Hello 2012

Can I just start out by saying: I LOVE BEING OUT OF SCHOOL! When I come home from work, David will ask, "what are you going to do tonight?" My response: "Anything I WANT!" :) So many people have asked if I am going to continue on with school, my answer at this point is the following: I am embracing this year, 12 months, of no school. I am waiting to see where that leads me. At the end of this year, I am confident I will have a better understanding. So until then, I have every intention to enjoy this year to the fullest, doing... anything I want.

Obviously with the new year, there are always new year resolutions, but we really don't do those.... Instead, last year we started each month writing down different goals and things we wanted to complete for just that month specifically. It really helped us stay on track with what we were trying to do and make sure those things got done. It was also really incredible to look back over the year and see how many things we had accomplished that we had already forgotten about. We are still doing Dave Ramsey, so a lot of those goals were listed. We have made so many strides since starting that program and seeking to live debt free. One thing we had on our "bucket list" was to go see Dave Ramsey live and we did that this year!! How cool is that?!?! There were also a ton of goals to begin/finish school semester/quarters, etc. We really liked looking over all the things we did each month and so, that is what we will continue to do this year.

However, I have made a blanket commitment to three things. First, read one book a week. People think I am nuts, but I drive 2 hours a day, and there is this thing called audiotapes - it is totally doable. At the end of the year, I plan to list every book I read this year. The goal is 52 books, I have a feeling I will read more, but my goal is 52 books.

I also have been cleaning out/organizing, and have found so many 'artsy fartsy' projects that I have started or had hopes to start, and didn't. Well, this year, I am also committing myself to knit all of the balls of yarn I currently have (there are 9).... so if you get a scarf for Christmas this year, don't judge me, because I am having fun making them!

For Christmas, David got a juicer. We have been on a continual "get healthy" thing... well, this year it is being stepped up a notch. It is no secret that living in Arcadia, you are limited on health food stores, but instead dwelling on that, we are taking the approach of using what we have. All stores in and around Arcadia have a produce section. Therefore, we can eat healthy fruits and veggies by juicing. We have been doing it for 2 weeks and I am down 6.2 pounds. We are replacing 2 meals a day eating food, with juicing. Right now we are still experimenting with different fruits and veggie combinations. Each month my goal is continue eating healthy the next month. This year is the year of me, and taking care of myself, and being healthy. Period.

Those three things will be on each month's goals. I understand it is day 18 of 365, but with less on our plate, we are choosing to live a more simplified life this year. We each only have one job, and David is the only person that is in school. It is going to be a fun filled, and crazy year. David will have his first of two degrees by the end of this year. I will turn 26, and he will be 34. At the end of this year, he will have only 2 quarters left of school before he is done. Like I said, it is going to be a great year. I have already claimed that. :)

31 Days of December

December 2011 will be something I remember for the rest of my life.

On Friday, December 2, 2011 we celebrated our 5 year anniversary. We had a fabulous trip planned to attend a wedding of a dear friend in Austin, Texas that weekend, but unfortunately we were not able to attend. Instead, it was 8:00am and we sat in the vet's office in Garland, Texas. Coach was sick, very, very, sick. We had to give the "ok" to have him go for emergency surgery. The whole day was glazed with the thought of losing him. I understand that to some people "it's just a dog" but he is our baby, and since we don't have kids, our dogs are our children. He had 2 pounds of mass removed from his stomach and 27 inches of intestines removed. He wasn't out of the woods yet. He had a 50/50 chance of survival, however it was a good sign that he made it through the surgery alive. Each day he got a little better. He had to stay the entire week in Dallas and so we left on Sunday without our baby. On Tuesday of the following week he had to have another surgery to make sure all was well. He was recovering...

The week of Coach not being with us, the house just wasn't the same. There are so many times were Coach's energy is just about enough to drive you over the edge, but that week I would have given anything to have that energy in the house. It was finals for me, and I was stressing. I was also in the middle of the busiest season of the year at work, working more hours than I could possibly imagine. Did I mention stressed?

Coach was still recovering... He made strives in eating wet food, all plumbing was working, he was recovering. Finally, the following Sunday evening at 5:00pm we were able to pick up our baby boy. While we knew he was feeling better, he was bone thin, weighing in at 61 pounds. We had strict instructions on what/when/where and how to do everything that was needed to make sure he continued to recover. He was on his way back to being our healthy baby boy.

**Many, many thank yous to our incredible vet in Dallas, Dr. Aaron Neeman. Talk about an amazing vet, but an even better man. We love Dr. Neeman!**

In the mean time, I finished finals, and completed the semester with a 4.0gpa. It was the best feeling in the whole world to know that I had set out to accomplish something and I DID IT!!! The week before Christmas, on Sunday, December 18, 2011, I walked across the stage to receive my diploma for the first time! Yes, you read that right - I walked for the first time. I understand that I have a high school diploma, and a bachelor's degree, but I just had those schools mail it to me - not this time - I was proud and I wanted to receive that piece of paper in my hands. :) After the ceremony, we had a dinner party in Shreveport, and it was amazing. I couldn't ask for God to bless me with better people in my life. God knew what He was doing when He moved us to north Louisiana.

*I still do not like Arcadia, but I have fallen in love with Shreveport!

I spent the next week working hard and finishing up the holiday season at work. David had to work most of the week, so we spent what little time we had together in the evening. I was super excited though, because at the end of the week we would be on our way to Indiana and I would spend the next 9 days off from work!!

I couldn't wait.

Most people think we are crazy because we like road trips, but honestly it is the best time for us to catch up, celebrate, discuss, and learn about each other. I absolutely love my husband. On Christmas Eve we finally made it to Indiana and began our vacation. We took Kate Spade and Maddie with us because those are Gramp's favorite granddogs. :) Christmas was incredible. It was simple, calm, filled with laughter, and happiness. I was so thankful we were in Indiana to spend time with Gramps. We had a white Christmas. It was the best kind of  'winter' because we had snow just long enough to enjoy and then when it was time to go home, it had melted and the roads were clear. Before we left the great state of Indiana, we went up to Bloomington to spend the night with Aly and Matt and eat breakfast with David's Aunt Pat. We had so much fun with Aly and Matt. Each time we get together, we learn a little more about who they are and what makes them excited about life.... some people would say "we are growing up." :)

We began our 13 hour drive eating breakfast with Aunt Pat at the Cracker Barrel. It has been a couple of years since we had a visit with Aunt Pat, so we were long over due. It was great catching up, and ending our trip reminiscing.

We made it home on New Year's Eve. Talk about an incredible year. We did not have a perfect year, but one that was filled with character growing experiences, achieving educational & financial goals, and growing closer to each other, and most importantly Christ. I can't complain.

We are looking forward what 2012 holds and continuing this journey that we call life.