***Clean out all of my email accounts. I’ve got my work cut out for me!

***Learn how to use all the features on my canon rebel before I leave for Europe.

Ok, so I’ve been thinking about goals, or resolutions, for the new year. My first goal is…

***to run a half marathon. I think a marathon is way too much for next year so I’m gonna make a half marathon my goal. I think that is achievable.

Another great friend engaged! And they’ve picked a date and unfortunately they are doing it when i’m out of the country…stinks to be them without me at the wedding! My friends are getting fiances and i’ve got a puppy. Well maybe that’s the first step to find Mr. Wonderful or maybe I just need to go to as many weddings as I possibly can with a positive attitude because sometimes single people hang out at weddings

Do you ever wonder if you went to another college if you would be married by now. I mean I would have been around different people somewhere else and what if “the one” was in the mix at another college.. Sometimes I guess I question and ask “what if i would have gone somewhere else to college?” “what if i was the person i am now when i was in college?” I have so many “what ifs” but I guess all things happen for a reason and I am on the path I am on in life for a reason….if I would have gone elsewhere or not followed God’s will, things might be different now. I could have made some not so great choices or I dont know, just not be the person I am. I’m pretty happy now with who I am. I’m pretty great if you ask me

What a wonderful Christmas!!! Nothing spectacular, no great trips, no overly exciting presents, but what I did have was great time with family and my new family member Princess. Last year on Christmas day, I was disappointed that 2 of my family members were very far away sitting in an airport waiting for their plane to board. That made me learn to appreciate my family even more. So today was spent with my parents, brother and grandmother at her house. It was great to spend that time with them, laughing, making jokes, trying on clothes I just wasn’t sure about and just being ourselves. Then coming home to my new child, well she’s my puppy, but she’s just like my child. I feed her, clean up after her, hold her, play with her, talk to her, everything a mommy would do. I don’t change any diapers, but I clean up after her messes. In return, she bites my toes, cuddles with me, bites my toes some more, crawls up on me and then bites my toes some more. I have to be prepared with socks each morning to protect my feet because when she gets up, she’s ready to play and my main concern is cleaning up her stinky mess. Anyways, that’s beside the point. The point is, I love my family and I had a wonderful Christmas with them…they mean everything to me!

Now that Christmas is about over, it’ll soon be time to start thinking about the new year. I know I’ve got changes I personally want to make in my life, resolutions if you want to call them that. It’s time for me to think about the changes I want to make, perhaps write them down for me to look back upon, because if I don’t I’ll never remember what my resolutions were. Maybe spend more time with the friends I love, my family, and learning about myself. Maybe I need to spend more time doing something I love, like photography or I don’t know, cooking, or decorating some cakes. Maybe I need to find some neat place to travel that’s not already planned and do it. Maybe I should take a leap of faith and not be so scared about everything…put my fears behind me and put my trust in the Lord because He will protect me! I’ve got lots to think about this week, and thankfully lots of time to think about these things in. In the mean time, what changes do you want to make, what kind of resolutions are you making for the new year?

The few people that read this are aware that I just got a puppy. Well I’m just going to brag on her a little bit. She is so cute! My brother came by to see her yesterday and his first words when he saw here “man she’s so small.” She is quite tiny and I really don’t know how big she will get. During the day we play, she eats, and takes care of business, she sleeps alot and cries a little. Then at night, she sleeps for about 4 hours then wakes up and cries and then falls back asleep for maybe another hour then cries some more then falls back asleep and cries and then at about that time, its time for me to wake her up. It’s hard sometimes to ignore the crying because I get worried that something might be wrong with her in her little “puppy room.” She’s still a baby, only 5 weeks old. The vet said though that because she was eating solid food, she could go ahead and live with me. She loves her pretend brothers and sister, and snuggles quite well with them at night. She loves her crate too. I tried to get her to come out and play with me yesterday but she wouldnt come out, she just stayed in the crate. She likes her toys too and of course she loves my feet. I go to take care of her yucky business and my feet get attacked! She thinks I’m there to play. I really do love my little Princess and couldn’t have asked for a better little dog

I got creative yesterday and designed my christmas card. I think the last time i sent out christmas cards was in college when i didnt have to search high and low for addresses and they were just the average cards from walmart. Well this year, I decided I wanted a card with a picture on it, my picture. I saw all these photo christmas card on the refrigerator at school and they were all families with kids and babies of the staff people. Well I’m no family or baby but I wanted a cute christmas card, so golly gee i figured what the heck, i’m gonna make one. So as I have already mentioned I did. So if I have your address or you sent it to me, then you should be looking forward to getting a photo christmas card from me

If you read this between now and Monday Dec. 11 at 4:30 pm, say a little prayer for me. I’m making my final presentation for my graduate class this semester. My professor says its not presention, its interacting, because technically we aren’t presenting in front of a large group of people but instead a smaller group at once, kinda come and go type thing for about 25 minutes. Thankfully I’m in the first group so I’ll be done “interacting” around 5:00pm and then i’ll just get to interact with other presenters throughout the night. I never thought this time would come when i was done with the research finished with preperations to present and had everything ready. It’s finally almost over, the long awaited dreadful “research semester” is quickly coming to an end. Only a year to go, and I’ll have my masters degree!!!

I shouldnt have gone to bed so early last night. For some reason I woke up around 6:40 am. and couldnt go back to sleep. That’s becoming a pattern!

Things I’ve already accomplished today…
1. Grocery shopping for the week.
2. Made a red velvet cake.
3. Had my own photo shoot with the automatic self timer…i know, i’m a nerd.
4. Took tons of pictures of my brother against his will.
5. Made 5 visuals for my presentation on Monday.

It’s been a pretty productive day. In a little while I’m gonna go take pictures of my new puppy, Princess Ginger I’ll post some pictures later!

Ok, so i’m on the new blogger which means i can make my blog private, i think i’ll do that. So in a few days, you will no longer be able to read my thoughts unless i know you would like to. I guess I just don’t want strange people reading about my thoughts and stuff, so i’ll add you to the approved list if you are normal and I know you…i’ll even add you if you are weird and i know you. If I don’t know you, tough luck…try someone else.