The End of 2011

It's been, well, not my favorite year. But I'm hopeful for 2012. I'm going to try and do better for 2012 with blogging. So check back over the next week for a summary of 2011 and my hopes for 2012.

Happy new year to you all!

December Already?

I've done a poor job of keeping up with the blog. It's been a really busy few months with school but I'm done with the semester now! Hopefully I can catch you up...weight loss, trip to Mexico...it's been good! So look for a more detailed update later this week!!!

So Much For Being On Top of Things!

Yeah, it's been crazy. And when I say crazy, I really mean it! School and work and my volunteer work is filling up my time. Couple that with David's insane schedule, and we are luck to get to see each other at all. It's tough, but I'm in the home stretch with school! I am slated to graduate on May 11, 2012! (Barring my Genetics class doesn't kill me!) But I'm so close. My application for Spring graduation has been submitted, I've applied to the psychology honor society (cross your fingers!), and I think we're almost there. It's been a tough semester, but I'm going to make it, I think!

I've lost 54 pounds and started training for the half-marathon next March. Because I need one more thing on my plate, right? Ha! I need it to help me stay focused on the weight loss, so there you go. And I need to complete it before I am 40. It's on my "Before Forty" list. And I don't have that much time left! LOL!

I actually do have a Before Forty list. It's not long, and it's not devastating if I don't get it all done...I'll just move it to the Before Fifty list. But I'm On track for some big stuff, and I'm proud!

So I think overall, life is good! Busy, but good! David and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary, and I was reminded again how much I love him and what a really wonderful person he is. He couldn't be here on our anniversary, but he sent some very thoughtful and special flowers. And Sunday we went to Taverna for dinner. It was truly a very romantic evening.

Even though we're living in a state of chaos, I wouldn't trade it for anything. My happiness level is through the roof!

I'm Still Here!

Jus tpopping in VERY briefly to say that I'm still here! I'll update soon, but hope all is well with you!

Catching Up

Catching up...it seems like I find myself trying to do a lot of that lately. The summer semester is almost finished! I am writing my research paper this week, and on Saturday morning David and I head to San Francisco for our annual trip to visit the cooler weather. (Much appreciated this year, too!)

Last week was hectic...lots of school work, Hospice stuff, SafeHaven stuff, and family stuff. We made a quick trip to Houston because an elderly cousin passed away. It was good to see family, but it's hard to make road trips like that.

I'm going to Puerta Vallarta in November, and I am really looking forward to that. I'll be meeting David's cousins down there for a week of relaxing. (David has to work, so that's the bummer part of the trip.) After that, the next trip will be December 2012 for our next Cruisemas! Yay!

Speaking of travel, 2013 will bring wonderful things! I will be doing a study abroad trip to London for a couple of weeks to work on some master's level coursework. David is going to fly over for part of it, and on a weekend we're going to venture over to the Isle of Man!! Now, to know me means you need to understand that I am a large percentage Manx. (That's what they call the people from the Isle of Man.) We have very strong family ties there, and I am going to fulfill a dream of seeing where I come from!!! (Thank you to my wonderful husband!) We can fly there from London in about an hour and spend the night. I want to visit Kirkmichael, which is the village my family lived in/lives in. Yes, I still have family there! (I don't know them, though...perhaps I should try and send a letter to introduce myself?) So while a trip to London all by itself is wonderful, getting to visit my roots is off the charts amazing! This is absolutely the trip of a lifetime for me. I cannot believe how lucky I am to have the opportunities that I have had, and will have in the future. Trust me, I don't take them for granted.

So I have so much to look forward to over the next couple of years! And to cap it off, I'll almost be halfway finished with grad school by the time I go!

So things are really going well for me, and life is good. Am I loving my job? Nope. But I am doing the best I can because it gives me the chance to get to do what I love. And that's worth something!

Happy July!

I'm always amazed at how fast the time goes. We're over halfway done with the year now! Lots has happened...it's been a busy year. School is still going well, and I am enjoying my Hospice work. David and I couldn't be happier in our home, and we're really enjoying the pool this summer. (I have a great tan!)

I've started my early morning workouts again this week, and so far, it's really going well. It helps me control my work stress, so that's a very good thing. However, I do feel sleepy. I need to get to bed earlier.

I'm looking forward to a week in California next month. We'll be spending time with David's cousins and Aunt out there, and I love visiting them. They are so much fun and it's such a nice change of pace for us. I have to come back a couple days before David because of school starting up, but that's ok. It gives me time to recoup. I usually need a day or two after a trip to readjust.

Not much else to tell right now. David travels often and I have lots going on with summer school and Hospice, so things are busy, but good. I had a lovely birthday and it was nice to be surrounded by friends to celebrate. :)

Hope all is well for you, too!

Welcome, Summer!

I may be one of the few people excited for triple digit temperatures, but it's only because we have a pool. And we are getting good use out of it! I have a tropical looking tan, and I'm totally loving that I can go float around my pool after work!

I'm looking forward to our first full summer of pool fun. I think I need some new floats to lay on, so I'll be hitting up Overstock.com! How are you keeping cool this summer?

I really have very little news. Summer school began this week, so I am excited about moving forward. May 11, 2012 is my graduation date, so every day gets me closer to my goal. Where do I go from there? Graduate school!! :)

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer so far! Have a good Thursday...and GO MAVS!!

Where Have I Been?

Wow, time flies!

The semester ended successfuly, and I am thankful! And after all my celebrating no summer schoo, I decided to take a social psych class anyhow. I graduate next May, and doing this will lighten my load in my graduating semester, so it just makes sense. I'll take a summer off after graduate school!

Things are okay...I really dislike my job, but it pays the bills so I'll hang in there until I graduate. But at least it's summertime and the pool is heating up and I can get in there and swim my stresses away!

I don't have a lot to report other than all that. I've just been so busy with work and school that I think that's all I do.

Hope everyone is well! I promise to blog again soon!

Focus

It's hard to concentrate...there is just so much on my plate right now, and I'm exhausted. School is closing in on a month left (yay!) but I have projects due. I am trying to do one of them now, but you can see that I'd rather blog than do it. I just feel tired. Work isn't my favorite...started my new position this past week, and as predicted, I don't love it. But I can suck it up and get myself done with school. Which actually brings a joy - Spring 2012 classes posted online and everything I need to graduate is there, so I am DEFINITELY graduating in May of 2012!! (And then right on to grad school!) My Christmas gift this year is going to be my college ring. And I am VERY excited about that. So good things are going on. I just feel so busy all the time! I did get to have dinner with Kim last night, and that was great! We ate and then went to the MAC store, so I got a couple new eye shadows and a lip gloss. Hey, a girl needs treats! I am restarting my workouts tomorrow. A week off after the relay is plenty. Time to get back to it. I went to the store this week and found myself buying up lots of vegetarian frozen meals for lunch. Not sure why I'm on a no-meat kick, but I'm just going to roll with it. I did pretty well this week, so I'm really trying to refocus. I've been having protein shakes for breakfast and they really are filling and seem to stick with me all morning, so I'll keep that up. It's all good! So I guess that's about it. I really need to get my economics project done. I just have to focus!!

Digging Deep

I spent my Sunday doing something I was sure I couldn't do right now. Kim and I did the Dallas Rock n Roll Half Marathon Relay. Kim took the first leg, which was 7.1 miles, and she totally rocked it! But I was really anxious about my part. I had 6 miles in front of me, and when Kim and I exchanged the baton, I took off at turtle speed. I knew I couldn't run it. I wasn't even sure if I could walk it. At each mile marker it still felt like an eternity away. Wasn't the end ever going go arrive? I plodded along with people passing me the whole way. But here's what's really cool: People would walk with me a short ways and encourage me. They would tell me I could finish, and they would share their weight loss stories with me. It was amazing! And even though my calves were cramping and I was exhausted, it was the encouragement of others that kept me going. That and my desire to finish, which only grew strong with each step. By the time the finish line was in sight, I called my parents so that they could encourage me over the finish line. And then there were the tears...so I was sobbing, listening to my parents tell me how proud they were, and lumbering across the finish line. It wasn't pretty to see, but I don't care. I did it! I actually did it! I was so scared when I set out, but I really finished it! And Kim and I cried together when we found each other. She knows how hard that was for me. But she knew I could do it. It's so awesome to have so many people believe in you! This was physically the hardest thing I have ever done. But I did it, and I am proud! I ordered my finish line photo, so I will post it here when I get it. Next year? I just might do the whole thing myself! With friends along side me and family at the finish line. That would be the best ever!

The Merits of Grief

People sometimes think that some types of loss are more important than other kinds. I don't think that way. As a future grief counselor, I see all kinds of grief as valid and important. This comes to mind because today is a particularly sad day for two friends, and while each loss is different, they are both equally heartbreaking to me. If you don't agree, that's okay, but I would ask that you withhold that particular opinion. I normally wouldn't say that, but today I would ask that my friends' heartbreaks be respected.

My friend Christie (not my Matron of Honor, but another friend I've known since high school) unexpectedly lost her husband, Antonio, yesterday after a routine shoulder surgery. He left behind his lovely wife of 15 years and two children ages 13 and 11. He was her soul mate, and I cannot even pretend to know what that pain must feel like for her.

The other heartbreak belongs to my very dear friend, Kim. Her sweet kitty, Simon, went to the Rainbow Bridge this morning. He had been fighting cancer for a little while now, and this morning he joined my precious Cleo in Heaven. Letting your furbaby go is a very difficult thing to do, and Kim was selfless and brave and loving.

If you add in the devastation in Japan this morning, it just feels like a terrible day, and I am looking to God today for comfort for everyone. Please know that to all my friends and family, I love you all and will be thinking of each of you especially...I hope you feel the hugs I am sending out!

Back in The Saddle Again

Okay...now that my blogging time for Woman's Day Magazine has come to an end, here I am trying to get back in the groove of my own blog. It has been a total whirlwind since January. While my job is changing, I am spared from being laid off. I interviewed today and feel like it went well, but I won't know for sure until I get (or don't get) an offer. I am optimistic, though, so I am hoping for the best. If I don't get exactly what I want, I will be very glad to at least still have a job.

School is keeping me busy. And by busy I mean that I feel as if I am hanging halfway out of a tornado. It's crazy! But I am getting through. What I love is that I am doing an internship with Hospice, and I just finished my training. Now I will get to start visiting patients and families, and my hope is to be able to help bring comfort to those who need it. It's my first step toward being in a helping profession, and I am excited. I am surrounded by people who are encouraging and uplifting, so I think I am in the right place.

Things at home a great! We are still loving our house so much! I'm ready for warm weather so we can enjoy our pool! Still doing the half-marathon relay at the end of the month with Kim, but I tell you...I am going to have to work hard to even be close to ready for that! One day I'll complete one on my own...someday.

So that's about it in a nutshell. It's been a busy first quarter of the year, and I am ready for the semester to end. As soon as it does, David is taking me to Las Vegas for a short vacation before summer school. I can hardly wait!

BRRRRR!!!

Okay, it's really cold here! Much colder than what I experienced in Europe! I've been home from work the last two days, and if things don't thaw, which they won't, I doubt I'll go tomorrow. The roads in my neck of the woods are a thick sheet of ice. Ugh!

However, I don't mind not going to work. While I have a job, it's not one I want. I should be careful of what I put out there, but it's true. But it will do until I graduate next year. Perhaps it will help me stay motivated with school.

I don't have much to share. It was supposed to be an exciting week here in DFW with the Super Bowl, but the winter storm has squashed that. We're going to try and go downtown to enjoy the excitement Saturday night, though. It's going to be a celebration on David's birthday, even though it's a week late. I was sick to my stomach on his birthday and couldn't eat, so we'll make up for it this weekend. The ice should all be melted by then. I hope!

Everyone stay warm! It's cold out there!!

A Lot on My Plate

Wow...my classes are going to be tough this semester. But I am most looking forward to starting my Hospice training tomorrow night. I think it's a good start for me since I will be getting my masters in counseling. I'm a little nervous, but I'm not afraid. David has expressed concern about how I will handle it emotionally, but I think I'll be okay. There is something about knowing that your job is purely to be there for someone and to help them and their family deal with end of life issues. I was there when both of my grandmothers passed away, and death isn't frightening to me. It's part of life, and since it's going to happen, I want to be there to help make it peaceful for others.

On a different note, I discovered that we're going to owe the IRS this year. UGH! I'm not happy about this, but I should have seen it coming since we took money from my 401K to put the down payment on the house. Oh well...it happens. Next year will be much better!

That's about it for me. I've got a Skype date with Chris...she and I are talking about recipes so I don't want to miss it!

Coming Up For Air

Wow! So I have been a busy gal! School is back in session, so I have classes, one of which is a counseling internship. This is really neat! I'm going to be working with Hospice doing home and inpatient visits, as well as learning to lead bereavement groups. It's not an easy job, but I am excited about taking a step in the direction I want to go. I think that while it's going to be a very busy semester, it's going to be very rewarding.

Still in limbo with my job. I'll be interviewing next week for a new position, so I hope it works out. Otherwise I will be employed until March 31st and then on to 5 months of severance. Seriously, I'm just feeling okay about all of this. I know that the right thing will happen, so as soon as I know about my current job, I can start to move forward however I need to. It's all good. :)

David's travel began again today, so after being together for a long time, it was hard to let him head out today. But he's back on Saturday, and I'm excited about that.

In his absence I am filling my time with family dinners and a Friday night date with Kim. :) Dinner and a movie are always a good night out with her! I had to cancel last weekend because I was feeling crummy, but I am back to good health and ready for some girl time.

I think that's about it for today. I'm still blogging for Woman's Day, and check out the spread in the February issue...I'm in there! (They have it on their website, too! www.womansday.com)