Oh gosh... I sure failed at some of those pesky resolutions from last year. Hmm. Ah... well, I suppose I won't get too down on myself since I was able to accomplish some of them. And, seriously, the year I complete ALL of my resolutions to the T, I'll probably die of shock anyway! :)
Let's review, shall we? If you just said "Um, no thanks" then please feel free to wait a few weeks for the next post and I'm glad you stopped by. If you didn't, then read on!
Here was my list of Resolutions for this past year:
"~Blog once a week (once a month about an important person, once a month Free Writing, and the other weeks will be a fun list of my favorite things)
~No more soda (I have to cut back. I drink soda too much and I'm addicted to it. Not just for the caffeine, but for the burn. I love the stuff. And I have to be done. I'm so tired of being so tired all the time and I think that part of the problem is my soda consumption.)
~Work out (I'm not going to explain this one because it's going to vary a little because of the ongoing problems with my shoulder and the nerve damage there)
~Take Nate and Em on an Aunt Heather Date each month (Maren helped me realize that I really have the best of both worlds by being the Auntie. I never have to deal with the puke and the whining, but I get to spend as little or as much time with them as I want. Best job in the world!!)
~New J (Not going to explain this one either because I don't know who's going to read this and it's a secret for right now)
~New B (See above)
Carry Overs:
~Bear Testimony 3 times (This was a very good resolution for me and I think I need it again this year)
~Flowers for Ty only 2 times (Also a good one for me. It keeps things in check for me)
~Temple Once a Month (Umm... see above)"
So, I suppose we see that I didn't blog once a week. Oops. Life got really busy once I met and started dating Alan, so it was hard to keep up on this and do all the other fun things going on with life.
The soda thing... yea, I started out the year great! But, I had a big change come into my life in the form of a new job (more discussion on this in a moment) and that meant having to work 10 hour days which required (and I'm really using that word correctly here because it actually REQUIRED it, for my sanity and for the sake of all my co worker's lives) drinking copious amounts of soda to survive the day.
I didn't work out much. HOWEVER, I DID find out more about the problems with my shoulder! I went to the doc and got an MRI done. I have a torn tendon and he thinks there is damage to the rotator cuff. He recommends surgery, but Alan and I have, through our research, discovered a great therapy called Prolotherapy and I'm going to try to give that a go this year sometime and see what that does. We'll see.
I didn't get to take Nate and Em on too many dates this year because I was too busy dating and marrying my eternal companion. However, I will say that he LOVES kids and he loves to spend time with Nate and Em, so it's all worked out for the best. I still get to see them lots, but I just don't do the Aunt Heather dates very often.
The New J was a new job. And, like mentioned above, I DID get the new job. I started working at Bonneville County in the Assessor's Office in March. It meant $2 more an hour, paid time off, paid holidays and insurance. It was a real, grown up job. HOWEVER, I hated it. Not as much what I was doing, but who I was working with. Don't get me wrong, there were several really great people that I met and really enjoyed, but there were 3-4 people who were backstabbing, conniving, two faced jackals and it made working there hell. So, by the beginning of June, I quit and came back to my old job where "everybody knows my name". I know what I'm doing here, I'm good at what I do, and I can stand the people. There isn't all the gossip, or the back biting, or throwing others under the bus, or lectures from crazy old ladies who wear too much makeup and have bad breath, etc, etc, etc. Here, at my old job, I am free to discuss the Gospel and church related topics. At the new job, it wasn't allowed and was often times attacked. I couldn't live life like that and I'm happy to be "home".
The New B was a new boy. Wow! Did that one ever happen! In case you missed it, I got married this year. And I'm happier than I've ever been. We were sealed in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple on July 28th and we've been married just over 5 months now. It's awesome!
The carryovers didn't do so hot this year either. I didn't bear my testimony 3 times because I have been ward jumping all year due to travel, going to Alan's ward before we were married, just starting into a new ward, etc. I feel bad about this one. Flowers got laid on Ty's grave both on Memorial Day and his birthday this year. I feel like I am FINALLY getting to a peaceful place about it and forgiving myself for not seeing him and taking that time before he was gone. So, this one is a good one, but it will change for this upcoming year I think. And going to the temple once a month was a bit spotty here at the end of 2012 and I feel really bad about that. I've felt the lack of it. It won't be that way this year.
So, I suppose if you look at numbers, I really got a giant F, not even an A for effort, this year. I do feel like I accomplished a lot, but most of which weren't on my list here. Yes, I got a new boy and married him. Yes, I got a new job, only to realize I was happier with the old one. Yes, I stopped drinking soda, but started right back up later. Yes, I blogged more than I ever had before, but not as much as I'd promised. So, I suppose, I will just have to try again this upcoming year. Try and try again... :)
This year's resolutions have more personal and spiritual goals, but there are also some financial goals in there as well. And I had several (and I MEAN several) on my list, but I've had to cut them down. I'm only one person, after all!
Personal:
~Read at least 1 book every month
Maren gave me a great gift for my birthday/Christmas. She gave me "a book a month" and I am so excited. I haven't opened them all because I'm not allowed to, but I'm telling you... it's driving me batty! I LOVE this and I'm super excited for it!
~A baby
We have been trying to get pregnant for a month or two, but my doctor has told me that there is no reason to sit around and wait for it to happen, so she has me on fertility drugs right now so that it can happen fast. I'm only allowed to be having babies for the next 6 years because of my heart and we want as many babies as we can in that amount of time. So, we are getting going with that. Hopefully, by this time next year, there will be a cute little bambino in our family! Any extra prayers on our part for this to happen quickly and effectively would be greatly appreciated!
~Blog at least twice a month
Trying to blog once a week was hard, but giving myself a little more leeway to blog at least 2 times a month (and not be strict about when those happen) will be the key to success here, I think.
~Send birthday cards for each birthday
Alan has his two parents and 13 brothers and sisters. I have four parents and 6 brothers and sisters. That is a LOT of birthday presents. So, instead, this year, everyone is getting a card instead. Handmade. By me. :S
~No more caffeine
This one is inspired by the bambino. I can't control an awful lot about my health, but they say you shouldn't take in a lot of caffeine when you are preggerrated, and that is one that I CAN control, so I'll do it. Plus, I wanted to get off the juice for a while now. The baby just gives me a good excuse.
~Get out of "The Cave"
We live in a storage shed behind my dad's house that has been recently converted into a one bedroom, 3/4 bath apartment. It has one window. It is the kind of window you put in your shower. And that's in the kitchen area. The bedroom is quite big, but has no natural light whatsoever. Oh, and there is no air circulation system. None. So, for a girl who consistently gets respiratory illnesses, that's no bueno. And there is hardly any insulation, so it's hard to keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer. BUT, don't misunderstand me... I'm grateful for a place to live. I'm grateful the rent is cheap. I'm grateful for some privacy as a newlywed. I'm grateful that it can be heated and for the air conditioner that Dad bought last summer when it was close to 100 degrees in The Cave. And I'm grateful that Alan and I have been given the chance to have no other choice other than to get along because it's such a small, tight space because it is teaching us to appreciate what we have individually and together. However... a goal for this year is to get out of The Cave and either buy a small house or rent somewhere. We desperately need to stop living out of our storage unit that's a mile away. Plus, if we throw a baby into the mix... yeah.... we need some more space and the ability to heat/cool the place more efficiently. Am I right?
Spiritual:
~Finish the BOM
Did you know that Alma takes F.O.R.E.V.E.R. to get through? Yea... we've been camped out for months.
~Read scriptures and have prayer with Alan every single night
This one we normally do, but sometimes we miss. And I don't want to miss.
~Attend the temple once a month (this is a carry over from last year)
I am adamant about this one. I feel the difference when I don't go.
~Read, mark and study ALL Conference talks
I try to do this each year, but I somehow fall short each time. This year, I'm setting myself a goal and hopefully I can attain it.
~Write down something I'm grateful for each day
This one was inspired by a talk by Pres. Uchtdorf in the last General Conference about being happy now and enjoying life instead of waiting to be happy when something in the future is attained. You can read the talk here: http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/of-regrets-and-resolutions?lang=eng&query=write+down+each+day
Financial:
~Pay off the car
We just recently (like on the 29th of December) had to purchase a new car because on Christmas Eve, Alan's Intrigue gave up the ghost on the side of the road on our way to spend the holidays with his family. So, alas, the purchase was necessary, but I hate having a car payment. Hopefully, we will have it paid off by July. It really is a glorious car. It's 2006 Malibu with 90K miles on it. It's in relatively perfect condition and most of the miles are highway miles because the previous owner used it to drive from Boise to AZ for work. So, it's a lovely car and will last us a good long time. I just hate payments. Fingers are crossed for the end of July.
~Apply Dave Ramsey's financial peace program to our lives
We have a book about Dave Ramsey's financial program and both have the desire to really get it going in our lives. And that was one of the major resolutions Alan and I made together.
~Get a $1000-$1500 cushion in a saving account for rainy days
Mostly this is because I'm terrified that something will happen and we won't be able to take care of it ourselves. So, to have a little set aside in an emergency fund is a must.
So, this is a big year. There are 14 goals there. I don't know that I've ever given myself that many. I WILL say that some of them are bigger chunks of things and will therefore be a bit easier because they are one big thing. The everyday, every week, every month ones are the ones that will be hard for me. They are just harder to remember sometimes.
Anywho... here we go! I'm hoping that 2013 will be a great year! Whoo!
Let's review, shall we? If you just said "Um, no thanks" then please feel free to wait a few weeks for the next post and I'm glad you stopped by. If you didn't, then read on!
Here was my list of Resolutions for this past year:
"~Blog once a week (once a month about an important person, once a month Free Writing, and the other weeks will be a fun list of my favorite things)
~No more soda (I have to cut back. I drink soda too much and I'm addicted to it. Not just for the caffeine, but for the burn. I love the stuff. And I have to be done. I'm so tired of being so tired all the time and I think that part of the problem is my soda consumption.)
~Work out (I'm not going to explain this one because it's going to vary a little because of the ongoing problems with my shoulder and the nerve damage there)
~Take Nate and Em on an Aunt Heather Date each month (Maren helped me realize that I really have the best of both worlds by being the Auntie. I never have to deal with the puke and the whining, but I get to spend as little or as much time with them as I want. Best job in the world!!)
~New J (Not going to explain this one either because I don't know who's going to read this and it's a secret for right now)
~New B (See above)
Carry Overs:
~Bear Testimony 3 times (This was a very good resolution for me and I think I need it again this year)
~Flowers for Ty only 2 times (Also a good one for me. It keeps things in check for me)
~Temple Once a Month (Umm... see above)"
So, I suppose we see that I didn't blog once a week. Oops. Life got really busy once I met and started dating Alan, so it was hard to keep up on this and do all the other fun things going on with life.
The soda thing... yea, I started out the year great! But, I had a big change come into my life in the form of a new job (more discussion on this in a moment) and that meant having to work 10 hour days which required (and I'm really using that word correctly here because it actually REQUIRED it, for my sanity and for the sake of all my co worker's lives) drinking copious amounts of soda to survive the day.
I didn't work out much. HOWEVER, I DID find out more about the problems with my shoulder! I went to the doc and got an MRI done. I have a torn tendon and he thinks there is damage to the rotator cuff. He recommends surgery, but Alan and I have, through our research, discovered a great therapy called Prolotherapy and I'm going to try to give that a go this year sometime and see what that does. We'll see.
I didn't get to take Nate and Em on too many dates this year because I was too busy dating and marrying my eternal companion. However, I will say that he LOVES kids and he loves to spend time with Nate and Em, so it's all worked out for the best. I still get to see them lots, but I just don't do the Aunt Heather dates very often.
The New J was a new job. And, like mentioned above, I DID get the new job. I started working at Bonneville County in the Assessor's Office in March. It meant $2 more an hour, paid time off, paid holidays and insurance. It was a real, grown up job. HOWEVER, I hated it. Not as much what I was doing, but who I was working with. Don't get me wrong, there were several really great people that I met and really enjoyed, but there were 3-4 people who were backstabbing, conniving, two faced jackals and it made working there hell. So, by the beginning of June, I quit and came back to my old job where "everybody knows my name". I know what I'm doing here, I'm good at what I do, and I can stand the people. There isn't all the gossip, or the back biting, or throwing others under the bus, or lectures from crazy old ladies who wear too much makeup and have bad breath, etc, etc, etc. Here, at my old job, I am free to discuss the Gospel and church related topics. At the new job, it wasn't allowed and was often times attacked. I couldn't live life like that and I'm happy to be "home".
The New B was a new boy. Wow! Did that one ever happen! In case you missed it, I got married this year. And I'm happier than I've ever been. We were sealed in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple on July 28th and we've been married just over 5 months now. It's awesome!
The carryovers didn't do so hot this year either. I didn't bear my testimony 3 times because I have been ward jumping all year due to travel, going to Alan's ward before we were married, just starting into a new ward, etc. I feel bad about this one. Flowers got laid on Ty's grave both on Memorial Day and his birthday this year. I feel like I am FINALLY getting to a peaceful place about it and forgiving myself for not seeing him and taking that time before he was gone. So, this one is a good one, but it will change for this upcoming year I think. And going to the temple once a month was a bit spotty here at the end of 2012 and I feel really bad about that. I've felt the lack of it. It won't be that way this year.
So, I suppose if you look at numbers, I really got a giant F, not even an A for effort, this year. I do feel like I accomplished a lot, but most of which weren't on my list here. Yes, I got a new boy and married him. Yes, I got a new job, only to realize I was happier with the old one. Yes, I stopped drinking soda, but started right back up later. Yes, I blogged more than I ever had before, but not as much as I'd promised. So, I suppose, I will just have to try again this upcoming year. Try and try again... :)
This year's resolutions have more personal and spiritual goals, but there are also some financial goals in there as well. And I had several (and I MEAN several) on my list, but I've had to cut them down. I'm only one person, after all!
Personal:
~Read at least 1 book every month
Maren gave me a great gift for my birthday/Christmas. She gave me "a book a month" and I am so excited. I haven't opened them all because I'm not allowed to, but I'm telling you... it's driving me batty! I LOVE this and I'm super excited for it!
~A baby
We have been trying to get pregnant for a month or two, but my doctor has told me that there is no reason to sit around and wait for it to happen, so she has me on fertility drugs right now so that it can happen fast. I'm only allowed to be having babies for the next 6 years because of my heart and we want as many babies as we can in that amount of time. So, we are getting going with that. Hopefully, by this time next year, there will be a cute little bambino in our family! Any extra prayers on our part for this to happen quickly and effectively would be greatly appreciated!
~Blog at least twice a month
Trying to blog once a week was hard, but giving myself a little more leeway to blog at least 2 times a month (and not be strict about when those happen) will be the key to success here, I think.
~Send birthday cards for each birthday
Alan has his two parents and 13 brothers and sisters. I have four parents and 6 brothers and sisters. That is a LOT of birthday presents. So, instead, this year, everyone is getting a card instead. Handmade. By me. :S
~No more caffeine
This one is inspired by the bambino. I can't control an awful lot about my health, but they say you shouldn't take in a lot of caffeine when you are preggerrated, and that is one that I CAN control, so I'll do it. Plus, I wanted to get off the juice for a while now. The baby just gives me a good excuse.
~Get out of "The Cave"
We live in a storage shed behind my dad's house that has been recently converted into a one bedroom, 3/4 bath apartment. It has one window. It is the kind of window you put in your shower. And that's in the kitchen area. The bedroom is quite big, but has no natural light whatsoever. Oh, and there is no air circulation system. None. So, for a girl who consistently gets respiratory illnesses, that's no bueno. And there is hardly any insulation, so it's hard to keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer. BUT, don't misunderstand me... I'm grateful for a place to live. I'm grateful the rent is cheap. I'm grateful for some privacy as a newlywed. I'm grateful that it can be heated and for the air conditioner that Dad bought last summer when it was close to 100 degrees in The Cave. And I'm grateful that Alan and I have been given the chance to have no other choice other than to get along because it's such a small, tight space because it is teaching us to appreciate what we have individually and together. However... a goal for this year is to get out of The Cave and either buy a small house or rent somewhere. We desperately need to stop living out of our storage unit that's a mile away. Plus, if we throw a baby into the mix... yeah.... we need some more space and the ability to heat/cool the place more efficiently. Am I right?
Spiritual:
~Finish the BOM
Did you know that Alma takes F.O.R.E.V.E.R. to get through? Yea... we've been camped out for months.
~Read scriptures and have prayer with Alan every single night
This one we normally do, but sometimes we miss. And I don't want to miss.
~Attend the temple once a month (this is a carry over from last year)
I am adamant about this one. I feel the difference when I don't go.
~Read, mark and study ALL Conference talks
I try to do this each year, but I somehow fall short each time. This year, I'm setting myself a goal and hopefully I can attain it.
~Write down something I'm grateful for each day
This one was inspired by a talk by Pres. Uchtdorf in the last General Conference about being happy now and enjoying life instead of waiting to be happy when something in the future is attained. You can read the talk here: http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/of-regrets-and-resolutions?lang=eng&query=write+down+each+day
Financial:
~Pay off the car
We just recently (like on the 29th of December) had to purchase a new car because on Christmas Eve, Alan's Intrigue gave up the ghost on the side of the road on our way to spend the holidays with his family. So, alas, the purchase was necessary, but I hate having a car payment. Hopefully, we will have it paid off by July. It really is a glorious car. It's 2006 Malibu with 90K miles on it. It's in relatively perfect condition and most of the miles are highway miles because the previous owner used it to drive from Boise to AZ for work. So, it's a lovely car and will last us a good long time. I just hate payments. Fingers are crossed for the end of July.
~Apply Dave Ramsey's financial peace program to our lives
We have a book about Dave Ramsey's financial program and both have the desire to really get it going in our lives. And that was one of the major resolutions Alan and I made together.
~Get a $1000-$1500 cushion in a saving account for rainy days
Mostly this is because I'm terrified that something will happen and we won't be able to take care of it ourselves. So, to have a little set aside in an emergency fund is a must.
So, this is a big year. There are 14 goals there. I don't know that I've ever given myself that many. I WILL say that some of them are bigger chunks of things and will therefore be a bit easier because they are one big thing. The everyday, every week, every month ones are the ones that will be hard for me. They are just harder to remember sometimes.
Anywho... here we go! I'm hoping that 2013 will be a great year! Whoo!