A toast

Welp, 2010 is almost over. It's been a good year. I got a promotion, a raise, and a new job within the same month, I got married, got a new set of parents and a sister, got a house and a yard to plant flowers in, went to Hawaii, scuba dived with turtles and had my first Christmas with my Hubs.

It really was a great year. But with the passing of yet another birthday (am I seriously 27!?) and Christmas, which seems to fly by faster and faster every year, a lot of questions and thoughts come to mind. One of the thoughts that is constantly in my prayers and thoughts is "what is my purpose in life?" Big question, I know. And of course, only God knows the answer and will reveal it in his timing, BUT...I'm really hoping and praying that answer comes soon.

I'm not getting any younger (last night, I purchased my first anti-wrinkle product!) and I'm just really beginning to wonder what is it that I'm living for? What is waking me up and motivating me to live every day? When will be my last day on earth? How many New Years is it going to take for me to finally achieve my resolutions!? Morbid thoughts, I know, but they have been weighing heavy on me lately.

One thing I do know is that I don't want to just let life pass me by. I hate how the big, important moments in life always seem to just fly by and become memories that I can post photos of on facebook...But, I also know I can't live for those days either because the majority of life is made up of the mundane. I want to live my life with purpose...all of it, the big important events and the mundane. But how?

Not sure when this happened, but I've become addicted to online shopping always looking for the next big thing to purchase. I think its the affect of nesting. I just want to add more fluff to my "nest," but if I'm honest all the new fluff really doesn't make my life any better.

Instead of investing in the superficial, I want to invest in my husband, friends and family, and myself, and by myself, I mean working to become a more involved citizen, and a stronger woman both spiritually, physically and mentally. I want to read a book and actually make it all the way through even if I only gain one nugget from it. I want to be more adventurous and go on a trip with the Hubs and my friends on a whim. I want to not be afraid to make the first move with a new friendship and actually follow up there after. I want to focus on strengthening and nourishing my body with physical activity and fresh food, rather than sitting on the couch in a food coma. And, I want to know God better. I want to really know him, and live my life for him instead of how I think the world wants me to live.

I want to keep my word. Last night, the Hubs and I were discussing about how one day, we want to go to Spain and drink sangria in a creepy hole in the wall bar hidden in an alley, travel to Prague to pick up some awesome mulled wine spices, and sky dive in Australia and swim the Great Barrier Reef. I stopped the Hubs immediately, and said "Let's not just say 'someday we will do this and that' because who knows when our someday is up. Let's instead say 'we will do this and that' and make plans to actually do it.

No more wishing and hoping through life. I've only got one chance at this, and I don't want to waste it.

So here's to 2011!

Wishing you more happiness
Than all my words can tell,
Not just alone for New Years Eve
But for all the year as well.

It's that time of year

 

photo courtest of lisaleonardonline.com/blog

Three days till Christmas, and only two days till Christmas Eve. Bring on Christmas!

Cheap AND Easy

The Hubs and I missed the boat on sending out Christmas cards, but to be honest, they are expensive. And as newlyweds with one of us in med school, we just don't have the funds to purchase lovely Christmas cards or the stamps to mail them :) 

I designed the card below on Picnik.com, and I'm thinking I'm just going to print these out at home or  Walgreens, glue them to some paper and wallah. A Christmas card. Perfect for handing out to friends and loved ones :)

 

I'm sorry I ruined your lives and crammed 11 cookies into the VCR.

Christmas is alive and well in the Hubs and J household! Christmas movies are on pretty much non-stop, the house smells of evergreen, lights flicker from our 10 christmas trees (yes, 10 christmas trees...I'm a bit obsessed) and hot cocoa is available 24/7. My mother-in-law surprised the Hubs and I with a fabulous wreath for our door and a lovely flower arrangement for our house. It's all fabulous! Only 2 more weeks to enjoy it all too! I must take it all in!!!

Here are a few of my recent projects :)

My new Snowman cookie jar from mi madre.

First attempt at needle felting a snowman. I ran out of room for a carrot nose...I think the carrot nose might make him look cuter. I'm gonna have to fix that.

The mantle with homemade circle-punch garland and homemade, glittered "JOY" garland. I'm pretty proud of the outcome, if I do say so myself :)

A closer look at the mantle {sigh}

My $6, homemade wreath all from Target. Very proud...now if only it would stick to the window!

Just a thought

photo courtesy of The Pleated Poppy

I was discussing Thanksgiving with my father-in-law the other day, and he was feeling a bit bummed by the post-Thanksgiving Day blues. He loved having the family home, watching movies together and enjoying everyone's company. It got me to thinking about Christmas. I always can't wait for Christmas day, but it's not really Christmas day that holds the real magic for me. It's the days leading up to Christmas.

With only 3 weekends before Christmas, I've decided that I'm going to live my holiday season deliberately. After planning a wedding for a year, and feeling like the actual wedding day went waaay to fast, I'm not going to let stress and the busyness of life take away from my enjoyment of life. No falling asleep on the couch or getting stressed out by my to do lists this year. I'm going to soak up every moment with all my loved ones. Because life isn't really made up of big moments, but the every day, little moments. So here's to December's little moments! May they all be merry and bright :)

It's my Berfday!

Today is my birthday. I am 27 years young. My mother tells me it was snowing when I was born at 12:05 in the morning. Glad its not snowing 27 years later. I only love snow when I'm skiing on it.

My cup is definitely overflowing today. I am feeling way too blessed and a bit moved to tears by the love that has been shown to me by friends and family.

My Wicked cake :)

Last night, my loving hubs made me a two-layer cake made of carrot cake and spice cake with cream cheese frosting. He even made fondant. It took him 4 hours to make...4 hours he could have spent studying, but instead, decided to bake me a cake. It was a green cake. I asked him why it was green (and was going to have a black bow, but molding fondant is difficult), and he told me I had to guess why and that it had to do with my present. Green and Black...Hmm....Money? No. Make-up? No. Shoes? No. We went on like this for about 5 minutes. He said its something I've been wanting to do and see. A movie? No, but close. There is a musical playing in town, "Spamalot," so I guessed a musical. He stared back at me with a grin stretching across his face. Then, a glimmer of hope popped into my head and I spoke the word outloud..."Wicked"? He smiled even bigger. He is taking me to Chicago for the weekend to see "Wicked"!

Once it sunk in that he wasn't joking, I think I immediately apologized for being rude or mean lately, and thought, "I don't deserve this." I had a dream last night that I told him that, and then this morning, I told him about the dream and about how I really don't deserve this. And he responded, "Yes you do. You are a wonderful wife and my best friend. You do wonderful things for me everyday and I am happy to be able to give back to you by a weekend trip to Chicago to see your favorite musical."..."Man, I really don't deserve this," I thought. He even wants to buy me a dress for the show. Is your heart melting yet? I'm almost in tears just replaying it all in my head. Feeling very "Pretty Woman" except for the whole prostitution thing.

But, it's done. My mom and the Hubs have been planning this since October, and my mom is helping out with the costs because she is wonderful like that. We are taking the train to Chicago on Saturday morning, spending time before the show shopping and exploring Chicago, and then heading to the greatest musical on Earth. But, what I'm most excited for is that I get to spend a whole weekend with my man. And that's the best gift I could ask for.