This week

Posted: January 3, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: Weekly World News | 1 Comment

Here’s a summary of this week’s highlights:

  • We got a new nephew early Tuesday morning.
  • I worked on baby announcements for said nephew. Cute animals are involved.
  • I made a blanket for Evan. I used two bulky yarns and finger crocheted it, then put tassels on the border. Too bad I don’t really know what I’m doing and 4 tassels have already been pulled off, and it looks like a few stitches have come undone. Oh well! It was nice and soft and warm while it lasted.
  • We spent New Year’s Eve with our good friends Scott and Alitha, who introduced us to the game Wits and Wagers.
  • I learned, once again, that intentionally staying up until midnight is much different than reading a good book and accidentally staying awake late. I was so, so ready for bed well before midnight.
  • Jarom and I cleaned the kitchen. It was very clean for Christmas (and even a few weeks beforehand), but then we spent a nice week vacationing and not cleaning.
  • We started our 2014 resolution of only eating dessert/sweets on Monday evening. This year we’ll be making one recipe a week from the International Chocolate Cookbook. First up is a black velvet cheesecake, so feel free to invite yourself over for a slice next Monday.
  • I made a menu and grocery list for the month. As part of our efforts to get out of debt, we’re tightly controlling our food budget, which requires careful planning. Last night we tried a broccoli beef recipe, tonight we’re having quesadillas, and later in the month we’ll have tikka masala and claw chowder. Food is great, even if I don’t have a personal chef.
  • Can you tell I’m trying to blog more this year? I hope to get back to my weekday posting schedule like I did last year before the world fell apart. This means I might solicit guest posts every now and then. Interesting ones. I promise you’ll like them. You might even write one!

I like beginnings

Posted: January 2, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: Great Expectations | Leave a comment

The idea of a fresh start is always appealing to me, but especially as we leave 2013 behind (good riddance, in many ways). I’m not the best at keeping resolutions – or necessarily even at making them. This year I have a few broad goals in mind, as well as some specific things I’d like to achieve.

1. Get in shape.
2. Get organized.
3. Get out of debt.
4. Take care of my yard, so it isn’t embarrassing.
5. Create a vertical indoor herb garden for my kitchen.
6. Finish my reading challenges.

It’s so easy to feel motivated at the beginning of the year. What do you do to stay motivated?

2013 Year in Review

Posted: January 1, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: Nineteen Eighty Four | Leave a comment

JANUARY. Jarom and I had a mini-vacation in Salt Lake. We saw the first Hobbit movie (it was awful) and went antique shopping. Then, back to real life.

FEBRUARY. I offered to do a lot of custom invitations to use to build my portfolio, so to speak. Unfortunately, I bit off more than I could chew and fell behind! We traveled to Southern California for Jarom’s grandmother’s funeral. Evan turned 4 and had a really amazing birthday party. He also started being much, much nicer than he had been as a 3-year-old.

MARCH. Our world turned upside-down when a routine 20-week ultrasound revealed that our third baby wouldn’t live. We spent the rest of the month reeling from the shock and trying to adjust.

APRIL. Most of the focus was on preparing for Christian’s birth and death. We were able to have our parents with us in the hospital and spend a short time together with Christian. He was buried in Springville a few days later.

MAY. Lost to grief.

JUNE. Lost to grief.

JULY. Lost to grief, except the surprise birthday party Jarom threw for me.

AUGUST. The week of my due date, I hosted a baby shower for my dear friend Bridget, who had moved to Alaska in May. Despite my good intentions, it was just too much and I had to run off to the bathroom to cry partway through. On the plus side, I made some really great carrot cupcakes for the shower. And once I was past my due date, the baby shower, and the birth of several friends’ babies, I started to feel more like myself again. Jarom and I even went on our traditional date to the law school Founders’ Day dinner and mini-vacation overnight.

SEPTEMBER. Evan started preschool! I put a lot of work into my Etsy shop (which is currently closed, sorry). We found a lost dog and held onto him for a few days until his owners contacted us.

OCTOBER. I spent a week and a half in California visiting my parents. It was incredibly relaxed and stress-free – almost like a real vacation! Jarom got a much-needed and much-deserved raise at work. Junebug turned 3. Evan was Superman for Halloween; June was a mermaid.

NOVEMBER. Evan watched The Princess Bride and became obsessed. Both kids got croup, and then I did, too. Our blog posts about Christian were adapted into a story and published. Also, Jarom crashed my car.

DECEMBER. Jarom got another raise! My parents and sister came for the holidays. We saw real reindeer at Thanksgiving Point. Christmas was full of good food; Jarom and I had to forgo presents for ourselves so we could save up for a new (to us) car. We had two meetings with a grief counselor to see if we’re grieving appropriately (basically yes). With fingers crossed, we look forward to 2014 and hope there are NO deaths in our family next year!

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