38 Weeks

Well, we're almost there now! The baby cannot come fast enough.  I'm to the point now where I can't sleep at night because I just can't get comfortable.  And I have one spot on my ribs that kind of burns and aches all the time.  He is ready to be born!

How far along: 38 Weeks
Total weight gain: 16 pounds
Maternity clothes? Oh heck yes.  Even my maternity shirts aren't quite long enough anymore.
Stretch marks? No, but I think if I get any bigger my skin might just split in two
Sleep: Between getting up every thirty minutes to go to the bathroom and waking up for the soreness in my ribs, I get very little sleep.
Best moment this week: Looking at how cute and tiny baby clothes are
Miss Anything? Sleeping and wearing cute clothes
Movement: Oh yes.  Everyone says that when you get close the the end you won't feel the baby move any more, but that has not been my experience. He moves all the time.
Food cravings: Umm right now I really want Dr. Pepper, but that's about it.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really
Gender: BOY!!!
Labor Signs: no

Symptoms:  I kind of hurt all over.  My skin feels like it is on fire.
Belly Button in or out? Well it's kind of puckering.  It isn't exactly out, but it's pretty weird.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy
Looking forward to: Baby boy getting here!

33 Weeks!!

Oh my gosh I haven't posted anything in so long! In my defense we have been extremely busy.  In the past month and a half we've moved, bought a new car, and worked our butts off trying to get this house put together before baby boy gets here! And it does not help that I'm worn out all the time and I've been working a ton.  Anyway, we've done a few fun things lately, such as Arkalalah, Halloween, and registering for baby.  And I've now gone through the dreaded glucose test (the drink wasn't that bad, you just have to chug it) and childbirth class and I've now graduated to seeing the doctor every two weeks instead of monthly.  And the time has just flown by!

How far along: 32 Weeks
Total weight gain: 14 pounds
Maternity clothes? Yep, or baggy stuff or my fat jeans
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: I toss and turn all night trying to get comfortable.  I look forward to being able to sleep on my stomach again. 
Best moment this week: Sending out the remainder of my shower invites
Miss Anything? Having the ability to paint my own toenails.  I never really did it before, but it was nice knowing that I could.
Movement: He pushes on my ribs constantly
Food cravings: Nope
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really
Gender: BOY!!!
Labor Signs: no

Symptoms:  Head and back aches still
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy
Looking forward to: Getting the rest of the boxes out of baby's room so I can set his stuff up.

Week 22

22 Week Bump

Well my little one has been cooking for 22 weeks now and the fact that I'm going to be a mommy is sinking in a little more each day.  Last Thursday I went in for an appointment and my doctor sent me straight to the hospital for an ultrasound.  We were so excited! I had to call and get Curtis off work because we weren't expecting the ultrasound to happen the same day as the check-up.  So I get to the hospital and wait for Curtis to show up and he finally gets there all covered in dust and whatnot from work.  And then they tell me that I need a full bladder before we go in for the ultrasound and acted shocked that I wasn't ready right away.  It's not like it was scheduled ahead of time! Anyway, after waiting forever (actually it was probably only about twenty minutes but it felt longer) they finally called me back.  Can I just say that my baby is beautiful?  The ultrasound technician took all of the measurements that the doctor needs (despite the fact that baby was moving all over the place and making her job as difficult as possible) and everything is perfectly normal! We were so glad that our little one is healthy and normal.  And then she said the magic words, "Do you want to know the sex?"  And we were both just sitting there grinning like idiots saying, "Heck yes!"  And when she said, "It looks like it's a boy," I just about jumped up off the bed and danced a jig.  I was so excited.  To say that I was beyond thrilled is an understatement.  I wanted a boy all along and I was so happy to get my wish!  Now I just can't wait for him to get here!

Our sweet baby boy.

He has all five toes on at least one of his feet.

How far along: 22 Weeks
Total weight gain: 6 pounds
Maternity clothes? On my lazy days
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: I haven't been sleeping as well lately :( 
Best moment this week: Finding out that I'm going to be momma to a baby boy!
Miss Anything? My favorite pair of jeans (they're getting snug)
Movement: Yes!!!
Food cravings: Still Freddy's
Anything making you queasy or sick: Bad smells
Gender: BOY!!!
Labor Signs: no

Symptoms:  Head and back aches
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy
Looking forward to: Shopping for baby stuff

Week 20

So much has happened this week! The night after I wrote my last post I felt my baby move for the first time.  It was so crazy!  It felt like I swallowed a bubble and it popped in my stomach.  And now I feel it move all the time.  It especially likes to go for little swims in the evening.  It's so cool.  Curtis was even able to feel it the other day.  It makes everything seem just a little more real.

We also had another appointment.  Our little baby's heart rate was 135.  Everything was normal and our little one is growing well.

How far along: 20 Weeks
Total weight gain: 3 or 4 pounds
Maternity clothes? Sometimes I wear maternity shirts but my normal stuff still fits too
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: As much as possible. 
Best moment this week: Feeling my baby move :)
Miss Anything? Being able to handle raw meat
Movement: Yes!!!
Food cravings: Freddy's Frozen Custard french fries
Anything making you queasy or sick: Onions
Gender: We don't know
Labor Signs: no

Symptoms:  Sore stomach muscles
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy
Looking forward to: Ultrasound

Adventure Time

 
About a week and a half ago Curtis and I went on our first adventure in a long time.  He finally had a Saturday off work (for the first time this summer) and the weather was perfect.  We decided to try to find the waterfall at the Cowley State Fishing Lake.  For some reason I had never even heard of it until recently.  I tend to avoid this lake because you can't swim there and I prefer river fishing to lake fishing.  However, we decided that we would devote our Saturday to finding the waterfall.  I was told that it's a little tricky to find and get to.

So we drove out to the lake and slowly made our way around it.  It's much bigger than it originally seems.  To get the the waterfall you have to go as far west as you can around the lake.  So basically at each fork you go left.  When you finally get to the end of the road stop your car and get out.  You can't see the waterfall from the road, but you can hear it.  So you follow your ears and there is a little trail that leads from the road to the top of the waterfall.

The view from the top.

Then you can kind of pick your way down to the bottom to the little creek.  It was so pretty, and it was a perfect day for some light hiking/rock climbing.  I would not recommend it to anyone who is any more pregnant than me, because it might be a little difficult to navigate the rocks if you're worried about a baby. 

Navigating some rocks.

We found it!

After we finished with our adventure we went in to Dexter to Henry's Candy Co. (the creators of the Oh Henry! candy bar) and got some lemon drops for the road.  It was a great day!

Here is the link to the Cowley Lake Waterfall page.

Week 19

It's still hard to wrap my head around the fact that I'm going to have a baby.  It's just mind boggling.  We're very excited though!  This week we got the first of our baby gifts, from my wonderful mother-in-law.  Having baby things around makes it feel a little more real.  I am a little sad that I still haven't felt any movement yet.  Especially since I keep getting random stomach pains :(  Oh well, one more week closer to my little baby!

How far along: 19 Weeks
Total weight gain: Nothing this week
Maternity clothes? Well my clothes are getting tighter..
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: As much as possible. 
Best moment this week: Sleeping in :)
Miss Anything? Bacon!
Movement: Not yet :(
Food cravings: None
Anything making you queasy or sick: Bad smells and bananas
Gender: Still don't know.
Labor Signs: no

Symptoms:  Stomach pains
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy
Looking forward to: My appointment so I can schedule my ultrasound to find out what we're having :)

Week 17: Baby Fat

Well as of this week I am starting to show a little bit.  But really right now I just look like I've put on some pounds around the middle.  I seriously cannot wait until this baby bump starts actually looking like a baby bump!

The beginning of a bump.

I'm finally not feeling nauseous!  It's such a relief to be able to stand up without wanting to throw up.  I still find most foods unappetizing, but overall I'm feeling much better!

How far along: 17 Weeks
Total weight gain: Maybe a pound? Which puts my net loss at -4 pounds.
Maternity clothes? Not yet, but soon!
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Not well. It kills my back and I wake up about every 30 minutes to try to find a more comfortable position.
Best moment this week: Not puking!
Miss Anything? Baja Blast Mountain Dew
Movement: Not yet :(
Food cravings: Muffins
Anything making you queasy or sick: Most foods..still..
Gender: Still don't know.
Labor Signs: no

Symptoms:  Headaches.  Is that common?
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy
Looking forward to: Feeling some movement.

Week 16

July 18

For the past few weeks things have been mostly the same.  I'm FINALLY starting to get over my full-time morning sickness, which is awesome.  However, I'm not sleeping well so I'm tired all the time.  Last week I got to hear my baby's heartbeat for the first time.  It was amazing.  It was so fast and the doctor had a hard time finding it because it kept moving out of the way.  I was just sad that Curtis wasn't there to hear it.  I haven't felt any movement yet, but hopefully in the next couple of weeks that will change.

We've had some people ask if we've registered yet, so last weekend we went to Wichita and started a Target registry.  So far it's just stuff that we'll need for a boy or a girl.  I can't wait to find out what our little baby is so that we can start getting the fun stuff, and so that we can decide on a name for sure!

How far along: 16 Weeks
Total weight gain: At my last appointment I had actually lost five pounds..
Maternity clothes? No, but I got some cute ones :)
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: I wake up constantly and I take naps whenever I can
Best moment this week: Hearing the baby's heartbeat (technically that was last week, but it was amazing.)
Miss Anything? Sleeping on my stomach
Movement: No
Food cravings: Nothing
Anything making you queasy or sick: Bad smells
Gender: Don't know
Labor Signs: no

Symptoms:  Heightened sense of smell
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy
Looking forward to: Feeling some movement.

Week 12

June 17

Well, today is officially week number 12!  Last Tuesday we went in for an ultrasound.  My doctor likes to schedule one early in the pregnancy to make sure we have an accurate due date and that everything is normal and that there is only one baby.  And everything was good! There is only one little one growing inside of me.  And everything is normal.  It's so precious and little, but on the screen it looked so big! We got to watch the blood circulate and the heartbeat, and the little fluttery heartbeat was so fast! But apparently it was normal and everything is good!

This is our itsy bitsy baby.

It likes to sleep with it's arm up.  I think it gets that from me.

On Tuesday night we told Curtis' parents about our little baby and then yesterday I told my dad and siblings, so now I guess everybody knows! Our family's were all very excited and we're all looking forward to the big day! December seems too far away!

How far along: 12 Weeks
Total weight gain: nada
Maternity clothes? Not yet
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Every chance I get
Best moment this week: Seeing my baby for the first time :)
Miss Anything? Excedrine.  Tylenol just does not cut it!
Movement: No
Food cravings: Water
Anything making you queasy or sick: Everything, but bananas in particular.  I just can't keep them down.
Gender: Boy or girl
Labor Signs: no

Symptoms: Just sick and tired lol
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy
Looking forward to: Losing the morning sickness.

Week 9

May 30


How far along: 9 Weeks
Total weight gain: 0 lbs
Maternity clothes? No, my pants actually feel loose this week :(
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: At least 10 hours a night in order to function!
Best moment this week: I was actually able to eat a couple of times without getting sick :)
Miss Anything? Dr. Pepper. It just doesn't taste the same anymore when I steal a sip of it.  It still sounds good though.
Movement: No.  But I heard that our little guppy can respond to outside stimulants :)
Food cravings: Water lol
Anything making you queasy or sick: Still everything, but today eggs in particular.
Gender: No clue, just my intuition..
Labor Signs: huh uh

Symptoms: Still feel like throwing up about 90% of the time :(
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy
Looking forward to: My next appointment so we can schedule the first ultrasound.

Week 11

June 10

Apparently after last week my little baby has ears!  I love learning every week about the new developments that going on inside of me!

Last Friday I had a check-up and apparently everything is normal thus far and I'm healthy as a horse!  And tomorrow I get to go in for my first ultrasound! (I know I might be overdoing it with the exclamation points, but I'm so excited about everything!!!)

How far along: 11 Weeks
Total weight gain: 0 lbs
Maternity clothes? Not yet.
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: So much. And I nap all the time.  And I'm still exhausted..
Best moment this week: Curtis going on and on about how excited he is :)
Miss Anything? Exercise.  I've never been a hardcore exerciser, but I miss being able to stand for long periods of time and going walking.
Movement: Not yet.
Food cravings: None
Anything making you queasy or sick: The heat lol
Gender: Don't know.
Labor Signs: Nope

Symptoms: Nausea and exhaustion
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy
Looking forward to: Hearing my baby's heartbeat.

Ch-ch-changes

May 23

Last Tuesday, May 14, was the most exciting/terrifying day of my life.  Let me explain.  Since the beginning of the month I have been completely exhausted all the time and I started feeling like I was going to throw up pretty much constantly.  So by Mother's Day Curtis and I were pretty sure we knew what was wrong with me.  And on Tuesday it was confirmed.  I'm pregnant!!

Of course we were both completely thrilled, but I'm also scared to death that I'm going to mess up.  I love kids, particularly babies, but what if I turn out to be a lousy mom?  It's a pretty traumatizing thought!

Anyway, this morning I had my first Dr. appointment.  They informed me that my current due date is December 30.  I met my doctor and he is really nice.  And the nurse gave me all the need to know information.  Then they tried to draw my blood for some testing.  Big mistake.  I've had some bad experiences before with needles/blood being drawn, and today was more of the same.  I was fine when she put the needle in, but my vein apparently rolled (which is a first for me) and she decided to try the other arm.  Unfortunately, when she took the needle out and removed the tourniquet the usual happened.  Everything started to go spotty and my ears started ringing..and then I blacked out.  I guess I should start telling them that if they want to take my blood they're going to have to leave the needle in permanently, because taking it out makes me sick.  Anyway, as soon as they let me lay down everything cleared back up and I was alright, just lightheaded.  Curtis said that when I blacked out it was the weirdest thing he'd ever seen.  And then when I woke up he laughed, big meanie.  So they were unable to get my blood and I have to go back tomorrow.  Should be a good time..

So far my pregnancy symptoms are constant nausea, and I mean all day every day.  It's hard to eat anything.  And I've started crying more frequently.  But that's about it.

We've decided that we're going to tell everyone about our baby on Father's Day, so I'll post this then!

How far along: 8 weeks
Total weight gain: 0 lbs
Maternity clothes? Negative! But I really like my stretchy pants right now..
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: Constantly! I need about 12 hours a night..and then I want a nap by about an hour after I get up.
Best moment this week: The doctor telling me that I really was pregnant and that I was not just sick with some weird rare disease.
Miss Anything? My appetite.
Movement: I try to move as little as possible..hehehe..
Food cravings: Umm I'm craving cravings. It would be nice to eat again.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Everything.  This constant nausea really sucks.
Gender: I think I know..
Labor Signs: Nope

Symptoms: All of them.. Morning sickness, little zits, exhaustion..
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy
Looking forward to: A nap :)

Saving some money!

So far this whole not spending money thing hasn't been all too difficult.  There are days when I really want to get a Sonic drink, or when I'm hungry and I don't feel like cooking so all I want is to is make a Wendy's run.  However, I've gotten really good at making sandwiches, or ordering Curtis to, when I'm too tired to cook.  And even though sometimes it's really hard to stay at home and not go waste money, every time I make an extra payment on something, and I see the total amount owed number go down just a little bit, I feel like I have accomplished so much!  Some people say that spending money is a great stress reliever, I think that getting out of debt is the best stress reliever in the world!  I'm so glad that we made the decision to go on our spending fast!!

Wants/Needs

As part of my spending fast I can only spend money on things I need, not just on random stuff that I want.  This means I will have a lot of money left over at the end of the month to spend on bills!

Needs:
Rent/Utilities
Internet - We have to have it for school and whatnot.
Gas - I spend so much money on gas! But I have to have it for work.
School expenses
FOOD! - This is my favorite thing to spend money on. And I buy nothing unless I have a coupon for it.
T.V. - It's our only form of entertainment now.  And we're getting rid of cable and we will be using Hulu (Yay $7.99 a month instead of $50-some).

Wants:
Clothing
New books - No Barnes and Noble :(
Bath and Body Works - My biggest addiction. I have go there everytime I go to Wichita.  And I never seem to have enough good smelling things.  I have enough to last me for a long time already though.
Movies - Both in the theater and from Redbox
Eating out - I guess no more taking the easy way out.
New washing machine - I can last another year of mooching off relatives for laundry.
A working dishwasher - Oh wait! That's why I got married..
Sonic Drinks :(

All of the things on my wants list are totally things that I do NOT have to have.  And I'm sure that I can come up with more things that I don't have to have.  I'm so excited to save money!

What would you do?

What would you do if you didn't have to do anything? If you didn't have to work and you had enough money to do anything at all? Well, not having to do anything is my motivation for getting my finances in order and starting to save.  Curtis and I both have nice little lists of what we are going to do when we no longer have to work our lives away.

What I would do if I didn't have to work.
I would write.  I love to write and I want need to get my stories down on paper. Both the true stories and the ones that are just in my head.  I would ride my horse.  I never seem to have time for it, and there is a freedom that comes with it that I miss so much.  I would travel the world.  I am in love with discovering new cultures and I am so fascinated with the history of things that to me are only pictures.  I have to see them and experience them for myself.  I want to go everywhere and see everything.  I want to read books in ancient Byzantine libraries and appreciate art in the Louvre.  I want to learn new things.  I want to learn to golf and snowboard and sail.  I want to go to school just for the fun of it.  I just want to take my time and enjoy life instead of doing what someone else tells me to do.

What Curtis would do if he didn't have to work.
Curtis informs me that if he did not have to work he would snowboard all the time and all over the world.  In the Alps and the Canadian Rockies and the Appalachians, as well as at home with his family and friends.  We would live near the water somewhere so that he could go boating and wakeboarding whenever his heart desired.  He would probably golf all the time.  And, like me, he wants to travel, to see the world.

Wouldn't it be amazing to not have to do anything? To truly enjoy life? It will be an amazing thing indeed.

What would you do?

My Spending Fast!

Curtis and I have been talking a lot lately about getting our financial house in order.  It's a real pain in the butt that every time we feel like we're getting ahead (or at least caught up) something always happens to put us behind again.  We don't necessarily spend our money in an unwise fashion, but we don't always think about where we're spending it.  And of course there are always bills! We don't have a lot of debt, but with my student loans (which I know most people don't consider debt but it does eat up a chunk of change each month) and our emergency credit card (first it was an emergency trip to the dentist, then wedding stuff, then school stuff...) we're spending too much money every month on "just getting caught up."  I don't want to be spending my money on this crap for the rest of my life.  This is a car payment or a vacation twice a year or just things that we want to improve our standard of living (a washing machine that actually works perhaps?) that we're spending on bills! And I'm ready to end the madness!

So the other day I was messing around on the internet and I found this blog where a girl got rid of her debt in just over a year by doing a spending fast (you can see her post here). I talked it over with Curtis, and by talking it over I mean I informed Curtis, that we are going to go on a spending fast for the rest of the year.  This means no spending money on anything that is not a necessity.

Here's How We Do It:

1. List out debt and interest rates in order from highest to lowest. 
2. Write down how we would live if we did not have to work.  This serves as motivation for those times when we just want to give up.
3. Set a time frame.  We decided that we're going to do this for the rest of the year.
4. Make a public declaration.  Which is what I am doing now.  Hopefully this will give me the support I need to stay strong.  Also, when I told my mom about this she said that she is going to do it too, so we can work together and be the support team for each other.
5. Write out a "wants and needs" list.  This means putting down, on paper, the things that are needed ever month and the things that you just want.  And then you're only allowed to spend money on things from the "wants" list.
6. Focus on the things that you can buy instead of the things that you cannot.  Focus on the reason you're doing the fast.  Have fun, just have the free kind.
7. Attack the debt! At the end of the month throw all of the money you have left over at the debt with the highest interest.  Continue to pay on your other bills as well.  You'll start to see a snowball effect as you pay off one thing and have extra money for the next item on the list.  

I know this is going to be tough.  I think we can get everything paid off by the end of the year, though.  We're going to need support.  Please don't tempt us to spend money on anything! This means I will not be going to parties to buy makeup and candles and whatnot.  We will not be going out to the movies or eating out.  We can still have fun though! And when this is over we'll be able to have even more fun because we will be debt free!

Toms #86.

Ever since I saw Toms Shoes on commercial on T.V. I've wanted a pair of them.  I loved the idea of me getting a cute pair of shoes and a sweet little kid somewhere else getting a pair too.  However, I haven't bought a new pair of shoes (except for my wedding shoes) in about three years so it took me awhile to get a pair.

Anyway, last Saturday I went on a little shopping expedition for Galentine's Day. Galentine's Day is a celebration of the love between girl friends.  We went to Wichita to the mall and got the most excruciating massages ever, seriously I thought I was going to die.  I couldn't touch my back for three days.  And we went out to eat at a delicious Mexican restaurant.  And we went on a shopping extravaganza.  I really didn't buy very much, but I got the cutest pair of Toms that I have ever seen!  I'm pretty happy with my purchase.

My cute shoes

Anyway, this is the last thing I'm going to buy for a very long while, you could call it my last hurrah.

I don't need no education..

..but I sure want it.  Curtis thinks I'm crazy because I love school so much.  But I love to learn new things.  I just have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.  I guess this is why, after being graduated for a year, I'm back in school.  They just can't keep me away.  Because of my work schedule, I'm only taking one class, Anatomy and Physiology.  I'm really taking it because it should help me get into grad school.

It really is hard being a grown-up going to college.  All of the kids in my class are fresh out of high school with no worries.  And I've become to loser who sits in the front row, because I'm old and I can't see the board from anywhere else.  It's also tough to find time to study when you work full-time.  Of course I can study when I come home at night, but most of the time I'm so exhausted when I get home that I just pass out.

Anyway, the class itself is really interesting, because I'm kind of a huge nerd when it comes to the human body in general, and bones more specifically.  I just have to work hard, because my goal, of course, is to ruin the curve for all of the little kiddies..

Circus of the Sun

My dad gave Curtis and I the best Christmas present ever!! He got us tickets to go to Cirque du Soleil.  This is something we've both always wanted to see, so when I found out that they were coming to Wichita I told my dad that all we wanted for Christmas is tickets.  He sure is a good listener!

Before the show

It was amazing! Our seats we're partway up the first section so we were really close to the action.  Those performers are so good! I was in awe throughout most of the performance.  The story had something to do with being in a girl's dreams, but it seemed more like someone's nightmares.  It was very dark, but beautiful.  My favorite part was the floor acrobats.  The acrobats were throwing people all over the place and catching them in handstands and crazy stuff like that.  They also had this girl sitting on a rope like a swing, and she did all sorts of flips and twists and stuff without holding on, it was crazy!  I think I'm still so awestruck that I can't come close to describing how amazing it was.

We were much more excited than we looked.

Watching these performers made me realize two things. One, some people are incredibly blessed and can do amazing things. Two, through hard work and determination you can do anything, even defy gravity.

You have to watch the trailer to have any idea of how cool it was.

Quidam Trailer

Another Year Gone

I've never been too excited about celebrating the new year.  I've always kind of thought of it as an excuse to get wasted, and since I don't drink the holiday has never had much of an appeal to me.  This year was no different. I stayed up until midnight because I felt guilty leaving Curtis up by himself.  We had our own little mini-party.  We watched a movie and played a game. We ate cheese and crackers and hot wings and drank some ginger ale.  And by about 10 o'clock I was counting down the minutes until I could go to bed.  I know I'm lame, but in my defense I had to be at work at 8 that morning.  At any rate, I just barely made it to midnight and then I slept for about ten hours.

Anyhow, I always make some ill-advised resolutions that I fail at keeping, but it's good to have some goals for the year.  So without further ado, here they are:

1. This year I will start working out more. I feel gross because I have not done any working out at all in the past year. This has got to change!
2. This year I need to start writing.  I have so many stories in my head just trying to get out and I need to get them down on paper.  The hardest part is just getting started.
3. Finally, this year I need to print out my wedding pictures and finally put together my wedding album. It's only been a year..

So there you have it. A break down of the three things I need to focus on this year!

As we start the New Year,
Let's get down on our knees
to thank God we're on our feet.

-Anonymous Irish Person