Thoughts & Intentions

Happy Thursday, y'all!

I must first start this post on a somber note. My great-grandfather, we call him Papaw, passed away late last night. His health has been steadily declining for the past few months and we are all grateful that he is no longer suffering. Of course, this doesn't make the grieving process any easier. We are comforted by the fact that he lived an amazing life in his 87 years and cherish the memories we have. We are thankful that we got to spend one last Christmas with him and take some final pictures -- which I will share at another time. He was one of the most stubborn people you'd ever meet but was a truly Godly man who set a great example for us all. I'm so thankful for the memories I have and that Nathan was able to know him. I ask that you give my family, especially my Nanny, your thoughts and prayers over the next few days. We will be extremely grateful for them!

Speaking of Christmas pictures... I'm still having problems getting them loaded. I think they'll have to wait until I get back to work next week and have a better connection speed. Better late than never, right?! So today, I'll be discussing my thoughts on 2011 and my intentions for 2012.

There are many things that stick out in my mind over the past year. We welcomed a new baby girl in our family, Nathan and I got another dog, I became a 20-something, and, probably the biggest to me, I got engaged! 2011 was a rollar coaster year. Many of the details I have not shared publicly on this blog. But, I know that my blessings heavily outweigh the trials I've had. I'm grateful for both! I know that 2012 is going to be a BIG year for me... in more than one way. I'll turn 21, my sister will graduate from high school and start college, my parents will celebrate 25 years together, I will be preparing for student teaching, it will be the last year at the job I've had for almost 4 years, and I will get a new last name. Of course, I'm sure many things will happen that aren't in "my plan", but that's just life. However, I do have some things I intend to do in 2012. Some are just continuations of things I already do and some are brand new goals for myself. Here's my list:

#1. Stick to the budget! I have created my wedding budget and monthly budget to allow me to save a great chunk of money. I'm lucky that my college tuition was paid for by a scholarship and that has allowed me to save a lot of my money and have no debt! However, it's time to buckle down and be super strict with my money. I now have a bit of motivation called a wedding. I really intend to stick to both budgets as I know it will ease the stress during the process.

#2. Cut out sweets! I have to be honest and say that I'm not looking forward to this. I have a major sweet tooth. I mean, major. I'm not wanting to cut out indulgences completely in my life, but they do not need to be a daily occurence as they are now. I know it's not healthy and it affects my complexion. If I can achieve this, it will be a major accomplishment for me.

#3. Continue my exercising habits! I have been very good during my time at college to schedule workout time at least 4 days a week. It's my time to de-stress and plug out of the world. I definitely want to keep up this habit in my life to look my best in a certain white dress :)

#4. Continue my efforts in school and work. Lord willing, I've been able to maintain a 4.0 during my time at college and work 20 hours a week. I want to continue to keep that balance during my last 3 semesters. Staying busy helps keep me focused!

#5. Step out of my comfort zone! This mainly applies to my goals with Mary Kay. Any profits I receive from this "job", will be put towards the wedding so I'm going to try anything I can to be successful! I think it's important for me to step out of my comfort zone to advertise myself and share information on Mary Kay.

#6. Remember that it's about marriage; not the wedding! Of course, the wedding is important, fun, and exciting, but it's only one day. Marriage is forever! I think one of the reasons Nathan and I dated so long before we got engaged was because we both take marriage very seriously. We didn't want to be engaged until we discussed issues that needed to be discussed and knew that we could make this work. The keyword there is work. My mom and dad got us a book for Christmas that I will be posting about soon. I've already read several chapters and am so thankful for it! I have no doubts that Nathan and I are forever but I also know that any relationship can be improved and needs to continually be worked on. Even though we've been together almost 6 years, I'm sure that during the next 9 months we'll learn a lot about each other!

#7. Continually improve my relationship with God. I fail him daily and am ever-so-grateful that he still loves and forgives me. I really want to bury myself in His Word over the next year and learn about it. I really, really do!

I know that we all have resolutions each year and I wish you the best of luck with yours!

The blog will probably be vacated over the weekend as my family and I deal with the funeral of my Papaw and Nathan and I host our NYE party. I truly hope that each of you ring in the new year with a smile and your favorite people! I also pray that your year will be filled with peace and blessings :)

Love to you all!