An update...

When I haven't done any good baking in awhile or even Zentangling, I start getting urges to do it. Maybe because those two things help soothe/calm/relax me. Maybe because they are a part of me, and I am a part of them.

I thoroughly enjoy cooking and baking and drawing Zentagles. One of my goals is to do more of both of those. I don't care if I have to do a little zentangling each day. I ended up ordering a new Zentangle book today, plus a raw art journaling book, and some keurig k-cups.

With Zentangles, I can shut the world out and just do my own thing for awhile. I actually started working on a birthday card for my mom tonight. It's almost finished, I just have to add some more touches to it. It's not fancy, but the fact that I made it and I know that she enjoys looking at Zentangles, is what it is all about. She has already asked if she can frame it.

Another goal I am setting for myself is to start working out again. I don't know how it happened, but I have become more sedentary than I like. Occasionally, I might have fast food. But it's rare. I just am way less active, and I don't like it. While I try not to use this word, I am throwing it out there. I am putting myself on a diet. There. I said it. The entire phrase and word.

I bought a Zumba dance game for the Wii for my mom, sis, and I to use. I started it tonight, and oh my goodness! It is intense. But I really enjoyed it, so I can tell that it will be beneficial to me.

This was a huge ramble, but some of what has been on my mind lately. :) Have a great week!

A Look Back…

I know we are 5 days into the new year, but this is the first time I am able to really sit down and write- to all 3 of my readers. Just kidding, there may be more than that, I don’t know. But I do thank you for reading this.

I don’t always post everything that is going on in my life, because well, I like to keep some things private. I am going to reflect on 2011 right now.

I started off the year with a bang. Well, okay, we didn’t. I was in Japan, with C. We sang Karaoke (does anyone else think that is spelled wrong???) down by the base on December 31st, 2010. We were both asleep by midnight, I believe. I was still fighting jet lag, and would be for a couple more days.

I keep thinking of Japan lately. As in, I would love to go back there. I truly enjoyed my trip immensely. Maybe that is because I had a wonderful novice guide with me. In all seriousness, I want to go back someday. I enjoyed the country, the scenery, everything about it. A year later, I can still see the ocean perfectly in my mind as we walked to catch the train. It was beautiful and peaceful. When I left Japan on January 10th, I didn’t know when C and I would see each other again. He wasn’t sure he would be coming back to the states just yet. The downside to an extreme LDR (long distance romance) is the fact that we never knew when we’d see each other again. I knew either on my birthday or not long after that he was coming back to the states for sure.

February came and went. We celebrated our 2 year anniversary, and I decided I needed a different phone- considering my old one’s battery would drain in about 5 minutes or less.

In March, I hung out with C’s best friend, his wife, and their son one night. I played games online with C, his brother, and his best friend. It was neat to hear C, even if I couldn’t see him. A week later, Japan had suffered a devastating tragedy when an earthquake struck Tokyo. C was okay, but he eventually went out to sea. Thank you, to everyone who kept him in your prayers. His parents flew over, only to fly back a few days later because C was called to duty.

And then about mid April, his plans to come home were suddenly up in the air. No one had any idea what was going on, and I couldn’t make it better for him. The worst case scenario would have been he stayed there for the rest of his time in the service. Which meant almost another year at that point. The earliest he may have been able to come home was Christmas 2011. So we were preparing for it.

I landed my first full-time job in early May, and I enjoy what I do immensely. Sadly, C’s grandmother passed away in late May. It was completely unexpected. C talked to his parents right after it happened (they were able to get a Red Cross message to him), and he didn’t think they would let him come home. But the morning of the funeral viewing, C’s mom called to tell me he was on his way home. I was so thankful he was able to say goodbye to his grandmother. We spent 5 days together, and again, we weren’t sure if he was coming back to the states, but it wasn’t looking like it. He went back overseas on June 1st.

On June 9th, I woke up wondering if he would be coming back soon. On June 10th, I got a text from him at 3 in the morning saying he was on his way home. It was the best text ever! And so began our shorter LDR. I’ve been out there a few times, and have loved it every time I have gone out. It’s pretty, peaceful AND the ocean is right there. I’ve seen 2 oceans because of him- the Atlantic and the Pacific.

I’ve been camping with my family, celebrated my Grandmother’s 80th birthday in October, spent Thanksgiving with C and his family, and had 4 Christmases this year with C (between his family and mine). While there are still rifts in my family, a majority of us put our differences aside for the sake of our family and were able to have a lovely Christmas together.

I used to follow this blog of a man who had some form of cancer. He and his wife (he was in his early 30’s, I believe) decided to travel the United States, riding to their adventures. I can’t remember what the blog was called, but I do know that he didn’t want to have any regrets in life. His motto was, “Today was my best day.” Even if it wasn’t his best day, he found something about it that made it his best day. He passed away not too long ago. While I didn’t know him, I enjoyed reading about the adventures of he and his wife, as they spent time together. I was touched by his story, moved by his outlook on life. I’m an optimistically positive person, but he has helped how I have looked at life. Even when I am having a down day, I always tell myself, “Today was my best day.” And it helps.

I know I haven’t touched on everything that happened this year, but that is a huge majority of it. 2011 was a great year, a year of firsts, a year of big changes, new things to come. It made me really look forward to 2012. I have never been one to say, “This year has sucked! I can’t wait until next year is here!” I always want to say to those who feel that way, “Change your life NOW. Don’t wait until the new year to do it. You are in control of your destiny, so do something about it.” God leads us in the right direction, but ultimately, he leaves it to us to decide if we want to make our lives better or not.

There are many things I hope to accomplish in the next year. I don’t want to have “resolutions” but I want to write letters to myself a few months into the future, as if I had already done it. Maybe this will help me accomplish those goals.

Here’s to a new year, a better you!

Playing Around...

With a new app on my iPod. It's called instagr.am. I downloaded it yesterday while waiting for the shuttle to pick me up from the airport, and am just now playing with it.