Snowed In!

I've been spending quite a bit of quality time with my family in the past few days. It was much needed! I am so glad my parents are here to help out too. Even though they are only staying a week, having an extra set of hands is spoiling me! Kailyn is getting pretty spoiled too with all the non-stop attention, she is eating it up. I wish I could give her the same constant attention when it is just her and I. They need to invent some sort of energy pill that doesn't have all the crazy side effects so I can be supermom!

We had a pretty memorable Christmas. This was Little Miss's first time opening gifts. Last Christmas she was barely 2 months old so she slept through Christmas morning gifts. It was so much fun to watch her face as she was opening her presents. I am so thankful the Hubs was able to come home for a few hours so we could open gifts as a family. I love being able to share memorable moments like that with him. My mom prepared an amazing Christmas dinner that night: turkey, dressing, green bean casserole, sweet potato crunch, cranberries, mashed potatoes, and fruit salad. My Bestie and her husband came over and she cooked pies for us. It was a great holiday! 

I woke up the day after Christmas to a snowstorm going on outside and was sad that another Christmas managed to creep up on me then pass too quickly. Its just that this is the last major holiday before deployment (I don't count New Years Eve as a holiday). The next big holiday will be Valentine's Day which has never gone well for me in the past so this year it looks like it will be following that trend. I am starting to make a list of things I want to do with my new year and first deployment in no particular order:

1. Organize my closets! I am going to invest in some plastic bins to replace all the cardboard that is falling apart. I am starting out with the Christmas decorations and then moving onto my closet. I have all of my clothes from right after Little Miss was born still hanging up. While I can no longer fit them, I don't want to get rid of them just in case. So I want to put those in containers for my "fat days". I also need to do something with all my shoes! I have a walk-in closet I can't walk in because all my shoes are on the floor. Again, I am going to get the plastic shoe box size containers for them so they can be stacked. I have a nice big shelf that is full of crap too that needs to be boxed up. 
2. Train to run a half marathon! I was hoping to run in the Shamrock Marathon but then I found out it was $200 per person and its already sold out so maybe I'll find another one to run in. I was a distance runner in jr. high and high school so I'd love to get back into it. Running also is one of my favorite ways to work out, especially running outside or on an indoor track. It really helps to clear my head which doesn't happen very often!
3. Get back into Yoga! I have a gym membership and they offer lots of yoga classes yet my lazy butt is sitting here at home. Before the Navy life I took yoga classes at least once a week. I love how it mellows me out and how it calms me down. I can just let my mind go and it gets quiet. I've let myself get sloth-like and I've been using Little Miss as my excuse for not going lately: I hate leaving her crying in childcare at the gym. The staff is great with her, but hearing her cry as I'm walking away breaks my heart. I need to toughen up though because I am going to need some ME time and the gym will probably be my only refuge since they offer childcare. 
4. Paint the guest bedroom! Right now it is the white color they have on the walls when you buy a house. All of the other rooms are painted. I just have to get approval from the property management. Its not going to be anything crazy or exciting, probably just some sort of off white or cream color. Just something other than the current flat white!
5. Maybe get a tattoo?! I've been sketching and contemplating one for over 3 years now. I have a sketch I really like now that has all of the elements I want in it. My thoughts on body art: if you are going to have something permanent on your body it better be something meaningful. It should also be something personal you do for yourself since you'll be wearing it forever. I haven't decided if I want color yet or not. I also need to figure out who I want to do the tattoo. I will probably end up getting it done back home where I know I can get lots of references from friends. I haven't decided where to get it on my body yet. I have it narrowed down to my hip, either the front or back. I should also probably run this by the Hubs too...

So far that is it for my personal "to do list". I can't even begin to make a list of all my emotional goals or what I hope to accomplish with Little Miss in the upcoming year. 

What I am excited about this week: Shopping after Christmas sales with my mom! I finally got out to WalMart today and got a sweet deal on a new Christmas tree. Ours is pretty sad and looks like Charlie Brown's tree. I also went to Pier One and found some new home decor at amazing prices. I love shopping there but hate how pricey it can be, last year I discovered the crazy cheap prices after Christmas so I went back this year again. I also got quite a few gift cards this year so I'm hoping to hit up the mall this week too, whoever said gift cards are crappy gifts is crazy!