Spring Break Recap!!!!

It has been an extremely busy but EXCITING Spring Break!
I started the vacation off with a mini trip to Phoenix… Troy and I went to IKEA and picked out some furniture for the room! We then got to meet up with Patrick, Sarah and Allison for dinner! I forgot my camera so there are no new pictures of the little princess... boo I cannot believe I did that… I felt like a big ding dong! I did get some bonding time with Ms. Allison and learned a bit more about her! She likes to look around when I am holding her… she is a very curious bambino! And she toots like a champ! To Ms. Allison, I say… You go Girl!!!
Monday I went on a shopping excursion with Jess and her mom! We had a lot of fun hitting up BB&B, Target and Home Goods! We also made a little visit to Babies R’ Us and made Jess show us the major things she would pick out for Baby Agredano! I can’t wait until we find out what that little peanut is growing into!!!!
Tuesday and Wednesday I was up to my eyeballs in boxes and packing… bleh! Jess and Troy-boy kept checking in on me, because I think they were afraid I would be taken over by cardboard!
Thursday was paint day.
You might say to yourself, ‘Wow…that is all they did all day long?’
To which I would say, ‘YES… we painted aaaaallllllll day long! Boy am I glad Thursday is over (and the paint looks fantastic)!
But then the evening came and we had the 1st EVER fabulous ladies Bunco Bonanza, hosted by the lovely Nikki Churchill! We had some great snacks, conversation and fun while playing a pretty intense dice roll game! I had heard of coworkers of mine that played in a monthly group and always laughed to myself while thinking… super nerds!!!! Boy was I wrong (feel free to call me a super nerd!) We had a BLAST and unanimously agreed to have future monthly Bunco nights!
Friday Matt, Troy and I moved all of my lovely things to the house. Well let me rephrase that… Matt and Troy did most everything! I just finished packing the rest of the house, tied up some loose ends and had a mini panic attack when I saw Troy dropping things into Matt’s arms from the 2nd floor. I think it was understood that I would do most of the unpacking. And boy did I unpack! If you know me at all, you know that I had the majority of things put away that evening. The things that weren’t put away had at least had an assigned spot, for a later time!
Saturday I graded at least 100 assignments and entered them into the online gradebook. Well maybe not exactly 100, but really close to that. I also unpacked and reorganized some more.
Sooooo…. there was a little more to Saturday...it was my friend’s baby shower. This is the friend that I decided to part ways with. Seeing as I have not heard from her AT ALL, to discuss some of the hurtful things that went down, I opted to be a no show. I felt a little guilty about it… I would have loved to be there, Hell I would have loved to throw it for her. However I have come to the realization that if I do not have a higher expectation of my friendships then I will constantly be faced with these hurtful situations. By higher expectation I’m talking mutual respect, reliability and trust…not Carnival cruises and shopping excursions. At some point in my adult life I said no way Jose to negative relationships and who walks in but my Prince Troygle! Since I have let go of this friendship (and start to move past the sad part) I have been able to spend more time fostering the friendships that matter.
Anyways… back to the recap!
Sunday I finished grading the last 100 things I needed to grade… again this is an approximate. Troy and Matt BUSTED through the house repairing, reviving, plucking, filling and being the handiest of men! I escaped to some family dinner and celebrated St. Josephs Feast day (Friday) with a zeppole. For those of you who aren’t Italian Catholics and have never had the honor of tasting one of these delicacies…. I am sorry  They are divine! The best way I can describe it is… the most delicious fluffy, yet crispy on the outside donut, cut in half and filled with whipped vanilla custard, topped with fresh whipped cream….. heaven! I do not like to commit myself to a favorite Italian pastry, but this one might be it!!!
Which brings me to TODAY!!!
Today was the 1st day back after being off for 10 glorious days! I was happy to see the little rascals! I am also looking forward to learning about the Butterfly Life Cycle, Objects in the Sky and painting our interpretation on Van Gogh’s Starry night this week. Oh yea… math and writing too! Maybe even a little reading!!!! Happy Monday!!!

Oh and peeps... I need some followers!
Please and Thank you!

List Mania!?!

Happy Friday!
This is a pretty special and happy Friday as it is the last work day for me and then I am on Spring Break!

FYI... teachers love Spring Break MORE than the kids do! (its true)

There is only one down side to it... when we come back from Spring Break, there is 9 loooong harrowing weeks to get through before Summer! I say long and harrowing, not because I don't enjoy and love what I do. Its just as the weather gets warmer, the kids get antsy.

Not to mention they subconsciously know there is going to be a shift and change in their life. Kids really enjoy and crave consistency. They tend to get a little twitchy knowing that change is in the air. Anyways... summer is far off and I know we will make it through!

Sooooo... my super duper really exciting news is that this Spring Break, Troy and I are taking a ginormous step in our relationship.

We are moving in together!!!???!!!

I would like to be able to put a word on this blog that could fully describe how I feel, but I can't actually find one. Basically I am feeling all of those good, thrilling feelings that I love to feel!!!Needless to say, this Spring Break we will be doing a lot of things to get ready for this big transition.

So yesterday I told Troy I wanted to make a To Do list. Troy initially just laughed, because he knows how much I love my little lists. But he doesn't really know how much I love them. I have always been poked fun of by my family at how incredibly organized and anal I am. I don't think there is anything wrong with it, I just understand that not everyone is the same way.... so I try really hard to hide or minimize this aspect of myself. Troy doesn't pop into my work enough to see my bookshelves and desk lined with lists. Typically I de-clutter my purse of lists and notes before I get home, so I wont get caught. Its really all a little intense. Anywho, I think Troy really began to understand how important my lists are to me yesterday.... when I had my first mini meltdown right in front of him!!!

Troy and I were talking about the little things that he would like for us to do before we pack up and move my stuff. As I am listening I become immediately aware that I have reached my mental to do list limit and so it is time to bust out with the good old pen and paper. This is actually one of my favorite feelings. Its like a wave of excitement takes over as I am writing all the little projects down on the paper. I follow with the days and then start mapping out the projects. Troy is watching me do this, with a semi-perplexed look on his face, kind of saying to himself... is she really planning when we are going to fold up the tables? Well actually he said that one out-loud. It was at this moment that he realized that his girlfriend has been replaced by...

Anal (retentive) Amanda.

It was also at this moment, by the look on his face, that I instantly became embarrassed and a little defensive. Oh Bananas! Now he knows how much these little paper lists mean to me! In Troys mind he knows this stuff is going to get done, but for me I need my list to know it will get done.

My lists are like my little contracts.

In a panic I scribbled the tables out and attempted to crumple the list. Troy stopped me and wanted to keep the list going, totally for my benefit... which I appreciated.

Now here is where I got a little batty...

I want to continue this list, but there is a scribble on it!!!

I cant have this being on my list.

It is at this moment that I have the breakdown.

I want to cry because I realize that I am being ridiculous.

I want to laugh because I think the look on Troys face is so funny.

He looks as confused as I feel!

So what do I do?

I laugh and cry all at the same time (a talent totally inherited from Grams)

And Troy just hugs me and gets me a new piece of paper.

He knows why all of this is really happening.

I just want everything to be perfect for us.

And I calm down because I realize that everything is perfect.

And we make the list.... our little list :)

Randomness

At one point in time, I had my whole life planned. Have I met every timeline I set forth? Hell to the NNNNNN OOOOOO!!! Have I met the important ones? YES and I have earned some bragging rights along the way, too :) (thank you, thank you very much!)

I have let my disappointments make me blue, but deep down in that big ole sloppy heart of mine, I have kept faith... and confidence in what I want for my life and what I deserve. Thank you mom, Jon and Josh for reminding me (blatantly, reminding me) when I have lost sight of that.

I see now, that every 'disappointment' has actually been a ginormous blessing in disguise. I am a firm believer in this statement... 'when God closes one door, he opens a window!' And in my case God has opened the most beautiful bay window! It is actually a bay window seat, that overlooks a luxurious white sand beach, in the middle of a colorful painted Arizona sunset! Far fetched... a little, but remember this is MY special window!

I have been so blessed in life, recently! And all my blessings give clarity to the silly little road bumps along the way. So if I can impart just a teensy weensy little morsel of knowledge upon you, my blog friends, let it be this...

keep the faith
AND
if you must plan for anything in life, plan to be surprised!

For dinner tonight...
whole wheat pasta with mushrooms and yellow squash in a white wine, garlic sauce! yum-o!

Favorites

favorite- a person or thing regarded with special favor or preference

That being said here are a few of my favorite things as of late:

Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash

Troy and I discovered this in San Diego, when we stayed at the W Hotel. I love this so much, because the wash is super gentle but it has mini exfoliating beads that scrub all the 'stuff' away without leaving your face pink, blotchy and full of hurt. I love this face wash sooooo much that my partner in crime and I, helped ourselves to a few extra samples, when nobody was looking! Ooops... living the life of crime :)

My Ugg Slipper Roos

Definitely not the cutest slippers out there, but I got a killer deal on them from a completely understanding Dillard's shoe goddess... $25!!! They are so comfy and keep my tootsies toasty!!





Starbucks Americano (grande)



Just discovered this yummy drink this week. I usually get the Starbucks drip coffee, and my neighborhood Barista suggested the Americano... espresso mixed with hot water. I loooove this drink, but it has to be grande style. 5 shots in the venti is way too much power for me.

Francesca's Collections

Love this little boutique in La Encantada! They have some cute, unique and most importantly affordable things! They also have really amazing pieces of jewelry and other chotchkies! I love this place and could spend hours looking at all their pretty little things! Best news yet... they are opening a store at Park Place!



Pureology

Way too expensive for me to admit how much I spent on this shampoo and conditioner, but it is SOOO WORTH IT!!! Since I have been using it I have cut down on the amount of conditioner I use in the shower. Also I don't need to use a leave in to work the comb through my nest! In fact I do not even have a messy nest when I get out of the shower anymore! My hair is so wonderful and soft and strong since using this product.... I am in looove with it! On top of all of this, last time I went to get my hair did, my hair stylist and I decided that I actually didn't need to color my hair, just needed a little trim!!! Long story short... my color lasts longer, my hair is smoother and my split ends are not so rampant!!! Sooooo worth the money (even Troy admitted this after I caved and told him how much it was)

And my final favorite.... Rodeo Days!


Tucson celebrates Rodeo Days! Due to our rich rodeo heritage the voters of Tucson have set aside 2 days to celebrate and experience the rodeo events that come to town, the end of February. This means that we get a 4 day weekend! Woo hoo... I promise to always embrace and teach to our future leaders about the importance of the Rodeo, as long as Tucson always promises to give me my 4 day weekend!!! I am loving my 4 days off...thank you Tucson :)

I love Sabino Sundays

Well friends... thank you all for your kind thoughts and positive words! It is nice to know that by no means am I the first person to ever be disappointed in a friendship or relationship! Actually I never felt that I was the only person, but I found myself caught up in the whole thing and lost a little perspective. Thank you all... you have definitely lifted my spirits!

I have had a pretty fantastic Sunday so far! Troy and I got up early and went for a 4 mile walk in the foothills near Sabino Canyon. We started actually hiking the canyon, Sundays at the beginning of our relationship, but now we prefer to cruise the neighborhoods instead. I love Sabino Sundays, as I have nicknamed them. We walk through beautiful neighborhoods tucked away in hills and mountains. The views are truly breathtaking. This morning the weather was chilly and overcast so the mountains were even more beautiful! All the plants were wet from the rain the night before, so it seemed like the palo verdes and ocotillos were even more green than ever! And the smell of the desert after it rains... today I fell in love with Tucson a little bit more.

The real reason I love Sabino Sundays is our conversation. Troy and I talk about every and anything on our minds. In fact we end up laughing the majority of our walk. Troy makes me laugh deep down into my belly (between him and my newfound love of Pilates, I will be ready to rock this bathing suit season!!) We look at all the houses and discuss what we like about them and what we would change about them. It is fun to imagine the different improvements that we would do if the homes were ours to remodel. I tend to prefer the mediterranean, european and spanish colonial type homes. Troy and I have very similar tastes... I would call it impeccable :)

After we grabbed breakfast and coffee at Beyond Bread and went to Lowe's. I try to make deals with Troy... an hour at Lowe's for an hour at Target (love) but if I am being completely honest, the Lowe's trip is becoming a favorite part of my Sunday too! It ties hand in hand with our remodeling dreams! We walk throughout the store and talk about what we like best in each aisle. We limit ourselves to an hour in Lowe's, otherwise we could probably be there all day long.

The day is not over... I am now sitting on the couch watching Troy play Tom Clancy. Some might say, how boring! I would have to counter and say, you obviously have never seen Troy play a video game before!!! In a few hours we are going to fill our bellies with my mama's homemade dinner (and dessert)!

Tomorrow is a big day for me! There are 3 teachers coming to observe me from other schools in the district! My principal recommended that these 1st and 2nd year teachers come see how I run my class and how I implement the curriculum, etc. I am very flattered, a little shocked and a whole lotta nervous!!! I hope I remember to breathe!

a temporary state of sadness...

I fully believe in focusing on the things that I am grateful for in life... and there are certainly many! However, this has been a challenge for me recently (boo)
I have had some disappointments intertwined with all of the daily wonderful blessings... such is life, right?
It just seems like the disappointments have been outweighing the blessings, or maybe it is just that the disappointments have stung me a little deeper.
Considering that I have been using Troy as my sounding board for the last 2 weeks, and the poor man has been up to his eyeballs in my 'feelings' I figured I would give him a respite and reach out to my blog buddies...

I have a friendship, that has been broken. Broken by little white lies here and there, a lot of broken words and most recently a few hurtful and permanently damaging actions. I have held onto this friendship for a long time, I have invested quite a bit of time and myself into being a friend. By NO means have I been a perfect friend this whole time, but I can confidently say that I have tried my best. I can also confidently say that I have tried by best to make up for all the times I have been a not so great friend.

Up until now, I have never really taken an inventory of what maintaining this friendshp has entailed. I began to grow tired of the negativity and the one-sided-ness of this person. The older I have grown, the more I have learned about myself. I really truly enjoy simplicity...if you ever saw my closet you would think I am full of ba-loney! But truthfully... I have grown tired of inconsistencies, and the dramatics and the insecurities associated with certain relationships and situations in my life.

I never intended for this relationship to break, I just wanted to open the door to talk about it freely. Apparently my friend is not at this time willing to do this. In fact she is more willing to just write it off. This is the part that is utterly confusing to me... I do not understand how someone can write off 15 years of their life. Actually I don't understand how my friend can write off her 15 year relationship with me.
This situation has been tough on me, because I have such mixed feelings about it... I am happy to be rid of the 'drama' behind it, but it saddens me as well.

To top it all off... my health is not where I would like it to be. Nothing major, just nothing necessarily good either.
I realize that all of this is playing together to cloud my generally positive demeanor. I also realize that I need to give myself time... to get past the blow of losing a once positive (or so I thought) friendship. Also time to get my health back in order. I just do not want anymore days when I wake up feeling even slightly blue or crabby. I know I need to switch my train of thought to the many blessings in my life... I just cant seem to do that at the moment, which leaves me a little disappointed in myself. This is not like me at all!

That is all my debbie downer blogging for today! Here is to the days filled with more blessings than disappointments (I know you are out there....)

Weekend Update...

Well this weekend was super busy AAAANNNDDDD super fun!

I woke up Friday...
to the most amazing looove basket for Valentines Day! Troy and I celebrated Valentines Day Friday because we had lots of other plans for the rest of the weekend. Anyways... Troy filled a basket with two bottles of wine, Dove chocolates (my new favorite since being introduced to them by Warner and Cindy) valentine cupcakes, homemade chocolate covered strawberries (yes, homemade), my own copies of Will You Be My Valentine Charlie Brown? and The Time Travelers Wife, a new red nail polish and a bottle of Burberry perfume. He also had gotten me my very favorite flower... pink peonies! It gets better, because Troy had taken Friday off from work to come and spend 'Valentines Day' with me and the kiddos!! Talk about being the most thoughtful, sweet man... ahhhh. I felt incredibly special and loved and I got to see Mr. Troy in action... I put him in charge of a craft center and reading a book to the students! Everyone loved seeing and spending the day with Mr. Troy... everyone (especially me!)

After work, Troy took a huge nap (after he expressed his new found understanding of why I was so tired after work sometimes) Then we got all gussied up and went to Sullivan's Steakhouse. I am embarrassed to say I have never actually eaten there before (only enjoyed some tasty cocktails!) I am so happy that my first Sullivan's experience was with Troy... we totally gorged ourselves with some divine dishes! It was the most perfect evening. I know why people love Valentines so much... now I do too!


Saturday...
was all about the Jersey Shore! We, AKA Snickers and the Good Time, had a blast at Vanessa and Ben's partay!! Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves as we feasted on Ron Ron Punch, pizza, ham and pickles :)


Sunday was TROY'S day!
I gave him my totally homemade present... it was cheesy, but heartfelt. I made him a mix CD of songs that make me think of him. I also made him his very own 'jar of love'. I made little round labels of all the things I love most about Troy and I put them onto the bottoms of Hershey kisses and hugs! I also got him some scratchers, because I am feeling so lucky to have him in my life. We got some breakfast and sat outside because the weather was amazing. After that my boygle requested we go to Lowe's. We spent a good hour+ in Lowe's, while I sported a ponytail... Troy's request. When we were leaving Lowe's, Troy said it was the best day of his life... I guess it really is all about the little things in life! Before we headed to my moms for Sunday dinner, he got some time in with the other love of his life... Tom (as in Tom Clancy).

I would say it was a pretty magical weekend... and of course just like after every other weekend Troy and I spend together, I am left wishing that I had just one more day :)

Simple Pleasures

I am putting together a list of the little things in life, that make me extraordinarily happy. I think sometimes people can get wrapped up in all the things that are going 'wrong' in our lives... I find myself stuck there sometimes too! It is nice (and better on your heart) to focus on all the good things.

Here is my little list (for today), in no particular order...
the smell of fresh, clean laundry
fuzzy slippers
pink yum-yums with Jess
listening to children's conversations
The Giving Tree and Oh The Places You'll Go
watching reality television (guilty)
laughing so hard that my belly gets a workout
fun Girls night out (or in!)
looking at my Grandmas pictures and listening to her stories
spending time with my family
falling asleep in the cold
pilates
accomplishing a goal or wrapping up a project
watching and helping a child 'get it'
and last, but certainly NOT least.....

Come on how could that face not make you feel wonderful inside? Whether I am having a good, bad or just so-so day... Troy ALWAYS makes me feel loved :)
Feeling incredibly lucky to have him is DEFINITELY one of my life's simple pleasures!

Funny Fridays

I have been encouraged by MANY to keep track of all the silly, funny things that my students say and do. They do always provide me with a good laugh and I guess I just never thought others would get so much enjoyment out of them! I guess I was wrong about that!!
So in attempt to share all the sillies that happen throughout my week, I am going to start a weekly post entitled Funny Fridays! It will be like a Top 5 list of the silliest stories of the week! Here goes... (my response is in pink, students in black)

Pretty...
Ms. Plicht... you are the prettiest teacher in this whole classroom!
Why thank you, that is so sweet! Did you know that I am the only teacher in this class?
Yep, and you are the prettiest too!

Love...
(after giving a student a compliment for being kind)
Ms. Plicht, I think I just might love you!
Really... when will you know for sure?
Maybe when you give me a positive paw! (a school reward for good behavior)

Simple math...
I forgot what 5+5 is
If you hadn't forgotten, what would you say?
10!

Farm life... (this one counts double!!!)
(while helping a student write a story about going to the farm)
First I get to the farm. Next I will milk a cow. Last I will ride a horse.
Good! Let's make one of our sentences even juicier! Can you give me some details about the cow?
I pull its wienie and the milk comes out.
(laughing) Actually the milk comes out of the cows utters, not the cows wienie... milk cows are girls!
One time my wienie turned pink. Mom told me to stop touching it. My sister told me to clean it.
Alrighty, lets get back to our story!

That's all for now! Hope you enjoy these funnies as much as I do! Often times I have to turn away to stifle the laughter, but most of the time I fail miserably!

What a BUSY weekend!

Well I could NOT wait for this weekend to start off!!! First of all I was excited to kick off the first Girls Night Out! The night was perfect... Jess and I touched up after work and shopping (her part) at my place, over some pink yum yums. Then we made our way to La Encantada for some mild window shopping and to snag a table at North. Breanne met us there and Nicole and Vanessa soon followed! We all ordered some tasty snacks... the artichoke was deeeelicious. Then some other lovely ladies showed up. I was a little nervous about how the nigt would turn out. I was the common element among all the girls and I wanted to make sure that everyone felt comfortable and at ease. My whole vision of this was to form a group of girlfriends, who got together monthly to catch up and enjoy each others company... so obviously having everyone feel comfortable was a must. I think it was really successful... at least I had a blast. My cousin and her friend Jessica, as well as my friend Chelsea came out to play. We all enjoyed sipping cocktails and chatting away outside under the heaters.

Soooo... as the night was simering down, Troy called to tell me that Sarah's water broke. All the girls said adios and I raced home to get some clothes thrown in a bag to go to Phoenix. We didn't get in until almost midnight. Sarah was just starting her almost 28 hour labor! Can you believe that?!? I am so impressed with her strength. She was joking around and chatting with us, even when I could see that she was having a contraction on the monitor. She really set the bar high for amazing labor etiquette. I cannot guarantee that I will remain as composed and collected as she did!!

So while we were all anticipating the arrival of baby Allison Gabrielle, we had some quality bonding time in the waiting room! All of the family made the trek to Phoenix, but as we got into the wee hours some went to the hotel to try to catch some zzzz's. Troy and I stayed with his parents, Cindy and Warner and his grandparents, Gene and Cecilia.
As Troy snoozed away on the most uncomfortable couch, Gene and Warner taught me how to play Unce (I think that how you spell it). Its a card game thats like a mix of Phase 10 and Rummikub... sooo it was right up my alley! Around 7am in the morning, Troy and I finally went to the hotel room to sleep. It was so hard to actually fall asleep, no matter how tired I was! I was too excited to miss something having to do with Allison! Needless to say, this is how the majority of the weekend went. I didn't want to miss anything at all, so sleeping was pretty impossible. I think that everyone pretty much felt the same way!!

The little peanut finally decided to introduce herslef to everyone around 10:50 something on Saturday evening. She was very adorable and incredibly perfect... really looking like just a cute little peanut!!! It was very easy to fall in love with her.
So the weekend may have been without sleep, but it was certainly filled with a lot of bonding and amazing memories. Babies are such a miracle and a blessing into everyones lives, and I am just incredibly fortunate to have been a part of Miss Allison's welcome into the world!

Here we go... 2010!!!

So I am kicking off this blog thing with some of my resolutions for 2010! I try to be the best version of me everyday, but there are certainly some things I would like to accomplish in this upcoming year!

* I want to work out 3 times a week consistently... I cannot use the excuse that life gets in the way anymore! 3 times a week is totally do-able and besides it makes me feel so much better about myself. This in turn makes me more pleasant to be around and gives me a lot more energy. So I am really doing this for everyone else :)

* I want to eat better and not use food to make me feel better. This one is really hard for me! I love to EAT! I enjoy cooking, trying new recipes or new restaurants, spending time with friends and family. Food is a big part of all of this. I want to be able to make better food choices, so that my 3 times a week resolution up above might result in some toning up of the old ba-donk.

* I want to be a better friend. I want to spend more time with my girlfriends... whether it be a pedicure, a movie, dinner or even just a phone call. I hate that the majority of my friendships are now fostered through texts, blackberry messenger, facebook statuses and comments. I want face to face. Soooooo I am going to start a monthly girls night out club! Look for it... on facebook :)

* I want to be a better teacher. Don't get me wrong... I know I try my hardest every single day. I also know that I could be even better. I could be more consistent. I could plan farther in advance to avoid the last minute scrambles. I could do even more research on my subjects and units. I could integrate technology, the arts, music etc. into my lessons even more. I could collaborate more with my peers. I could get up a little bit earlier to get to work even earlier. I could do more to be better for the kids and myself.

* I want to stretch myself in my profession. I kind of already started this one... I signed up to host a student teacher next semester. You might think... big deal, right? I take my job very seriously, and I believe it is healthy to always want to be better at what I do. Ive always said the day that I feel like I know everything there is to know about education, will be the day I need to find another job. That being said, I can also be a little self conscious about my performance. Allowing someone else to come into my classroom and experience my day to day, work with my kiddos leaves me a little vulnerable. Vulnerable is not always something I am comfortable with... I just know that vulnerability leads to growth... so I torture myself by putting myself into vulnerable situations.

* I want to enjoy the present. It is time to let go of the sad parts and disappointments of the past and try not to worry so much about what the future holds. I want to bring positivity and find happiness in the moment, no matter what the moment may be. And I want to make good memories and take a bunch of pictures to remember them :)

* I want to take more time to let others know I appreciate them. I am going to try to bring back thank you notes, random acts of kindness, and letters. These are things that touch my heart, soooo I want to do them for the people that touch my heart.

Alright... those are the biggies. Here are the one liners, that don't require much explanation.

* I want to go to church more, with Troy.
* I want to spend more time with my brothers, both of them.
* I want to plan a trip with my girlfriends... I don't care where, I just think it would be fun!
* I want to be a good pseudo-aunt. Technically I am not an aunt yet, and considering my brothers, I won't be for a long while. Troy, however, is my key to being an pseudo-aunt and I'm officially requesting auntie privileges :)
* I want to give more to people who are not as fortunate as I am... whether it be donations of goods or time.
* I want to save more money this year.

I am sure there is more, but they have escaped me. I realize this is a lot and most likely I won't be able to accomplish all of these things. If you know anything about me though, you do know that I will bust my buns trying!!!

Here's to 2010! I have a feeling that it will be amazing!