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  • Currently In January

    New year!

    Current Book(s): I’m reading The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen and am loving every word. I can tell he’s one of those authors that I’m going to make a point to read all his stuff.

    Current Playlist: Lots of audiobooks for now, but this month I’m going to try to spend more time listening to worship music.

    Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: I don’t know what possessed me, but for some reason I started following People Magazine on Twitter and now I’m becoming a little bit obsessed with celebrity gossip. The other day I correctly named Hugh Hefner’s new fiancé from memory and my husband did a double take. “Who are you?” he asked.

    Current Color: I just bought these shoes the other day, and I realized that olive green is the perfect color for shoes. I love them.

    Current Drink: For the most part I’m just concentrating on getting enough water, but the other day I decided that an Orange Crush was exactly what I needed. I downed that thing so fast, and I hardly ever drink soda. Since then David has kept our fridge stocked with it, although I haven’t had the same craving since then!

    Current Food: At this point I’m still dealing with nausea that hits me out of nowhere, so I have to be careful what I eat. For breakfast every morning I have two pieces of buttered toast or oatmeal and a huge Red Delicious apple or yogurt. Anything apple flavored, actually, tastes good. I will make an entire meal out of applesauce these days.

    Current Favorite Show: I’m usually only ever watching one show at a time through Netflix, and these days it’s Mad Men. I’m a few episodes into season 2 and enjoying it.

    Current Wishlist: I’m really quite content with what I have these days, although I still could use a few new pairs of boots. Oh, and I would like to find an all-natural mascara that actually works.

    Current Needs: I need to start working on my happiness project, which will include exercising (lightly) and decluttering. More to come on that.

    Current Triumphs: I know I’ve mentioned this on Twitter and probably here too, but y’all, I’m actually good at starting IV’s now. I haven’t had to ask for help in weeks, and today a patient called me a pro!

    Current Bane(s) of my Existence: Bills! It is amazing to me how the medical bills keep piling up. Just when I think we’ve gotten them all, another one comes in. We are focusing hard this year on paying off our debts, and hopefully these will be knocked out within a few months!

    Current Celebrity Crush: The other week I got sucked into a marathon of Keeping Up With the Kardashians. (I mean…who am I becoming??) I had only seen glimpses of the show before, and now, unexplainably, I have developed somewhat of a crush on Kris Jenner, the girls’ mom. Yes she may be ridiculous sometimes, but she’s also kind of fabulous…right?

    Current Indulgence: First trimester is a bit rough, so I’ve been lax with myself on some things. I’m eating gluten and carbs when I feel like it (not as often as I used to) and I’m eating meat every once in awhile, nothing too crazy, and usually it’s because someone else cooked it for me. I also go to sleep between 7 and 8 p.m. every night which is fantastic.

    Current Blessing(s): My husband who runs all my errands,

    Current Outfit: I completely fail at taking pictures of my outfits, but I’m wearing a chunky beige striped sweater, skinny jeans, and knitted boots. The sweater David bought me for Christmas, the jeans were a great find at Target, and the boots (more like slippers, but who’s judging?) I’ve had for years.

    Current Excitement: By the end of this month I’ll be out of the first trimester!

    Current Link: Do you know about Grooveshark? Listen to almost anything online, just search for it. You can also create playlists.

    Happy January, and happy 2011!

  • Resolved, 2011

    I’m not exactly sure what this year will be like, expecting a baby in July and all, so instead of making a lot of specific goals like I usually do (which is usually fairly effective for me) I’ve decided to go with two big ones that should affect every area of my life.

    First, actively seek the presence of God.

    I feel like I’ve drifted from this in the past year, spending so much time focused on myself and my struggles. I’ve forgotten what it’s like to pray constantly, to really study the Bible, and to think about spiritual things often. I’ve thought about how I can get back to this, and what I’ve come up with are a few specific things that, in my experience, cause me to feel more connected to my faith.

    • This year, every third book I read will be faith-based. It could be a memoir, a study, or even Christian fiction, but when I read about God I feel closer to Him.
    • I will try to always have some sort of Bible study going. Whether this is with a group or on my own, I need to have some dedicated time to spend learning about God.
    • I will spend more time listening to worship songs. Music gets into my soul, and it can change my thoughts and attitude.

    Second, take on my own Happiness Project.


    Several of my friends have read the book by Gretchen Rubin, and they recommended it so highly that I obtained a copy for myself last year. There is a chapter for each month with a different focus, all eventually to help you be happier with your life. Last year I spent too much time being depressed, and I want this to be the year of happy. So I intend to read a chapter of this book each month and do my best to carry out its intention.

    Then there are the other things I’d like to accomplish…

    Mainly I’d like to have a healthy baby, but that’s out of my control for the most part.

    I’d like to get back to exercising regularly, although that will mean more swimming and yoga and less running and biking.

    I’d REALLY like to get our house fixed up before having a baby, and that will be a huge focus of my time until then, but I know it might not happen completely due to time and money. Still, we’re going to try.

    I’d like to get back to blogging regularly, taking more pictures, and at least attempting to edit them.

    And then there’s my list of 101 goals in 1001 days, which I’d like to continue to make progress on.

    That’s it I think! Here’s to a happy, fulfilling 2011.

    ***

    Images: ♥ ♥ ♥

  • 2010, A Year To Remember

    It’s the last day of the year, and I’m ready for a fresh start. But first, I went back and read all my posts from this year, and the following are some high points (and low ones) that stuck out to me. 2010 was quite a year.

    January: Started out on an excellent note, on vacation. My husband turned 30, and we actually got a lot done working on our house.

    February: So much happened this month! I turned 28 and celebrated a wonderful birthday week. We got a new dog, Oliver, a new car (my beloved Prius), and my blog got a new design courtesy of my brother. I went to see a reproductive endocrinologist for the first time, found out that I was pregnant, and enjoyed a blissful two weeks with that knowledge before suffering a miscarriage.

    March: I was depressed but in denial about it. I chopped off my hair, threw myself into work, and promptly got sick with the worst stomach bug of my life, spending a day in the ER. This is also the month when I started my relationship with Brand About Town as a Nintendo Enthusiast, which continues today.

    April: I started to feel a bit better. I went to an antique festival with my parents, and David and I went on a fantastic, although quick trip to New York City where we saw three Broadway shows and did lots of shopping and touristy things. I also had my wisdom teeth removed (ouch) and went to a conference for work the very next day (not smart).

    May: This was a fairly normal, laid-back month. Among other boring things, we painted the front two rooms of our house a nice neutral (previously bright red) and I started actively seeking natural health, including acupuncture.

    June: We finally got Oliver fixed, we went camping with our siblings and it was really fun but really hot, and I watched some World Cup games. Basically, May and June were the calm before the storm.

    July: The church I attended since high school closed down and began the process of planting a new church. We refinanced our house, and David had his right hip replaced.

    August: I spent a LOT of time taking care of David. I also went on my first medicated fertility cycle, which didn’t work. I started eating vegetarian and saw a nutritionist. I think this was the very beginning of my depression, and I started feeling physically bad a lot of the time.

    September: David had his left hip replaced just six weeks after his first surgery, and again I spent a ton of time taking care of him. We struggled a lot financially due to him being off work with no pay, and we started Financial Peace University. It became clear to me that I really was depressed.

    October: We celebrated our second anniversary by doing nothing in particular. I put a lot of effort into feeling better mentally and physically. My diet changed radically and I saw a therapist. I cut back on a ton of responsibilities. We also had our IUI at the end of the month.

    November: I really, truly, began to feel like myself again. I started my incredible new job, found out I’m pregnant, and passed my oncology certification exam. Woohoo!

    December: I started to feel comfortable in my new position at work, I was nauseous a lot, and we spent a lot of time with family. I tried (unsuccessfully) to participate in reverb10, and I tried (unsuccessfully) to make my goal of reading 50 books this year. For the record, I read 44, which I think is pretty good considering all I had going on.

    So that was my year. As far as the rest of my 2010 resolutions, I wanted to compete in a triathlon but that didn’t happen because of time constraints and health/fertility issues. I did get my blog redesigned, I did get back to healthy eating (and am currently at a weight that I’m proud of), and I did focus more on my husband.

    Is it any wonder that I’m looking forward to 2011? We’re going out with a bang, and I’m ready for what’s next.

  • Post-Christmas Happy

    [via]

    When I woke up Sunday morning I kind of expected to be at least a little bit depressed. I mean, there’s this huge buildup to Christmas and then all of a sudden it’s over and a whole year away. That’s sad when it’s your favorite holiday and you don’t have any kind of vacation to look forward to.

    But I wasn’t sad. I woke up in a great mood on Sunday! So then I expected to be depressed when I woke up on Monday and was faced with going back to work. But I wasn’t! Why am I not experiencing the post-holiday blues?

    1. I really like my job. There is nothing that I dread about it except simply having to wake up early, and since I go to sleep between 7-8 p.m. every night now, I have no trouble with that.

    2. It’s a four-day work week once again, and I get to look forward to a quick trip to Irving, TX to visit a friend for New Year’s Eve.

    3. I got a lot of great gifts from my family this year. My husband bought me so many new clothes and a fantastic over-the-shoulder bag from Fossil, my parents and brothers got me the Sony Reader Daily Edition, and my in-laws gave me a generous gift card to Lowe’s which will go toward fixing up our house. I also got a bit of money which I plan to spend on some new boots this week. Gifts make me happy because I hardly ever spend money on myself.

    4. I love the beginning of the year and the fresh start it implies. That idea really works for me. I’m excited to get it started, and soon I’ll let you know my plans & goals for the upcoming year.

    What about you? Are you battling post-holiday sadness or are you looking forward to the new year?

  • Holiday Tradition Help

    [via]

    With Christmas just a week away I’ve been finishing my shopping and sending out my cards. But I’ve been spending so much time and focus on work that it all feels a bit rushed. I was thinking the other day that it’s time for David and I to come up with some traditions for our own little family; some things that will be set in place ahead of time to help us remember and enjoy the holidays.

    My family growing up wasn’t completely steeped in tradition, but we had some, most of which we still adhere to today. They are:

    • Having Christmas lists prepared and distributed by Thanksgiving
    • Going shopping with my dad
    • Attending Christmas Eve church service
    • Starting out Christmas day eating pigs in a blanket for breakfast
    • Opening stocking gifts first
    • Getting an ornament from Mom every year
    • Someone volunteering to play “Santa” and pass out gifts
    • Having a big dinner in late afternoon
    • Seeing a movie Christmas evening

    Since we still have Christmas with both of our families, I want to come up with some traditions of our own that don’t interrupt the flow of the day. They could involve how we decorate, gifts we give each other, holiday activities we spend time on, or anything else related.

    So I’m wondering, what are some of your family traditions? Is there something that you’ve always wanted to try or make a part of your holiday season? Any ideas for our little family?