it! Anyways, the article also said he has halted going through with the divorce for the time being. You can find it here.

To blog or not to blog, that is the question.

And the answer is I'm not blogging. :) Not because I don't want to, but I find that being currently unemployed means that any free time I have should be spent writing cover letters and applying for jobs. Endless amounts of jobs! I know that the "economy is bad" and that "times are hard" and that "job opportunities are saturated with applicants". But come on people. I mean I'm not asking you to pay me 6 figures.....just enough so I can live (at least at the moment, I'll take the 6 figures soon though). No, but seriously I've been having a hard time finding a job. It's very trying and can really get a person down, but thankfully I have a wonderful boyfriend and the greatest friends and sister who are all very positive and uplifting when I complain about this. Okay I'm done with that discussion. Moving on.

I get to go home this weekend and have a good stay!!!!!!!!!! Well a week, but I feel like I just won the lottery or something. From the above mentioned statement of being jobless this trip is very much a luxury and I couldn't be more excited. I need a familiar face to laugh with, hug, and sing very loudly with while we ride around in the car. I need to kiss my sweet nephew and eat something that my sister cooked. I want to see cows and see people waving to strangers as they drive (yes, occasionally I mistake this for the bird). I want to be back in the great state of ARKANSAS!!!!!!!!!!!! Having only been in New Orleans for a short 2 months, I already know that no place else will ever really feel like "home". Not like Arkansas does at least. And although I hope to learn new things and experience new adventures here in NOLA, I still wake up everyday and think of all the people, places, and things I love and miss about Arkansas. So in other words.........I'm very eager for Friday to get here so I can hit the road!

I'm sorry but you can't tell me that you wouldn't miss that face too! He's the best thing in the whole wide world.

and now the rest of the story....

So the talk went well. I told Jake that when he was ready sometime that day that I would like to talk to him about something I think is very important. And the result is that I have a plan and a HUGE weight lifting off my shoulders. It's truly amazing.

Okay moving on. I have a recipe to share. I found it in "Family Circle" April 1, 2009 magazine. And really I'm sharing it because my friend Jamie LOVES tortellini as much as me and so I think she will enjoy this and so will you. It's very simple and super fast.


TORTELLINI SOUP:

3 cups vegetable broth
3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (in a packet)
1 package (9 oz) cheese-filled tortellini
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced into coins
3 ribs of celery, thinly sliced
3/4 pounds ripe plum tomatoes (about 4), seeded and chopped
1 bag (6 oz) of baby spinach
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. In large post, bring broth, water and Italian seasoning to boil. Add tortellini and simmer for 3 mins. Add carrots and celery and simmer additional 4 mins. Stir in tomatoes and spinach ans simmer 2 more mins or until veggies are tender. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Okay so here's somethings I did different. First off, I accidentally poured in the entire package of Italian seasoning which was (according to the package) 8 1/8 teaspoon servings. However I just added more broth and water and it still turned out wonderful. Because there's no meat, I used a bigger portion of tortellini's. And I used canned tomatoes (the garlic, oregano, and basil seasoned ones). I also added some chopped white onions. I hope you'll give it a try and if you add anything that you feel makes it better....please let me know so I can try it. Sorry by the way that I don't have a picture (I bet you could google it).

Moving on.

I made some curtains for the window that line both sides of our front door. We are trying to save on the electric bill and the light would be blinding in the afternoon once we got home. So here's a before:

And here's an after:

Jake picked the fabric and I didn't like it when we were in the store, but he let's me win on so many things that I thought it was more than time for him to win one. And I had to tell him that once they were up I absolutely loved them! He did a great job.

And lastly, I made up a mantra for myself....is that strange? I felt like I needed one for when life throws me curve balls. So I'm sharing it with you and hoping your shares yours with me, if you have one.

I am young, smart, successful, and financially stable.

I read somewhere that even if your aren't these things currently (financially stable), you should still say it as if it is in the present. Because you want these things to happen now, not in the future. NOW! :)

Happy Monday!

It's called stressed people!

Good Monday morning!!!!! I'm in a great mood! However I'm very stressed! Well, I guess I might as well just say it. We're moving! Yup you heard me, moving. To where you are asking......................to the Big Easy, NOLA, or in normal language New Orleans! Now I've never been to New Orleans and I've heard both good and bad things, but either way, I'm excited. It's a great opportunity for Jake and for myself! It's a chance to learn a new culture and a new style of living.



So now I am a little stressed as well as very excited. Reasons why I'm stressed:

1. Having to find a new job in a new city where I know absolutely no one.
2. Having to pack up my old house.
3. Having to find a new house (again in a city I know very little about, although I've talked to some good people and learned a little).
4. Then having to unpack and settle in in our new house.

These are just a few of the millions of things running through my head! I hope you're Monday is as great as mine is!!! Talk to you soon.

Sometimes you just have to remember....

and I usually enjoy it! Today I wanted to attempt to make more headway in our office, specifically my side. (Which is a MESS). Well there's been a box sitting in our office for, well since we moved in. So tonight I went through it and got to look through three picture albums and some great CDs. All of the pictures were from high school, which is always fun. I got to thinking about two things! First, I loved at the end of the school year when the yearbook peeps would sale all the random pics they had taken throughout the school year!!!!!! I found some hilarious pictures that I had bought of my friends. I also loved being a part of the yearbook staff. And second, I really enjoyed my childhood and teenage years!!!! I don't think I could have asked for anything more!!!!!  I truly feel blessed for all of it!

NOW....I also found some of my senior pictures, and I got a little sad, well sad isn't the right word but I can't think of it right now. Not because I miss it (living it once was good enough) I'm not one who wants to go back, but who is just glad for the memories. I was sad (for lack of a better word) because the person in those pictures was excited about who she was, sometimes I feel like I'm a 14 year old girl again who is so unsure of herself. I'm sure you always keep some of that with you, but I need to start believing in myself again. Where did that go? I'm going to take a stab at it and say that growing up, bills, work, responsibility and all that comes with it has kinda crippled me. Which is absurd. If  anything I should be ten times more sure of who I am since that day years ago when that picture was taken, but I can said that I'm not.  But I can also say that it's for no good reason. So ...... I think it's time I stopped trying to control every little thing that is out of my reach and just let it flow. Of course we all want to quote the classic serenity prayer:

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference

which is so so so so true!

I also think this one is fitting for me right now:

They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.
(Andy Warhol)

I like this one because time didn't change me, I changed because of the way I reacted to the things that were happening around me. So I'm sure we've all felt "not like ourself" from time to time....and that's all I'm feeling today. (Sorry if the post was kinda a downer). But hey I would appreciate hearing the things you might do to get back to feeling like you again.

On a brighter note I found my Waiting to Exhale soundtrack, which I'm pumped about!!!!! Listening to it right now :)

And I want to leave you with some fun pictures....(I promise for a more upbeat me tomorrow)!

[caption id="attachment_176" align="alignnone" width="450" caption="I love this picture of my friend Allison"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_175" align="alignnone" width="450" caption="Just some girls I miss!"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_178" align="alignnone" width="321" caption="Sweet sweet Bavery"][/caption]

Why does it seem so easy?

To do take the easy way out? I mean for the past 6 years I have managed to take change my life into a life of convenience. And it amazes me. What happen to drive, motivation, inspiration, dedication, focus, want? Where o where did it all go? The first thing I did today when I got home wasn't change my clothes and grab the puppies for a walk, or jump in the car to head to the gym. Nope I took a shower?????? A shower? Really? I mean I already showered once today! I continue to make excuses as to why I can't eat right or can't make it to the gym or get a work out in at home. Oh I've got to run errands at during lunch today, so I'll grab something fast. Oh I really need to do laundry, clean the house, etc. But the only real good excuse I have is that if I'm not going to go to the gym or get a workout in, then I better be doing my school work!!!! That is the only GOOD/REAL excuse that I have, but too bad that I don't do that either. So let's see what I can do to get my life self started. I'll check back in tomorrow with the list I've come up with to start out with some small changes.

Singing in the rain

Just singing in the rain, what a glorious feeling...I'm haaaaaaaappy again!



It's smelled like rain all day, I love the smell of rain.

I have loved musicals my entire life! And I have always wanted my life to be a musical! Seriously. I want people to bust out in song randomly and everybody just happen to know all the words and all the same dance moves! I mean you have to admit that would be pretty cool.

But sadly my life is not a musical and instead it is real with the ability for me to be as great as I want to and not have to know all the right moves to join in the fun. I am encouraged by my friends and their actions. I'm hopeful and happy for the bold and brave moves that they are about to make in their lives and I wish them luck and good fortune. But I also want to them to know they don't need it because they will be just fine. Their actions (taking a chance to pursue their own business ventures) has got me thinking about my life. What bold or brave moves have I made to give myself the chance to succeed? NONE. So I think I need to re-evaluate my options to better my career. And I want to hear what bold, brave, or chances you have taken to further your career or life? Everyone needs a little inspiration, so please share it so others can be encouraged. I hope you're all wonderful!

How did I arrive here?

Welcome and thanks for stopping by. I have officially decided to make this blog a record about my journey to make life changes. Mostly changes regarding weight and my personal health but also my journey to be a better me and how I can do my part to help anyone and everyone. I want to be happy again, truly, blissfully happy. I felt like I was once that way and I miss it, I know if I apply the right attitude to my life, I can do great things and find that happiness. Oh don't get me wrong, I have a very blessed life. I have two wonderful puppies who love me, a house to live in, a job, food to eat, the best friends a girl could ask for, my very first nephew on the way, a very trying but wonderful family, and of course the best part of all I have a wonderful boyfriend to share it all with. But I'm not doing any of them justice. I'm not being that great friend for them, or that wonderful girlfriend, aunt, sister, daughter, employee......why? Because I don't feel comfortable in my own skin. I don't feel like the person I envision myself to be. And because of that, I haven't been living up to my potential.....pretty lame excuse huh? But I by no means want a body like this........

More like I want this person/body back........



I know it's not a body shot, but it's happiness all the way.


The reason I named my blog "But she has a great personality" is because it never fails that when a friend (my mine necessarily) is asked to describe the big girl friend, it ends with "but she has a great personality". So there you go. I look forward to hearing from you as I venture on this journey!

So I hope you will join me as I try to conquer myself!

Lesson learned

Honesty has always been a very important value to me. Looking back there were times that I felt hurt by honesty but then realized that it actually turned out well. Yes there is the old saying that the truth hurts, well up until today I would have considered myself an honest person. Sure when I was younger of course there were times I lied, but to the people who really mean something to me, I've ALWAYS tried to be as honest as possibly, regardless of if it hurt. Well no more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm calling it quits on honesty. Why? Because being honest doesn't really help everyone! I mean it may help me be able to sleep at night, but I'd much rather lose sleep and let the ones I love go about their lives in happiness.

Strange? I don't really think so.  I think that most people would agree that ignorance is bliss......but maybe not!!! Either way, I have decided as of 11:29 pm on February 18, 2009 that I will no longer be an honest person. At least not in all situations. I'm sure most of you need a good reason why I've made this decision. Well, the biggest and best reasons I can think of is that I don't want to hurt people AND when you are honest you rarely get rewarded or acknowledged for it! For example (a very trivial example) a boy tells a girl she has lip stick on her teeth, she probably won't say thank you, instead she'll be embarrassed.

Please share your wisdom..........don't you think that there are times you should keep it to yourself?

Changing the bad into good!

I'm sure many of you find yourself in a bad mood from time to time or really irritated with someone or something!!!!!!! Well when I get that way I find that the best way to get out of that bad mood or stop being irritated with that something or someone is to give. Yes, I love to give!!!! I love to give hugs, I love to give smiles and I especially love to give back! Now I don't always need a bad mood or irritation to make me want to give......actually giving back is a hobby of mine, more so a passion.

When I was 20 (so old I know) I felt like I was going through a really hard time! So I got out of my comfort zone and I did something I would normally would never do I decided to work at a summer camp where I didn't know a soul who would be working there!!!! And guess what it was the one of the best times of my life!!! I would do it every summer if I could. There were two things I realized when I returned from that adventure that I am very blessed and that because I am very blessed I want to make sure to return those blessings in some form or fashion.

Finally after having said all that.....I have been looking for my next volunteer project and today I was ready Arkansas Business Magazine and they had features of companies and executives, blah, blah, blah that won awards this year. Well one of the features nonprofit companies was the Arkansas Food Bank and I new what I wanted to do!!!!! So I am starting a food drive as well as volunteering at the actual bank! I'm so excited and I hope that I can get as much participation as possible!!!!!!!! I can't wait. I have many ideas stirring in my head!!!!!!! I look forward to getting to share the future events with you all.

So what makes you happy, how do you give back!? Everybody can give back in their own way, by just doing a kind deed occasionally or getting out of your comfort zone when you see someone in need of a smile or a door held for them. It can be anything! I know we are all in need....I mean I like to blame it on the economy (that's my joke), sorry I was late for work this morning.....the economy's got me down! :) But honestly I think about it and if I'm in need, then I know there are others out there in greater need and I'm blessed to have what I have! I have a great boyfriend, wonderful friends, a new nephew on the way, and some fun loving pups! I have a job, a roof over my head, clothes to wear, and food eat. I know there are others out there that can't say the same. So my way of saying thank you to everyone who has made my life as wonderful as it is to give back. I want to help people and I'm so excited about my new endeavors!

Okay enough of that. I'm almost finished planning a fun bachelorette weekend for my friends. We're going to Eureka Springs!!! I can't wait. We're going to the spa and shopping! I do need to decide on where we're going to eat out for dinner on the big night so if anyone has favorite place or even know of a good place in Eureka please share the wealth. I've had a lot of fun making invitations for this and I have been trying to take some pictures of them but I can't get a good one to save my life. I'll keep working on it though!

[caption id="attachment_147" align="alignnone" width="550" caption="Here are a few"][/caption]

I hope you are all great, can't wait to hear from you!

And I haven't posted a Plato picture lately......this little man now weighs 23.8 lbs! Whoa!

 

[caption id="attachment_152" align="alignnone" width="550" caption="Our little boy"][/caption]

Some of you may think that we don't love our first child Harli, we do! But it's hard to get a good picture of her. My friend Rachel with Four Legs Photography took some great pictures of her. I'll find out if her album can still be accessed.

This is me

I read this blog by a fellow hometown gal. The Adventures of a SAHM. It's a wonderful blog, filled with humor. (WARNING, she is very opinionated and could care less if you like her or not, which is why I like her!!!) Anyways....she encouraged others to post some strange or unknown things about themselves after sharing her own strange and unknowns. So here it goes...some of it's not really that strange, but enjoy.

1. I do not, will not eat English peas!!!! They are gross to me and I absolutely hate them. As a child I would make my mom make me fried rice without peas......which annoyed her because that meant she had to make two different batches! (Thanks Mom)

2. My parents owned a small restaurant in Mena for almost 20 years. I miss it and in High School would sneak me and my friends in to drink and eat chicken strips! Until one day some idiot stuck their peeled off beer label on the frig.....parents not happy.

3. I am technically an only child even though I consider myself to have 3 sisters and 2 brothers. It's way to complicated to explain.

4. I also don't like bananas, which people find weird, because I will eat banana chips! I think it's the texture.

5. I once had bright blue highlights.

6. In high school I had to wash my face before playing every basketball game. I seriously did, it was part of my routine.

7. I am a horrible speller and also very bad at math.

8. I once won my 5th grade class spelling bee by spelling one word right (which makes #7 funny) because I was the lunch monitor the week of the spelling bee so when everyone else was participating I was in the cafeteria...so I only had one day to participate and I just so happen to get the word right! Sadly I didn't even make it through the first round of the school spelling bee. :) Good stuff.

9. I prefer my hair short!

10. I once had a 1991 Dodge Shadow convertible with a broken gas gauge and one window that didn't work......so cool to be sitting on the side of the road because you didn't know you were almost out of gas AND with the top down and one window up!

11. And lastly, even though my parents owned a restaurant, which I worked in for a long time, I can't cook Thai food. I know people are always disappointed. I guess I just wasn't paying any attention!

So have some fun today and share something we don't know about yourself! Have a great day!!!

I'm so thankful for......

Life! I woke up today feeling like I was on top of the world!!! And as I'm winding down tonight, I think about so many things that have happened in my day and I am thankful! I meet with my "little" today for the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and I'm thankful for the opportunity to give back to this little girl in a positive way, the same way many people gave to me!!! I read this blog about a baby girl named Harper and I see the outpouring of love and hope and encouragement for her and her family from friends, family, and complete strangers and I'm thankful this world still has those kind of people in it. I'm also thankful for the amazing faith in God that her parents show! I talked to my friend Jamie today and she told me about her  future plans and goals and how she is going to achieve them, and I'm thankful that I'm blessed with such a wonderful, motivated best friend. I called my sister today and asked how the baby was growing and I'm thankful that some wonderful little boy will get to have the greatest mom EVER! I asked my dad today what color he painted the somewhat expensive birdhouse I bought him for Christmas and when he told me the many colors I laughed and I'm thankful that I have such a funny man for a father!!! I talked to my friend Andrea today who found out this weekend she is having a little girl and I'm thankful that I will be able to buy little boys clothes AND little girls clothes. I'm currently sitting on my couch listening to my dogs play and watching HGTV and I'm thankful that I have a house, a warm bed and my wonderful boyfriend working in home office.

I am thankful that everything don't always go my way, that sometimes the lights always turn red when I get there, that  I sometimes spill my breakfast on me in the car while I'm rushing to work, that for some reason our new puppy can't play with his toys unless you're playing with them too, and I'm thankful that I have people who actually read this blog.........

I'm thankful for the opportunity to BE thankful! I sometimes forget how blessed I am to be surrounded on a daily basis by such amazing things, people and moments that I encounter. I'm thankful that I have someone to thank for my life!!! I think you get the point. I haven't been feeling like myself lately and today I woke up remember what it was like to feel that again and I'm thankful.

I hope you can stop from time to time and remember while your thankful, you'll enjoy it, I promise.

 

Long overdue.....a vacation

First I want to start by asking you all to visit this blog and pray for this sweet family and their little girl. They need your prayers and their faith and story is very touching.

Okay, now onward. I have to say I've become addicted to reading people's blogs. My friends, strangers, random people I know....they're all great!!! Which makes me think of how freaking boring mine are! I mean honestly, mine aren't funny, they don't teach you anything or show off my trade (you wouldn't want to see it). Nothing...my blog offers you me, whatever mood that may be. So this is just a note to self and to you, I will try to be more entertaining!! Please bare with me as that might be a while.

My boyfriend, Jake, is a wonderful man who also happens to be very busy around this time of year. Why? Because he is an accountant....correction an auditor. Which means that he is in what they call "busy" season. Busy season breaks down like this, boyfriend works entirely too much and too late so you sit at home bored but can usually get a lot done, on days when there isn't too much to do you're just bored, you have plenty of time to be alone or spend time with your girlfriends, but basically you're single for about 3 months AND the best part is that after busy season we usually get to go on some fun vacation!!

Our latest vacation which was in May was spent at a place close to my home of Mena. Yes we were in the big, huge town of Glenwood! Whoa, exciting vacation I know. But the thing is that it was exciting. We rented a cabin which was really nice, it had a dipping pool and big deck. We cooked some great meals and watched some horrible movies. And best of all we went canoing on the one day it decided to rain like crazy!! SWEET! So we bought some poncho's at the Dollar store and had to literally convince the man to let us canoe since the water had risen 2 feet above it's normal level. The man running the place asked if we were experienced. So finally he's convinced and shuttles us to where we are going to put in....I have to tell you once I saw how fast the water was running compared to a normal canoe trip, I almost backed out, but nope in we went. So since we were the ONLY people on the river that day we had the whole thing to ourselves and we had a blast!!! The few people hanging out on their porches that day thought we were probably the craziest people around. Nope, we just like an adventure. So, here are some pictures of our vacation adventure. I hope you enjoy!

 

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New Year Resolutions

I think that writing things down make them more real, more meaningful and more tangible. So I am here to present you with 2009 New Year Resolutions...dandt dandt dana da. Impressive I know. So without further ado and in no particular order here we go:

1. Blog more (which I am doing are you can see)
2. Be healthier and I mean this in a complete sense, metally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually
3. Be more ambitious
4. Try to work out at least twice a month in the morning ( I mean I used to be able to get up at 5:45 AM or 6:00 AM 5 days a week)
5. Take it back to the old days ( I realize that this is vague, but I will give you insight. Send letters and cards, write thank you notes, etc.)
6. Worry more about me so that I can eventually worry more about others
7. Volunteer more ( I have an interview with Big Brothers Big Sisters on the 20th)
8. Take more pictures ( I only this one life on this earth, might as well document it.
9. Read more
10. Take the steps to accomplish my goals ( because they won 't get accomplished on their own!)

So there you have it. Very exciting I know!! So let me end it with a few photos, some which are long overdue and some which are brand new. More pictures to come.

 

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Fall is in the Air

Or like my friend Jamie likes to say, "Christmas is almost here!" Which it is! I'm very excited! Well I've kinda slacked this week with working out and it's only going to get harder for me to keep it up. I have 2 classes to maintain and shortly I will be starting a part-time job at William Sonoma. I'm super excited about the extra money and all the good Christmas gift everyone will be getting, but not excited about how I'm going to work a gym workout in.

I'm really missing Fayetteville lately, or I guess just my friends! Maybe both! But change is coming soon for Jake and I and I'm ready for it!

Plan on working out today at the "Glovin up" class. I really enjoy it, although we have a new teacher, not sure what happened to the old one. But I like the new one, last week though I could barely move the next day! Such a great feeling! I hope everyone is doing great!!!

5 lbs!!!

So since I missed my normal weigh in day yesterday, I weighed in today! And I have offically lost 5 lbs since I started working out on August 6. It doesn't sound like alot and I would love for it to be more, but I'll take it and I'll keep working!!!! The hardest part for me isn't work out, it's eating right!! I just need to learn to not over endulge for one and to try and make the healthier choice, I know it won't always happen, but I should still try! Hope you have a good weekend!

Living in Little Rock

Hey ladies!!! I decided I would start blogging, well actually Rachel suggested it and I thought it was a good idea. Forgive me for spelling words wrong, as you all know I can't spell at all. I am loving living with Jake!!! He is so sweet to me. I just love him so much. I am very discouraged about the job hunting but I am going to keep trying. I currently work at Miss Selma's. I have four year olds, who are a handfull. I will have to take a pic of my kids and post it. Well, I have many things to do, but this I think will be a great way to keep everyone up to date with my life!!! I love you and miss you all like crazy!

Jonnie