12 in 12

I realize that I'm almost a week late in posting this, but I did it last year and really enjoyed looking back at what I had to say then. I feel like it is another great way to track what's going on and how I'm feeling from year to year.

So here goes...

12 Favorite Things

12. Favorite movie you watched:

I am a total movie person so this one is hard. When I think about all of the movies that I've seen this year, there are 3 that really stick out and I just can't decide (well, kinda).  1-Breaking Dawn Part II, 2-Hunger Games, 3-The Dark Knight Rises. If I'm being completely honest with myself it's definitely got to be Breaking Dawn Part II-I saw it twice in theaters and am contemplating searching Google right now to see when it will be out on DVD.  I know it won't be soon enough.

  

11. Favorite TV Series:

My obsession with TV series continues to grow and since this fall I've become obsessed with two shows-Scandal and Revenge. Scandal is by far my new favorite show! It is so dirty and scandalous (no pun intended). I just can't help myself and look forward to Thursday nights at 10. I just started watching Revenge over break and even got Kyle turned on to it too. We watched the whole first season on Netflix and caught ourselves up on the 2nd season on abc.com.

10. Favorite Restaurant:
Hands down Bluefin. I love me some crazy rolls and wish it was not so stinkin' expensive so that we could go more often. I told the hubs today that it needs to be in my near future, even if it's just for takeout. Only downside is that they don't do take out on the weekends and it is now the weekend.  Sometime next week maybe.

9.  Favorite new thing you tried:
Definitely highlighting my hair.  Ever since Kayleigh was born, the white hairs have taken over my scalp and I just could not take it anymore.  I used to get my hair highlighted when I was in high school, but stopped once mommy and daddy stopped paying for it, realizing it was a want and not a need. However, at 26 years old, I was definitely not okay with the amount of whites that I was seeing, so I took the financial plunge and started getting it done again. I hate paying the money because it is so stinking expensive (in my opinion), but I have definitely been much happier with not being able to see the whites and feeling like I "look better" overall.

10.  Favorite gift you got:
Hands down, my Mac.  My parents gave me a Mac desktop for Christmas this year.  I actually got it back in October(ish), but it took me quite awhile to get used to it, get everything transferred over, and delete everything off our HP.  Thankfully my best friend's husband is very resourceful when it comes to Apple products. I was definitely lost until I attended the Alex Dimitt Mac workshop.  Thanks Al!

7. Favorite thing you pinned:
OH DEAR! Do I really have to choose just one?!  I love Pinterest dearly and have acquired so many great ideas and helpful hints since discovering this site.  I made a ton of changes to my classroom this year because of Pinterest and already have a board set up for things to do next summer for the next school year. Mostly thought-the recipes.  We have fell in love with so many different, new recipes over the past year. Thank you Pinterest for giving us something else to eat other than the usual, boring stuff that we were getting so tired of.

6. Favorite blog post:

My 10 month, 10 steps post about when Kayleigh started walking. I look back now and that seems so long ago.  So much has changed since then, but it was shortly after that post that so many things began to change with her.  It's so fun to go back and relive those short couple of days that it took her to figure out how to walk all by herself.


5.  Best accomplishment:

Hmmm...Is it bad I can't think of one? Maybe it's just me being hard on myself. I guess I would have to say it's the 5 pounds I've lost during this holiday season. I have been stuck about 15 pounds more than my pre-pregnancy weight since last September when I stopped breastfeeding Kayleigh.  I tried working out but gained weight, so I stopped. Yes I realize it was probably muscle, but I didn't care.  I'm hoping that I can continue to lose about 10 more pounds this year...somehow...and get at least back to my pre-pregnancy weight.

4.  Favorite Picture:

Too many to choose from, but honestly anything that has Kayleigh in it. I can't help but grin from ear to ear when I look at any one of the thousands of her that I have.

Favorite Family Pic

Favorite Kayleigh Pic

She was literally gagging just from looking at and smelling the inside of the pumpkin.  Kyle and I could not stop laughing.  We laughed til we cried.

3.  Favorite Memory:
Kayleigh's 1st birthday.  I cannot believe how time flies! I had such a blast planning and decorating for Kayleigh's birthday party.  We had a party at our house for all of our closest family and friends.  It was a nice HOT day followed by a surprise thunderstorm.  It was so humbling to see so many people come to show their love and support for her. It was a great day to look back to reflect on all of the great memories and experiences she has brought into our life just in one short year. I am so looking forward to making many more memories with our amazing little girl this year! She is truly the best!

2.  Goal for 2013:
Try to start being genuinely happy again by being in a better place financially.  My mom always told me growing up that money will control your life.  Boy, was she right!  Kyle and I haven't made some of the best choices financially this year and have found ourselves in a position that we have realized we do not ever want to be in again.  It has definitely controlled our lives this year, both mentally and emotionally.  We're dedicating 2013 to making better financial decisions and to starting to slowly climb our way out of the hole that we are in. I know that it will take time and the problem probably won't be solved this year, but it HAS to be done and I'm looking forward to kicking this problem in the butt. 

1. One Little Word:  Discipline

Taking Things for Granted

I've been struggling this weekend. In the last 2 weeks friends of mine have been bombarded with terrible news. Two weeks ago one of my best friends, Sally, found out that her dear sweet mom had an obstruction in her bowel.  Sally's mom has been fighting ovarian cancer off and on for 5 years now. What seemed at first like no big deal, quickly changed to "it's the cancer" and "if you don't do this surgery you should contact a hospice". Of course the surgery was done and it went as well as it possibly could, only to give her mom "more time".  A week later (Friday), they were told that she has an infection in her blood.  I don't kow a whole lot more than that. I've been texting Sally almost daily to let her know we're thinking of her and her family.  I don't want to bother her and take away any more of her time away from her mom than I need to. Her family has definitely been on my mind a lot lately and my heart is breaking for her family. Her mom has been such a fighter with this cancer and has time after time "kicked it", but the cancer is a fighter too and it just.keeps.coming.back.  From what I understand, now it's just down to waiting...

I can't help but think about my dad and the scare that our family had with cancer almost 8 years ago now. My dad's diagnosis came as a complete shock to my family as well as the severity of his cancer. Fortunately for my dad, he was able to "kick it" and it's not fighting back. That experience alone was the second scariest experience of my life after having my daughter in the NICU for a week when she was born. 

Seeing the struggles and heartbreak that Sally is going through has made me realize how easy it is and how much I take things in my life for granted.  This Friday was another reminder of that.  One of the kids I went to high school with and graduated a year after I did, died in Afghanistan on Thursday.  He was 26-same as me. His batallion was ambushed and he was the sole casualty.  I wasn't best friends with him, but I remember talking to him off and on throughout his school and even having an occassional class here or there with him.  And now he's gone. My heart breaks for his family.  Being a mom now makes me believe that no parent should have to bury their children. That's not the way it's supposed to work. He was just a kid still...7 years out of high schoool...fighting for our freedom (yet another thing I take for granted). I am thankful for his courage and sacrifice, but I wish it was not at the expense of his family and his life. You will be missed but never forgotten Sgt. Kyle Osborn.

And as if it didn't seem like there could be any more heartbreak, some mutual friends of ours are expecting their second child, a girl named Scarlett.  Earlier this week, she was admitted to the hospital at 22 weeks pregnant due to bleeding. She has been diagnosed with some sort of serious pregnancy condition and will be staying at the hospital until delivery, which they are hoping will be past 24 weeks.  24 weeks!!! I keep hoping and praying that that little Scarlett can hold on and stay inside her mommy as long as possible and continue to stay healthy and grow.  Any baby before 36 weeks automatically goes into the NICU. She is coming up on the 24 week mark this week.  Please pray that things will get better for them and that precious baby girl can continue to grow in her mommy's belly and not fight for her life in a NICU.

I know this is all just life, but I'm struggling.  I've spent a lot of time in the past 2 weeks reflecting. Things I have done, things I haven't done, things I should've done, things I should do.  Do me favor-be sure to tell everyone how much you care about them.  We all know that in a moment's notice things can change.  These past couple of weeks have confirmed that. No matter how "boring" or simple our lives may seem at times enjoy it. It's a privilege to be here...to have the things we have....to be with the people we love. Our time is limited. Make the most of it.

So to my mom who will be reading this at some point-I love you more than you'll ever know. I am so grateful for you and dad. I'm so grateful that we're all healthy and that we still have more time.

To my best friend Jackie in Chicago-there's not a day that goes by that I don't think of you and wish you were still here in L-town with me, but I know L-town can't handle us both. I know we don't talk as much as we wish or we should, but I still love you more than ever and am thankful to have such a wonderful friend in you.

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. There is the annual walk in Indianapolis on Saturday, September 22nd.  You should think about joining.  In honor of Sally's mom, please say a prayer for her and her family.  Pray that God will give her mom peace and strength in what lies ahead for her.