I can't believe it's already 2014… Can you believe it!? Where has the year gone…?
I've thought long and hard about my resolutions for 2014. And I think I've got it down to 3 big ones.
1. Financial Security
It's time for us to not only be stricter with our budget, but to also plan for the future. Our big goal is to buy a house (hopefully in 2015!) so we need to start getting things together for that. Savings needs to increase, spending needs to decrease. We're starting Dave Ramsey so hopefully that'll help a lot. It's time to get all grown-up with our money.
2. Physical Health
Every year I make this resolution and 2014 will be no different. I'm already back to my pre-pregnancy weight, but that's not good enough for me. My doctor gave me a goal and told me I need to be there by the time Elayne is one year old. I have clear goals, and with my worksite wellness program starting in February at work, I'm ready to get this going.
3. Reading
Anyone who knows me at all knows that I am terrible at reading books. I start one and never finish. Then I buy another and the process continues. Besides textbooks, I can't remember the last full book I actually read. So 2014 I am going to change that - adding culture to my life! I will read 12 books in 12 months - and of course blog about them afterward! Some might take me less than a month and some might take me more. But by the end of 2014, I will have read the most for-pleasure books in such a short time span ever. The best part is, I probably won't even have to buy a single book. Remember, I said I buy books and never read them? This will change! I am kind of excited about this challenge.
I love resolutions and can't wait to embark on these - and keep you readers posted on my progress.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
2013 In Review
It's time for my annual post - reviewing the past year. The good. The bad. The beautiful.
January
I announced my pregnancy to the entire world - and was met with so much love and support.
Phillip started his new job!
I began my Masters Degree program at Texas Woman's.
We got to see and hear Elayne on the ultrasound for the first time. Words cannot express that moment.
Morning sickness.
February
Not much happened other than morning sickness.
March
We decided to continue renting and to move to Frisco.
We were rear-ended in Phillip's car and had to go to the hospital to make sure Elayne was okay - and she was!
More morning sickness.
Baby bump formed!
April
Signed a lease for our current house.
Packed up our home in Argyle and waved goodbye to our cute (small) home.
Found out we were having a girl!
Named Elayne Ruth Long.
Felt her move for the first time.
May
We moved into Elayne's first home, painted the house, and welcomed ourselves to Frisco life.
Work was crazy busy.
Murphy went to intense training that helped a little but cost a lot.
June
We celebrated 2 years married together.
Linda started a journey that we still daily pray for success in.
July
I decided to resign from my position at Cypress and explore other options that lined up better with my dreams/goals for my life.
We put together the nursery furniture and really started to get things put together.
Lots of painting, crafting, and nesting.
August
Baby shower!
Nesting. Classes. Doctor's appointments. Repeat.
Elayne was born. Enough said.
September
After several days of worrying, we found out Elayne can hear. What a relief!
This month was all about Elayne and nothing else mattered. We didn't do anything else!
October
Elayne's first Halloween - as a strawberry!
I had my first weekend away from Elayne. It was a great girls' weekend with my mom and sisters.
I applied to several positions and interviewed with Parker University. I got the job!
November
I started my new job at Parker University!
Elayne was shuffled between my parents', Phillip's parents' and Aunt Heather's.
Elayne's first Thanksgiving was great - and her first trip to the cabin was a success!
December
Elayne had her first sickness (likely RSV). We stayed home with her.
It was a crazy cold icy weekend that glued us to our house and gave us cabin fever.
Elayne's first Christmas.
She started school at JCPenny and we love them!
Can't wait to see what 2014 has coming! Looking forward to a relatively uneventful year focused on love, growth, family, and friends having eventful years. Cheers!
January
I announced my pregnancy to the entire world - and was met with so much love and support.
Phillip started his new job!
I began my Masters Degree program at Texas Woman's.
We got to see and hear Elayne on the ultrasound for the first time. Words cannot express that moment.
Morning sickness.
February
Not much happened other than morning sickness.
March
We decided to continue renting and to move to Frisco.
We were rear-ended in Phillip's car and had to go to the hospital to make sure Elayne was okay - and she was!
More morning sickness.
Baby bump formed!
April
Signed a lease for our current house.
Packed up our home in Argyle and waved goodbye to our cute (small) home.
Found out we were having a girl!
Named Elayne Ruth Long.
Felt her move for the first time.
May
We moved into Elayne's first home, painted the house, and welcomed ourselves to Frisco life.
Work was crazy busy.
Murphy went to intense training that helped a little but cost a lot.
June
We celebrated 2 years married together.
Linda started a journey that we still daily pray for success in.
July
I decided to resign from my position at Cypress and explore other options that lined up better with my dreams/goals for my life.
We put together the nursery furniture and really started to get things put together.
Lots of painting, crafting, and nesting.
August
Baby shower!
Nesting. Classes. Doctor's appointments. Repeat.
Elayne was born. Enough said.
September
After several days of worrying, we found out Elayne can hear. What a relief!
This month was all about Elayne and nothing else mattered. We didn't do anything else!
October
Elayne's first Halloween - as a strawberry!
I had my first weekend away from Elayne. It was a great girls' weekend with my mom and sisters.
I applied to several positions and interviewed with Parker University. I got the job!
November
I started my new job at Parker University!
Elayne was shuffled between my parents', Phillip's parents' and Aunt Heather's.
Elayne's first Thanksgiving was great - and her first trip to the cabin was a success!
December
Elayne had her first sickness (likely RSV). We stayed home with her.
It was a crazy cold icy weekend that glued us to our house and gave us cabin fever.
Elayne's first Christmas.
She started school at JCPenny and we love them!
Can't wait to see what 2014 has coming! Looking forward to a relatively uneventful year focused on love, growth, family, and friends having eventful years. Cheers!
Sunday, December 29, 2013
4 Months Old!
Height: 24 inches
Weight: 12.4 pounds
Consistently sleeping through the night with some exceptions.
She loves smiling, laughing, and "talking" to everyone and is passed around with ease.
She should be rolling over any second now.
Elayne loves school and we enjoy her being able to interact with others her age.
Elayne's First Christmas!
Great Christmas!
Instead of boring you with a lengthy, overdue, wordy post, I'll just let the pictures do the talking.
Instead of boring you with a lengthy, overdue, wordy post, I'll just let the pictures do the talking.
Toys from mommy, daddy, and Santa!
Elayne's "big" present from Santa.
The school made this for us! The first of many to come in the future.
Exhausted after her school Christmas party.
Christmas Eve dress her Papa picked out.
Charicature from my work Christmas party.
Funny picture from the family photo shoot.
Relatives from Germany!
Daddy and Elayne after an eventful Christmas Eve.
Tabo's three great-grandbabies.
So many gifts for Elayne!
Phillip got an axe!
Santa came!
Hello baby!
Loving the ball.
Aunt Heather snuggles.
Cousin time.
New convertible car jumper.
Murphy dog spent Christmas with us at the Longs' too!
Both of our children.
I regifted Elayne this year. ;)
My dad's parents celebrated 68 years together!
Snugglie baby!
On the Polar Express train ride!
Cousin Meyer with Papa!
Family <3 p="">
Cousin Griffin loves Elayne.
First picture with Santa. Cold red nose and just up from a nap.
How was your Christmas!?
Monday, December 16, 2013
It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas?
This has been a weird Christmas season so far. I have wanted so badly to decorate the entire house from top to bottom and inside and out. However, sadly, that has yet to happen. I wanted new decorations and to build upon our already great arsenal of all things Christmas. And yet, here we are a little over a week away from Christmas, and I am disappointed in myself.
We have our indoor Christmas decorations up. We look festive at work too. But outside? Outside we have nothing. And I'm afraid it isn't going to get much better.
Thanksgiving weekend was spent at the cabin. Then it iced. Then we have/had a sick baby. And then work for graduation was exhausting. Add that to the extremely short "season" this year, and I feel so bahumbug. So we have nothing outside. And not much inside either.
Hopefully when I get off work Friday, I'll decide to go on a decorating binge and finally get in the spirit this year.
We have our indoor Christmas decorations up. We look festive at work too. But outside? Outside we have nothing. And I'm afraid it isn't going to get much better.
Thanksgiving weekend was spent at the cabin. Then it iced. Then we have/had a sick baby. And then work for graduation was exhausting. Add that to the extremely short "season" this year, and I feel so bahumbug. So we have nothing outside. And not much inside either.
Hopefully when I get off work Friday, I'll decide to go on a decorating binge and finally get in the spirit this year.
Friday, December 6, 2013
Snow/Sick Day
Last night it sleeted and frozen rained. And it stuck. 3.5 inches to be exact.
Parker cancelled classes. Bright Horizons closed. Phillip could barely get out of the garage - and couldn't get back in. So we're all at home hanging out. Which is great so we don't have to get out in this terrible weather.
But what isn't so great is the fact that our baby girl is sick. Her first virus - probably resulting from her first week at school and being around so many people last week during Thanksgiving.
I had to pick her up early on Wednesday because she was running a 100.5 fever. That afternoon we were luckily able to secure an afternoon doctor's appointment, where they told me it was pretty much just a virus that has to run its course - with the help of Tylenol and Benadryl if it got bad enough.
Yesterday morning, her fever was gone and she had no other symptoms so she went back to school. She seemed to be feeling better - until Phillip picked her up last night. She was running a 100.4 fever, was coughing like crazy, could hardly breathe out of her nose, and her eyes were watering. Therefore, in the ice and bad weather, Phillip ran to the store to get Benadryl.
This morning she seems to be doing better. No fever yet again, but still has the other symptoms. Since we're all home, she gets some good TLC from mommy and daddy - along with being chalked full of meds all day.
Hopefully she kicks this thing sooner rather than later. She's so sad when she doesn't feel good.
Parker cancelled classes. Bright Horizons closed. Phillip could barely get out of the garage - and couldn't get back in. So we're all at home hanging out. Which is great so we don't have to get out in this terrible weather.
But what isn't so great is the fact that our baby girl is sick. Her first virus - probably resulting from her first week at school and being around so many people last week during Thanksgiving.
I had to pick her up early on Wednesday because she was running a 100.5 fever. That afternoon we were luckily able to secure an afternoon doctor's appointment, where they told me it was pretty much just a virus that has to run its course - with the help of Tylenol and Benadryl if it got bad enough.
Yesterday morning, her fever was gone and she had no other symptoms so she went back to school. She seemed to be feeling better - until Phillip picked her up last night. She was running a 100.4 fever, was coughing like crazy, could hardly breathe out of her nose, and her eyes were watering. Therefore, in the ice and bad weather, Phillip ran to the store to get Benadryl.
This morning she seems to be doing better. No fever yet again, but still has the other symptoms. Since we're all home, she gets some good TLC from mommy and daddy - along with being chalked full of meds all day.
Hopefully she kicks this thing sooner rather than later. She's so sad when she doesn't feel good.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Thanksgiving and The Like
Elayne's first Thanksgiving was such a success!!
She got to meet Aunt Tiffany, Uncle Adrian, and Uncle Nick for the first time - I hope they loved her!
Besides Elayne being held all week, me eating way too much, and enjoying all of the family time, we also headed to the cabin with Elayne and Murphy. It was Elayne's first trip, and she did so well! She loved taking a walk around the huge property and seeing a bunch of things she's never seen before. She's really starting to become quite social, inquisitive, and smiley. I love it!
Monday was also her first day of school! Phillip dropped her off and I picked her up. I love her teachers, the program, and everything about it. Yesterday when I picked her up, she held her arms out for me. That was the first time she's ever reached for anyone - and it was me! To say my heart was happy is the understatement of the year.
Yesterday Phillip dressed Elayne in the funniest outfit ever - I'm still laughing. I told him to grab her dress and the sweater behind it that matches. It's an adorable white and pink dress with a pink cardigan to go over it. When I picked her up yesterday, they handed me a bag of "messed up" clothes and I instantly knew what he did. He grabbed a different sweater - a bright red sweater dress. So essentially, Elayne wore two dresses to school yesterday. Luckily the teachers figured out there was some sort of Daddy dressing mix up and said she needed to take the sweater dress off because it was "dirty" (aka it looked weird and they didn't want us to feel bad). Too funny.
I love our happy baby.
Oh! And in other news!!! She is sleeping through the night pretty consistently now! Hooray!
Now of course, once I brag about this, we'll be going back to midd of the night feedings. Great.
She got to meet Aunt Tiffany, Uncle Adrian, and Uncle Nick for the first time - I hope they loved her!
Besides Elayne being held all week, me eating way too much, and enjoying all of the family time, we also headed to the cabin with Elayne and Murphy. It was Elayne's first trip, and she did so well! She loved taking a walk around the huge property and seeing a bunch of things she's never seen before. She's really starting to become quite social, inquisitive, and smiley. I love it!
Monday was also her first day of school! Phillip dropped her off and I picked her up. I love her teachers, the program, and everything about it. Yesterday when I picked her up, she held her arms out for me. That was the first time she's ever reached for anyone - and it was me! To say my heart was happy is the understatement of the year.
Yesterday Phillip dressed Elayne in the funniest outfit ever - I'm still laughing. I told him to grab her dress and the sweater behind it that matches. It's an adorable white and pink dress with a pink cardigan to go over it. When I picked her up yesterday, they handed me a bag of "messed up" clothes and I instantly knew what he did. He grabbed a different sweater - a bright red sweater dress. So essentially, Elayne wore two dresses to school yesterday. Luckily the teachers figured out there was some sort of Daddy dressing mix up and said she needed to take the sweater dress off because it was "dirty" (aka it looked weird and they didn't want us to feel bad). Too funny.
I love our happy baby.
Oh! And in other news!!! She is sleeping through the night pretty consistently now! Hooray!
Now of course, once I brag about this, we'll be going back to midd of the night feedings. Great.
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