The Joy of Love

My friend, Jennifer, sent me a link to an awesome, fun, and FREE experience for photography lovers. Like me, she loves photography. (You can see her website here: http://www.wix.com/jenniferlathan1985/pearlsandcurls and her blog here: http://jenniferspearlsandcurls.blogspot.com/.)

The class we signed up for is called The Joy of Love and it offers a daily photography challenge for the month of February given by Willette Photography & More. You can see her website here: http://www.willettedesigns.com/newsite/wordpress/. Today was Day 1 and our challenge was called What They Do. We were to photograph our loved ones doing something and she also taught us some lighting techniques.

My first idea was to take pictures of Zak working out and I did but one thing that always happens when Zak works out is our dog, Maggie, will stay at his hip. She loves to be close to him at all times. This sometimes can be annoying to Zak while he is working out and I will have to call her into the other room with me while he finishes but today I was in there with Zak taking pictures and Maggie was right there with him. I realized this is what my loves do...

I'm really excited about tomorrow's challenge and hope by the end of February I have picked up on some good techniques and tips for photography...and a slew of pictures of the ones I love.

Mema

This past weekend Zak and I visited my Mema in Norris, Tennessee. I always look forward to seeing her. We left Thursday night and came home Saturday evening. I only took a few pictures but here are the best parts of our trip:

• The big breakfasts she cooked us each morning
• Going to Oak Ridge and seeing where my Grandpas worked
• Watching the documentary of Oak Ridge and listening to all the stories Mema had to tell
• Eating good pizza at the Gondolier
• Watching the home video of my family's talent show from 1993
• Sitting in her rocking chair with everything familiar around me

*This is taken from that rocking chair. I love this picture

Finding my Groove

I'm on Week 3 and I'm going strong! I can count on one hand how many times I've had something sweet and I'm finding my groove with my workout. I was definitely having a weak moment the other day with that brownie and I know I'll have more to come but that's ok. I've always said I can have the brownie just not every day. My workout today and yesterday were really good and I find it much easier to work out before supper than after.

I also bumped up my time to 25 minutes and to level 10. I'm getting there. My goal is to get to 45 minutes without killing over.

Just started with 25 minutes to go...It helps to get through the workout with something good on TV. Today was Everybody Loves Raymond.

Level 10!

I look like a goof ball but this is me post workout...Looking quite sweaty

I spent some time with my roommate from college and her husband over the weekend. We had a lot of fun talking, eating, and talking some more. This coming weekend Zak and I are heading up to Tennessee to see my Mema. We're really excited and looking forward to getting away for a little while.

Low point

I hit my low point last night since I started this healthy eating binge.

I was craving something sweet and my Mom had made brownies for us on Wednesday and sent some home with us. I told myself I couldn't eat them everyday. Fyi: The brownie I had at my parent's house was the first sweet thing I had eaten. Since I had some Wednesday I couldn't eat them on Thursday. Plus, I had planned on having them around for my college roommate and her husband when they came to visit us this weekend. Well, I wanted these brownies Thursday and my stomach wasn't making it easy on me to resist.

It started out with me imagining cutting a small piece and eating it...just a small piece. Then I decided to go over and smell them...just smell them. Smelling turned into me lifting the lid. Then tasting them. When Zak started laughing, I realized he was standing in the hallway watching me...Watching me so carefully dip my finger in the icing (that was on the brownies..yeah so good!) and licking it off.

Yeah...Not my finest moment.

Last Sacrifice

I finished Poppy Done to Death by Charlaine Harris and have now finished the series. She left it open ended and I would love for her to continue that story.

For now I'm on to my next book, Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead. This book is the sixth and last book in the series called Vampire Academy. It finally came out in December and I've been excited (and a little sad) to start reading it.

It follows Rose Hathaway as she trains to be a guardian of Moroi (vampires). She is the best of her kind thanks to her trainer/lover, Dimitri. Her world fights against Strigoi (evil vampires) and when her world gets turned upside down, she is the only one who can make it right again. I honestly don't know what else to say without giving everything away. You just need to read it. It is so good!

Maggie's Resume

I follow a lot of blogs and recently got some inspiration from a fellow blogger. She wrote up a resume for her new baby and all her talents. I thought "How cute. I'll do that when we have a baby", but by then I will have long forgotten it. So, as I look around my apartment for any volunteers I spot Maggie (of course). She was just dying for me to do this...

Maggie Kuhn

Objective: To keep humans entertained by my constant source of energy.

Education:

• Burke County Humane Society, 2 months
• Home of two humans, 2.5 years

Tricks:

• Sit, on command
• Shake, when treats are present
• Roll Over, work in progress

Work History: Internship with two humans, Aug. 2008 - Present

• Ability to bark at piercing noise levels when excited.
• Can play for hours on end without succumbing to sleep.
• Can trick humans into thinking age is younger than it is with my secret weapon, the puppy dog face.
• Ability to produce a squeaky noise from toys until humans remove toy.
• Can successfully identify the moment humans sit down and relax in order to request a bathroom break.

Pep Talk

When we get adults we get this mentality that we can do what we want and when we want it. Yet, we set rules and standards for kids, yes, to teach them but also because it makes them feel protected and make their world more stable. How come we don't do the same for ourselves?

I've been going about life for awhile eating what I want. I set goals for myself but don't listen when I really really want something. When kids really, really want the whole bag of cookies before dinner we don't give in because it's whats best for them.

So I'm going to say that for myself. I'm not giving in. If I have to treat myself like a child, then I will. I'm not giving in.

I've been doing good on the healthy eating, smaller portions, and no sugar this week but it is only three days in (It feels like a month) and I'm wanting that bag of Christmas candy that has my name written all over it.

I have to get over this hump before I can allow myself to have what I want in moderation. I know this will get easier. (I hope those dreams I had last night of heaping portions of mashed potatos go away.)

I just needed to give myself a little pep talk.

What I'm reading

If you're looking for a good book to read...make that a series...you should definitely read the murder mysteries called Real Murders by Charlaine Harris. You might recognize her name from the Sookie Stackhouse novels that are now portrayed on the HBO show True Blood.

Real Murders is the first book in an eight book series. They were written way before Sookie Stackhouse and all of Charlaine Harris's fame (of sorts). My mom introduced them to me back in the Summer (I think) and I really enjoyed them.

They are murder mysteries that follow Aurora Teagarden as she encounters a murder she has to solve. I'm currently reading the eighth and last book in the series called Poppy done to death (Yes, the names are funny. Others include Dead Over Heels, Last Scene Alive, The Julius House...Oh wait that one wasn't as funny). They are fun and easy reads and they are helping me keep my New Years Resolution to read everyday. I want to read these and I look forward to opening it's pages everytime.

With all the snow on the ground here I can't think of anything better!

Well, I take that back...

Rain Boots

Due to the weather, I have to share a picture of my new rain boots I bought the other day. I knew about all this snowy weather coming our way and I (shamefully) do not own a pair of rain boots. Don't ask me why. I can think of a million other things I would rather have than rain boots but they are needed and convenient in times like these. I wanted a cute pair but a cheaper pair seeing I was spending Christmas money buying them. (Notice how I'm sticking with my New Years Resolution to Save Money...Go me! *By the way, Christmas money is not saving money for anyone who doesn't know*) I found a really cute pair at Old Navy for $29.99. They weren't too flashy or boring. Perfect for me.

*My cute new rain boots. Notice my shirt too. I bought it at Old Navy on Sale for $8.50.*

*Upclose you can see all the flowers*

Speaking of New Years Resolutions I'm really sticking to them so far...well most of them. I've been writing every day (which if you're reading this blog you probably already know that). I've been reading everyday and we've been saving and not spending. I haven't started taking a vitamin everyday simply because I forgot to put them on our grocery list this week and do not yet own any vitamins to take BUT they are going on the grocery list for next week. I worked out today (won't say how long it has been since I did this other than today it was shorter than I wanted and I thought I would die afterwards), ate smaller meals, and did not eat ANY sugar! Sadly the language learning hasn't started. I still need to work on how I'm going to go about that. If anyone has any suggestions please I need them.

P.S. you should know I had to look back on my previous blog of New Years Resolutions to remember them all.

They grow up so fast

Our little dog is growing up...*tear*. Since the day we got our dog, Maggie, she has slept in our kitchen at night. Every night we put her bed by the sink and put up the doggie gate (actually, a baby gate). She knows then it is bedtime and every night she jumps onto the couch and puts her ears back like saying, "Please let me sleep here tonight Mommy!" The reasons for doing this ritual every single night is because early on Maggie liked to chew and we found out the hard way many times. Coming home to an eaten box of Kleenex, or a destroyed doggie bed strewn all over the floor was not uncommon. We simply couldn't trust her to go all night without tearing something up.

*Maggie's puppy dog look when she wants something*

Zak and I started talking one day and realized Maggie hadn't torn anything up in awhile. Now take it, our box of Kleenex is high up out of reach and she did tear up some tissue paper from a gift under our tree at Christmas but I look at it as that was our fault for leaving it so available and tasty for her to get. On a normal basis Maggie does really well.

*Maggie and her bff Ella trying to get to the toy first*

After several attempts to do this and then backing out of it last minute (always me who backed out), we decided to try it for real, leaving her out all night to sleep wherever she would like and roam around as she pleased. I was a nervous wreck. I checked on her at least six times before actually going to bed myself. Zak was dreaming that night I checked on her and told him she was tearing up a pillow (which didn't happen) so, he was worrying too. The funny thing is, when we got up the next morning Maggie was curled up on the couch in the exact spot we left her. I don't believe she moved the entire night.

We've always joked that we have a teenager on our hands because she will sleep all day and is ready to play at night but this made me realize that just maybe our dog is growing up.

Tonight is Day 4 and so far so good. Let's just hope one night she doesn't decide to rebel and eat everything in sight...but you'll be the first to know.

New Years Resolutions

I'm a little late in the New Years Resolutions department. It isn't my fault. Two days into the New Year I came down with a cold. Not just any cold, but an 'I can't get out of bed, who cares about a shower', kinda cold. I'm still trying to shake it all off but at least I have ambitions now.

What's different about this year for me is normally I make one resolution and I always fail at it. This year I wanted to do something different. This year I'm making lots of resolutions in the hope that one will stick. If I accomplish one or several at least I've accomplished something. So, here it goes.

My New Years Resolutions for 2011!

Read More~ If I could read everyday I would...and I should. That's what I'm going to do. Even if I read one page in bed before I fall asleep, I'm going to read everyday.

Get Healthy~No more putting this off. I have to get healthy. I don't want to lose weight or be what the world says is thin. I want to feel good again. I want to have more energy and feel good about what I'm eating and feel good about myself.

Save More Money~ Zak and I have several big purchases we are aiming for this year. We hope to buy a car in a few months and after the Summer we hope to buy a house. We aren't bad savers now but it's time to buckle down and keep our eye on the prize.

Finish My Picture Project~ This is one that I've been working on for two years and I'm no where near finishing it today than I was two years ago when I started. For anyone who doesn't know about my project, I made it my goal to sort and print all of my pictures (the important ones) on my computer. Then label and date all of them. THEN organize them in order in photo albums. That is a lot. We are talking several years of pictures (college, birthdays, Maddie, holidays). Most people would think I was crazy but I know in the end I will be so happy to have it completed. *Side Note: This has been my one and only New Years Resolution for the past two years.

Learn Another Language~ I've wanted to learn another language for some time now. I looked into a few programs but never got farther than that. I want to learn Spanish seeing that is what I kinda, sort of, not really learned in grade school. I'm really ready to learn now.

Write More~ I really enjoy writing but never seem to do it. I started a book, then another, and another but never finished any of them. I have this blog but I geared it towards pictures. I'm changing that. I want to write more. I may not finish one of my books and I will still post a lot of pictures on here but every now and then I want to share my thoughts and hope someone will listen.

Take a Vitamin Everyday~ I tried doing this at one time and it lasted not even a week but I'm going to try to get into the habit of doing it everyday.

So, There you go. My Resolutions for 2011 in all its randomness!

Beth's 29th Birthday and New Years

For Beth's birthday, Paul took our whole family out to eat at Kobe's Restaurant. It was so entertaining going with a 4 year old. Maddie had a blast demanding fire from the chef and watching all the food cook. When we got home, we threw a party for Beth. We were all so full no one wanted cake but Beth liked all her presents she got. Maddie liked hers too. Zak and I stayed up til midnight to watch the ball drop back at our apartment and got to sleep in the next morning. We ate lunch with Zak's parents and met up with Beth and Paul in the afternoon to watch the new Harry Potter Movie. That evening we ate with my family and afterwards my Mom, Beth, and me made glass block nightlights. It was a lot of fun and they all turned out great. Mine is now sitting in our living room. It was a great end to 2010.

A White Christmas

We finally had a White Christmas and it was a good one. Zak and I went to my parent's house early Christmas day and spent the morning opening presents. By the time we arrived at Zak's parent's house it was snowing. It didn't take long for it to start laying and covering the grass. By the time lunch came around it was still snowing and everything was covered, even the roads. We had a great view out the window while Zak and I opened presents with his parent's. The dog's weren't phased by it. Maggie always prefers dry and warm to cold and wet. (I'm a lot like her) Zak was like a kid. He was so excited. He wanted to play and be in it the whole time, and he did.

Maddie's 4th Birthday

The night before Christmas...no I won't go there. Christmas Eve was a busy one for us. Beth, Maddie, and Paul were coming that evening and we had a birthday party to celebrate. My Mom made her chili that we all love and I made a birthday cake for Maddie who had turned 4. We had a lot of fun getting everyone together and Maddie was so excited with all her presents. Can you tell we love this little girl?

Long Lost Blogger

We're still alive!

I've been terrible at blogging! I just looked at my last post and it's been close to two months. This month has flown by. We've been busy here lately getting ready for Christmas and we are happy to say we're done with shopping for the year Woo Hoo! Zak and I both have Christmas Eve off this year and we are looking forward to spending the day together. I'm excited about being in the kitchen cooking, something I haven't been able to do in awhile.

I want to give a special shout out to our niece Maddie. She is 4 years old today!

Happy Birthday MADDIE!!

We will get to see her, as well as my sister Beth, on Christmas Eve and have a special birthday party for her. I can't wait for them to get here!

And since a post is just not as fun without a picture, I'll leave you with Maggie wishing you all a Merry Christmas!!