New Years Resolutions for 2015

I'm spending my NYE in New Orleans this year! Excited to be with so many of my Buckeye family (and some blood relation too, I'm there with Molly!). Hoping 2015 starts out on a great note with a Buckeye victory over Alabama!

And now on to my New Years Resolutions! I'm really going to concentrate on improving myself in 2015. I feel like this year was just a year of sustaining or keeping my head above water. 2013 was a big year for me and 2014 just seems kind of blah compared to it. But I'm sure that's what God was telling me that I needed. And now I have the conviction to make changes to a lot of things I'm not happy with.

And I'm going to be all cliche and do it at the beginning of the year.

1. Be at work on time every day. For the past 6 months for me, this has been a struggle. I will snooze through my alarm so many times that I don't get to work until after 9. Sometimes it's 10! Granted I do have a lot of things going on in the evenings, but it's time to be in the office on time!

2. Cut back on 'after school activities'. I advise two student organizations, and kind of a third too. I am going to stop going to so many of their activities because I don't really need to be at all of them. Just the big ones. This will give me more time in the evenings to go to the gym and a social life outside of my job.

3. Sign up for a half-marathon and get to the gym. I slacked the last quarter of 2014 on getting to the gym. It got cold and I ended up at home on the couch under a cozy blanket and that's where I'd stay. Must get back on track!

4. No fast food. I've done this before for Lent, so I can do it again. I have to start cooking more at home and not eating out as much. It's bad for my health. It's bad for my wallet. Even if I do have a McDonald's gift card in the car at all times!

5. No social media. This one I've also done for Lent in the past and it was a blessing. I have been reading a few books all talking about the ways facebook effects people and relationships and I'd already been having these same thoughts, so this just validated what I'd been thinking. So no more snapchat, facebook, instagram, twitter, or any of those games that make me stare at my phone and not have connections with people around me (scramble, trivia crack). I've already changed the passwords to something I don't know and logged out! If you want to talk to me or see how I'm doing, feel free to text or email me, or better yet - call me! I miss having phone conversations!

6. Study my Bible daily. This is something that I need to get better at and I always feel better about myself and life in general when I am in it daily. I have my bible study every Monday that I LOVE LOVE LOVE, but I'm still feeling like I need more! So I've been making an effort over the last few months to attend Sunday services more regularly. I really want to find a church that I like and get involved! Not just be a pew filler on a Sunday.

7. Be a better communicator. I'm not one to ask a lot of questions, therefore I just make up scenarios in my head or don't have the answers that I want. So this is also a big priority for me. Be a better communicator, listener, ask questions, have meaningful conversations with people. Not just be a talker. I think all my relationships could use this - family, friends, potential suitors (my fav term coined by my friend Cara!).

Those are just 7 things, but they're seven big things. All things that I want to see happen and have been unhappy and struggling with, so I'm hoping that with persistence and a lot of prayer, I'll keep them!

Merry Christmas

My cards went out before Christmas this year! Except for the last round that went out on the 23rd probably won't be delivered until after the holiday. But I consider it a win since everything else this season has been less than perfect. I started out all gung-ho in early December for the holidays and just kind of lost steam after that.

But I do pray that everyone is having a wonderful Christmas with their family. And if you're reading this and don't celebrate Christmas (I know not everyone does!), I hope you're having a wonderful holiday with your family too! :)

This and That

Last weekend I spent it in Columbus and had a plathora of Christmas activities planned. I had decided I was going to bake cookies and decorate them like the Doughmestic Housewife does. I had convinced myself this was going to be my new hobby and money maker. 

Well, I cannot back worth a crap. Got bored cutting out the cookies, then frustrated because my icing didn't turn out right and well before I knew it everything was a hot mess and I just quit. My cookies don't look like anything special and they taste equally as horrible too. 

Saturday I finished up my Christmas shopping after having lunch with one of my former students who was passing thru town on her way home for the holidays. Saturday night Molly came over and after I finished with my cookie disaster, we ran some errands, got Starbucks (I'm obsessed with their Peppermint Hot Chocolate, btw!) and drove around looking at lights. :)

Sunday I headed down to Wilmington to Katie's to meet baby Beau for the first time and hang out with some college friends that I don't see often enough. It was a great day and I got lots of baby snuggles.

Reese isn't a baby anymore, but we still snuggled!

Later that evening I went to the Columbus Zoo to see the lights with my godson and his family. The lights were beautiful, we saw a giant bear sleeping and he was fascinated with the fish! I had been wanting to go to the zoo all December, so I'm glad that Erin and Luke invited me along!

He loved the elephant. He screamed every time he did something.

So pretty.

Lights!

Taking selfies in the 670 tunnel.

Only two days of work this week, then I'm headed home for Christmas! I tried to decorate my nails really pretty, but it's an obvious Pinterest fail.

What I wanted, what I bought, what it looked liked after two coats. -_-

December Update

Not a lot going on here. I went thru my phone to see if I even had any good pictures to share, and nada.

The semester is finally over - Praise the Lord!! I am in need of a break like no other.

My apartment has been torn apart for the last week because of kitchen plumbing issues. First I had a hole in my pipe. Then most recently all of the units in my building had trouble draining their kitchen sinks. So guess whose kitchen got torn apart looking for the problem....MINE. So I couldn't use my sink for a week. Last night I finally had time to clean everything in my kitchen with bleach. (They had splattered black gunk all over everything.) So with the exception of mopping, everything is spick and span. :) I also got a ton of laundry done and my dining room cleaned out. Honestly, a lot of the 'stuff' just got taken to the basement.

Out of sight. Out of mind.

Until I go down there to do laundry.

So this spring I am doing a major cleaning out of my basement and having a yard sale. And what doesn't sell, it's going to Goodwill. No sense in hoarding a gift from an ex's mom that I never took out of the box and someone else might actually like.

Speaking of ex's. I dug out some gift cards that what's his name #3 left at my place many, many years ago. I had told him shortly after the break up that he could come pick them up, and he never did (also never returned his key to my place, awkward.) So I treated myself to Starbucks this morning. There is still $11 on the card too! I have at least $150 in gift cards that belonged to him. Anyone want to go to dinner sometime soon? Merry Christmas to me!

Christmas is just one week away. I have ideas of what I'm getting everyone for Christmas, but I just have to pull the trigger this weekend and buy it. Gift baskets for everyone! And I'm not talking fruit or lotions or other little things. Like nice themed baskets. The little ones have been taken care of for some time now. Especially the girls. And Molly. If you are between 3-6 or your "personality is a lot of personalities" (her words, not mine), I have no trouble shopping for you. I over shop for you in fact. I have to force myself to stop buying for you!

After Christmas I'm headed on a little road trip to NOLA for New Years Eve and the Sugar Bowl! Eeek! First time to New Orleans. I'm so excited. Anyone have any recommendations on what to do or see while we're there? Obviously a swamp tour is a must. I have to experience that. And hopefully on the way home we can swing thru Tuscaloosa and get our picture doing "O-H-I-O" in front of their stadium after we win. Fingers crossed. :)

So that's my life right now. I'll have a post soon of my decorations. I did a lot of things differently this year. Like some of it and other parts is just 'ehh.' Of course, 7 days before Christmas and I'm still adding to it. Almost in time for it to be taken down. It's always a work in progress.

And for smiles....here's an outtake of the annual Christmas card photo. Bowie did not enjoy it and every picture features her in action leaping out of my arms. SMH. We got an ok-ish one, which will be featured.

Why can't she just let me hold her?

I did not create this, so it's not just me!!!!

Also, I started a new "101 things to do in 1001 days". You can find the new, currently short, list here. Right now a lot of my things are travel related, which also mean I need money to do. Maybe I should add "get a part time job to fund 101 activities".

Thanksgiving Weekend

Thanksgiving was pretty uneventful this year. Students got off on Wednesday, in addition to Thursday and Friday, but I still had to work. So it was a mostly casual laid back day and I spent 2 hours of it giving blood. It actually only took me 6 minutes and 45 seconds to give, but there was a line and these people aren't the quickest. Which is fine I suppose.

Pumping out the blood.

This is the 4th time I've donated and I didn't have any problems again this time. (The first time I got a little light headed.) I still can't believe that I can voluntarily give blood. It just baffles me that at one time I was so scared to do this I would have cried. I guess I'm finally growing up and wearing my big girl undies.

Selfie with Adam (co-worker/blood donating partner) lurking in the background of my selfie.

Wednesday night I rode home with Molly and we didn't do much of anything that I can remember. We played some rounds of "Heads Up" with my iPad.

Thursday morning we went to my grandparents and had dinner. John came with Molly and Tyler's lady friend came by after we ate. We played a few rounds of "Heads Up" and then we also were put to work cutting wood. My grandpa had us do it to see how much we could get done. Well, we all took turns using the saw, but it took us FOREVER! And it was cold out. So when it came time for us to split the one piece we'd cut off the log, I was the only grandkid still outside. So I split it with the ax too. I'm pretty sure I won't be the next Paul Bunyan but if I needed to survive I could do it.

Kate and I working away on the wood for the stove.

Thursday evening we invited Payton, Avery and Teresa over to play games. We had a good time and there were lots of laughing as we tried to hum tunes to popular songs, talk with accents and describe celebrities while playing heads up. And then of course Apples to Apples is always a blast.

Friday we did not do any Black Friday shopping. I went once 11 years ago. Never again. Mom, Molly and I went to an antique store in nearby West Union and then after that Molly, Teresa and I went to Payton and Avery's first basketball game of the season. They lost by 2 at the very end. But Avery scored her first points as a high school player and that was very exciting.

We drove back to Columbus Friday night and went to campus bright and early on Saturday for the Ohio State vs. Michigan game. Our tickets were in B Deck which ended up being great for the weather because there was no way we were getting cold, mostly because it was soooo darn crowded. I didn't stand up to cheer for fear of not having somewhere to sit when it was time to sit back down. ha. And we couldn't see the scoreboard. Or any of the stands basically. Luckily Ohio State won and all was well. Kind of.

Our view.

A player was down so we took a selfie. That player was Barrett.

Molly praying during the game for Ohio State to score.

After the game was over and we had sang our school's Alma Matter, we went down to the field. I could say we 'stormed' the field, but it was a casual walk. The players had already gone into the locker room.

No idea who the guy was, I was just taking a selfie.

I'm about over the Jon Waters stuff. Ok. I AM over it. #notgettingyourjobback

After the game, Molly and I did some visiting with friends around campus and then I was home in bed by 9:30. I was tired!

After a lazy Sunday and a busy Monday and Tuesday evening, I decorated my tree last night. Here is a sneak peek. More photos to come when I get more than just the tree done!

Two new ornaments for 2014. Butter from Savannah, GA (Paula Deen's restaurant) and the mascot from the World Cup.

Being Real

I will probably regret posting this in two hours and take it down, but for now I just feel like I need to be real for a while.

I'm in a funk. I'm in a bummed out mood most of the time. I spend my evenings laying on the couch playing candy crush. Which is also where I fall asleep and then move to my bed around 2am. My house is a disaster. I pulled all my Christmas decorations out on Sunday and never touched them after that. They're currently sitting in the middle of my dinning room and I just keep walking around them. And I haven't been to the gym on a regular basis in weeks.

I think it's the end of the semester burn out and I'm not even a student! These last 13ish weeks have been run, run, run for me and I just don't want to do anything. Except sleep.

For the last few years I've just thrown myself into work and student activities here on campus. I have had something different going on every night between a meeting or an event. And while that has been great for me, I think that season of my life is coming to a close. I knew it wouldn't last forever and it has been really fun.

And while I love having plans and doing things with friends, I'm also longing for time at home. But I don't want to be home alone. So many of my friends now have families of their own and I'm over here hanging out with my cat. (She is a good tv watching partner when she is in the mood to snuggle.) I'm ready for a new routine. I don't want my evenings to be so scheduled. I want to know that I can go home and still have something to do. Going on a random walk or bike ride around town without having to plan it would be awesome. Which I do, I just want someone to do it with. Someone I know will always be there.

And this is not to say I have not enjoyed these single years because I have enjoyed them so much! I have learned and grown more than I ever thought possible in the past three years. I am just ready for the next chapter of my life and getting really down about it not being my time yet. And that's dumb of me to do. I know that God will bring me the perfect man in his perfect time. And all this mopping I'm doing right now is just wasting time that I could be doing something really meaningful and awesome. A few weeks ago at bible study a classmate shared something that her pastor told her that being worried about the future is temporary atheism. Which is true. I know it will all work out. I just need to be patient.

But here I am. Sounding whiny and pathetic, which I am not.

And I've already signed up for zumba tonight, so I'll get some good cardio in tonight.



And to further add to why I'm probably single, here is a cute picture of my cat.