New Year=Lazy Blogger

Sorry I have been MIA for the past month. A lot has been going on. We got back from Thanksgiving, had to get the house back in order and laundry done, Bryce had finals, we packed and then we drove to Houston for 2 1/2 weeks, drove back, Bryce started school the next day, and I've been trying to get the house in order ever since.
So to get back on track with blogging during this new year, I will work backward a bit and start with my new year's resolutions. This will be a big year for us. Bryce finishes school in April and we will be moving to Houston. Because of this, the bulk of my resolutions have to do with the next few months while we are still in Utah.

1. Cook at home more and only go out to eat on special occasions. This resolution will make us eat healthier and save money, both of which will help with other resolutions.
2. Get to the same clothing size or within 5-10 pounds of the size I was when we got married by Jake's 1st birthday. After having a baby, I know my body has changed, so that is why I gave myself two ways to reach this goal. I plan to achieve this goal by eating healthier and working out (with my new Kinect!). 
3. Budget and save money. With Bryce finishing school and (hopefully) finding a job, we need to start some serious saving for our future, not just little saving for this or that. We also need to start tracking everything we spend so we can have a better idea of where we can save or cut things out. 
4. Keep my house more clean and organized by doing more little things on a daily basis.
5. Craft more with the stash of stuff I already have.

I will update soon with our Christmas adventures, Jake's 5 month post, and various other happenings.

Goals

I am finishing up a lot of big, important things very soon and it has gotten me in a goal-setting mood. Today I finished my oral repertoire exam, which is one of two 2-hour long oral exams that I have to pass before the School of Music will grant me my Master's Degree. I passed "with no question" so said my professors, which is a huge relief. One thing to check off the list. After class tonight, I am one paper and two more hours of testing away from being done. FOREVER. Its a great feeling.

So, back to my goals. I have decided that at the beginning of the month I am going to set some goals for myself to finish that month. I am a list person, so writing it out for the whole world to see will help me actually get some big things done. I think 5-7 goals a month is reasonable. Thats 1-2 per week, and especially since all of my big things are done except writing a final paper for my Philosophy of Music Education class and studying for my final oral exam, this is doable. Here are some goals I have:


April: 

1. Sew the car seat cover, fitted sheets (2), and crib skirt for the baby's room. 
2. Reorganize the kitchen/laundry closet
3. Organize/redo the baby's room closet
4. Walk for 1 hour at least 3 times per week
5. Send out thank-you notes from my baby shower

May:

1. Sew the quilt and bumper for the baby's room
2. Paint the baby's room
3. Put together all furniture/set up the baby's room
4. Reorganize the bathroom closet and linen closet upstairs
5. Clean all windows/blinds in the house
6. Pass final oral exam
7. Clean all light fixtures in the house

That's all for now. I will post these on my sidebar as well and cross things off the list as they get done. I know I still have a few months before this baby gets here, but I'm afraid time will fly faster than I want it to and I won't get things done unless I really commit and have to be accountable. I will be sure to post pictures of what I can (especially the stuff for the baby's room), so check back!!

100

This is my 100th post!! So I would like to take the time to tell you 100 things I love/am grateful for.

1. Husband
2. My Mom
3. My Dad
4. In-laws
5. 2 Best Friends
6. Music
7. School
8. A Job (that I LOVE)
9. Sister
10. Brothers- and Sisters-in-law
11. The Gospel
12. My Cats
13. Health
14. The Temple
15. The Savior
16. All of my music friends that help grad school be bearable
17. My Teachers
18. Scholarships
19. Government Grants
20. A nice house to live in
21. Clothes on my back
22. Food on my table
23. Shoes on my feet
24. The Bible
25. The Book of Mormon
26. Living Prophets today
27. The gym
28. Hugs
29. Kisses
30. Unconditional Love
31. Crafts
32. A creative mind
33. Missed opportunities that help lead to better opportunities
34. Utah's love for community theater (which has allowed me 2 operatic roles outside of school this summer)
35. Opera
36. The Armed Forces that keep our country safe
37. Freedom
38. Christmas
39. Friendly neighbors (finally!)
40. 2 Cars, even though Bryce and I mostly share just 1
41. The Internet
42. Halloween
43. Setting Goals
44. Making Lists
45. Airplanes (even though my recent experiences with flying/purchasing tickets may have made me feel otherwise)
46. 4th of July 
47. Decorating
48. Teapots
49. TV--specifically some of my favorite TV shows, including:
50. Friends
51. Gossip Girl
52. Grey's Anatomy
53. and Anything on Bravo
54. Ikea (especially since we are still poor college students)
55. Bubble Baths
56. Massages
57. Manicures/Pedicures (and a mother-in-law who loves to get them when she visits)
58. Air conditioning during the hot summer months
59. Snow
60. That I can help others be better at something
61. Blogging/Reading others' blogs
62. Easter 
63. Chocolate
64. Thanksgiving
65. Movie marathons curled up on the couch
66. TV season marathons with Jess
67. Shopping
68. Hope/Planning for the future
69. Traveling 
70. Having to get up really early for something exciting
71. Staying up way too late
72. Talking on the phone to people I can't see often
73. Curiosity (especially from my cats)
74. Hobbies
75. Reconnecting with long lost friends
76. Facebook
77. A washer and dryer in my house
78. Watching sports on TV
79. Going to a baseball game
80. Babies (no experience with my own yet, but one day)
81. Being a girl
82. Lace, Ruffles, and Pearls
83. Video games to keep my husband occupied when I need to get something done
84. Having a really clean house (it doesn't happen often, but it feels so good when it does)
85. Generosity of others
86. Camping
87. Finding new craft ideas online
88. Playing games
89. InStyle magazine that comes in the mail once a month 
90. The Ensign
91. Real Simple magazine that also comes in the mail once a month
92. The Classical Singer website and all of the useful information it contains (including auditions)
93. A computer
94. Houston (which Bryce and I both miss terribly, although I don't know if we'll be saying that after we go home for 2 weeks in August)
95. Dreams
96. Funny Stories
97. Celebrity Gossip
98. Dancing
99. My iPod 
100. Sleep

Gym

I have been proud of myself lately. I have been getting up to go to the gym almost every morning for the past few weeks. I have gone EVERY morning so far this week and I am also waking up earlier without my alarm. It feels really good to get into the swing of things and really work out. I had been working out off and on for a while, but I'm finally being consistent. I have lost about 10 lbs and I can totally tell. Mostly in my face (its not so puffy anymore) and a bit in my waist (I'm wearing those jeans that were just too tight before. I've kinda hit a plateau this week and have actually gained back a few pounds, but that may just be because I'm a girl...which means I will overcome this in about 5-7 days. If I can get over this hump, I am well on my way to reaching my goal by the end of summer, which means by the time Bryce and I go home to H-town for 2 weeks. (Yes, we found some amazingly cheap airline tickets and so our break before fall classes start is going to be spent in hot and sunny Houston!)