Did you set New Year Resolutions this January?
Yeah, me too.
So, how are those going? If they're going great then you should probably stop reading my blog because we will not connect in many areas. (Unless you swear sometimes or watch Arrested Development. Then you might have a chance.)
I set goals and I really liked them and I was really good at them for a while. Nearly six months into the year I'm having a little self-evaluation and realizing that I need to renew my energies on those a bit. Here's a recap of my 2013 goals.
Spiritual: Read The Bible cover to cover.
Emotional: Purposefully serve a member of my family everyday.
Physical: Form a habit of going to bed hungry.
Mental: Read 30 books.
Word of the year: Listen
Reading The Bible was going really well for a while. I figured out that if I read 5 pages everyday I'd finish both the Old and New Testament in a year, with a few weeks to spare. Guys, The Bible is cool. I'm ashamed of this, but it's been years since I attempted reading it cover-to-cover and I was really into it. Then.... I hit Numbers.... so... boring....
Numbers is so boring.
You can only do this but only on this day and it should only be done for this long and only when certain things are certain ways and now let's list all of the certain ways that the things must be.
Boring.
But I'm finally in Deuteronomy and I am feeling renewed enjoyment and consistency on that goal. Ya scriptures!
Purposefully serving a member of my family really makes me more mentally conscious of how I serve them and the types of service that are hard for me. Leaving notes, investing time, not complaining when they ask for help, all those things make me think a little more and work a little harder. I really enjoy this goal but just need to be more intentional with it.
Going to bed hungry + newborn = I'm not exactly sure when "going to bed" happens anymore. I'll work on that one and get back to you.
Reading has been a renewed love of mine. I've read 22 books this year and so this goal is going pretty well. In the last six weeks my reading has seriously slowed down, but I'm reading Les Miserables right now and loving it. I love reading! I've been keeping track of what I've read and also writing short little delios about what I thought of the book. My list is here: goodreads list If you click on the "view" thing you can see my feedback. I know you're all super interested in investing hours in perusing my goodreads shelves. Please enjoy.
The word of the year concept was introduced to me by this blog that I love. www.71toes.com I started it last year (my word was "pause") and I absolutely love it. My goal this year was to practice listening to people more and fostering opportunities for me to listen (i.e. not talking so dang much). I feel like I'm doing poorly on this but I'm going to try harder. I also want to practice listening to my own self and the thoughts that come to me and the inspirations I feel. I get distracted and my ability to be still and listen gets weak sometimes.
Now that I've written all this out I'm so eager to refocus on these things! Bit by bit I'm beginning to see the benefits this blogging world offers. (Still not entirely convinced though.)
Happy Mid Year!
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Today was a lazy day. I accomplished about 5% of what I was hoping to accomplish. And I'm dangerously okay with that. Here's why.
I got to spend some long overdue time with my Mom and sister today. We went to the Antique Mall and wandered around for several hours. Both my Mom and my sister have an eye for finding the really cool things that often get overlooked. I recommend both of them for antique shopping partners. Personally, I found out the maps were 50% off and spent somewhere around thirty minutes sorting through boxes of maps. I found some neat ones too. Observe this very bad photo.
That's a map of the Western States printed in 1881. $3 people! The other two were printed in 1911 and I paid $2.50. I was thrilled. Any of you map-fans in the Rockbridge area should go do some searching. I love the Antique Mall!
And then! I convinced my Mom and Kathryn to go to Pronto, the gelato shop in Lexington. I have two words for you: Toasted. Almond.
More like toasted-heaven-in-your-face. Can you see how happy we are?
It was so wonderful to spend some quality time with my family today. What a gift that we're all living in the same place right now! Our girl-time was long overdue. And it wasn't until later that I realized I could count it towards one of my 99 in 999. 54. Go on at least 4 lunch dates with Mom (1/4)
This was a wonderful and delicious way to start Mother's Day Weekend. Thanks for a wonderful day to my amazing mother and Kathryn (an incredible future mother).
I got to spend some long overdue time with my Mom and sister today. We went to the Antique Mall and wandered around for several hours. Both my Mom and my sister have an eye for finding the really cool things that often get overlooked. I recommend both of them for antique shopping partners. Personally, I found out the maps were 50% off and spent somewhere around thirty minutes sorting through boxes of maps. I found some neat ones too. Observe this very bad photo.
That's a map of the Western States printed in 1881. $3 people! The other two were printed in 1911 and I paid $2.50. I was thrilled. Any of you map-fans in the Rockbridge area should go do some searching. I love the Antique Mall!
And then! I convinced my Mom and Kathryn to go to Pronto, the gelato shop in Lexington. I have two words for you: Toasted. Almond.
More like toasted-heaven-in-your-face. Can you see how happy we are?
It was so wonderful to spend some quality time with my family today. What a gift that we're all living in the same place right now! Our girl-time was long overdue. And it wasn't until later that I realized I could count it towards one of my 99 in 999. 54. Go on at least 4 lunch dates with Mom (1/4)
This was a wonderful and delicious way to start Mother's Day Weekend. Thanks for a wonderful day to my amazing mother and Kathryn (an incredible future mother).
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
And I'm a human.... I mean Mormon. Also a human.
I completed my first 99 in 999 goal!
46. Update Mormon.org profile
It took longer than I thought it would. I feel like that's a bad omen...
My religion is something that's very important to me, but I've been thinking about it even more lately. I think it's probably because I've been a little sleep-deprived and spending time with a brand-spanking new baby. Both of those things get me thinking about the topics deep in my soul, but those two things combined really open me up. Babies and no sleep: An awesome way to live (for a little while).
The thought I keep having is that I am very happy with the way my religion impacts me everyday. I believe that I have been offered truths every Sunday for the past 28 years. I believe that the temple is a place full of eternal simplicity and I love it there. I don't know if my convictions will always be as strong as they are now, but I plan on working daily to keep them that way. I sincerely hope that I believe in these things for my whole life.
I've been so blessed throughout my life to be surrounded by people who are inquisitive and self-evaluative. I've been able to have incredible conversations with people who have helped me see things in ways I know it would have taken me decades to see on my own time. I am so grateful for my friends, those who are mormons and those who are not, who are good and inspiring and supportive. I'd be a very different person if it weren't for the fact that I've had people around me who were willing to share what was important to them and hear what is important to me. I love humans!
So here is something important to me. Elizabeth's Mormon.org Profile
Here's to convictions that reach beyond ourselves!
46. Update Mormon.org profile
It took longer than I thought it would. I feel like that's a bad omen...
My religion is something that's very important to me, but I've been thinking about it even more lately. I think it's probably because I've been a little sleep-deprived and spending time with a brand-spanking new baby. Both of those things get me thinking about the topics deep in my soul, but those two things combined really open me up. Babies and no sleep: An awesome way to live (for a little while).
The thought I keep having is that I am very happy with the way my religion impacts me everyday. I believe that I have been offered truths every Sunday for the past 28 years. I believe that the temple is a place full of eternal simplicity and I love it there. I don't know if my convictions will always be as strong as they are now, but I plan on working daily to keep them that way. I sincerely hope that I believe in these things for my whole life.
I've been so blessed throughout my life to be surrounded by people who are inquisitive and self-evaluative. I've been able to have incredible conversations with people who have helped me see things in ways I know it would have taken me decades to see on my own time. I am so grateful for my friends, those who are mormons and those who are not, who are good and inspiring and supportive. I'd be a very different person if it weren't for the fact that I've had people around me who were willing to share what was important to them and hear what is important to me. I love humans!
So here is something important to me. Elizabeth's Mormon.org Profile
Here's to convictions that reach beyond ourselves!
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
This has been a month of new things! Here's a brief update on all-things-me.
~I started taking grad courses again! This isn't exactly new, but it's exciting. Through various miracles and the kind help of many wonderful people I was able to start classes again almost two years before what I originally thought would be possible. It's been hard work, but I'm so happy to be back in school. I've learned that progress, even progress that is so slow it feels like stagnation, is worth celebrating!
~This last weekend I moved in to my own apartment. I'm renting from a dear friend and it's lovely. My apartment is only ten minutes from Buena Vista so I can easily get to my other jobs and my family. I've always had roommates so this has been a new experience, and so far it's been great. Other than the camel crickets (Please see #69 of my 999).
~Just yesterday I started a summer job as a night nanny. I work with a darling four day old baby girl from 9pm-9am. She doesn't sleep super well (BECAUSE SHE JUST CAME TO EARTH!) and I'm still trying to work my other jobs. I'm not sure I'll be a very balanced person this month. But man alive, she is adorable.
~I started setting goals. We don't need to talk about how this is a new thing. But it is. See my 99 in 999 page for one example of how I'm using goal setting in my life. I have fallen a little in love with this concept!
~I started a blog! Okay, this isn't really that new since I started it last year. However, the fact that I'm actually utilizing this little spot in the vast interwebs is most definitely new. I plan on maintaining it regularly.
Here's a quote I found recently that I'm quite fond of: "I believe we have all been created for greater things than we can comprehend. The times call for great things, but great things in the noblest and most redemptive sense are predicated upon tolerance, love, respect, understanding, dignity, prayer, God" ~Jeffrey R Holland
And here's a superior youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyxpXgS5deU
Till next time,
Elizabeth
~I started taking grad courses again! This isn't exactly new, but it's exciting. Through various miracles and the kind help of many wonderful people I was able to start classes again almost two years before what I originally thought would be possible. It's been hard work, but I'm so happy to be back in school. I've learned that progress, even progress that is so slow it feels like stagnation, is worth celebrating!
~This last weekend I moved in to my own apartment. I'm renting from a dear friend and it's lovely. My apartment is only ten minutes from Buena Vista so I can easily get to my other jobs and my family. I've always had roommates so this has been a new experience, and so far it's been great. Other than the camel crickets (Please see #69 of my 999).
~Just yesterday I started a summer job as a night nanny. I work with a darling four day old baby girl from 9pm-9am. She doesn't sleep super well (BECAUSE SHE JUST CAME TO EARTH!) and I'm still trying to work my other jobs. I'm not sure I'll be a very balanced person this month. But man alive, she is adorable.
~I started setting goals. We don't need to talk about how this is a new thing. But it is. See my 99 in 999 page for one example of how I'm using goal setting in my life. I have fallen a little in love with this concept!
~I started a blog! Okay, this isn't really that new since I started it last year. However, the fact that I'm actually utilizing this little spot in the vast interwebs is most definitely new. I plan on maintaining it regularly.
Here's a quote I found recently that I'm quite fond of: "I believe we have all been created for greater things than we can comprehend. The times call for great things, but great things in the noblest and most redemptive sense are predicated upon tolerance, love, respect, understanding, dignity, prayer, God" ~Jeffrey R Holland
And here's a superior youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyxpXgS5deU
Till next time,
Elizabeth
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