Goodbye to the 2000's

Can you believe it? The 2000's are almost gone, and it still sounds so weird to me to say 2010, someone on facebook said it best "it sounds so futuristic" .so true.

Well when I actually sat down and thought about the past 10 years it surprised me how defining this decade has been in my life. In this decade I have: graduated from high school, college and graduate school (WOW), learned how to drive, learned how to drink (ha!), got my 1st and 2nd big girl jobs, finally got a sister, became an Aunt, moved more times than I care to share, made some awesome new friends, lost touch with some awesome old friends, fell in love, fell out of love, got my heart broken, broke some hearts, learned how to let go of the past and embrace the future, and have amazingly made it to 25 relatively quickly.

It absolutely boggles my mind to even think about where my life will be in the next 10 years?!?! Crazy!!

I don't really make new year's resolutions but I have decided that in 2010 I am going to 1.) take better care of myself 2.) Try really hard to save money 3.) Do more work for chairities or just find more ways to help others

Wishing you all the best 2010!

Welcome Getting to know you readers!

I was totally surprised to check today and see that I was Lynnette's "Getting to Know You"featured blogger today!



So welcome to my little part of the world, I am so happy to have you here! As Lynnette mentioned I just returned from a 7 day cruise to the Caribbean with my boyfriend's family, and tomorrow will be on the road again, to spend the holidays with my family.



Just a quick glimpse into this blog and my life. The past year has been crazy, we used to live in Pennsylvania, very far away from our family and friends but thankfully I got a new job in August and now we are back in Ohio having a lot of fun and making up for lost time. I have four brothers, ages 28,15,13, and 9 and one sister age 4 who are all amazing in their own unique ways. My mom is the most amazing woman I know and is totally my inspiration in life and I talk about her a lot on this blog (Hi Mom!) I have the greatest friends in the world (shout out to Kristen and Candy, who I know read this thing) and last but not least I have the greatest partner in crime who I share my every day adventures with, and who puts up with me on my good and not so good days, Josh, my wonderful boyfriend of 2 years.



So from our home to yours, Have a wonderful, safe Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Home Sweet (but cold) Home

Like I expected last week flew by and we are already back home to the cold and the snow. The cruise was fabulous and very relaxing. I didn't love the food as much as last year or hearing and reading everything in 6 different languages, but it was a nice get a way. We visited Magen's beach in St. Thomas, which we were told was a Top 10 beach in the world, toured the Bacardi factory in Puerto Rico, and went to the Atlantis in the Bahamas and all in all had a great time.

If you watch the Amazing Race this slide should look familiar. This was the slide (named the Leap of Faith) that the one girl ( I can't remember her name) wouldn't go down and they ended up losing because of it. Well, Josh and I can happily say that we went down the slide and it was so cool. We rode about 6 water slides at the Atlantis and it was well worth the money not worth how sore and bruised we were the next days.

So here we are back in cold snowy Ohio, tanned and tired and ready to take on the 4 day work week and hoping it goes just as fast as vacation did.

More photos and stories to come!

* Happy 101 Award*

I just got my 2nd blogging award from Jill over at Life After College. Thank you so much! I love her blog so much as I can totally relate to a lot of the things she says about life just not being how she thought it would be after college. You should definately go check her out!

Here's the award rules:List 10 things that make you happy, try to do at least one of them today, and tag 10 bloggers that brighten your day. For those 10 bloggers who get the award, you must then link back to my blog! :)

1. My family: As much as they drive me nuts I'd be lost without them

2. Josh: He is no doubt my soul mate and partner in crime

3. Starbucks Peppermint Mocha's: One of the best things about Christmas time

4. My Friends: They are all spread out all over the country but I love them and miss them so very very much!

6. Reading a good book: (Sorry Jill totally stole your list): I just finished Jodi Picoult's My sister's keeper and it was great! Can't wait to see the movie

7. Barnes and Noble: I'm a geek, I know

8. Unexpected phone calls: I feel like these happen less and less but I love reconnecting with an old friend or a family member I haven't talked to in a while

9. Vacation: WE LEAVE TOMORROW!

10: Being closer to home; I have worked so hard to get closer to my family and finally feel like I have made it!

Here are 10 Bloggers that I love to read about each day!

Katie @ Adventures of Katie and Josh

Kelsey @ The Seattle Smith's

Sonja @ For the Love of Stilettos

Sarah @ The Swiss Mrs.

Amy @ Chapters

Well I only have time for 5 right now...I have some travelling to do! Thanks for award again Jill!

Leaving on a jet plane

I wish I didn't know when I would be back but it will be one short week I am sure. Well the day has come, our bags are packed along with flip flops, tank tops and sunscreen. I am so excited about this trip, and it is needed as the past 5 months have just been insane it seems. We are heading to Cleveland in a few short hours to stay at my Dad's and someone is going to drive us to the airport tomorrow morning (at like 7 a.m...yuck!) But stay tuned, the next posts will be full of fun stories and pictures of the trip. Hopefully everything goes smoothly!

Have a GREAT week!

Holy Cow...

I can't believe tomorrow night we will leave for vacation, we are staying close to the airport and offically leaving early early Saturday morning. This past week has been the busiest week of my life at work and home, I can't even begin to describe it. I can't really say too much cause I have to go present a pretty big report to my boss in 10 mintures but I will try very very very hard to put a post up before we leave tomorrow. I will say I am so excited to be going to get a pedicure with Josh's mom tonight so my feet will be ready for the sand and sun. Can't wait!

Talk soon!

My Lifeline...My Mom

Today is my Mom's birthday, the last family birthday of 2009, seems crazy to me that this year is almost over. I rarely get to spend my Mom's birthday with her since in college it was always finals week and now its just too hard to get home with the holidays right around the corner.I talk about my relationship with my mom a lot on this blog and I know she is a loyal reader as well. My mom is 100% the reason I have made it this far in my life. I would have never survived college without her support and love to help me along the way, to take care of me when I was sick (which was A LOT in college), and to be there every time I told myself I wasn't gonna make it. She is the one person who has had faith in me when I didn't have any faith in myself.

As I continue to grow up (does that process ever really end) I see a whole lot of her in me. It took me many years to appreicate the "You look just like your mother" comments and to realize that I do indeed look exactly like my mother and I am turning into my mother one day at a time. My Mom has been the rock and the strength of our family. She raised my brother and I by herself and as now begun the strange journey of taking care of her parents.

In the past couple of days things have not been so easy or kind between my mother and I. But on her birthday and always she will always be my mom, the reason I am here and I reason I have survived the past 25 years and the reason I go home (not to mention she makes some amazing cookies).

So Mom, Happy Birthday, I love you forever and always!

If your family is crazy and you know it clap your hands

I feel like I haven't posted in forever. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, mine was nothing to write about. Same old story, same old tune. To be honest, I must confess I haven't wrote anything cause life has just been crazy and I feel like between work and home and some family issues my life is a roller coaster of emotions all the while trying to get everything done for the holidays before we leave for the cruise. It has just been insanity around here. I think this trip will be really good for me cause it will give me a chance to sort out some feelings I have been having.

I love my family, please remember that 1st and foremost I would do absolutely anything for them but sometimes I feel like they aren't keeping up their end of the bargain.

For example, I waited and waited on Thanksgiving for my Dad to call to wish my a Happy Thanksgiving since I knew he wasn't coming to my grandma's for dinner, and he never called. Part of me knows this is no big deal at all not like it was my birthday but the other part of me was just thinking...just another disappointment. I want him to be better, be better for me for all the kids and for his granddaughter but I just can't seem to make that happen.

I'm not sure why I am writing this, but it has been weighing heavy on my heart for the past week and here we are a week after Thanksgiving and I still have not heard from him. I sometimes feel like if my family was a game of what doesn't belong, I would be the one that got the boot.

I hate that this blog has a tendency to be a downer, and I and truly sorry for that. This is just how it seems to be right now in my life and I am praying for a time to come that will be better.

I am just ready to go see Christmas lights at the Zoo this weekend and then next weekend watch out Caribbean here we come and I cannot wait!!