Well, I didn't do well, but it was a great and blessed year...

let's just get to the things that were carried over from 2010:

1. This is probably the most important one to me in 2011. I want to trust God and go where HE leads and go on a mission trip. I attempted this is 2010, but the trip was canceled. I have tried to not let this be completely discouraging, so I pray that God will provide an opportunity where He wants me to be, the passport is ready:)
UPDATE:: Oh yes, went to Haiti in October, it was an awesome, life-changing, challenging, and so much more.  The children have forever changed my heart, and I think about little Jazmine a lot.

2. Still working on this bedtime thing... I will go to bed earlier. My normal bedtime is 1:00 AM or later, so my goal is to get in bed by 11:00 PM each night.
UPDATE: Yeah, still can't get this, but always a work in progress.

3. I will get up and do my quiet time in the morning, instead of doing it at night.
UPDATE: Off work this week, for another seven or so days, so I am going to try and focus on this and start a new habit.

4. Running made it to the list last year ( I did learn that I will never be a sprinter), but this year my goal is to actually complete a 5K. My goal is to complete one in the cooler months, as I hate to be extremely hot, hehe. [ I do think I am going to need someone to run this with me to hold me accountable. ]
UPDATE: Well, I ran a 5K in March:) Don't worry I didn't finish first, but I didn't finish last. My main goal was to not walk, it had about seven big hills, so I did take like 10 or so steps (walking), but overall I was so proud of myself. Running will never be my favorite thing, but maybe another one in 2012:)

5. Sewing thing, needs improvement. I need lessons, maybe I will take a class. Seriously, I want to get better at this, it means so much to me because my grandmother was so good good. The dress I wanted to make last year didn't happen, so maybe this year.
UPDATE: I did take a beginner's sewing class, learned a few things, but I need to continue.  Hoping a girl from church, Noelle, will teach me this week:)

6. Make turkey and dressing this year. We will see who will let me be this adventurous, hehe.
UPDATE: Yeah, let's move on.

New this year:

7. Since I tried a new food every month last year, this year I will cook something new every month. If I can try a new food still, that would be awesome. I am sure after seeing the new foods list, you know there are many foods out there I still haven't tried.
UPDATE: Well, the first five months, Lindsey and Crystal were onboard with me, we would alternate who cooked the main dish and it was awesome. With Crystal's wedding in June that made June super busy, but I have been cooking new thing on my own:) I will show pictures at the end of the year!

8. To go zip lining with my family. I am somewhat cheating on this one, as my brother Chris and I got this for him for Christmas:) I cannot wait though, it is going to be so much fun. I will also go with my friends, as we had talked about this, and it is so much, so why not?
UPDATE:  This didn't happen, but maybe next year.  My parents went without me, haha.

9. Complete the Crown Financial Class, as I want to make smarter financial choices.
UPDATE: Did this and learned so much. I need to apply these principals daily:)

10. Create a collage of old pictures of my great grandparents, grandparents, and parents in my stairwell. I am very excited about this project, as my Momaw and Popaw Abby (great grandparents) , my Momaw Saine (great grandmother), and Mom (my grandmother) meant so much to me.
UPDATE: Did this and oh my gosh, I love walking down my staircase now... these pictures make my heart smile.

11. Give blood as many times as I can in 2011. As many of you know, my grandfather was diagnosed with a type of lymphoma this year and had to have several blood transfusions. I only gave blood like once in 2010, and it is really such a simple thing I can do to help so many who need it. It really could save someone's life... if helped my grandfather!!!
UPDATE: Found out I am a candidate for double reds, so yes I have already given once, you actually can't give as often as a double reds, but my next appointment is in August. Unfortunately, I will not be able to give for a year once I go to Haiti, but I will start again after that year.

12. Read a book a month. To most of you, you are probably thinking that is nothing, but I am really not a big fan of reading.... I am just a slow reader. January = the me I want to be, February = Mark of the Lion Series, then I'll see how I am doing, hehe
UPDATE: Well, I have not done so well in this category, but I did read Heaven is for Real and Sweet Caroline and yes that is all, haha.  Just started One Thousand Gifts.

13. Work resolution: I am going to try EXTREMELY hard to do my reports ahead of time and not on the last day, no more procrastinating. I think this will be huge for my work/life balance and going to bed earlier.
UPDATE: Didn't have a single late report this year, except when I was without a computer, sometimes this is more challenging than one would think.

14. Challenge myself to not eat out for a whole week, not one time. Also, to most, this probably wouldn't be hard, but for a girl who doesn't like cooking and doesn't think much of eating out every day (especially because I am out of town most days for my job), this will not be easy. If I get good, I'll try to do this once a month.
UPDATE: Kasey and I did a no-spending challenge and I did it:) I only ate out once that whole week for Kathryn and Gilbert's graduation, woohoo:)

15. Only allow myself two starbucks a week. It will help me save money too.
UPDATE: Well, yeah this problem is out of control, haha. Completely 100% addicted to my starbucks.  I didn't have it the whole week I was in Haiti.  In addition, I went two whole weeks without caffeine, but I am still quite addicted.

16. Be a little more confident when it comes to guys, I am sure all of my good friends are laughing at this one, as we all know this has never been something I have been good at... maybe we can all pray together on this one or maybe it will provide more funny stories.
UPDATE: God has a plan, and has been working on this one for a while.  I am thankful for all that has happened this year and for the lessons I have learned.

17. Watch an old movie that I haven't ever seen before (1 a month ) there is a list so long it isn't even funny:: Braveheart, Lord of the Rings, Big, Sixteen Candles, Star Wars, Iron Man, etc
UPDATE: I have watched the following so far:: Sixteen Candles (loved it), Breakfast at Tiffanys (didn't really care for it), Men of Honor (cried the whole time), Can't Buy Me Love and I know there have been more but I can't think right now... but I have watched so many new movies, just couldn't get motivated with some of those old ones

18. Lose 10 more pounds, don't worry this is a personal goal and if I don't, I won't lose any sleep over it, but I do want to lose these 10 pounds to be at an ideal weight for my height.
UPDATE: Yeah, still need to lose those, they are stubborn.

19. Try a yoga class, probably going to stay away from a hot yoga class, haha.
UPDATE: Does it count if I did yoga with Casey at her house?  Will try it next year.

20. Try five new restaurants this year. Should make it more, but we will start with five.
UPDATE: Nolen Kitchen and Italian Pie

21. Get up two days a week, possibly Wednesday and Thursday, and workout before work. Maybe I could do another boot camp:) It was great discipline and got me out of bed.
UPDATE: hahahahahah

22. Go to the mountains, enjoy a hike, and take in God's beauty. Prefer to do this with friends:) Let's plan a trip.
UPDATE: Sad that this didn't happen, maybe next year.

23. Make my bed each day, sounds silly for someone who keeps her house extremely clean, I mean, I am OCD about the cleanliness of my house, but this is the one thing that I do not do, haha. So, when I get up, I will make my bed daily:)
UPDATE: Maybe next year, goodness, as clean as I am, you would think I do this daily.

24. Start reading the Bible all the way through, I'm staring Jan. 1. I'm going at my own pace and excited to learn more and grow.
UPDATE: Still need to do this.

25. Spend quality time with grandfather. He is the only grandparent that I have left.
UPDATE: Love the time I do spend with him whether it is on Sundays or Saturday at BBQ King:)

26. Visit a new city, preferably for fun, not for work:)
UPDATE: Oh YES, Kasey and I went to Denver, CO for our birthdays, and I had never been to Colorado.  We saw a few mountain towns, Red Rocks State Park, stayed in downtown Denver, etc... it snowed 2 days, and I was in heaven:)

27. I haven't scrapbooked much in 2010, get back to it, I really enjoy it.
UPDATE: Started making one for 2011, and hope to have it finished by the end of the year, I have lots of time off this week.  Not quite finished, but it will be soon.

28. Be more spontaneous/maybe we will go with adventurous... just go with the flow. I can be creative with this one, I'll blog about my adventures in 2011.
UPDATE: Don't know what I have done that is spontaneous or adventurous, haha

29. Simple: Be more thankful, you only get one life and I shouldn't spend my life dwelling on what I do not have, but thanking God for all the blessings in my life.
UPDATE: I am so unbelievably thankful for my family, friends, job, my church, and the opportunities that I have each day:) I need to remember this more often:)

ashley

saturday's post belongs to my friend ashley!  i met ashley in my raleigh small group, and today i am so thankful i did.  she is one of the sweetest, caring, and thoughtful people i know.  i remember the sweet, sweet cards i got from her (and still do for my birthday) when i first moved to charlotte.  it was so nice to receive cards or calls from friends, as i didn't know a lot of people when i first moved here.  ashley is also lots of fun and makes me laugh.  we recently went on a food tour of downtown durham for our friend kaleena's bachelorette party, and seriously, i haven't laughed as much as i did with her and heather in a long time.  ashley is a great friend, and i am so thankful that i met her in my old group.  love ya girl.

natalie

(should have been on friday) today i am thankful for my friend natalie.  we have been friends since 3rd grade, when she moved to lincolnton and her dad became the pastor of our church.  we have had some great memories over the years, and lots of great pictures from the awkward years that neither of us probably want to surface:)  natalie's dad moved their family from lincolnton to charlotte when we were in the 10th grade, it was such a sad day for all of us, but we have remained friends over the years.  natalie and her husband trent live in concord, so sometimes it is nice that we can get together for lunch or dinner.  she just had a baby, well he is actually a year old now, which has been exciting.  natalie is a great friend who is there for me when i need her and i have lots of fun with her.  thankful for my friend, natalie today:)

love to TTEAM, but especially tracey

so, this next post belongs to a very special woman in my life.  i met tracey the summer after my junior year of college.  i responded to an add in The Daily Tar Heel for babysitting, and what a blessing that has been in my life.  at the time, she has two boys, who were quite possibly the cutest two boys on the planet.  i started watching her boys (aidan and matthew) and fell in love with their family.  a year or two after that, they added to their family with a precious little girl, ellie.  i watched ellie from the time she was six weeks old.  aidan was always very helpful, being the oldest!  matthew stole my heart from the minute i met him.  he always wanted me to read books and lay with him until he fell asleep.  as he got older, he would laugh at me when i read pokemon books, as i always mispronounced the characters and words, haha. clearly i didn't study up on poke balls before heading to their house.  when i go visit now, he still brings it up and laughs.  oh how i love that kid.  ellie is so great.  i loved watching her as a baby and watching her grow up. 


okay, i got side-tracked talking about tracey's great kids, but i was going to talk about how thankful i am for tracey.  even though i do not live in raleigh anymore, we have stayed close.  she has always been so supportive, encouraging, and kept in touch with me no matter how busy life can be.  she works part time and has three young kids.  i travel like crazy for my job and don't always get to see them at every raleigh visit, but we have still stayed in touch and for that i am so thankful.  when i decided to go on my mission trip to Haiti, i couldn't wait to tell tracey and her husband tom.  i knew they would be completely supportive.  they sent me emails and texts about my trip, and i am not sure that i could ever tell them how much it means to me. 


today i am thankful for tracey and their whole family.  when i lived in raleigh, they were like family to me, as i was away from mine.  now, they are still like family to me, and i am so glad they are a part of my life.  love you, TTEAM!!!!

logan, my carolina girl

this next post belongs to logan:)  i met her one night at christine's and it is just a small world.  she is from shelby, and knows my college roommate holly and one of my other roommates over a summer, jay chitty (his sister hayley chitty is logan's best friend).  lastly, we both went to carolina and were there at the same time; however, she did graduate a few years before me.  all the ways logan and i should have known each other, was funny, but this was the first time i was meeting her, in charlotte:)  obviously, i loved that she was as big of a carolina fan as me.  also, i find it comforting when i meet someone from a small town, don't know why, but maybe it just makes me feel like there are more people like me:)  i know i am silly.  logan is a great friend, has a big heart, and i am thankful that i met her 2 years ago when i moved here.  in those two years, she has gotten married, and is about to have her first baby:)  we can't wait to meet emma gray in a little over 5-6 weeks:)  love ya girl.

christine's turn

this next post belongs to christine.  should have been on tuesday.  i met christine shortly after meeting kasey, as she goes to forest hill and was in kasey's lifegroup.  christine immediately welcomed me into a large group of people and made me feel as though i had known people for years.  being new to a city, she made meeting new people so easy, which i really appreciated.  christine and i are very similar in that we are big planners, very organized, and like to do things for others:)  christine got married last year, and her mom even made me a purple dress, so thoughtful that they made me a dress in my favorite color:)  i was glad to help out on her special day.  christine is a good friend and i am glad to have her in my life.  love ya girl!

kaleena, this post is for you:)

monday's post belongs to kaleena!  sorry this is late, but better late than never.  i met kaleena through candice in my small group in raleigh.  kaleena is such a caring friend; we instantly clicked and have been great friends since.  i've always said and remembered michael w. smith's words from his song "friends,"  friends are friends forever if the Lord's a Lord of them.  if God is in the center of your friendships, they are definitely meaningful:)  not to say others aren't, but you know that God orchestrated you to be friends with this particular person.  this is how i feel about all of my friends in my old small group (heather, ashley, candice, and kaleena.)   there isn't a topic in the world that you could bring up that kaleena doesn't know somtehing about.  it is actually quite entertaining, haha.  kaleena also talks more than me, which is a huge feat, but these are two of the reasons we love her more.  she is a school teacher, and a great one at that.  she calls and prays for me often, which i sincerely appreciate.  today, i am thankful that even though she has a LOT on her plate being a newlywed and so busy in her job that we are still close.  love you girl!