One year older and....

Not so much wiser. Not really different at all. Except just older.



I turned 27 on Monday the 19th. My 26th year of life was absolutely horrible. There weren't very many good things that happened while I was 26. So I've made 2009 - my 27th year - the year of change.



I'm so glad my birthday is in January. I feel like along with a new year, I get a new start with a new age to just start over. So here's how I'm planning on changing.



1. Losing weight! Of course! When I got home from my mission to Wisconsin in November 2004, I was a size 14 weighing 180 lbs. Now I know that's not thin, by society's standards, but that is the smallest I've been in my adult life - including high school. As a freshman in high school I was about 200 lbs. I've always struggled with weight - it's been the issue God has given to me to keep me humble. haha!



Well when I got married in 2006 I'd already gained about 25-30 lbs. And in the 2 1/2 years since then, I've put on a LOT more weight and I don't even know how it happened!! My ultimate goal is to be a size 10 or maybe a 12. So I have a ways to go.



Here's what I've been doing so far. And the best part is, Scott is doing this with me, which is a HUGE help!!



On January 7, Scott and I started the Alli program. If you don't know what that is, go to http://www.myalli.com/ and check it out. In the past two weeks I have felt myself shedding some ounces and maybe a couple of pounds!! But since we didn't have a scale, we couldn't tell for sure. But I've felt SO good the past two weeks! Alli makes me not want to eat bad foods, and I haven't been able to finish a regular sized meal since starting it. It's awesome. It's SO important to find what works for you when you lose weight. Because there are so many diets out there, and only a couple will actually work for you. Back in 2003 when I lost 70 lbs, it was from riding a bike every day and eating well. Alli is helping me eat well. The exercise bike Scott bought me for Christmas is helping with the exercise part! I feel like this is the year that things will change. And I'm excited about that. And the best part is, I'm not doing it alone! Scott is such a great husband!



2. I'm giving school my all. I have two years to go before I have my Masters in School Counseling. All through school I've just kind of done the bare minimum to get by with an A or B and been pretty blase about it. But not anymore! These next two years are dedicated to working hard, studying, reading, and practicing the material I learn. I want to be an awesome school counselor, not just a mediocre one. So I am going to do what I can to be an amazing counselor when 2011 rolls around!!



3. I'm going to be financially savvy. That's right. I said savvy. I have always been kind of horrible with money - I love spending it. And I'm good at it. But Scott and I want to buy a house this year, so in order to do that, I need to get a job (obviously) and stick to our savings plan! We have paid off our credit cards and the only debt we have now is our car (and of course, our student loans, but they won't come into play for a couple years). So we can finally save what we were spending on credit cards before. So I am excited to accomplish this goal of owning our own home to prepare for our family to come!!!



Those are my goals. I also have little goals to be more spiritual by reading my scriptures more and getting rid of my bad attitude toward our ward, as well as being a better wife by cleaning more often and not nagging Scott to help clean when he's spent all day at work and school! Shhh, don't tell him I said that!



For my birthday, Scott and I went to breakfast at Midvale Mining, because ALL I wanted was a scone! I hadn't have one in ages, and it sounded SO amazingly good. So we did that. And it rocked. Then we went shopping to make a package for Scott's lil brother Eric that turns 19 in the MTC next week! Then Scott surprised me by taking me to the salon to get my hair done!! I was SO excited because I've been bugging him for months to let me go get my hair professionally colored! Then it was off to Texas Roadhouse to meet my family for dinner! After that we went to my sister's for some Rockband and fat free brownies!! It was a wonderful night. I got spoiled, of course, with some super cute new clothes, and an awesome new scale!!! Scott and I are going to be doing weekly weigh-ins on Monday nights.



So I'm one year older. I don't feel older. I don't feel wiser. But I am hoping to be thinner and richer. That's not too much to ask, right? :)