Changes!

If I have to pick just one word that is going to describe the upcoming year it is CHANGE! I am so dang excited for this upcoming year and all the new things that it will bring!!

- My husband will graduate from law school!
- New careers
- *Hopefully* purchasing our first home
- Free time (for the first time since meeting my husband, we will be at a place in life where neither one of us will be students!)

As I sit here enjoying the last day of my two week break I can't help but to think where I might be at this time next year. However, it is my goal this upcoming year to stop and enjoy the moments. I'm not sure about any of you, but I spend a lot of time focusing on the future, so much in fact that I often miss out on my present. Since this year will contain so many memories, lasts, and opportunities I want to really work on being present.

I know people say not to make New Years Resolutions and I have to disagree with them. When I was a senior in high school I read somewhere that successful people write down their goals and are more likely to achieve them. So that day before my senior year I wrote down everything I wanted to accomplish, and at the end of the year I had accomplished all but one of them. Even looking back at last year's goals I would say I was successful on each of them.

In 2014 I want to....
1.) Live in the Moment
I want to enjoy the moments as they are happening. To me this means spending less time on social media, less planning, and more fun.

2.) Run a half-marathon
Every since I moved to Lincoln 7 years ago I've always thought, 'I need to run the Lincoln Marathon'. But every year I had an excuse why I shouldn't sign up. Well last night I have officially registered for this years half-marathon. I am excited to start training and check this item off my bucket list!

3.) Be Healthy
Isn't this on every one's list? I'm not talking about dieting or losing weight. Recently I've realized that I am not in a good place health wise. It takes me longer to recover when I don't eat the right foods, sleep, or am lazy. Being healthy to me means drinking more water, getting at least 8 hours of sleep, and moving more--which should be pretty easy with my marathon training.

4.) Accept Change
Change is the only constant in life and it will happen. Most of the time change happens and we don't expect it. I find myself lucky in the aspect that many of the changes coming up in the next year I know about, and I want to handle it gracefully :)

5.) Continue to save
Last year Kane and I exceeded our savings goal by quite a bit- which for us, was a huge deal ! It's no secret we have student loan debt, however, for having 14 years of combined schooling (7 for me, 7 for Kane), we are actually at a really good place. With that being said, I still want to save so that when our student loans start coming due we are at a place where its not overwhelming.

6.) Take more time for us
I often times take Kane for granted, but this year that will change. To me this means eating more suppers together at the table, maybe more date nights, or a short vacation. I just don't want to regret wasting this time in our lives where it is just the two of us.

7.) Celebrate
This is something I've started incorporating into my life lately. I need to focus on celebrating life. The celebration I'm most looking forward to is my husband's law school graduation- I'm thinking this deserves a vacation.

I can honestly say I am SOOOOOO excited for 2014 and all that it has in store for us. It is going to be a great year :)

2013 in Review

Just like every other year, 2013 was one of many ups and downs. Lots of challenges, many victories, and many lessons were learned. I wish I would have taken more photos so I had something tangible to look back on, but hopefully this will serve its purpose to look back on some day. My top memories from this year....

1. Graduation- Finally after 7 years of being a student of higher education I graduated with my Masters of Management. This year was particularly tough for me as a student as I wrapped up all my regular classes and started the final part of my program. The last 9 months I have written and turned in close to 500 pages of papers/projects/proposals. It took up so much of my time, tested me in ways I've never experienced before, and made me lean on my family and friends in new ways. The thought of giving up crossed my mind many times, but ultimately I made it, and I can say that it was one of the happiest times in my life thus far!

2. Vacation!!- Kane and I decided last New Years Eve that we wanted to do a big vacation, so in February we booked a trip to the Riviera Maya. It was my first time out of the country and I had so much fun. I constantly find myself amazed at how lucky I am that I get to experience life with my best friend- we have so much fun together :)

3. Kane's Marathon- I could not have been more proud of my husband as he finished his first half marathon. I was so inspired by his dedication to training.

4.  Our 1st Anniversary- A day celebrating one of the best decisions I have ever made. Don't get me wrong I loved my wedding day, however, celebrating the 365 days after it (is it possible to have that many favorite days??) was great. We grew a lot as a couple during our first year of marriage- we had many disagreements, fights, surprises, and wonderful days. I can't wait to see what our future holds! We spent the afternoon celebrating at one of our favorite places- James Arthur Vineyard.

5. 4th of July- This year we spent the 4th at Harlan County Lake (one of my favorite places) with family. Kane and I both participated in the Alma 4th of July race (I did a 5k and Kane a 10k). It was so much fun! This is something we hope to make an annual tradition. 

I loved what 2013 gave us- many memories with friends, family, and life lessons. I can't help but look back on the past year and smile, and see how far we've come since last January. I can't wait for 2014!!