five great things from this passing year. . .

so today is the last day of the year.  three hundred and sixty-five days since we last had a new year.  that seems like a long time ago, but then again it seems as though it has flown by, right?! 

time is literally going by so fast that it makes me panic.  this year was a decent year for me.  health wise it was good for myself and family so i cannot complain in that aspect, but for me mentally it was pretty rough.  i am hoping this next year is much better.  people who are very healthy mentally do not realize how mental health affects overall wellbeing and life of someone who struggles.  because i had a lot going on with my emotions and thoughts, it affected every.single.freaking.day.of.spring.summer.fall.and.winter.  whew.

i definitely had awesome days, but there were also lots of other awful days thrown in there that probably affected my family as well.  life isn't easy and i know we all have our issues, but i am one that handles my negativity differently that lot unfortunately.  thank god for medication, but i also need to learn some coping mechanisms and new skills in a few areas.

although i mentioned how dreary the year was, i thought of five great things that did happen.  sure there are many more, but these happened to just pop into my head first!


1 - getaway to jamaica and florida.
2 - parents moving to a new house.
3 - getting a new car.
4 - finding new creative outlets.
5 - chopping off my hair & getting a new tattoo.

enjoy today and be safe if you go out tonite.  remember not to drink and drive (: 

nice to meet you, new year.

I really don't like the fact that it takes a brand new year to make people change their ways, and although I make goals each year that are usually forgotten or lost by March, here I am again setting new ones for myself.  Goals are good; resolutions are not. 

The year has basically started off like any other year or old day it seems, so it will be harder to make myself do these things because I don't feel any different than I did on say, Dec. 31 or July 8, for example. 

There isn't much to my list, but there is so much I need and want to do that I have to do it in small bits.  Here's to hoping I can stick to my guns and get these babies accomplished. 

1.  Here's the most cliche one of all, but seriously, workout or exercise at least 4 days a week.  Working 3 twelve-hour shifts a week makes it nearly impossible to get any form of exercise in on those days, so it's on my days off that I have to work out.  We have actually made a workout sheet that lists certain exercises to do on certain days, so I think if we have a schedule, it will make me more apt to comply.  Timeframe: by the end of March.

2.  Work at least 2 extra shifts a month.  We want to go on a nice trip for our 5 year anniversary this year, a getaway to Vegas in June after my sister graduates, our annual trip to Florida in the fall, and there are smaller, but costly, trips mixed in there as well.  Working those extra shifts can bring in an extra few hundred bucks in each month so I really need to, if my body will allow me.  Timeframe: by the end of April.

3.  Pay off at least one school loan and my car.  We have about $100,000 in school loans that are killing us.  It literally makes me panic to think of this.  Having that education is a must, but the cost is ridiculous at the same time.  I don't know where I think we are going to get this extra money, but we have to pay a chunk of it down.  My car is maybe 2 years from being paid off, but I need to get it done because we are in desperate need of another now.  Timeframe: End of year. This will definitely take more than a few months. 

4.  Get control of my anxieties and scatterbrained ways.  I've had anxiety since I was little, but it's been bad {on and off} since I was about 20, so for a little over 10 years now.  It impacts all aspects of my life: at home, work, vacations, when I should be relaxing, etc...We all worry, but if you've never truly experienced anxiety for prolonged time, you don't understand what it feels like and probably think I'm nuts.  I rely far too much on my medication and just want to live a worry-free life. Timeframe: Summer. 

So there it is.  A small list.  Although I have a lot more that I want to do, these are the most important to me right now.  What are yours?  Are they similar to mine or completely different? 

hola again. i'm back from the holidays.

As much as I love this time of year with the holidays and ongoing festivities, I'm ready for a new year.  It's kind of like when you're on vacation and it ends, you just want to get home.  That's how I feel.  I loved it, it was a blast, but let's see what 2013 brings.

This holiday season was a great one for me.  Although I had to work a lot and miss out on some fun, I managed to squeeze my own fun in: hotel stays, chocolate bars, sparkling lights, sponge candy, glitter, and family.

Eric even surprised me with every single thing on my Christmas wishlist to Santa! He snuck onto my blog to see what had been obsessing over.  I even got a few more things I asked for, too, so all-in-all, I was pretty spoiled by him, my parents & sisters.

It's cold out, I miss having a fireplace, so I'm ready to see what this new year brings. 

I hope everyone has a great New Year's Eve.  I have to get up for work at 5, so I'll miss seeing the ball drop.  I believe it's actually the first time since I can remember that I won't witness a new year roll in.  Eh, that's life I guess.

a birthday post. my 31 in 31.

Well, today is my birthday.   A whole other year has come and gone so very quickly.

It seems like just last week I was trying to get used to being 30 and here I am a year older.  It's ok; my life keeps getting better and better, but I just wish it wasn't going so fast.

In this next year, I plan to try and knock out the following 31 things.

My 31 in 31.

1. Go to Hawaii for our 5th wedding anniversary.
2. Understand my camera even better.
3. Become a better blogger and grow.
4. Find a church I love and get involved. 
5. Run a mile without stopping.  I still have not mastered this goal from the beginning of the year.
6. Get in better shape and tone up.
7. Manage my anxiety better.
8. Have a baby.
9. Save money.
10. Pay back a chunk of our $100,000 student loans.
11. Start a vacation fund.
12. Be a better nurse.
13. Begin relearning Spanish.
14. Go to at least 5 concerts.
15. Keep a journal. 
16. Complete a photo a day challenge for a whole month. 
17. Use Twitter more and more.
18.  Meet one of my bloggy friends in real life!
19. Travel as much as possible.
20. Pay off one big piece of debt.
21. Increase my optimism and not dwell on the negatives of life.
22. Take better pictures.
23. Read the Bible.
24. Learn to crochet.
25. Join a gym and get back into swimming.
26. Do more makeup/hair tutorials.
27. Repot all my plants.
28. Complete my list of DIY projects.
29. Pay it forward in a drive-thru.
30. Become more patient.
31. Slow down and enjoy this beautiful life!

settling in....

I hate being a bad blogger with my lack of posts, but hopefully things will be better now. 

Praise the Lord, because the move is complete.  We've lived in our new condo for a week now and things are great.  We now have the daunting task of unpacking, organizing, and more organizing.  The adjusting part is easy.  Or so far it has been at least.  I don't miss my old town or house as much as I thought I would and that has definitely made the transition easier. 

Hopefully in the next few weeks I'll be back in full force, but in the meantime, this is what is occupying my free time when I'm not working 12 hour nite shifts at the hospital. 

New Year Blogging Party Reveal

A few weeks ago I was paired up with the fun-loving, Ronni for the 2012 Blogging Party.  

I am super happy that I Ronnie and were chosen for each other because we found we actually both had a lot in common, plus it's always cool to a new friend.

Here are Ronni's gifts to me.  I love them and couldn't be happier with the choices!

here are all of my goodies!

the cute card with a sweet message.

the warm, fuzzy scarf that I cannot wait to wear!

I don't even think I told her, but I collect magnets!

And, we live in the same state, but about 5 hours apart.

Yea, chocolate is my weakness and I can probably have these babies polished off by tonite if I tried.

Here's the sweet message.

This was a lot of fun!  Next time it rolls around, be sure to jump in.  I'm grateful to have met a new friend and the goodies are nice, too (:

Another year gone by?

I cannot believe that 2011 is almost over!  Seriously, it seems that I was just at the winery celebrating last New Year's Eve with my sister and friends, awaiting the arrival of this year.  For me this year has been a good one, but it's gone by in sort of a blur because I was so wrapped up in school and that consumed my life.  But since that is now over (YAY!), I am definitely looking forward to wrapping things up with this year and seeing what 2012 brings for me (us).

I'm not really one who makes resolutions, but this year I have a couple things I want to do.  I know it's so cliche, but I am absolutely, positively going to be more physically active so I can get fit & toned, while eating better at the same time.  I have a ridiculous sweet tooth that I have to learn to control, therefore that's on the agenda as well. I have been pretty good about walking and getting exercise for the last several years, but since nursing school took over every last second I had, I have slacked big time and I can tell!  Now I don't have an excuse, except laziness, because I won't have my nose in book every waking moment.  In fact, I think I will start my resolution early and take my dog for a walk since it will be almost 60 degrees this afternoon!

Next year at this time I'm sure I will have the same resolution as this year, but hopefully a little more to add since I will finally have a job, making money to do things that I want to like travel and fixing up our house.  Until then, I'm going to focus on what I have planned and see where that takes me....
So....it's the last day of the year.  MAKE IT COUNT!!