Life Laid Bear

A little overdue

I think it is a little overdue that I am sitting down to write. The words, the feelings, and the emotions are all there but the want has not been. And I think that is okay. I am not going to write in this space just to write. That is not what it is about. And I had a hard time remembering that. 

This place is to document the beautiful life we are living. To revel in all that is the past and the present. To look back one day and say "wow, that was our life". Or even "I wish we could feel that way again". 

So I think it is time to get back to regular writing. As an outlet. As a memory. As a piece of myself. 

around here January

It has been a really fun, quick, and relaxing month. With lots of slow weekends and coffee dates. So far so good in our house. Here is what we have been up to. 

Dreaming about a girl's cruise I am going on in August with 11 of the best girls around! 

Taking too many pictures of the pups. They have been lazy and too cute to pass up. 

We jumped over to Jacksonville one night and rooted FGCU on. We couldn't get a single good picture in the gym lighting, but it was such a fun trip. 

Kyle is in love with board games right now. So a couple of new ones have mysterously shown up on my door step recently. We like this one.

We had a really fun night playing games. Mostly cracking up with Cards Against Humanity.  

We are rewatching all of the Friends episodes now that they are on Netflix. How did I not remember how funny this was? Also, have you seen Marco Polo? Pure magic, Netflix. 

Spending lots of nights cuddled under blankets, talking, laughing, and wishing for some spring weather. 

 

 

New year, new attitude, new goals

The holiday season is over, our family is gone (sadly), (and now that half of January is already over) I am ready to think about the new year. While I don't do resolutions, mostly because they have a bad connotation about them and I don't want to set myself up for failure, I do make goals. Simple, easy to understand, and no added stigma to it.  

In 2015, I want to work on being the best me that I can be. For myself, for my family and friends, and for my husband. I have made a small list of those things I want to work on. Some are a little more personal, that I will only share with my guy, and some I feel more comfortable sharing here in black and white. It makes me feel more accountable to say/write/express it here. 

Grateful

- Being grateful for the small things was one of my favorite goals last year. It helped me stay thankful for the good weeks and most importantly the bad weeks. Of course, the bad weeks were harder. It's always a test to be positive when you don't really feel it. But all you can do is try your hardest, and I feel I did a good job. I can give myself a small pat on the back. 

- This year, I am not going to do a weekly thankful post. But I do want to spend time each night thinking about the simple things I am grateful. That really nice compliment that the girl in the grocery store gave you, the flirty mood your husband was in, or the sweet kisses that your pups gave you. Life is so so sweet. Let's try to remember it a little more. 

Open

- Let's open our hearts more often, be less angry about things that aren't worth it, and love eachother a little bit more.

-  Being open is a really hard thing to do. No one wants to put themselves out there and be rejected. But it is even worse to regret not doing something, or saying the thing you really wanted to. So I am vowing myself to be more open. To love more, be more patient, and give more of myself to those I meet. 

Being There

- With all of the technology out there and the mass amounts of ways you can connect to people, it is easy to get carried away with being on your phone all.of.the.time. I see it everyday. The couple on their phone at dinner, or the people talking in line at the supermarket. 

- I don't want to be that person. I have a friend that says all the time " be with us". Meaning, get off of your phone and be in the moment. With the people in front of you. So from now on, I am going to try to stay off of my phone and more with the people that mean the most to me. 

Productive

- I have put too much off, for too long. And it is time we get to business getting everything together. The project I said I was going to finish last month, well let's just go ahead and get it done. That room that need repainting, take a day and paint it. Just go, and do it. It will feel so much better when I can check it off of my list. 

- This is going to be my hardest goal this year. I start projects and have a lot of energy at first. But if I don't get that project done right then and there, I lose momentum. And don't end up finishing. 

Fun

- This goes hand in hand with being less serious for me. So many terrible things going on and we need to have more fun while we can. Don't turn down that free trip your parents invite you on. Don't turn down that drink with your girlfriends because you are tired after work. Because these are the days guys, these are the memories. Make them good! 

So here is to a new year and a new attitude! Cheers and Happy New Year's. I am ready to take on 2015. The best is yet to come! 

Christmas Recap 2014

Christmas was a warm blur of good times with our families, and it was made even more special by the arrival of Kyle's sister, her husband, and our perfect niece. We spent the first week they were here totally mesmerized by everything our little niece did. To say we are madly in love with our baby P would be an understatement. 

 Christmas Eve was spent at our house. This was the first time hosting a holiday dinner by ourselves, and I think we can definitely use some practice. But all in all, it was good! Also, lots and lots of gifts and baby Penny's Minnie Mouse. 

Kyle soaking up all of the time he can with Penny. He looks like a natural, right?

On Christmas Day, Kyle had to work so I spent most of it opening gifts with our family and Facetiming with my family in Jacksonville while they opened their gifts. We had a wonderful Christmas dinner, opened more gifts and then came home to open our gifts from each other. Tilly really loves opening  gifts. More like sticking her whole body into the bag, but we will count it. Best gift of the night.... R. Kelly's  box set of Trapped in the Closet (all of the chapters). Huge R. Kelly fan over here! 

A little elf in the house! 

On Saturday, we took the pups and headed to my parents house for Christmas round two. We dressed Tilly up in her Christmas tree outfit and opened gifts for another couple hours! My dad loves his little Christmas tree. Her not so much!

And last but not least, two very stuck pups who had a little too much fun in the Christmas lights. We now have the tree and lights down, and I am one sad lady over here. The best time of the year is over, and now we start a new one. Tomorrow starts work again, and as glad as I am to be back in our routine I will miss the whimsy that is this time of year.