.:welcoming 2013 with open arms:.

happy 2013!!!!!

i hope you all had a safe and happy New Year celebration!

drew and i decided to stay in this year since i have been battling, yet another bout of a chest cold (not even to mention 2 black eyes), but i wouldn't have wanted it any other way! drew picked up 4 lbs of king crab while i got champagne. we spent the evening reflecting on 2012 and what we hope to see in 2013.

when we first started dating, we started a tradition on New Year's Eve. we write down all the major events of the year on an ornament for our tree - it was neat to pull out last year's ornament and remember last year's memories. unfortunately, with me being sick off and on the past couple months, we took the Christmas tree down early and replaced it with an extra large humidifier. this also meant that we forgot to get an ornament to carry on our tradition. of course, drew was 2 steps ahead of me and wrote it all down on a card which he gave to me during dinner last night (he  truly is the most thoughtful person i have ever met, sigh).

some things listed are big, others are little, a few are negative, while many are positive.

a few negatives include having to put my family dog, Maggie, down and losing Zeus, drew's little sister's Savannah monitor. we also lost drew's most prized possession, his Macbook Pro (don't worry, it was quickly replaced with a new car). others include drew breaking his nose playing soccer while i dropped a dumbbell on my forehead giving myself 2 black eyes, running my last race and being sick several times.

on the positive side, career wise drew and i have both had success. he passed his series 7 and 63 exams and moved departments. i hit my big break and was offered a Wellness Coordinator position which made me so happy, i cried (alone, at home, but pulled myself together before drew got home from work). we took our first trip together to Vancouver, saw great friends get married, got another kitten and most importantly, we moved in together!

we have endless small memories that make us who we are as a couple:. numerous bike rides, countless inside jokes, late nite bonfires for two, road trips to NDSU for soccer games, voting, admittedly spending hours watching 8 seasons of Criminal Minds and visited a bed and breakfast.

while i am SO ready to say good bye to 2012 and see what 2013 has for me and us, i am glad drew was able to remind me of what the year has blessed us with. our lives are abundant with simple happiness, memories and opportunities.


thanks for following me on this crazy journey - cheers to health, wealth and happiness!



always striving for more,

dee b.


p.s. don't worry, i didn't forget resolutions - stay tuned!

.:simple or free-spirited?:.

i stumbled upon the excerpt below on none other, than pinterest! i really think it pertains to my personality and this new concept of living simple. i find that i can not only relate to a few of these (celebrate authenticity, LOL, enjoy simple things), but i can also look at this for inspiration. in times that i am feeling stuck in my cubicle, wondering how in the world did i end up here, or where will my career end up, OR what for/when i will go back to school, i can pull this up, take a deep breath and just live. everyone has unanswered questions that they'd like an 'easy' answer to, but it's how we go about finding those answers that defines us. live life, friends and enjoy the journey (this journey is promised to be bumpy, hard hat may be required in some situations).
 

we've reached another friday, any big plans this weekend?

i am so excited for 5 o'clock when i am done with work! my mf and i are going for a walk down by the stone arch bridge. awwww, precious, i know, i know. i love going for walks and want to get in as many as i can before the it gets unbearably cold! like i said, some of the best things in life are free. tomorrow night, i get to go to my first bachelorette party for my good friend, emily. i am so excited to catch up with friends from high school and celebrate emily, who deserves the best night ever! in between, i have to work my shift at the yoga studio and run basketball practice for my girls (our next tournament is next weekend!).

.:GOALS/TO-DO:.

-make an appt for mr. henry to get neutered/declawed (sorry, dude)

-go for a run and/or to yoga sometime  

-prepare for an upcoming t-giving day 5k--i almost forgot i was a runner thanks to my knees and sickness, maybe i should run outside a couple times before to make sure i still got it?

-try out some new recipes from http://www.bhg.com/recipes/healthy/dinner/cheap-heart-healthy-dinner-ideas/#page=8

-attempt to make homemade laundry detergent

-create a practice plan for my girls to prepare for our tournament

i'm surprised that i can't think of any other ones? i've done quite well staying on top of my laundry/cleaning which normally rules my goals list....

any goals you would like to accomplish before winter hits?

always striving for more,

dee b.