Happy New Year!

2010 is going to be a great year, I can feel it! This past year has been nice, but definitely had it's struggles. As fast as it's gone it has also gone by very slowly. I'm so ready for the New Year to be here, with a fresh start and new beginnings! My resolution for 2009 was for a healthier me ~ not just about losing weight but about eating healthier, getting more exercise, and taking better care of myself. I think I did a pretty good job of holding up that resolution throughout the year. I'm not ending that resolution when the clock strikes midnight on January 1st, 2010 though, it's a resolution I want to carry on into next year {and every year after!}. So here's a toast to all of you for a healthy, happy and successful New Year filled with lots of love!

My love

I love this boy so much. He's so wonderful....patient, kind, caring, thoughtful, selfless, loving, funny...the list goes on. I'm gonna miss him!!

Gratitude Friday

Happy Friday!! Can you believe 2 weeks from TODAY is Christmas?!! My goodness, I can't! This season has just flown by! Tonight Ryan and I are going to enjoy ourselves at one of the best restaurants ~ The Melting Pot and I can't wait (the best part is that it's a Christmas gift) ! If you have ever been there you know how wonderful it is....if you haven't, trust me it's amazing! We've only been there one other time because it's, well, a little out of our price range but OH so worth it! This weekend I hope to just enjoy time with Ryan before he leaves Monday to head out east for more Marine training {not sure how long he'll be gone for ~ we think 6 months to a year}. We hope to tour some great Christmas light displays, spend time with his parents, and head to the Tuba Christmas on Sunday. Ok on to what I'm thankful for this week:

• With the average temperature this week being in the single digits {with many nights well below zero} I am SO VERY thankful for having a roof over my head and a place to stay warm 
• Along with the frigid temperatures we also had snow that has stayed on the ground for more than a day or two ~ I love how the holiday lights look at night surrounded by the snow
• Ryan and the quality time I've gotten to spend with him recently
• My Christmas gifts coming together and feeling more accomplished about that. I still have a lot to do and less than 2 weeks for those that I want to get shipped off....still stressful but I feel a tad more on top of things
• Losing 13 lbs! It's not a lot but I'll take it for now. Hopefully I can keep it off for a few weeks over the holiday until I can attack it again in full force after the New Year.
• Hot tea ~ it's a new love of mine {how great is it that it's good for you, has no calories, can give you an energy boost or help you relax, and keeps you warm}. I've tried a LOT of teas recently and have definitely grown my tea collection in my pantry but my sister introduced me to one that I just can't seem to drink enough of {I love it that much}....it's Yogi Egyptian Licorice and it's just delicious ~ it tastes a lot like Aveda's Comforting Tea, but much cheaper!

Hope you're holiday season is bright and cheery and you're staying warm!!

I've been a busy bee lately and have hardly even had time to get on here and check my favorite blogs I like to look at...time is slipping through my fingers!! I have inspirations on posts in my head that I would love to implement as soon as I have time. {Not entirely sure when that will be though}. I've been working on getting gifts made and wrapped, helping Ryan make sure he is ready to head off to VA for training (he leaves on Monday), and we have some great dinners in store for us yet {MELTING POT!!!). Be back here soon enough!

Lovely long weekend

Today I worked on sewing projects for 8 hours...8 HOURS!!! I wish so badly I could share with you what I've been working on today, but that would take the fun out of the surprises of gift giving! Even with how productive I was today I still feel like I have a TON of things left to make! That's basically because I DO have a ton of things left to make! Deep breath.

Aside from gift making I have to say that I LOVE LOVE LOVE my new computer. It is SOOO much better than the old one I've been using. And I can actually DO things on my computer, like upload photos, edit photos, listen to music, burn cds/dvds. What a concept!!! Not to mention the picture quality on the screen is phenomenal. Ohhh it's just amazing.

The long weekend flew by way to fast and I'm sad to see it leave already. These next 2 weeks before Ryan leaves and then the next 2 weeks until Christmas are going to be so full and be gone before I know it! Hopefully I am able to breathe each day, sit, relax, and enjoy the hustle and bustle of this spectacular season!

Gratitude Friday

Happy Thanksgiving!! I hope everyone found lots to be thankful this year and had a blessed day! Ryan and I decided to stay home and spend some quality time together ~ and not overeat {what a concept!} In fact, we didn't even have a turkey dinner on Thanksgiving. He has already made turkey twice this year and we're having a Thanksgiving dinner in a few days with his parents. Plus when we stopped by to wish his parents a Happy Thanksgiving they gave us a little turkey to eat...so I'm convinced we weren't missing out. We were too busy getting amazing deals on things to worry about it though. I'll just give you a rundown on our day because I know you all care so much. Our day started out with {after tea in bed while watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade and checking out the adds} a trip to Radio Shack to get me a new phone and then we headed to Old Navy. We got there an hour before they opened but had nothing better to do so we chose to just wait for them to open....plus we knew that the first 15 people in line would get a FREE Rock Band guitar. Well, we were first in line so not only did we get 2 free guitars but we also got interviewed by the news and were on TV that night! Ok so after getting some great deals at Old Navy we headed home to play with our toys some, chill, and eat some dinner before we headed to Office Depot to wait in line for this lovely new laptop that I'm using RIGHT NOW! We waited ALL night but it was SOOO worth it. It's an amazing laptop that he got for such a great deal {and the best part? I get to keep it cause it's my Christmas/late birthday present!!} While he was waiting at Office Depot I made the TREK over to Walmart and Target to fight the crowd to pick up a few more great deals. And then we headed home to bed after being up for 24 hrs. PHEW!!! Now on to what I'm thankful for this week:

• being blessed with such wonderful family and friends {Ryan included}
  
• my health and the health of the ones I love
• my sister and her husband and the fact that I'm going to be an AUNTIE!!!! wahoo, SOOO excited for this! {I hope I'm allowed to say this now}
• my job and the amazing family I work for
• having a roof over my head and good food to eat
  

And you know what? I think that's enough to be thankful for...because it's definitely the creme of the crop!!

Wahoo!!

Keep comin off pounds ~ I hate you anyway!!! It's a great thing Ryan and I decided to do our own Thanksgiving so I don't overeat!!