SPT - "I Resolve" - Week 2

"tuesday, january 13 i resolve to take more self-portraits with people i love"

This week's SPT assignment will be easy peasy for some, for me, not so easy...

* Hubby doesn't like to be photographed, especially for blogging purposes;
* Handsome son lives 3 hours away;
* Beautiful daughter attends college in another state!

That only leaves one other family member who can help me out. He may not fit in the "people" category but I love him just the same...


Thanks Jake! You're always such a good sport!

My The Time Does Fly

It's been 5 days already since my last post. This year is zooming right along and I've been keeping pretty busy. So far, in the first 11 days of the new year, I...

* Worked - 2 days
* Took down the Christmas tree
* Been sick - 4 days
* Bought more storage containers and packed away all of our Christmas decorations
* Cleaned house
* Sent daughter, aka little sis, back to college in AZ
* Visited with handsome son who lives 3 hours away
* Done laundry
* Spent time with friends
* Started writing my Christmas thank you notes
* Bought 4 birthday presents
* Bathed and groomed Jake
* Ordered my word of the year necklace
* Ironed
* Blogged less
* Cooked more
* Learned a new card game (I'm normally not a game player, especially cards)
* Took Jake to the vet and ordered his "wheels"
* Attended the first Camping Club Weekend of the new year

And with the exception of being sick, I've had a good time doing it! One of my goals for the new year was to spend less time on the computer in order to get more accomplished. I love blogging but last year I let it get out of hand. I needed to tone it down a bit and get my priorities back in order...I let alot of things slide last year.

This year, so far so good. I feel more in control.

SPT - "I Resolve" - Week 1

Lelly's challenge this month: i love a new year. i love the chance to start over. and i know you do, too!! so, if you've been absent from spt, or if you haven't gotten up the nerve to link up, or if you are lurking and haven't yet picked up that camera, now is the time to come along! how about you make a resolution to join in the fun?

tuesday, january 6 i resolve to take more self-portraits
tuesday, january 13 i resolve to take more self-portraits with people i love
tuesday, january 20 i resolve to take more self-portraits while trying new things
tuesday, january 27 i resolve to take more self-portraits doing things i enjoy

Yes, this is a new year and I resolve to take more self-portraits in 2009! As a matter of fact, I snapped this picture while waiting in the car on New Year's Day. My first self-portrait of the new year...


Wishing you all the best in 2009!

Felling A Tad Bit Emotional...

After being bed bound for 4 days, I'm actually on the mend. I go back to work tomorrow after being on vacation for 2 weeks and although I'm sort of anxious to get back into a routine, work will be different for me from now on. My very close friend and co-worker Cindy moved to Oregon the day after Christmas. Our last day working together was Christmas Eve. I knew it was going to be hard to say goodbye but it was much harder than I had anticipated. It felt like a sister was moving away.

Here is a picture of Cindy, another close friend Kathy, and myself at work on Christmas Eve.


Kathy (the tall one) has been my partner for the last couple of years and now she has decided to make a career change as well. She will continue to still work in the field of nursing but is choosing now to do dialysis in the hospital setting and not at our dialysis unit. I can't even explain how much I'm going to miss these 2 ladies at work. They were on the job years before I arrived and over the past 6 years they've both nurtured me, supported me, and became my best friends. I love and admire them both tremendously. Break time will never be the same.

Speaking of missing people, my beautiful daughter headed back to Arizona today. We didn't do much during her Christmas break but it was enjoyable just the same. Courtney is so easy to please and such a joy to be around. I already miss her presence in the house. The hard part of having a child go to school in another state is that each time they come home or if you go visit them, it breaks your heart to say goodbye. Maybe it's not like that for everyone but for me, this has been one tearful day.

I'm so sorry if this post is a downer...it truly wasn't meant to be. The weather is dreary, I've been sick, and I'm really missing family and friends, especially my kids. When your kids get older, you grieve for the past and although you look forward to the future, you realize your children are grown and have lives of their own. This can be a hard pill to swallow and really takes some adjusting to. On the one hand you're proud that you've raised independent young adults yet you miss them and their younger days something terrible. But life is a progression isn't it?!

There have been tears today but I have a good feeling about this new year...the year 2009. Like many of you, I'm embracing it, I'm welcoming it, and I'm committing to do my part to make it a wonderful year.


Courtney, think smart, be safe, and have a great semester at school! I love and miss you! (Boy do I look washed out in this picture. I need to 1) start taking my vitamins; 2) learn how to apply make-up!)

We're Off To A Not So Good Start

This new year is starting off with a bang at our house...we're all SICK! As a matter of fact, I hear my husband throwing up in the bathroom down the hall as I type this. Poor guy.

I woke up New Year's Day with a stuffy nose and a headache but thought it was maybe from having run the air conditioning in the hotel room all night. By the end of the day I was dragging.

I didn't get out of bed at all yesterday...too sick, and with a migraine to top it off. I did go into the kitchen at 12:05 am this morning to get some NyQuil, thinking it might lull me to sleep. Nope. I watched the sun rise.

The good news is that I only usually get good and sick once a year. Maybe this will be it for the year then huh!?!

The bad news is that I still have my Christmas tree up!

It's Friday

And I'm nosy...

So here's the question: Do you pick a "word for the year" to live by each year?

I never have done this in year's past but I feel that it's something I definitely want to do this year. I need to do this to hold myself accountable.

I've alluded to the fact that this year has been the pits. And.I.Mean.The.Pits. This year those closest to me must have felt like it was their duty to hurt me...and hurt me they did. I remember years ago my mother-in-law telling me that those you love the most hurt you the most because they know you're not going anywhere. Well, my family's lucky because there were times this year that I felt like running in the opposite direction.

F O R G I V E N E S S

That's my word for the new year. I will forgive and move on. I think I'll even get a necklace with my word on it and wear it each day as a reminder. I don't know about you but forgiveness can be so hard for me at times.

When I haven't felt like forgiving, I've tried to remind myself about how Jesus forgives me over and over again...even though I don't deserve any of his forgiveness. How can I not forgive someone else when I'm being forgiven daily. This seems to just put it all into perspective for me.

Happy New Year

We had such an enjoyable New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. We were invited to spend the evening with friends. It was low key, just the 8 of us. We had finger foods galore and yummy cheesecake for dessert. Even though we're pretty much an over the hill group, we still like to have a fun time...and we always do when were together. In fact, you can count on it! (We even stayed up until 1:30!)



My husband sums this group up perfectly. He says we all get along so well and love each other because we're all "givers." I think he's right.

Since we were out of town, we booked a room at a nearby hotel which made everything so convenient. We all met at one of our favorite deli's for lunch today then parted ways. We went on to see our son and spend a little time with him after lunch today too before heading home. It was great seeing him. I didn't want to let go of him!

Do any of you pick a word for the year each year? I never have but plan of picking one this year. I'll share my word with you tomorrow.