A farewell bid

3 days until we bid farewell to this year.  I can honestly say I have grown up a lot in 2011.  Which is surprising cause I am 28, so really how much more can I mature?  I have seen the blessings in life this year and know that my life is not about meaningless things, but about the family, friends, and faith that make me the person I am.  I am excited to see what is in store for 2012!  I will be bringing in the New Year with many of my closest friends and am blessed beyond measure that I have people to share this Holiday with.  


So my New Years Resolutions?  Finally to get in better shape?  I have been trying to hit the gym and eat better, but 2012 is going to be the year, I think.  With a combination of sickness, migraines, and a number of other outside forces, I am really ready to see what eating well and exercising regularly can do to improve my overall health (read: sickness free, migraine free New Year).  


I am also looking forward to a number of exciting trips in 2012, including but not limited to: a week long trip to Atlantis, Bahamas, a tour of the mid-west, a long weekend in Hilton Head, and at least a few beach and Lake trips.  Have no fear, I will continue to update and engage you all in my trips and excursions.  Stay tuned for the events of 2012....

4 days

4 days?  Are you freakin kidding me?  I have even still yet to complete my Christmas shopping.  WHOOPS!  Oh well, turns out Christmas happens whether there are gifts or not, how cool is that?


So I have been running at full throttle here recently and low and behold what happens?  I wake up this morning with a sore throat.  This winter is certainly trying my patience with germs and sickness.  I am probably going to cancel my plans for tonight so I can go home and rest a bitty!  Only 2 more work days between me and a 4 day weekend with lots of fun, family, and food!  Get excited!


This season has been particularly meaningful to me for some reason.  I am way less held up on presents and gifts and really trying to be thankful to being with friends and family.  Life is way too precious to waste on being ungrateful for the "things" I did not get.  I am blessed beyond imagine and only hope I can continue this spirit in the years to come!

And let the Christmas parties begin....

Well well, what a season it has been.  I feel like it was summer and now its Christmas!  What the heck?  Anyway, we now enter the time of Christmas parties and I LOVE IT!  Last weekend I had a cocktail party Saturday night, a party with the youth group I help lead on Sunday, a Christmas celebration on Tuesday night and this weekend is my annual Christmas Potluck on Saturday where me and my 50 closest friends get together and celebrate.  (No I do not really have 50 close friends, but its one of my favorite traditions to invite everyone I know and their friends in hopes to gain a better sense of community and to meet new people, so I generally have a turn out around 50-60 people!  YAY!  Then on a much smaller scale, I will be having my annual cookie exchange on Sunday.  Work Christmas luncheon the following week and then Christmas breakfast and white elephant with the whole extended family before heading to my sisters for yet another Christmas celebration.  Throw one more get together with my dad's side of the family in there and the Christmas festivities will wrap up!  I do love this time of year, all the quality time with friends and family all the while celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus!  What a wonderful season to be alive!  I wish everyone the best of Christmas cheer and lots of Merriness!

11 days

In 10 very short days, i will be heading to bed at night, knowing that Santa will make his most wonderful appearance that night and bring all sorts of goodies our way.  And do not try to convince me otherwise.....I was a Polar Express kid, so I know the "true" story!  What is better than all that?  I am feeling much better, totally re-energized and have about a million things happening over the next 2 weeks to get me excited about Christmas--a work party, a potluck, a cocktail party, last Advent lunch, a cookie exchange, a tacky lights tour, and a dinner with my girlfriends to celebrate our Christmas season (this year we are trading gifts for a nice dinner and I like it).  But even during this season of life of giving and getting...lets not forget the most precious gift every given....the gift of JESUS!  I know, I am all too guilty of going through the commercial season with the gifts, the Christmas music, then paper chains, and the "holiday" spirit--none of which are bad in themselves, but I also need to remember that I am so very blessed to be able to be free because of the very FIRST Christmas gift--the gift of our Savior!  So enjoy the kindness of strangers, the time with family, the Christmas ham, and those crazy parties, but remember that there is one who loves you more than any humanly person can and that is our Lord Jesus Christ!

Blah! Blah! Blah!

So we are a few days out of my last post and although my head, nasal, etc. has all cleared out, no fever, and a little more energy.  I have still had a hard time getting my appetite back.  I have been having nausea on and off for the better part of the week, which has not been fun.  I am not hungry most of the time, but if I can try to eat something I have been but then it seems that just makes me feel worse.  So as I am coming out of this sickness, I am trying to regain strength and the best way to do that is the nutrients in food, but I am lucky these days if I can manage 2 pieces of toast.  I am looking forward to a somewhat low key weekend.  I am still not sleeping too great (that is in some thanks to my lovely dog, who seems to think its a fantastic idea to wake up at 5am!).  So although things are improving, I am still not 100%.  On a few fun notes, my friend Allison is going to be in town briefly tonight and tomorrow from Hilton Head :)  Also, I am getting together with some friends tomorrow for some bowling.  And the best news of all...16 days til Christmas!  :)  Enjoy the season everyone!

Germs are ICKY!

So I have been battling with the flu for about 10 days now.  I say battling because I thought I was getting better for like two days somewhere in there.  Now the days are just running together as I am trying to actual get some sleep and manage work and other commitments too.  How do people that have kids do this?  I cannot imagine trying to care for another human being in my less than stellar state.  All in all, I took about two days off of work, but now I am back to the grind and trying to wrap up stuff before the year end.  Which leaves me totally worn out by the time I get home.  I still have some of my Christmas decorations in a box to get put up, but I keep thinking I will have more energy one of these days.  I am currently dreaming of the day when I will feel all better....it has to happen sometime, right?


My vacationing has started dwindling as it always does around this time of year.  I did however go to Christmastown this past weekend with my friend CJ.  It was quite cute, I wish we had a little more time to spend there but we were rushing to try to get back for the big ACC championship game.  However, after further review, I wish we had spent more time at Christmastown and less watching the Hokies get killed by the Clemson tigers.  :(  But at least we still managed to swing a bid to the Sugar Bowl (who the heck knows how that happened).  On our quick drive to Williamsburg and back, CJ and I started talking about 2012 vacation and we may have decided to do what I determine will be an amazing adventure.  We are thinking about doing a 7 states in 7 days vacation tour of the mid-west.  Stay tuned to see if this idea comes to fruition :)