Last December:
My resolutions were as follows:
> Drink more water
This is an area of my life that I sometimes let fall to the wayside. I am terrible at keeping up with people and I let people drift away that I truly care about sometimes.
Allison moved up to Tallahassee with me this August, and it has been great to get to know my little sister, as we were not close growing up and I moved out when she was 12. It is trying to live in the same house with anyone, but particularly so when they are family, but for the most part, we get along quite well and I am glad to have her here.
Courtney moved away when she got married and I miss her so much. I used to see her pretty much everyday. I cannot wait to go out to see her and her baby. She is a special friend and I hope that she and I always stay in touch, they just need to move closer to home.
Brian. He is my soul mate. I don't show him how much I appreciate him sometimes. This year has quite honestly been really rough. Between buying a house, friction with his family, I work 50 hours a week, and the endless chores, we almost never have quality time together where we do not need to be doing something else. I have definitely questioned our relationship this year. Multiple times, but I always come back to, where would I be without him. We are a great team, and he is my best friend. I hope this year we can find our way back to a better place and make more time to enjoy one another, we are too young to let all the daily worries tear us down.
Enterprise and Kickbacks
As many people know, Brian and I garage sale and resale just about everything. It has been a statistically great year and we are proud of our know how and ability to gauge worth. It has put us in the black and allowed us to start saving towards our next big enterprise... Another house. Not yet, but hopefully in the nearish future. Even if it is not happening right this second, we are keeping our eyes on the MLS listings on the reg.
As far as kickbacks go, we have been letting ourselves buy things that make our house beautiful and comfortable. I have a very specific eye for decoration and my house is slowly coming together and it makes me quite happy.
My next post will be about the house, from the beginning, up to where we are now.
Until then.
-Kasey
>Read at least one book a month
>Be more self motivated and proactive
>Keep up with Blog
>Do not shop at Wal-Mart, at all.
Lets see how I have done:
>Drink more water? I was doing well with that for the first half of the year and have not been as conscious of it recently.
>Read at least one book a month: Unfortunately not, but it is on my never ending to-do list. I have however, read several good books recently.
>Be more self motivated and proactive: I am a work in progress, and the progress for this one is slow
>Keep up with blog: .....No comment
>Do not shop at Walmart at all. CHECK! This one was definitely a success, and I am happier for it. Walmart has not received a dime of my money. To Brian's credit, he has also voluntarily adopted this resolution. I did not ask him to, but he not shopped there either, which I find to be a rather grand silent gesture.
>Keep up with Blog
>Do not shop at Wal-Mart, at all.
Lets see how I have done:
>Drink more water? I was doing well with that for the first half of the year and have not been as conscious of it recently.
>Read at least one book a month: Unfortunately not, but it is on my never ending to-do list. I have however, read several good books recently.
>Be more self motivated and proactive: I am a work in progress, and the progress for this one is slow
>Keep up with blog: .....No comment
>Do not shop at Walmart at all. CHECK! This one was definitely a success, and I am happier for it. Walmart has not received a dime of my money. To Brian's credit, he has also voluntarily adopted this resolution. I did not ask him to, but he not shopped there either, which I find to be a rather grand silent gesture.
Looking Forward:
I have found myself sporadically thinking about what I want to improve on this year. I think it is a little funny that once a year we resolve to change things in our lives, why just once? Anyone who knows me, will know that I LOVE lists. They make me feel more organized and accomplished when I get to check things off. They also provide a guideline of what I need to accomplish in what time frame. I have some big goals this year, but in addition to that, I want to make monthly goal lists. Not an overwhelming number of to-dos, just enough to remind me what to do with my "spare time".
Here's what I have:
Here's what I have:
>Make monthly lists
>Finish paying off credit cards and car
>Work out at least 3 days a week
>Run a 5k
>Finish the kitchen, paint and furnishing the house
>Read at least one book a month
>Be more proactive and self motivated
>Keep up with blog
>Try at least one new healthy recipe a month
>Work out at least 3 days a week
>Run a 5k
>Finish the kitchen, paint and furnishing the house
>Read at least one book a month
>Be more proactive and self motivated
>Keep up with blog
>Try at least one new healthy recipe a month
>Take more pictures
A little longer and some of them look familiar no? As for the second one, this is a huge goal for me. I sometimes feel suffocated even though I am making more money than I ever have. However, I am so close to freeing myself of a lot of burdens, this year will be a big milestone for me.
Things that mattered to me this year:
There are two tragedies that are sad dots along this timeline, well three really. My cousin Marie committed suicide. My Grandma passed away. Heather's boyfriend was killed in a car accident.
I was not close with my cousin, in fact, I had not seen her in almost ten years. However, I was not able to go to her funeral, and that was pretty earth shaking for me. Suicide is a scary thing to me, I am sure it is for most people. My cousin was a beautiful, bright woman. She was 25, and an amazingly talented writer, like her brother, my cousin Scott. She ran marathons and bought her own house and, from what I knew, was a sparkle in many eyes. I have no idea why she killed herself, but the ache that it left for my entire family is still resonating.
My Grandma: Jean Gordon.
She was such a special person in my life. For those who don't know, my father adopted me. My Grandma was his mom, but for not a single second did I ever doubt that I was meant to be her grandchild. My Grandma was a quick witted, sassy woman who loved so deeply. She was not afraid to speak her mind, but was a wealth of human compassion when you needed it most. She traveled to over fifty countries and sparked that same desire in me. She loaned me book after book and told me stories of the depression and life and love and why it is so important. I think we took for granted all those long afternoons cleaning and talking and cooking at my Grandma's house. She let me see my dad as a kid, and witness through her eyes his life. She painted her room crimson red and was not afraid to be different. She loved animals. My parents still have her cat Abigail. The first thing I ever crocheted was an "afghan" in burgundy for her. It was terrible, but she kept it anyways. I love my Grandma so much and it literally hurts to miss her. I can hear her laugh in my head. I know that is a strange thing to say, but I can, and I pray that I will never lose that.
In truth, she has not been with us for some time. I went to visit her at the assisted living place where she lived last July. She did not know who I was. I couldn't stop crying. The last real memory I have of her is from about three years ago. Lemur and I visited her for an hour or two at a different place in Daytona. Most of the time she knew exactly what was going on, but on a couple of occasions, she called me Helen, her Uncle's daughter. That was very sad for me, but it was a good visit and I wish dearly that I had pictures of her from then. Wiley as ever. I still feel an incredible amount of guilt in not having seen her since July of last year, it was just such a hard thing to do. I am still not sure how to handle losing someone forever.
Kevin.
I met him one time, and I heard a lot of stories about him that I did not like. Heather loved this boy. Inside and out. He was killed by a car in Indiana in October. I have never hurt so deeply for another person. It wrecked Heather's world and I was not sure how to be there for her. I don't think it is a pain you can ever let go of, and I just hope that she knows how much I love her.
Losing my cousin and my Grandma was incredibly hard, but it brought Marie's and my family together again. There had been an ongoing feud between my mother and Regine, Marie's Mom (My dad's brother Jeff's wife), which is why I had not seen that part of my family for so long. I have a younger cousin, named David, who I had not seen since her was newborn. He is ten now. We all went to Tampa to their house for Thanksgiving and it was a welcome, if sad reunion.
I know this is really heavy, but it is incredibly important.
This time last year I was working as a nanny for a family that I love dearly. Now, I am a very established General Manager at a Subway. Sometimes I feel like people judge me because I am working at a fast food restaurant. Truth be told, I understand that stigma, but I actually enjoy my job. It is not luxurious, but I am paid well, my boss is fair and cares about me beyond work, and I have the luxury of pretty extreme job security. I do not intend to work at Subway for the rest of my life, but I am comfortable where I am at.
Adventures
Asides from my trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming last February, Brian and I have made a couple of get aways this year.
Brian's Birthday (21, woohoo!) was in May this year, so I took him on a weekend trip to Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios, as he had never been as an adult. It was a fun trip and we got to spend some time with his family as well.
Also in May, I was extended the invitation to be a godparent to my best friend's baby. Courtney, aka Kiki, is pregnant and due in less than a month. She and her husband James got married this past year and now have a little one that is almost here. His name is James Ray Herring III, also known as Tripp. All of us are excited to meet him next month, and I am sure Kiki is ready for him to take up residence in the bassinet, rather than her stomach.
I don't have pictures of it, but for our Anniversary in June, Brian took me to Destin and we went snorkeling. It was a very sweet, well conceived idea and we had a beautiful day on those crystalline beaches.
Last year, in the fall, Brian and I took a holiday to go to PCB, just to get away. This year, I semi-surprised him, or at least wouldn't tell him where we were going. We took a long weekend to Georgia. We went to Amicalola Falls, which was beautiful. We also went to a corn maze, picked apples, and visited down town Atlanta. Overall it was an adventuresome, weekend away from the crazy that is our lives.
We drove through the countryside on the way home rather than the main roads, it took an hour or two longer, but we came across this great little town that is literally two streets and three churches. We stopped in a cemetery it had people from the 1700's buried there! It blew me away, I cannot fathom that, it was a mostly derelict place but it was very neat nevertheless. We also stopped in a country store that had been intact and open since 1901, it was very neat place.
Relationships
A little longer and some of them look familiar no? As for the second one, this is a huge goal for me. I sometimes feel suffocated even though I am making more money than I ever have. However, I am so close to freeing myself of a lot of burdens, this year will be a big milestone for me.
Things that mattered to me this year:
There are two tragedies that are sad dots along this timeline, well three really. My cousin Marie committed suicide. My Grandma passed away. Heather's boyfriend was killed in a car accident.
I was not close with my cousin, in fact, I had not seen her in almost ten years. However, I was not able to go to her funeral, and that was pretty earth shaking for me. Suicide is a scary thing to me, I am sure it is for most people. My cousin was a beautiful, bright woman. She was 25, and an amazingly talented writer, like her brother, my cousin Scott. She ran marathons and bought her own house and, from what I knew, was a sparkle in many eyes. I have no idea why she killed herself, but the ache that it left for my entire family is still resonating.
My Grandma: Jean Gordon.
She was such a special person in my life. For those who don't know, my father adopted me. My Grandma was his mom, but for not a single second did I ever doubt that I was meant to be her grandchild. My Grandma was a quick witted, sassy woman who loved so deeply. She was not afraid to speak her mind, but was a wealth of human compassion when you needed it most. She traveled to over fifty countries and sparked that same desire in me. She loaned me book after book and told me stories of the depression and life and love and why it is so important. I think we took for granted all those long afternoons cleaning and talking and cooking at my Grandma's house. She let me see my dad as a kid, and witness through her eyes his life. She painted her room crimson red and was not afraid to be different. She loved animals. My parents still have her cat Abigail. The first thing I ever crocheted was an "afghan" in burgundy for her. It was terrible, but she kept it anyways. I love my Grandma so much and it literally hurts to miss her. I can hear her laugh in my head. I know that is a strange thing to say, but I can, and I pray that I will never lose that.
In truth, she has not been with us for some time. I went to visit her at the assisted living place where she lived last July. She did not know who I was. I couldn't stop crying. The last real memory I have of her is from about three years ago. Lemur and I visited her for an hour or two at a different place in Daytona. Most of the time she knew exactly what was going on, but on a couple of occasions, she called me Helen, her Uncle's daughter. That was very sad for me, but it was a good visit and I wish dearly that I had pictures of her from then. Wiley as ever. I still feel an incredible amount of guilt in not having seen her since July of last year, it was just such a hard thing to do. I am still not sure how to handle losing someone forever.
Kevin.
I met him one time, and I heard a lot of stories about him that I did not like. Heather loved this boy. Inside and out. He was killed by a car in Indiana in October. I have never hurt so deeply for another person. It wrecked Heather's world and I was not sure how to be there for her. I don't think it is a pain you can ever let go of, and I just hope that she knows how much I love her.
Losing my cousin and my Grandma was incredibly hard, but it brought Marie's and my family together again. There had been an ongoing feud between my mother and Regine, Marie's Mom (My dad's brother Jeff's wife), which is why I had not seen that part of my family for so long. I have a younger cousin, named David, who I had not seen since her was newborn. He is ten now. We all went to Tampa to their house for Thanksgiving and it was a welcome, if sad reunion.
I know this is really heavy, but it is incredibly important.
This time last year I was working as a nanny for a family that I love dearly. Now, I am a very established General Manager at a Subway. Sometimes I feel like people judge me because I am working at a fast food restaurant. Truth be told, I understand that stigma, but I actually enjoy my job. It is not luxurious, but I am paid well, my boss is fair and cares about me beyond work, and I have the luxury of pretty extreme job security. I do not intend to work at Subway for the rest of my life, but I am comfortable where I am at.
Adventures
Asides from my trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming last February, Brian and I have made a couple of get aways this year.
Brian's Birthday (21, woohoo!) was in May this year, so I took him on a weekend trip to Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios, as he had never been as an adult. It was a fun trip and we got to spend some time with his family as well.
Also in May, I was extended the invitation to be a godparent to my best friend's baby. Courtney, aka Kiki, is pregnant and due in less than a month. She and her husband James got married this past year and now have a little one that is almost here. His name is James Ray Herring III, also known as Tripp. All of us are excited to meet him next month, and I am sure Kiki is ready for him to take up residence in the bassinet, rather than her stomach.
I don't have pictures of it, but for our Anniversary in June, Brian took me to Destin and we went snorkeling. It was a very sweet, well conceived idea and we had a beautiful day on those crystalline beaches.
Last year, in the fall, Brian and I took a holiday to go to PCB, just to get away. This year, I semi-surprised him, or at least wouldn't tell him where we were going. We took a long weekend to Georgia. We went to Amicalola Falls, which was beautiful. We also went to a corn maze, picked apples, and visited down town Atlanta. Overall it was an adventuresome, weekend away from the crazy that is our lives.
The falls were beautiful, that is Brian, at the make out look out point.
Up at the tippy top, above the falls.
So many stairs, but well worth it.
View from the visitor center, who knew Georgia could be so scenic?
Apple picking!
The corn maze was a fun, if hot and sticky adventure, and more difficult than we thought!
Downtown Atlanta, can you tell?
We went to the Georgia Aquarium, the world's largest aquarium, it was great, but I will spare you the myriad pictures of fish.
A great way to end the trip: Cheese Cake Factory!
We drove through the countryside on the way home rather than the main roads, it took an hour or two longer, but we came across this great little town that is literally two streets and three churches. We stopped in a cemetery it had people from the 1700's buried there! It blew me away, I cannot fathom that, it was a mostly derelict place but it was very neat nevertheless. We also stopped in a country store that had been intact and open since 1901, it was very neat place.
Relationships
This is an area of my life that I sometimes let fall to the wayside. I am terrible at keeping up with people and I let people drift away that I truly care about sometimes.
Allison moved up to Tallahassee with me this August, and it has been great to get to know my little sister, as we were not close growing up and I moved out when she was 12. It is trying to live in the same house with anyone, but particularly so when they are family, but for the most part, we get along quite well and I am glad to have her here.
Courtney moved away when she got married and I miss her so much. I used to see her pretty much everyday. I cannot wait to go out to see her and her baby. She is a special friend and I hope that she and I always stay in touch, they just need to move closer to home.
Brian. He is my soul mate. I don't show him how much I appreciate him sometimes. This year has quite honestly been really rough. Between buying a house, friction with his family, I work 50 hours a week, and the endless chores, we almost never have quality time together where we do not need to be doing something else. I have definitely questioned our relationship this year. Multiple times, but I always come back to, where would I be without him. We are a great team, and he is my best friend. I hope this year we can find our way back to a better place and make more time to enjoy one another, we are too young to let all the daily worries tear us down.
Enterprise and Kickbacks
As many people know, Brian and I garage sale and resale just about everything. It has been a statistically great year and we are proud of our know how and ability to gauge worth. It has put us in the black and allowed us to start saving towards our next big enterprise... Another house. Not yet, but hopefully in the nearish future. Even if it is not happening right this second, we are keeping our eyes on the MLS listings on the reg.
As far as kickbacks go, we have been letting ourselves buy things that make our house beautiful and comfortable. I have a very specific eye for decoration and my house is slowly coming together and it makes me quite happy.
My next post will be about the house, from the beginning, up to where we are now.
Until then.
-Kasey
No comments:
Post a Comment