Holiday Traditions

There is something about this time of year that makes everyone a little more sappy and nostalgic. There's something about holiday traditions that make the season just a bit more magical.

The Yule Log

A tradition that Matt & I have created is what we refer to as "The Yule Log." A few years ago, we happened upon the yule log on TV. That same Christmas I randomly found a Yule Log DVD and bought it for Matt as a joke. It has become our Holiday tradition to pop in the Yule Log whenever we are doing something holiday related (typically while blasting Christmas Carols).

Last year we took a break from decorating to take a photo in front of the yule log.

I think the Yule Log with continue to be a tradition for us for years to come. It is one of the silly, quirky thinks about our life that I just love. The house we are in contract on has a fireplace, but I plan on playing the Yule Log DVD regardless. 
As we have a family, I plan to institute many more Holiday Traditions. There truly is something special about this time of year!

What are your Holiday Traditions?

I don't have a title for this...

After almost two weeks of tests, my mom was diagnosed with cancer last week. There are cancer “nodules” throughout her body: her lymph nodes, her lungs, her liver, her rectum and colon, and even her spine. She started "very aggressive treatment" yesterday with her first round of chemo.

I've had my upset moments. Days. I've had thoughts, regrets, and panics that I couldn't get out of my mind. I keep thinking This isn't the way it's supposed to go. I've cried and prayed and pleaded with God and cried some more.

I've had days when somehow, I pushed it out of my mind and refused to think about it. I distracted myself anyway possible.

I tried keeping it to myself. Acknowledging it made it real, so I didn't want to do that. Also, I didn't want to look like that girl trying to get attention or pity. I told my family members I was OK and my husband was the only one I was open with.

Finally I realized, that this is a time that I need support. I was losing sleep and making myself crazy. I was in tears at work throughout the day at the thought of my mom's situation. So, I decided to tell 2 of my very close friends. Because I needed them. I composed and deleted and recomposed a text message telling them what was going on, being honest about how it was affecting me. I don't know why, but this was very hard for me. Of course they said all the right things. And I felt a little better.

Sunday it went public. My sister and aunts and then even my mom posted on their Facebook walls asking for support and prayers as my mom started chemo the next day. I didn't want to.

Then I started receiving texts from people who had seen it on Facebook. I read the amazingly supportive comments people were writing. And I realized that although this was a personal, private issue, sharing it with others was almost a relief. I created a post to show support for my mom and asked others to send her positive thoughts and prayers.

The outpouring of sincere condolences, positivity, and support that I've received is amazing. There are days when I think Facebook is absurd, but I must say in this instance, it's been a comfort to me. I've felt more positive and strong just knowing that so many people are thinking about, praying for, and rallying behind my mom. I hope it is a source of comfort and strength to her too.

P.S.

30 by 30... Part 2

Background: I recently decided to set some realistic goals. Inspired by a friend's blog, I am setting 30 goals to accomplish by the age of 30. I am setting out to achieve everything on my list by my 30th birthday, January 2, 2014. Some are measurable goals, some are more of lifestyle changes or habits I would like to create. Some are simply things I've always wanted to do.

It's interesting to see that many of my goals are connected: If I accomplish one goal, I'm setting myself up to accomplish another.

To keep it interesting, I am going to break this into 2 posts... 30 is a lot of things! Click here to see part 1.

Here part 2 of my list (in no particular order):

16. Visit Europe. I would absolutely LOVE to visit Europe. I don't care if I only see one country at a time, I just want to go! This is something that Matt and I will have to save up for... hopefully we can make it by 30!

 

 

So many cute ideas!

17. Host an amazing backyard BBQ party for our close friends and family at our new house. I have so many cute ideas for this. All I need is the space (and the grill!)... Matt and I think that this would be a perfect way to celebrate our 1st anniversary if we have a house by then.



18. Get organized. Ugh... I make messes. Then they stress me out. I need organization in my life. It is my goal to get over this and get organized!!





19. Visit family atleast once every other month. I have an awesome family. My grandparents are the absolute best and my cousins are growing up more each time I see them. I don't want to miss out! Also, it would be nice to alternate between Matt's family and mine, visiting family once a month between the two of them.

 

20. Plan a surprise party for someone special... and really surprise them! Who? I'm not telling. It will ruin the surprise.

21. Take a Yoga class. I took a yoga class in college and absolutely loved it! There are so many healthy and mental benefits to yoga, and I'd love to really get into it!

I just don't know!

22. Advance my career. It's hard to elaborate upon this goal, because I'm still not 100% sure what I want to be when I grow up. So maybe it's as simple as that: realizing what I want to be when I grow up and take steps to achieve this career. I want to be doing something that makes me happy and allows time for my outside life.

23. Become more involved in my community through volunteerism. Something I really miss about my previous job is the many opportunities to help the community. Volunteer opportunities are everywhere if you look for them! Volunteering is a great way to pursue a passion, meet people and make connections, and just help your community. I get excited just thinking about it. Visit www.volunteermatch.org to find opportunities yourself!

 

24. Take a trip to Washington, DC with my husband. I've been to DC three times now and I've enjoyed it each time. There are still plenty of things I haven't seen or done. Matt has never been and really wants to go. I know he will love it; he's very into history. I can't wait to see him experiencing this city! Plus we have multiple friends in the area to visit...

25. Maintain atleast a 3.5 GPA throughout grad school. My GPA from undergrad sucked. I had my reasons for being unfocused throughout college, but now I'm ready to focus and show what I can do. It's really more about proving to myself that I am capable of this.

Fact

26. Maintain the close friendships I have and strive to be a better friend. I have some of the best friends anyone could ask for. Really. So far, we've done a great job maintaining our friendships for the most part, but I know that as time passes and life progresses, people often lost touch and stop making friendship a priority. I don't want this to happen. Ever. Also, I'd like to work at being the best friend I can be by visiting/communicating more and showing appreciation and support.

Did I mention Matt & I like to cook together?

 27. Plan meals ahead & try new recipes. I have tons of recipes that I would like to try. Recipes in cookbooks and recipes I've collected online. But I rarely plan ahead when cooking, so I rarely try them. Instead I rush to find something quick and easy, usually reverting to the same old standby's. It is my goal to plan the week's meals before heading to the grocery store and only buy the ingredients needed. Doing this will cut costs and keep dinner interesting among other things.



Kids get cancer too.

28. Raise money to fight childhood cancer. Two of my best friends were devastated about a year and a half ago when their one-year-old daughter, Caroline, was diagnosed with a rare cancer called hepatoblastoma. Caroline had amazing doctors and parents who took excellent care of her, and luckily after a scary surgery, lots of need pricks, chemo, and hospital stays, she is now healthy and cancer free. So many families are not so lucky. Just thinking of what Caroline's family went through brings me to tears. It was such a hard time for them (and everyone who loves them). It is heartbreaking to think about what children with cancer and their families go through. I'm not sure what to do yet, but I want to do something.

 



 29. To continue to grow as a couple. To laugh together, be there for one another, and remember why we chose to get married. To have fun adventures. To not take one another for granted. To love each other even more! At each stage in our relationship, Matt and I have thought we were so close, knew each other so well and were so in love. Then a couple years pass and we look back and think "wow! we've grown so much. we didn't know anything back then." It is my goal that at 30 I can look back to now, to our wedding even, and see how much we've grown.

30. To write, write, write, blog, blog, blog. For so long I stopped expressing myself through written word and now that I'm doing it again, I love it! Maybe some day I'll do something worthwhile with my writing, maybe not. I really don't know or care. It's just something for me.

30 By 30... Part 1

I recently decided to set some realistic goals. Inspired by a friend's blog, I am setting 30 goals to accomplish by the age of 30. I am setting out to achieve everything on my list by my 30th birthday, January 2, 2014.  Some are measurable goals, some are more of lifestyle changes or habits I would like to create. Some are simply things I've always wanted to do.

It's interesting to see that many of my goals are connected: If I accomplish one goal, I'm setting myself up to accomplish another.

To keep it interesting, I am going to break this into 2 posts... 30 is a lot of things!

Here part 1 of my list (in no particular order):





1. A home. Now that we are married and both working at great jobs, Matt and I are ready to create a home of our very own. Since 2002 (almost 10 years!) I have lived in 8 different places, not counting the summer months that I spent living in dorms for my previous job. I have packed and unpacked, lugged and hauled. I'm ready to be done with that. I love our current clean, new-smelling apartment, but am sick of baren white walls. I'm ready for some color! I don't want to hear the echoes of neighbors through paper-thin walls, or worry that my own footsteps are too loud. I want space to live. I want a big backyard to enjoy and a spacious kitchen. I want a basement for Matt to putter around in and a cozy living room to lounge in. I want to fill our space without worrying about what a pain everything will be to move. I want something permanent (or at least long-term). I want something that is ours. I want to create an environment of warmth and love, a place to look forward to coming back to when we are away. I want that unmistakeable feeling that we are exactly where we are supposed to be: home.




Maybe we'll take a family portrait like this?

2. To begin our family. Something very important to both Matt and me is starting our own legacy, our family. Family is something very meaningful to the two of us, especially as we grow as a couple. There are so many things I could say about this subject, but I will keep it sweet and simple. We are ready to create our own sense of family, create our own traditions, and provide opportunities for our children to succeed in whatever it is they choose to do. I am very excited about this next chapter in our lives!  





Now I just need a Master's Degree

3. To obtain my Master's Degree. I've taken the first step to meeting this goal by applying to Grad School (last minute!) and getting accepted!! I have to say, this was a goal that I was really terrified about for the past few years. After facing the real world and realizing more of the direction I wanted to go, I knew I wanted to get my Master's Degree. Because of my poor GPA, I thought there was NO WAY I'd be accepted. Now that I've gotten over that hurdle, I know this is an achievable goal!



Good advice... harder than it sounds!

 4. Be a better listener. I think that good communication is the key to success, whether in the workplace or in relationships. When I think of some of the best friends that I have, I can remember them listening to me. Not waiting to talk, or being distracted. Truely listening. Sometimes I talk to much. Sometimes I completely zone out. I am going to try to make a habit of listening.

 5. Explore my beliefs. “To live is to choose. But to choose well, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go and why you want to get there,”- Kofi Annan.  I have never been one to blindly believe something just because it was popular or believed by my family, etc. I hope to further dwelve into finding out who I am and what I believe, developing my own personal creed.

6. Read more books. And not just for school! I used to read ALL THE TIME growing up. And I still enjoy reading when I actually make time it. Plus there are so many benefits to reading: it enhances creativity, broadens our vocabulary, and can help us escape from everyday stress for a bit. Plus, the library is free! :) By 30 I hope to have made a habit of reading at least 2 full books a month. I know I could read much more, but I'm trying to be realistic, knowing I will have an increasingly busy schedule.



Fresh veggies.. yum!

7.  To grow a huge vegetable garden and feed my family home grown veggies throughout the year! I love this idea because it is healthy, economical and fun! Matt and I planted a garden a few years ago at his parent's house and we really enjoyed it. I plan to learn the best (and healthiest) ways to can/ preserve as well. (Of course, all of this is dependent upon a backyard ;) ).

8. Speaking of which, I would like to eat less processed food. Sometimes, I try not to think about what I am putting in my body or where my food came from. This is a bad thing. This needs to change. I know I will never completely give up EVERYTHING that is bad for me, but I can atleast change my typical daily diet.

Oh to be on the open sea... in the sun... with fruity drinks... Sign me up!

9. Go on a cruise. This is just something fun that I have been wanting to do for awhile now. The people I know who go on cruises, swear by it. Matt's Aunt & Uncle go on a cruise every year and have asked us to go next July. I think we're going to do it!!

Word.

10. Wake up early (and go to bed early too!).  This is a habit I really need to work on forming. Currently, I tend to wake up half an hour before I need to be out the door. That's 30 minutes to wake up, make coffee, figure out my clothing, shower, brush my teeth, get dressed, throw my hair up, feed the cat, figure out lunch, and rush out the door. Sometimes I find time for a bit of makeup. Usually theres no time to put my contacts in. Sometimes I have time to pack my lunch, but usually not. Sometimes I remember to grab a piece of fruit for breakfast as I rush out.I have just enough time to get to work, and if I meet heavier traffic than usual, I will be late. If I accidentally press snooz, I am screwed. I don't look my best, leaving me with a lower confidence throughout the day.  Starting out my day in such a frazzled state is setting me up for failure, chaos, and stress. So, you can see the benefits of this goal! (( If anyone has tips on waking up early, I would love to hear them!))

It can be so easy.

11. Recycle. To be honest, in this day and age it is embarrassing to admit that we do not currently recycle at home. Our excuse: our apartment complex does not offer this service. And it is just that, an excuse. I know there are people who save their items for recycling and deliver them themselves. Once we have a home, I hope that we will be able to have our recycling picked up. If not, we need to figure out another solution. It's an easy way to help the world and I just feel too guilty not to!

12. To refine and cultivate my personal style. My sense of fashion is all over the place. And that's ok. But I'd like to consistantly look well put together with a lasting personal style that I can incorporate trends into here and there.

13. Make a quilt. This one is nothing life-changing, but it's something I'd like to do. When I was younger, my sister and I spent a whole summer cutting out squares to make a quilt... but then we got bored or distracted and never finished. I hope to finish this time!

Workout outfit?

14. To exercise regularly. I will find a fitness plan that suits me... and stick to it! Preferably, this plan will incorporate biking. I'm not looking to lose weight, just tighten up and be healthy.

15. Financial Stability. I'm not saying I want to be rich. I just want "stability." Meaning, if my car breaks down I can fix it without stressing out. If I get sick, I don't freak out about adding medical bills. You get the jist. I feel like Matt and I are pretty close to this now and if we stay on track, we should be able to easily meet this goal by 30.

So Much to Say, So Little Words

Matt and I became husband and wife June 18, 2011 in Athens, Ohio.

Matt’s father passed away July 16, 2011 in his home.

There is so much to say about both. I will post about both in the future. I know it.

But for now… I just can’t.