Life Anew

Once again, one year is coming to an end, with another looking us straight up the keister. I've been thinking a lot about 2014 lately and how I have the opportunity to make it such an amazing year. I'm a newly wed, I have a good job that I love, I have great friends and family, and I live in a beautiful city. I can do anything.

I was browsing Pinterest tonight, because it's what I do when Jason falls asleep on the couch at 6:30pm, and I came across a This Year post that I thought might be fun to fill out and post. Below the list are my explanations for them.

 

1. I used my wedding this year as an excuse to be too busy to see a lot of people, when in actuality, I had the easiest wedding in the world. I forged a really good relationship with my comfy chair this year, but I think we need a break. My laziness has rubbed off on Jason, too. The man who used to go insane if we sat inside all day long, now wants to get drunk and nap on the couch as much as I do. Well, I'm changing that. We're getting out to see friends and to do things.

 

2. I absolutely adore cooking and baking, and I'm normally not afraid to try anything, but fried chicken has always had me shakin' in my boots. If you live in the south, you know of Publix (aka: the greatest grocery store on the planet), and you know that with Publix around, there isn't much need to learn how to cook fried chicken. Throw into the mix a mom who really didn't care to cook or bake, and a grandmother who passed away at only 67, and I just never learned how to make it. I've been saying all year long that I was going to try it, but I'm so scared. This is the year!

 

3.There are a lot of people that I would like to be more like. This is going to sound sort of cheesy, but I spend a lot of time on Instagram browsing through certain peoples posts because I've found so many women that I admire this year. In light of that, I'll share their profiles with you.

• http://instagram.com/hersoutherncharm Jennifer is constantly inspiring me to be more in touch with my faith and to be more proud of it. I didn't speak a lot about my love of God, because there weren't a lot of people in my life who did, but over the past year I've really gotten in touch with that side of me, and she inspires me to be more forthcoming about it.

• http://instagram.com/_grits Nicole is incredible at home design, and a chicken mama! I so desperately want, both, her beautiful Craftsman home and her chicken-babies! The love she puts into the things in her life is inspiring.

• http://instagram.com/a_southern_lady Whenever I see Jamies posts, I'm instantly pushed to take better care of myself. Her style is impeccable and she is a true southern lady, with a smile on her face and a huge love for Jesus Christ.

• http://instagram.com/thefancyashley The last one I want to mention is Ashley, a pretty well known blogger around the blogging community. It saddens me when I see people talk crap about her in forums or comments, because she is just always such a happy and positive person. She is a great mama to her babies and a true craft genius. Her posts always make me smile and make me want to go cover something in glitter.

4. I haven't yet quite figured out where I'd like to volunteer, but Jason and I have talked a lot about becoming more involved with our local community. We were hoping to have found a church by now, which we could do some work through, but it hasn't happened. I love animals, but Jason has warned me before that working in an animal shelter would break my heart- me just being the type of person that I am. I'd love to find a dressage I could volunteer at, just so I could start spending time around horses again, so I might look into that. I also want to start doing a lot of the local walks and races. Good exercise for a good cause!

 

5. I spent a bit of time in the Everglades growing up, going on air boat rides and that sort of thing, but I've been living in Naples for almost two years now, literally RIGHT NEXT TO the Glades, and I still haven't made it over there to spend any time. Jasons never gotten to spend any time there since he moved to Florida and he loves reptiles and nature. I'd really like to get him in there to see some gators and snakes, and get to spend some time in the swamp. Get back to my roots and get Jason some of what he loves.

 

6. I  got The Confident Woman Devotional on my Kindle the other day on a whim. I've seen it around a lot and heard many a great thing about it, so I can't wait to give it a shot. It starts with January 1st and runs every day of the year. It gives you a passage and a small motivational couple of paragraphs to make you think about your life and who you really are. I'm excited to get into it, but I need to find a journal for my notes before January 1st.

 

7. You know how your parents have friends who have kids at the same time as them, and they automatically become life long best friends? Mine's name is Lindsey, and she's a precious little southern belle who has had her share of hard times, but has always had an amazing open heart through out them, and has come out on the other side to have a beautiful little family with her two littles and her marine husband. Lindsey moved away when we were 12, but we've always stayed in contact and managed to maintain our friendships. We mostly keep up through Facebook and texting, and we don't get to see each other often because I get no vacation and, as a stay at home mom to a military family, neither does she. We plan on meeting halfway, in Savannah, this year for a girls weekend, but until then, I'd really like to write her a letter.

 

8. I don't mean to make it sound like I haven't had smoothies before, I just mean that I'd like to introduce them into my diet as a regular item. I love them when I have them, and they can be such nutritious meal replacements for when you're on the go or watching your weight. I'd also like to try oysters again. As it sits right now, I can only handle them cooked. But people love them so much and I'm a Florida girl who LOVES seafood, so I feel like I'm missing something. Haha.

 

9. Of course this is on my list. I've been whining about not being able to find the motivation to get healthy for FOOOORRREEEVVVEEERRR (If you don't get that movie line reference, we can't be friends), but I really need to get on it. Lately, I've been having back problems and aches, things I've never felt before. I'm definitely at my heaviest, but I've been here before, and I've been healthy before, too. I can do it again, I just need to want it.

 

What are some of the changes you want to make, or things you're looking forward to, in the new year?