38 years. All You Need is Love

Lately I have been feeling extremely blessed. It seems like all the pieces of my life are falling into place at the same time. I can't help but believe that God decided that right now was the time to answer all my prayers.

Yesterday Brian and I took my parents out to a nice dinner as a thank you for bringing us on an amazing tropical vacation to Kauai, Hawaii. It was nice to treat them for a change, they do so much for me. After dinner I got to thinking.... What if I was still me, but had grown up in a different situation with different parents? What if I had been raised in a family that couldn't afford braces? What if I didn't have a Mom who told me I was beautiful and wanted to spend time with me? What if my Dad wasn't kindhearted and the best man I know? It's obvious I wouldn't be the same woman I am today. I also know that I would not be anywhere near as happy as I am right now.

Today, February 1st, 2013 is my parent's 38th wedding anniversary. We live in an culture where divorces are as common as births and I have been blessed to have been raised by two people who have set a wonderful example of what a marriage should be.

So today I'm feelings lucky, blessed, and proud to be a part of such an amazing family.

All because two people fell in love.

Kauai 2013

While I like to make resolutions at the beginning of every year, I also keep two other resolution lists. The first is a list of life resolutions. These are things that I want to accomplish all the time. This list includes things that have been year-long resolutions before, like traveling more and drinking more water. The other list is sort of a mini-bucket list. It is a list of activities that I'd like to do in life that are achievable. Things that I checked off from this list in 2012 included, canning peaches and Ride the Duck in Seattle.

To update my life list I need to write a little something about my recent trip to Kauai, Hawaii. Kauai in January is a great place to be.... especially if you come from a region that is cold and grey during the month of January. Brian also wrote a great blog post about his experience in Kauai with my family.

My favorite part of visiting somewhere tropical has to be.... just laying in the sun with a good book!!

I've been to Hawaii several time and for some unknown reason have NEVER tried shaved ice before. I was only living half a life before!!! That stuff is amazing! If you are saying to yourself right now that it looks like a snow cone.... Well stop right there! The only similarity is that it is indeed made of ice and flavored with syrup (OK, same ingredients....) but the TEXTURE! It is something heavenly. As well as addictive.

The view from our condo. Heaven on Earth.

It was great to spend 12 days with some of my favorite people... including my cute little nephew! Soon I will have two cute little nephews so it was wonderful to get some quality time with my #1.

Football season also came to an end while we were in Hawaii.... If the Seahawks aren't in the Superbowl... then football season is over. Don't argue with me... and don't tell me you are a 49ers fan.

Two well fought games.... one terrible heartbreak!

If you know my family at all... then you know we are crazy Seahawks fans.... So of course we all packed our jerseys and other superstitious lucky items.

Brian, Joe, and I also had the chance to go ziplining!!!! Last year, Carly and I had a great time so Joe wanted to try it out. This time we tried out the longer course with different ziplines. The longest was 1800 feet long and 350 feet in the air. I still can't believe I did it without much fear!

When you are traveling with a 2 1/2 year old and there is a train anywhere within a 20 mile radius... you will be riding said train.

One of the last nights of our trip we went to a luau. The first time I went to a luau I was 15 years old and the luau itself was not very traditional. Not knowing any different we still had a good time but never really felt the need to have the luau experience on any other trips to Hawaii. Since this was Brian's first time on the islands, since he learned to walk, we decided to try one of the local luaus. We ended up at the Smith's Tropical Paradise. While this was also not quite the traditional experience I imagined, it was still a great time.... and I might have had a little better of a time since I was over 21 this go around.

I love Kauai and while January is the best time to go to a tropical location.... January is the WORST time to come back home!!!

Book Updates: 
Here is what I enjoyed while in paradise.

1. Dreamers of the Day-Mary Doria Russell
I'm attempting to make a dent in my bookshelves. It has been hard to do since lately I haven't been in the mood to read much and have been doing some of my reading on my NOOK. So there are literally hundreds of books that are staring at me from my bookshelves. When I travel I like to read... pre-NOOK I would usually pack AT LEAST 4 books for even the shortest of journeys. You just never know what could happen. And I always lugged those books, read or not, back home with me to sit on my shelf either as a trophy or as a reminder. So the NOOK has been great, I can pack a couple more pairs of shoes instead of a couple of books while keeping under the airline's weight restriction. The biggest problem I have though is the 20-40 minutes of total time when you are taking off and landing that they ask you to turn off these devises. It is always at the best moment in a book when you have to shut it off and focus your attention on the fact that you are now hurtling towards the ground in a man-made cylinder. So, I choose to bring at least one paperback to avoid this fear-filled time. 

One of my favorite genres is historical fiction. I love it when I can learn some details about the past while also being caught up in an intriguing story. Dreamers of the Day is a very interesting tale. I'm not sure exactly how to give a synopsis without giving away too many details. I will say it is the story of Agnus, an old maid (age 39) in the 1920's who is left without family after the influenza outbreak. The story tells of her time in Egypt during the Cairo Peace Conference. There she encounters people who we definitely would recognize from our history books such as, Lawrence of Arabia and Winston Churchill.

This was a fun novel that painted a very vivid picture of what that time in history was like. There were parts towards the end of the novel that I felt were a bit rambling (who am I to talk) but besides that I enjoyed this book very much.

2. Where We Belong-Emily Giffin
Emily Giffin is one of my favorite authors. I'm not sure why... all of her books seem to include some sort of adultery, betrayal or lie. But they are all great reads. They are compelling stories that make you glad you've lived your life the way you have. While sometimes predictable, Where We Belong is a page turner and an easy read.... two of my current favorite qualities in a novel.

3. Hopeless-Colleen Hoover
This book was NOT at all what I was expecting. Even while I was still half-way through I thought that I knew where this book was going.... then BOOM flipped upside down. I began the book thinking this was yet another young adult romance novel.... reminiscent of Twilight. But, it definitely makes a turn. This book was unsettling and at times I found it to be hard to read. The content is very adult and even as an adult I found it to be difficult to get through. Hopeless deals with the issue of sexual abuse. While I think this was a well written novel and handled the issue well, it is not something I would choose to read again.

4. The Next Always- Nora Roberts
Oh, Nora. You did it again. You sucked me into a predictable trilogy.... and I love you for it. The Next Always is predictable and cute. I already know how the next two books will end and I'm still going to read them.... and enjoy every minute of it! 

The Envelope.

I just did a little simple math. I added up how many books I've read since January 1, 2010.

135.

That seems like a pretty big number to me. Until I realize I wanted to read 100 books in just one of those years. Anyways, that little bit of math leads me into a subject I wanted to talk about....

Budgeting.

I really believe that is one of the ugliest words in the English language. It is simply a word that can not be made to sound sexy... even with a British accent. The act of budgeting is even more off-putting, it is restrictive, judgmental, and really depressing. What it comes down to is that budgeting is no fun. In a perfect world it just wouldn't need to happen. Alas, I live in an imperfect world. So budgeting is a necessary reality. My problem is that I'm not very good at it. Right now my method goes a little something like this:

I don't spend more money than I make, I pay all my credit cards off every month, I pay all my bills, and I don't ALWAYS buy everything that I see and want to buy (despite what it may seem like).

I would say that isn't the worst ever budgeting plan..... I'm not in debt and some months there is money left over that I do save. But! I'm reckless with my cash. If I want to go out to eat or grab a coffee, I do. I don't consider in that moment what a good idea it would be to save the $22 instead of eating it..... What if I didn't spend that $22 dollars once every month? Maybe that could be a plane ticket at the end of the year. Anyways, it would be nice if I was working hard now for the future rather than just the present.

I've tried budgets before and always fail, usually on the first day. It is easy to think something will work when you are sitting at your desk looking at a bunch of numbers then when you are walking down the aisles of your local grocery store.

Today on PINTEREST I found a PIN with a budget plan that seemed completely doable for me. She calls it her "Easy Envelope Budget Technique."

Watch the video, it explains everything really well.

The video also opened my eyes to something else... This woman only spends $400 dollars a month on  groceries for her family of four. She says that the national average spent on groceries per month is $400. I can't believe my eyes or my ears!! In all the FAILED attempts at budgeting I've FAILED to meet my grocery budget of $300 dollars for JUST ME! No joke. I'm kind of embarrassed to be honest. To make myself feel a little bit better I will say that Brian does help eat some of the food I buy.... but wow! If that didn't make me think twice about my un-budgeting ways, I don't know what will.

I'm going to let you read her post about how it all works and attempt to make the Envelope Technique work for me. While I don't know that I could live off of ONLY 100 dollars in groceries (including toiletries etc) a month.... I can definitely try to cut back a lot.

$100 a month isn't doable at this point so I googled it and found a neat little page from the USDA. If I am reading this correctly then I was definitely on a liberal plan and as a single 19-50 year old women I was pretty normal. I'm not sure I could manage thrifty.... but I would like to aim for the low-cost model... around $200 a month in groceries. This might seem really high, but it is SO easy for me to go into the grocery store and drop $35 dollars on just a few items.... and sometimes $100 when I'm making a bigger trip that includes quality produce and meat.

So, starting Friday February 1, 2013 My monthly budget for groceries will be $200 and my budget for other things like eating out, haircuts, manicures, gifts, and other essentials will be $150. Monthly bills and gas are already set aside (that reminds me to turn down my heat).

The bottom line here is I need to be more conscious of where my money is going and maybe make some hard decisions every now and then.

Words of encouragement are always welcome :)

Adios 2012! Hola 2013!

With every new year I can't help but look back on the previous year and do a little inventory. In recent years I've rated them by how well I completed my resolutions, reached goals, and of course by how many books I read. In this past year I learned something very valuable.... things can change so much from the beginning to the end of a year. Your priorities, friends, family, and interests to name a few. Keeping that in mind, I can't really use my old rating system to judge 2012. 

Here were my resolutions....

#1: Run a FULL MARATHON

#2: Make chores a priority

#3: Save Money

#4: Eat out less often

I can almost say for certain that I did not fulfill any of these resolutions to standard I set when I created them. I ONLY ran a HALF MARATHON. Chores were never a priority. I saved some money, but spent too much. I ate out just as much as ever.... if not more. So what does this mean? Are resolutions silly? Should I stop making them? Should I just aim lower next year? I don't think so. Things come up, priorities change, experiences happen and all the while you can't say no to things and experiences just because they interfere with a list you made on January 1st. Did I run a FULL MARATHON? Nope... But I did run another HALF-MARATHON.... not only did I complete it.... I kicked my previous Half-Marathon time in the ass. Which is something I'm very proud of. 

I've realized that chores will never and should never be a priority. Don't get me wrong here.... I like a clean house and I will say that it is never gross... but if I have to choose between spending time with people I love or folding laundry, you better believe I'm not hanging out sorting socks. There will always been more laundry, more dishes, and more dusting. They should never be a priority.

I can say for certain that the year 2012 will go down in the record books as one of my very best years. I'm almost willing to say top five. So many changes. So much love.

The Year 2012 in Review:

The first two weeks were spent on the island of Kauai soaking up the sun and relaxing. I then came home to three snow days! Which meant I didn't work for the first 19 days of January. I can't really think of a better way to start a new year!

I started eating meat after being a semi-vegetarian/pescatarian for over 12 years.

One of the most positive adjustments I made was changing jobs. While I love the couple I worked for, it was definitely time for a change. I feel that I am appreciated at my new job.... and it doesn't hurt that I work less hours and make more money.

I ran a half-marathon in 2 hours and 11 minutes. Which is 11 minutes fast than my previous time... which is crazy!

2012 was the year of love. I found the man of my dreams and fell head-over-heals. He is an amazing man who makes me feel beautiful and loved every single day.

2012 was also the year of wine. My appreciation for the red variety has grown exponentially. 

Last year was pretty great, I can't wait for what 2013 is going to throw my way. Although I never really complete them, I wouldn't feel right if I didn't have some sort of resolution list for the new year. I think I'll go a little abstract this time around...

#1: Run for fun. Don't get injured. Run another half-marathon.

#2: Read for fun.

#3: Show more love. 

#4: Plan a trip somewhere I've never been.

Alright, I know those resolutions are not really anything new for me. But, I really feel like I get discouraged by my failed resolutions and these seem to fit better in my life than a resolution to lose 10 pounds. I feel like these are doable.... and just enough of a challenge to keep me on track. 

So there you have it! 

Adios 2012! Hola 2013!

Dear Diary.

Do you keep a diary? I've never been very good at keeping up with daily entries, so I've never kept a diary for more than a week. For awhile there I came to think of this blog as sort of my diary and in a way it still is.... only to be honest I don't share all my deepest secrets with the internet. But even my blog has at times been difficult to keep up with. I just sometimes feel like I don't have anything to say. The other day I was staring at one of my bookshelves trying to decide what I wanted to read next (I'm trying not to buy any new books until I at least finish one book from my shelf). I noticed a little book in the corner there. It was a five year "One Line a Day" Journal. My cousin Katy had given it to me as a birthday present and I had never started using it, probably because I wanted to start on January first. But I was inspired so I've started all the way at the end of the year!

I think it will be very fun to see what I was thinking or doing on any particular day five years from now. Since it only gives you enough space for a sentence or two the commitment isn't a big one.

Since I know I haven't blogged everyday I can't go back to Nov. 8 2011 or 2010 and see what I was blogging at the time... but I can get close...

Nov. 2011
I didn't even blog a single time in November of 2011.... so this comes from September.

Nov. 2010
Really big surprise here.... I was talking about being burned out on reading...

When I look back I can see how much I've changed in some ways... and how little in other ways. I will forever be trying to read, blog, and run more!!

Vote.

Yesterday, November 6, 2012, was Election Day here in the USA. While many stood in lines for hours around the country I had already placed my vote days ago via absentee ballot. To be honest I felt done with this election months ago. I don't even have cable and I was sick of the political ads, roadside signs, as well as all the election talk. I feel like in the past few months our country has been slogged down by our differences. All the money that was spent on negative campaign ads is disgusting. Neither side is better than the other when it comes down to the hate that they spewed at each other. I feel like the day after a presidential election we have to start picking up the pieces.  It doesn't matter if you voted blue or red. Now is the time to start working together. There should be no sore losers or sore winners. There is too much at stake to not come together to work it out. I don't really like to talk politics. Mostly because I get angry and feel really small, but if there is one thing I believe in it's this: if we work against each other no one wins. America isn't going to be in shambles four years from now if we can work through our differences. I really think most Americans feel this way. We are sick of politics. We are sick of both the Democrats and the Republicans. So anyways... that's enough of my incoherent ramblings...

Yesterday I had a thought. I was at work, frustrated and wanting to go home. I thought to myself, "Gosh, I want a glass of wine." Then I had another thought, "I used to let out my frustrations with a nice long run.... not a glass of wine." My knee injury has of course been an issue for me lately.... but I need to get back to NEEDING to run. I hope my thought doesn't lead you to thinking I might have a problem with consumption... while I enjoy a glass of wine from time to time I didn't think to myself, "I NEED a glass of wine."

So off I go right now... The sun is shining, my ipod is charged, and my running shoes are on!

November.

Welcome to November. Wow, where has the year gone?! Time seems to be flying by at a ridiculously fast speed lately. I feel like I can't keep up! Wasn't I just celebrating the coming of Summer?! Now it's time to start thinking about turkey and Christmas present. This weekend is the start of the holiday bazaars in town and although I alway enjoy them, I just can't seem to wrap my mind around the fact that this year is only 60 days away from being complete.

I haven't been very good about my resolutions this year. To be honest I've failed spectacularly..... but I'm not letting that get to me. 2012 has been an amazing year, one of my best yet. I have no doubt that the last few months will be just as fantastic.

Since it is the first day of the month I think I will do something I haven't done in a while... set some goals for the month!

November Goals:

1. Cook dinner 3 times a week.
2. Run 3 times a week. Any distance, just get out there!
3. Try to have a majority of my Christmas shopping done by the end of the month.
4. Try 3 new recipes.
5. Make an effort to show my loved ones how special they are to me.

Ok... five goals for the month! Wahoo! I'm excited. Some of these goals are connected to my year-long resolutions and are meant to save me money, get active and lower my holiday stress level!

I guess the holidays sort of started last night with Halloween. We had a great time walking downtown as my nephew Buzz Lightyear (Callen) trick-or-treated. The rain almost held off for the first hour then the black clouds rolled in and let out buckets of sideways rain. That was when I was grateful my costume included an umbrella!

Mary Poppins.

Cowgirl (Josephine)
Buzz (Callen)
Witch (Madeline)

Bert and Mary Poppins

Cute Family!