Wednesday, December 31, 2008

New Year's Goals

1. pay off all consumer debt
(I just finished updating our budget for 2009 and inputting our information into my debt tracking spreadsheet)

2. put more money into our emergency fund

3. get to gym 3+ times a week and get body fat percentage under a certain #
(I like being more toned than I am now)

4. get organized
(I am having a big purging day tomorow at the apartment to get this off to a start)

5. read through the Bible in one year by following reading plan in back of my daily planner

6. inquire about taking online classes

7. pray with Jeremy everyday instead of just when we're dealing with a huge crisis or a huge blessing

8. take better care of myself over all

9. finally get our apartment decorated how I want it

10. take a cake decorating class and make some gorgeous cakes, cookies, and cupcakes for friends and family this year

11. no soda after 4PM and limit soda to 1 per day

12.try at least one new recipe every 2 weeks

13. have a mother/daughter day once a month with my mom

14. stick to weekly cleaning schedule

15. start going to the doctor more regularly for check ups and things so as to prevent issues like my current sleep deprivation.

I could go on but I think this is a pretty good list.

Happy New Year's Eve everyone see you in 2009!

prayers please regarding sleep deprivation

Hello my lovely fellow bloggers. I am asking for prayers and or suggestions I am just at my wits end and I don't know what else to do.

I am now going on a little over a month of sleeping maybe 2-3 hours a night instead of my very much needed 7-8. There are night's specifically the last 4 that I haven't slept at all.

I have tried cutting out caffeine, eating early, lavendar scents, sleep masks, ear plugs, soothing sounds, chamomile tea, reading before bed, journaling, and most recently melatonin, you name it I've tried it.

None of these things have helped me sleeping

Does anyone have any suggestions of something I haven't tried?

And most importantly can you all pray for me that I get some much needed rest that's not fitful and not a nap in the middle of the day.

New years resolutions or goals whatever you want to call them coming later today.

Tonight I'm going to the Thunder game with Jeremy and then home to watch movies and wait for midnight.

More Later.......

Mrs. A

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

weekly and monthly goals

well my weekly goals for this week are to be sure and create my January goals list as well as my 2009 goals.

I'll start by posting my weekly goals then go into my January goals.

Weekly Goals:

1.tally up Christmas spending and see how we did in sticking to a budget
2.continue with new schedule of waking up at 6 AM to get used to it so piano on Monday's won't be such a challenge

3. stop drinking caffeine after 4:00 PM I'm hoping this will help with my sleeping issues

4. have a cleaning and junk purging day on New Year's Day


January 2009 Goals!
1. begin one year Bible reading program on January 01, 2009 and continue on through the entire month of January reading set scriptures everyday
Here's my first one for January 01, 2009-Genesis 1-3
I am determined to read through the whole Bible in 2009

2. get finances in order for new year create new folders and begin preparing for Taxes

3. keep working on our emergency fund we kind of didn't really put anything into it in December so we need to work hard to put something in there for January

4. eat at our table at least twice a week


There you have it goals for this week and for January.

Monday, December 29, 2008

Goodbye 2008! Christmas re-cap and year reflections

Well Christmas has officially come and gone in a flash. We had a beautiful Christmas Eve gathering at our apartment I will post pics as soon as I find the darn cord to my camera

Christmas day came and I got some lovely gifts, my favorite by far was an i-Home i-pod alarm clock. I love waking up to my favorite songs instead of some incessant beeping. Other gifts I got include season 1 DVD of "Pushing Daisies" I am absolutely crazy about this show, some new tall black boots, a pretty necklace with a green flower on it, some smell goody stuff from Mary Kay, and a cake decorating tool set. Jeremy got some new pj's and some lounge pants, noise cancelling head phones, a new electric razor, a new overcoat, and a new hat.


We got my mother a brand new Daily Devotional and journal by Beth Moore who's her favorite Christian writer, we got my sister a new lap top bag that I hope she likes, we got my in laws a digital picture frame. But the most special gifts we gave were to my neices we gave them their very first Bibles engraved with their names I hope they liked them.

Christmas day we spent with our extended Oklahoma family Jeremy played Dominoes with the boys, and I played Mad Gab, and Trivial Pursuit pop culture with the girls.

Saturday Jeremy and I went to see "Marley & Me" dog lovers beware you will cry! But it was so good!


Now that 2008 is slowly slipping away I find myself reflecting on my first full year as Mrs. A.
If I had to go back and change anything I'd change the moments of self doubt, and turn them into prayer time, and I'd go back and take away anything hurtful I've ever said to/or about anyone and turn it into uplifting thoughts. Now that I know what it's like to find out someone is saying awful things about you I only want to lift others up not tear them down seriously if you know me in real life and hear me say something negative about anyone slap me!
I feel that I have learned a lot about who I am and who I want to become this year.
I've learned I'm not perfect by any means, but I'm also not nearly as bad as I sometimes believe. Sure there are things in life I'd change if given the chance but there are others I wouldn't change for anything in the world. I thank God every day that He changed my life for the better in October when He took me away from a job that was becoming detrimental to my health I feel as though my job doesn't rule my life anymore. I am thankful for my husband finally in September of this year being offered a full time position with a great company and thus having his prayers answered. 2008 other than a few set backs has actually been a terrific year for Jeremy and I we both gained jobs we enjoy, we learned about each other,and we paid off a lot of debt, we still have a ways to go but the light at the end of the tunnel is in sight! I made a fantastic new friend at my job and I am so thankful for her she has no idea how much she means to me. She called on Christmas day just to wish me a merry Christmas and to see if I had a good day she has no idea how much this meant to me in year that has been virtually friendless I finally found a kindred soul someone who wants to live life the best way possible this is such a blessing to me.

2009 is forecasted to be an exciting year for Jeremy and I we will be debt free or nearly so by the end of the year, we are starting a home downpayment fund slowly but surely and we are paying off some debts that are holding me back from completing my degree.

I learned so much about who I want to become in life this year and I plan on becoming that woman this year. Here's just a few of the qualities that woman posesses.

She is never mean or hateful to others and nothing negative is said by her about any other person

she is confident in herself and stands up for herself when necessary


she lives her life for God and hungers for daily interaction with Him

she doesn't worry about what everyone thinks of her as long as she is right with her Savior all is well

She is always willing to lend a helping hand when needed


These are just a few of the qualities the woman I want to become posesses so I know what my task is with the help of my God is to do my best to live these standards.

No these are not New Year's resolutions but rather year's end realizations.

I have a whole other post dedicated to New Year's resolutions!

More Later....

Mrs. A

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

cookie blunders, and blessings!

Well my night didn't go exactly as planned I forgot to grease my cookie sheet for my cookies last night and they wound up sticking to the pan and I had to scrape them off with a knife, I made the icing because I thought I'd have cookies well I didn't and now the icing is as hard as a rock.

Last week I would've sobbed over this last night all I could do was laugh. The joys of being a new wife and all the mistakes in the kitchen. I didn't really do too much baking last year because I wasn't comfortable with it so this is definitely my experimental year and you know what that's ok. I'll just have to make cookies and ice them tonight after finishing up the gingerbread house, and finishing cleaning the bedroom and spare room. We did get the bed moved and slept more soundly last night because our heads weren't freezing. We did get the last gift picked up, and we did get the grocery shopping done for our Christmas Eve party. So it wasn't as if the evening was a total waste.

Anyway I hope everyone is getting excited about Christmas I know I am.

I probably won't blog tomorrow because I'll be busy running a million errands.

So I'll catch up with you ladies after Christmas with a lovely picture post.

Enjoy your Holidays and I hope you treasure this special time of year close to your heart and hold those you love closer than normal.

Merry Christmas!

Mrs. A

Monday, December 22, 2008

Monday Goals

Well I made it through last week. I did get to play piano on Sunday although my pinkie was still a little sore. I finished up all my co-worker gift bags, and I've gotten a headstart on my cooking and baking for our Christmas Eve get together.

My mother came to the rescue when my centerpeice idea wasn't working out and bought me a gingerbread house to put together so I am going to use it as my centerpeice for Christmas Eve party.

I finished all Christmas shopping but one small gift I have to pick up tonight.
I got my sweet Jeremy his Christmas presents yesterday and they are all wrapped and under our tree in fact I only have two things left to wrap.

I talked to my piano instructor and as my commenter said she was fine with everything.
She wasn't even a little upset. I feel so much better. I don't like disappointing people.

I still need to share pictures with you lovely ladies.

I promise I'll do that but not tonight probably tomorrow after I'm finished with my gingerbread house centerpeice.


Weekly Goals:
pick up last gift tonight
grocery shopping tonight
make royal icing for sugar cookies
rearrange bed away from outside wall of bedroom (our heads get cold because we're right under a window right now)
finish cleaning up apartment all we have left is that pesky back bedroom
take pictures of all my hardwork to post on blog
wrap last two gifts
enjoy Christmas Eve get together and not stress too much
enjoy Christmas day and create new traditions with my husband



Merry Christmas All!

Love,
Mrs. A

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Christmas came early! Or at least 1 present did!

I am currently blogging from my brand new Blackberry Curve!!

Friday, December 19, 2008

UPDATE

As soon as I finished writing that last post I heard "The Christmas Shoes" and now I sit here with tears in my eyes (seriously if you haven't heard this song look it up it's by Newsong) feeling like I'm going about this all wrong Christmas is about being around the people you love not about who's goodies are the best, or for that matter goodies in general it's not about presents, it's about love and especially the love of our Savior and his coming to earth as man to eventually die to save us.

I'm not a scrooge I'm really not. I debated deleting that post but I know I'm not the only one in the world who feels holiday stress but that song put things into perspective for me.

Sorry Blogging friends I'm not really down on Christmas!

with love,
Mrs. A

Dear Christmas, (an open letter to this wonderful time of year)

I QUIT.



If you're going to make all my projects go wrong then I just won't do them. Seriously stop making little things off so my projects aren't completed on time or if they are completed they are rushed. I would really like to enjoy the Holiday and be in the spirit and all that but if you make me stand in one more line full of rude people I might just burst and throw things at said rude people, if you're going to make me burn one more batch of melting chocolate in the microwave because I don't have a double boiler I might throw the burnt stuff at the Christmas tree. If you're going to make the gift wrapping ribbons all come lose because the present got moved I'm going to wrap everything in newspaper! If you're going to make me so stressed that I forget about the real meaning of Christmas then I don't want any part of it. I really would just enjoy a few days of things going right that's all I really want for Christmas. Oh yeah and since I smashed my finger in the car door playing the piano for sunday services is out of the question. Yeah thanks a lot Christmas. Oh and one more things what's with the bitter freaking cold and freezing sleet and no pretty white stuff! :(

Sincerely,
You're Frazzled and frustrated,
helper

Yes this is how my week is going no I'm not going to quit Christmas but I sure felt like it last night making peppermint bark and burning the chocolate repeatedly, and yesterday morning after smashing my pinkie in my car door, and after standing in lines at least 5 times.



Ok vent over back to the regularly scheduled Christmas cheer :)

(singing to self)
"I'm dreaming of a White Christmas"

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

meeting re-cap and day 2 down.

Well last night's Relay For Life meeting went fabulously well and we got to announce our big news that our event's new home is actually one of the big stadiums in downtown Oklahoma City. I'm so freaking excited about that. We got all our Christmas cards out to all Relay participants which is about 500-1000 people and got our Kick off event planned I am so excited about this year's Relay event and I can't help but be thankful for our awesome committee and all of their work they make my job so easy.

Last night I didn't get anything done but putting away clean clothes but I did get that done and it was a big task.

Tonight my sweet husband is taking me out to dinner and then when I get home I'm making peppermint bark, and I might bake the cake to start on my cupcake pops. I've got my menu planned out for Christmas Eve and now I just need to pick a time to go shopping.

Here's the Christmas center piece I am going to try and recreate.





So I think I'm doing ok I still have major work to do in our spare room and major work to do as far as polishing up the house for Christmas but I think I'm going to get it all done.

more later...

Mrs. A

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

one day down 6 to go

ok so I got to the grocery store, got to CVS to pick up prescription, got chocolate ribbons made, got Taco soup in the crockpot for today and turned it on this morning, I got all my notes together for meeting tonight, and I packed my relay bag.

I didn't get an ornament made I caved and sent Jeremy out after one last night I just didn't have time and I was experiencing a creativity block. The bright side he got a really cute penguin one.

I didn't finish my master closet re-organization project.

I was way exhausted last night and fell asleep on the couch after finishing up the chocolate ribbons at 10:40. So I did make it to bed before midnight.

Today is relay meeting at 6:30 PM and after that I need to organize notes to send re-cap of meeting for those that couldn't make it. I need to make a few relay related phone calls.

other than that
I'm going to finish the closet and put away all the clean clothes from last night's laundry load, and plan for the rest of the week.

I really should've done the deep clean on the apartment before the week before Christmas. Oh well I guess you can't win them all.

I'm feeling pretty good about next week, I have a master shopping list started and I think I know what I'm going to do for a centerpeice.

More Later.......

Mrs. A

Monday, December 15, 2008

weekly planning and goals

This is a busy week. With lots going on.

Tonight alone my list looks like this.

1. Run by CVS to pick up prescription
2. run to grocery store to pick up supplies for Taco Soup.
3. make Taco soup
4. make chocolate ribbons for Relay meeting tomorrow night
5. make ornament for ornament exchange
6. put away clean laundry
7. get notes together for Relay meeting tomorrow night
8. pack bag for Relay meeting
9. finish organizing closet


the rest of week I've got to

1. address the Christmas cards and get them out
2. take pics of my Christmas decoration and my apron for blog
3. finish wrapping gifts
4. make peppermint bark
5. vacuum
6. make cupcake pops for Christmas gifts
7. make shopping list for Christmas eve get together
8. pick up table cloth for christmas eve get together
9. wash and polish all serving ware
10. brainstorm ideas for table centerpeice
11. work out at least twice

Whew it's going to be a busy week I'll be lucky if I can get in bed before midnight any day this week. Oh well I guess that's why they call this the busy season.



I'm also excited because Jeremy and I decided we're going to get a flat screen probably end of January or February and we're going to retire the old TV armoire and get a new TV Stand. So I decided yesterday it would make a perfect little pantry with a little paint, and adding a few shelves. I'm so excited I'll actually have a pantry in our little apartment and the best part it can move with me. So I'll be posting about my progress and creating a new pantry out of an old TV armoire in February.

Later.....

Mrs. A

Saturday, December 13, 2008

making a list checking it twice

Christmas shopping is nearly finished I have one more thing to get. I have to admit I felt like Santa's little helper with my list of gifts to buy. Lines were long it was stressful but I didn't get irritated like I usually do.

I'm uploading pics tonight so tomorrow I'll post pictures.


Mrs. A

Friday, December 12, 2008

funny conversations with my husband

Jeremy and I like to spend our lunch breaks if we're not going anywhere e-mailing each other.

Our conversations can get pretty goofy

well anyway lately we've been talking about Christmas shopping a lot because that is what we'll be doing this weekend.

Anyway I decided to shoot him a little e-mail detailing my plans for the weekend. (side note: I'm kind of a list making freak and a little OCD about making plans)

so I shoot him an e-mail that says
Hey honey here's our weekend plans

Christmas shopping
making your co-worker's gifts
making my co-worker's gifts
putting up outside lights (yes I am one of those obnoxious people that put's up Christmas lights on my apartment balcony)
move Christmas storage boxes out of living room
present wrapping
dinner with my mom saturday night
helping my mom with her tree on Sunday

The making of gifts will mostly be me
the present wrapping I'll do

so the main things you have to help with
Christmas shopping
putting up outside lights
moving storage boxes

His cute reply was

I can try to help with wrapping presents

my reply

umm we'll see


Anyone that knows me in real life knows I'm a little OCD when it comes to making things pretty especially when it comes to packaging. I'll spend hours wrapping a gift or creating a basket just to make it perfect. So the fact that he wants to help even though he knows this melts my heart.


Ok maybe it wasn't that funny but it was hilarious to me.

Conversation #2

We're planning on a game night tonight with a co-worker friend of mine and we always order pizza

so my husband was packing our lunch this morning and one of our favorite lunches is bagel pizzas.

basically a bagel with mozzarella cheese and pepperoni's on it.

He e-mailed just a bit ago and says

I forgot we're having pizza tonight and for lunch oops.



It was funny because all he really wanted was for me to say it's ok to eat at your work's cafeteria today.

so I made him admit he was spoiled and approved him eating out. (I'm the one in our relationship who handles the budget not that he couldn't he's just not quite as obsessed with making it work as I am)

he's so gosh darn cute even a year and 1 month almost 2 months after our wedding.

Coming soon:
pics of my adorable gingerbread covered apron that I bought to make all my Christmas goodies and pics of my Christmas tree and decorations, and more pics of my spoiled fur baby playing with her new toys.

Mrs. A

Thursday, December 11, 2008

weekend planning and a question

I am Christmas shopping this weekend and wrapping presents and baking more goodies. But I also need to get some housework done my kitchen desperately needs a good sweeping and mopping and I need to do lunch and dinner prep for next week.

Not to mention our bedroom just needs some TLC with putting things on the wall and I've got to finish editing and re-organizing my closet.


Since it's December and all I found myself thinking a lot about what I would like to accomplish in 2009 I already have my 101 in 1001 list and it's going strong but I'm thinking what specifically do I want to do in 2009 and I'm having a hard time deciding. I know one big thing we will do is pay off our consumer debt. But what else should I set my sights on? I'm just not quite sure.

So the big goal is pay off debt and I think I'll start blogging about that after the new year just to track my progress it might give me a better perspective on paying off debt if I can chronicle it here.

What else should I focus this blog on right now it's a jumble of goals, vents, and life experiences?

Anyway more later.........


Mrs. A

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

yes I deleted it

I just felt like my last post was a bit too personal for my blog.

I am meditating on Jeremiah 29:11 tonight.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

let it snow , let it snow, let it snow

Oh the weather outside is frightful.
But the fire is so delightful, as long as we've no place to go, let it snow, let it snow let it snow.

From my desk I can look out at a window and it looks as if it should be about 7:30 in the evening and the sun going down not 10:15 in the morning. It's misting and starting to freeze a little.

My thoughts on this if it's going to get this yucky outside it may as well snow. At least snow is pretty.

Well anyway the Thunder lost again last night I don't know why but they always wait to rally until the last quarter it doesn't make sense and it irritates me. But the game was still fun and I know Jeremy's parents had a good time.

Anyway onto tonight and my tasks are grocery shopping and purchasing my angel tree child's gift. I might start baking tonight if it's yucky out there's something about having something baking when it's cold outside that gives me the warm fuzzies. Call me weird if you want. After making a mess of my clothes when baking the goodies for Thanksgiving I decided I needed to buy myself an apron so I turned to my old friend Etsy and found exactly what I was looking for it's Christmas inspired apron with gingerbread people those of you that know my first name know why that's so cool.

Anyway write more later.......


Mrs. A

Monday, December 8, 2008

Monday Madness

Well today I am officially back to my regularly scheduled posting.

This is a busy week and the Holiday bustle is in full force. We ordered our photo cards that we send to out of state family yesterday with the pics you see below I think they turned out adorably cute and I can't wait for our family to receive them.

I have a busy week ahead so here's what I have to do and a few goals sprinkled in:

buy gifts for my angel tree child (this is the Salvation Army's Christmas program) you get a card with a gender and age and you buy gifts based on that for a needy child, my work does this instead of a gift exchange)

I need to finish my Christmas shopping I've got in mind what I'm getting I just need to actually pick up the gifts, thankfully I picked up my wrapping paper and all the trimmings last weekend so once I pick up the gifts I am done.

find a place to store Christmas decoration boxes they don't exactly look pretty in my living room :(

start Christmas baking I am doing several baked goodies for different things my co-workers, Jeremy's co-workers, committee groups. I really need to get started.

put up Christmas lights on our balcony.

continue with Bible study time every day either morning or evening

get Christmas cards about before December 20th

cook at home all week

finish Christmas shopping and have gifts wrapped and under tree by December 15th

Try very hard to keep apartment clean between now and Christmas

Tonight Jeremy and I are going to the Thunder game with his parents it should be fun I am excited.

Menu for the week:
Monday: eat at game

Tuesday: biscuit topped casserole

Wednesday: homemade pizza

Thursday: chicken alfredo casserole

Friday: meatloaf

Saturday: homemade Chili

Sunday: chicken cacciatore

Sunday, December 7, 2008

playing catch up

Well I missed almost a whole week of blogging thanks to my stupid shoulder but I'm happy to say it's feeling much better. See I have a shoulder injury from college I was a college cheerleader in my former life and it never fails that I re-injure it at least once a year. Last year I dropped a bookcase shelf on it. This year I had the car door slam on it. Ah the life of a former athlete.

Anyway what better way to catch up than with pictures.


First and foremost my three awesome desserts from Thanksgiving.
pumpkin pie, red velvet cake, and pecan pie.

IMG_0144


All the baking went fairly smooth I posted earlier about me finding baking success by wearing my i-pod arm band. Anyway I only had slight issues with the red velvet cake. Hint: condensed buttermilk does not work in cake recipes just FYI :) we made a late night run to the grocery store the night before thanksgiving because I refused to not make the red velvet cake. I think my hubby was glad I did he really enjoyed that cake and is already asking when I'm going to make another one.

And now without further ado our little family's Christmas pictures. Can you imagine trying to take a self portrait with a dog who's a little ADD well here's the good ones and I'll save the hilarity that was all our failed attempts for another day. I can't wait til we get our cards in.

Here's our four legged child she is the most spoiled labrador on the face of the earth and I think she truly believes she's human. But who could resist spoiling that pretty girl. Sigh I'm a proud canine mommy.

IMG_0158


Here's my handsome hubby with his baby girl.

Christmas

and of course no family photo session would be complete without a pic of me and my girl.

christmas


my fierce red heels are some of my faves.


and here it is the winner after many many attempts at a perfect Christmas card photo.

IMG_0181

I think we did pretty good for an amateur photo and I adore the color tint feature on my camera I thought it made for a really neat picture.

Well I hope you enjoyed my photo re-cap tomorrow I'll be back to my regular scheduled posting.

Later.....


Mrs. A

Thursday, December 4, 2008

out of commission

I hurt my shoulder Monday night and it makes writing difficult I'll be back to my regularly scheduled posting soon.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Leave it to a Christmas movie

To convict me!

Well since we're back in our apartment now I have found myself complaining about every little thing even though very recently I blogged about not taking my life right now for granted. Silly me I forget my own best advice sometimes.

Well I am trying to get my Christmas decorating done and I find myself more and more frustrated with how small a space I am working with. Anyway I gave up this evening and decided I was going to indulge in a little Holiday television so I stumbled onto a movie on Lifetime (flame away I don't care) it was about a woman living in a smallish house, and never feeling like she has enough money dreaming about being married to a rich man, living in a big house you get the idea. Well as most cheesey Christmas movies go she woke up in another life and everything in her wildest dreams has come true she's married to the richest man in town and has the biggest house and the most money. Well slowly but surely she realizes she misses her real family and this fairytale life she's dreamed of isn't all it's cracked up to be and promptly spends the rest of the movie trying to get back to her real life.


It convicted me because I realized how often I am her. I complain about not having enough whine to my husband because neither of us make enough money, and find myself wishing for a nice home to call my own and all the trimmings that go with that. I find myself fighting with my husband over little things and not really living life here and now to the fullest. I take Jeremy for granted so often and he is so good to me. So starting today I am making a promise to not think about what we don't have but to be appreciative of what we do and those things money can't buy we have a happy marriage and a loving home. I have the man of my dreams by my side and I need to let him know that more often.

Here's the ironic part of this post:
This past week Jeremy and I took a hard look at our finances and we realized that if we stay in our apartment, and share a car for just another year we will be more than financially ready to buy our very own home and shortly after purchase a second vehicle. But that's not the exciting part we'll be doing this all while being DEBT FREE. We can start the next phase of our lives without worrying about how we're going to afford a mortgage on top of credit card payments. I cannot tell you the elation I had when I realized we were a mere 12 months away from not having to worry about debt.
I actually had tears in my eyes it feels like we've been working at this forever in reality it hasn't been that long but it sure feels like it.

Well anyway the moral of this post I guess you could say is hold those you love the most close especially during this special time of year.




I'll post weekly goals and pics from my Thanksgiving cooking adventures tomorrow.
everything turned out fabulous in case you're wondering and I have new found cooking confidence.