The Count Down!

Happy New Year, Everyone! I hope you all had a splendid 2011, and I wish you all of the best for the year to come. A new year is always an excellent opportunity to reflect on our pasts, and then to look towards our futures. It is definitely important to do some self-evaluating, but just make sure not to be too hard on yourself about your mistakes--after all, your past is just practice! :) Plus, you don't want to resolve to do *too* many changes because you'll only end up disappointing yourself. 

For my resolutions this year, I thought I would do a count down style for you all to see the top 10 moments of my life from 2011 (with #1 being the best!!), and also create a top 10 list for my goals for 2012! So start your clocks! ;) haha just kidding ;) Here it goes!

Top 10 Moments from 2011

1) January 21st-- When Tyler and I started dating <3

2) February 10th-- Celebrating my 21st birthday! :D 

3) December 21st--Celebrating Christmas with Tyler! <3

4) Getting a 4.0 after Spring and Fall semester (let's cross our fingers I can do it again this semester ;) )

5) July 4th-- Caught my first fishes! (Yes, I caught multiple!!) 

6) August 19th-- Last day of my internship! 

7) Taking Step Aerobics for the 5th time ;)

8) Loosing 35 pounds!!

9) Removing or significantly reducing stress by learning to recognize what bothers me, and then making changes accordingly (or at least attempting to!) 

10) Becoming re-united with my blogging and creative writing! :) 

Top 10 Goals for 2012

1) Keep being the best girlfriend that I can possibly be <3 

2) Become a certified step aerobics instructor

3) Run my first half marathon

4) Finding a full-time job that will satisfy all of my financial needs, (and that will at least be somewhat fun ;) )

5) Become less anxious!!! Write down my feelings ASAP, and get all negativity out of my system!! (I did improve with doing this this year, but it still needs work!) 

6) Be able to purchase my first Coach purse (yes, I know this sounds silly, but it is something that I really want, and it will be a good motivator for me too!) 

7) Continue blogging, and creating poetic pieces

8) Purchase my own car! (Probably a used one, but hopefully one with less miles and better gas mileage than my current soccer mom 'tank' ;) )

9) Graduate with Magna Cum Laude honors 

10) GET MORE SLEEP! 

So as you can see, I do have quite the list of goals, and I can almost guarantee that I won't be able to get them all accomplished (especially number 10), but I do feel fairly confident that I *can* make changes. It might not all happen tomorrow, but eventually it is my goal to at least partially cross off each thing--by making small improvements.  

Oh, by the way, did you see my fortune in the picture above? I obtained this fortune from Hy-Vee on Wednesday when I ate Chinese with my sister Carolyn and her husband Wes, as well as Tyler, and I thought it was the loveliest fortune that I could receive! I'm praying that it will come true--even if it does unexpectedly (as things usually do) :) But, even if it doesn't, it still makes me feel happy to look at it, because it reminds me to believe in myself which is something I really need to do more of. Heck, maybe since I shared this fortune, you all can exceed your expectations too! So, Happy New Year, and best of luck! 2012, bring it on! :D 

Happiness, Christmas Gifts, & Resolutions

Happiness is living life to its fullest~ a cheesy but true statement! I've been appreciating this simple thought more than ever lately! I've been relaxing, pampering, and even sleeping a few extra hours to make up for all of the sleep lost over the semester! It's truly been great! Although I know I've neglected my blog a little, I think I'm ready to be back in full force! :D Yay! It's really such a good outlet for me! :) So I hope you don't mind if I take a little time to get caught up with you! I'll be back to my more "creative" posts here soon too! :) I was really having fun with those! :D

Anyway! Obviously one of the major topics of the season is showing off what you got for Christmas! haha (Okay, so I know that this is kind of the commercial aspects of the season, but heck, we all enjoy it!) So, I wanted to take a moment to tell you some of my favorite gifts! Although, I will warn you, none of these gifts are ones that I can carry around or display! They are *much* better! Anyway, I had wished for my boyfriend Tyler to take me out to a nice dinner, and well he did! He took me out for a lovely evening at Johnny Carinos, and before that he had treated me to a 3D experience at the Carmike Theater! We watched the Adventures of Tin Tin, and I must say it was super cool! Although, I'm kind of hooked on 3D movies now ;) I saw that there was going to be a 3D version of the Titanic coming out too, and I about hyperventilated! LOL! After our supper he took me on a lovely drive through the Falls Park Winter Wonderland! It was beautiful! And so romantic! I even braved my atrocious fear of heights and ascended to the top of the tower to overlook the falls! (At least it was dark out so I couldn't see how high I was exactly ;) ) So, those are just a few of the gifts I received, and honestly it was the best Christmas ever! I remember last year at this time I was just getting to know him, and it's so amazing to see how far we've come! Our one year anniversary is coming up too, and I'll be sure to do another post about that too! (Only if you're interested of course!)

So, obviously after this wonderful Christmas experience, I had to think about some of the things to come! And this is where the resolution part comes in ;) First and foremost, I want to graduate--which will happen on May 6th, I believe. Second, I want to continue my health and fitness journey! I would love to become a certified step aerobics instructor, and I would like to accomplish that by this summer! Third, I want to continue being the best girlfriend that I can be. All that old time romance is not over-rated, people. Fourth, I want to keep being positive. I found this quote that says 'my mantra of the year' quite perfectly, and I'm going to leave you with this today.... Of course, I'm going to be creating more inspirational pieces for myself too (In much shorter postings) from now until the end of the year! :) So without further ado....

"This is the day you stare down every naysayer in your life who doesn't get it yet. Because you do. Finally. And now you know that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." ~Sarah Ban Breathnach

(PS I selected today's picture in accordance with the message of this quote. Are you afraid to be an individual? Are you afraid of letting your whole self out into the world? Free yourself. Let yourself go. Let the Light illuminate you--your beauty, your talents, and everything 'you'. :) )

By the Moonlight

The nights are getting dark, and foggy. 

Full of mystery, and expectancy.

I know something's coming.

Sparkling diamonds of hope shining

Hanging over the world, like a blanket

Cozily cuddling every tree in the thicket 

The birds huddle down in knowing supposition

The remaining leaves rattle away as Mother Nature, magician

Raises her wand and lays on the earth a deep slumber

While white crystals of light disperse and soon outnumber

The blades of grass, and burrow into the breaches of pavement

Soon the world is quiet, waiting with breath baited, and wonderment

Flake constellations keep forming in the sky and are illuminated

By the Moonlight, they fall through the air. Oh Winter, we are well-acquainted. 

Cinderella's Slippers

There's something in a pair of shoes that can feel so magical, so metamorphic. I think Cinderella's fairy godmother knew exactly what she was doing as soon as she magically crafted the one-of-a-kind pair of glass slippers. She wanted Cinderella to have the most stunning kicks in the whole room! Now, I'm not trying to say that this pair of shoes are the most-stunning, but they are fun to wear, and they are manageable to walk in! ;) They are definitely my special occasion shoes too, as I have only worn them for one other occasion, and that was my sister's wedding. I plan on keeping these shoes for that tradition too--special occasion only.  And, yes, I would also love to wear them for my wedding someday too :) No, they are not Christian Louboutin's or even Manolo Blahnik's, but they are definitely very valuable to me because of all the wonderful memories that will someday be associated with them. I can't wait to take them out of the box again!  Who knows? The next time could very well be on the day I say my vows, to my wonderful Prince. But, for now, I'll just dance away the night, at the black and white ball, with my Prince Charming, and know that happily-ever-after will be coming soon enough <3 

Breaking Through

Such delicate fragments of ice that have been cracked apart and swept ashore by the blustery, unforgiving winds. The winds wrecked their formations and blew them so hard that they collided with the rocks. However, they seem to have adapted to live together quite nicely. They are now snuggling among the rocks, and bracing them from the harsh winds, and freezing waters. The stories of Nature are endless, and even the smallest stories are worth telling. Yes, I find the simple things of Nature to be the most beautiful. 

Running with All Her Strength

She knew that she had been hiding her feelings from the world, and she was tired of living a lie--a lie she mostly told to herself.

She had told herself she wasn't worth it, but she knew that reality was quite the opposite--She *was* worth it. 

So she picked up all of her anxieties, all of her imperfections, all of her incongruences, and she started to run. 

She didn't know where she was headed, or which way was north, but she kept on running and praying. 

She didn't care how silly she looked, or how many people doubted her. She just ran. 

Every step was one step closer to her true self, and she ran and prayed every day from then on out. 

6 months later, she still runs, and fights for the truth. 

She feels more beautiful than ever--not just because she has lost weight from her body, but because she has lost the weight of all that baggage.

She doesn't care anymore what people think. She just tries to do what God tells her too, and she does it with all of her heart. 

It's not always easy, and it doesn't always make sense, but she still does it. 

Some people may not understand her either, but that's okay, because who's she trying to impress anyway?

So, she will just keep on running, fighting, praying, and knowing that she's finally going down the right road, and that realization is more than she could've ever asked for. 

F.I.N.A.L.S

If you are currently a college student, or if you have been in the past, you know all too well what this acronym actually stands for, and although I am much too polite to actually say it, that does not mean that I don't *think* it--at least sometimes! Yes, feel free to gasp and tell me that I'm a terrible person ;) LOL! Nerds have limitations of their levels of exhaustion too, and I feel I surpassed mine during midterms!

It's time to buckle-down though, and get to work, or else I'm really going to be disappointed in myself. Just because I have a major case of senioritis does not mean that I can be on brain vacation all day! Yes, pinterest is fun--but probably not very appropriate during class time ;) I've got to remember how hard I've had to work to get to this point. Yes, I should be proud, and I definitely think I've earned it, but I've got to keep on earning it! haha And, I think I would be disappointed some day if I looked back and only remembered zoning out for 90% of my senior year of college--although, I will admit that there are definitely times where every form of distraction is necessary in certain classes which will remain unnamed! LOL! You all can think of one I'm sure!

Anyway, I've included a picture of a desk that I used a long time back in Elementary school. This desk has been long-retired from actual school-use, but it has made a wonderful addition to our basement/play room. Not only does it remind me of how much I enjoyed school as a child, but it has reminded me to keep working hard, because so many have gone and done the same before me. :)

So keep on studying, and doing the best you can to pay attention. (Although reading my blog counts as being productive!! bahahha!) Just remember, there's only about 2 weeks left now! :D Let's get through it together! Comment below as to what your finals-week tips are! I'd love to hear them--the crazier the better! No better time for laughs than during the times of stress! :D