The truth is...

Life has been really though lately, and even though no one reads this blog yet, I have a hard time opening up about what has been going on. I guess that's always been a hard thing for me. I hope one day for that to change.

Fairly recently, I found this blog, and when I find a new blog I love, I love it up and down and read as many posts as possible. And I don't get bored. That's when I know I've found a good one. This one inspired me. Casey, writer of The Wiegands, is like an open book with her life struggles and her happy moments. I love that.

I also found this blog. She's basically the type of mom I want to be. She has six children - one of which was just adopted from Africa. I love how raw and inspiring bloggers can be. I love that they share their lives and add such positive insights and stories to the blogging community.

One day. For now, I am trying to take things one step at a time, really focusing on myself. I figured out that I need to take some time to myself every once and a while to figure myself out, and figure out how to be the best possible me I can be.

oh! I've been doing a decent job at my little resolutions!

Proof:

[The dresser and almost everything on it was thrifted! oh, how I love good finds.]

[Note: the love seat is not butted up against the heater (although it appears to be), although that heater doesn't work anyhow.]

Love seat, coffee table, curtain rod, grey rug: IKEA 

Curtains & bookshelf: Target

[My procrastination/work station]

Desk: hand-me-down from Matt's Grandma Weea

Shelf, bulletin board, basket: IKEA

Chandelier: gift

Sentsy: gift from momma

"I heart Christmas" LED lights: Target's seasonal clearance section ($.70 - originally $7)

"C": JoAnns - painted and decorated by Mi

Slowly but surely, this place is beginning to look more and more like the home I imagined it to be. 

It's time.

It's time that I start my goals of self improvement. My resolutions, if you will. I don't normally make resolutions as I typically forget what they were a week into the year. This year I'm desperately going to try for mine and the hub's sake.

1. Clean the apartment daily. Including making the bed. :|
2. Fix my hair as often as possible. As trendy as buns have become, I have hair that should serve a purpose more than being a bird's nest on the top of my head. If I don't stick to this one, I'm chopping off my hair and donating it. 
3. Blog more! Including finding things worth blogging about. And maybe I'll come out of the blogging closet. Matt's the only one who knows about this and is constantly telling me to "take it live".  Coming up with his own blogging terms now - that man. 
4. Start meal planning and eating more fresh fruits and veggies.
5. Accompany Matt to the gym more often. 
6. Change out of my work clothes as soon as I get home rather than spending the entire day in them/ make an effort to look nice. Red and khaki should never be worn together unless you're working at Target.
7. Get crafty! Pinterest is a wonderful tool and should actually begin to be applied in my life.
8. Get organized and motivated - find an internship and volunteer for organizations I love and admire. 
9. Graduate.
10. Get ready to make babies. I may or may not buy onesies when they go on clearance at work. At least I'll be prepared?
11. Make sure Matt knows and feels loved every single day.

Get ready for a new better me, 2012!

Lights.

They city seems to change around Christmas time.
And then you blink, and it's like nothing ever happened.

Temple Square:

The Hogle Zoo:

The end. 

The Good Stuff

My family came to visit last weekend!

It was supposed to be a surprise visit, but my dad can't ever keep secrets. Especially good ones.

They were only here for two short days, which made having to say goodbye hard. Along with good company, laughs, and little explorations and wanderings around town, they brought a little Christmas with them. My siblings went gung-ho this Christmas and showered us with all sorts of lovely goodies. I wish I had taken more pictures. I believe my mom snapped a few so hopefully I can snag them from her soon. Even though Christmas had passed, we got to squeeze out a little more Christmas Spirit out of this season when we opened our gifts - clothes, candy and homemade cookies, nick-nacs - all greatly appreciated. Most appreciated was the company. I realized that I didn't know how much I missed being with my family until they were here, and then when they left.

We ventured off to the Zoo to admire the Christmas lights one last time, wandered through Temple Square - again admiring Christmas lights and Christmas-y festivities going on.

On day two of their visit, my parents surprised Matt and I with a bed. Totally unexpected. A R-E-A-L bed! The past several months of our married lives have been spent sleeping on an air mattress that decided it didn't want to stay inflated through the night around Thanksgiving time. Yep, we'd been sleeping on a deflated air mattress for a month, and had planned to continue doing so until we could afford to get a real bed. And let me tell you, sleeping under such conditions takes a toll on your back. Real bad. Real quick.

What parents I have. Truly wonderful.

The second and last night they were here, we decided to have a little sleep over with Annie and Westley. Unfortunately for everyone, I had work early the next morning so we couldn't do many of the traditional fun sleep over activities. We managed to squeeze in a movie and made a make-shift bed our of lots of blankets.

I loved every sweet moment we got to spend with that lovely family of mine. 

The New Year is here, Christmas is gone, and the decorations have made their way back into boxes until next year.

I love that the beginning of a new year gives you time to reflect on the things that happened over the past year. 2011 treated me so well - so well I can hardly believe it! Let's reflect:

1. I finished 2 semesters and 1 term of college. (only 1 more semester & an internship to go!)
2. I got engaged! 
3. Planned a wedding and found the most wonderful dress for me.
4. Married my best friend in the whole wide world and gained the most amazing in-laws. Seriously. 
5. Moved to Salt Lake. The first "big" city I've ever lived in. Very exciting and intimidating it was. 
6. Found myself my first full-time job and rocked it while taking the fullest load of classes I've ever taken. 
7. Got a bunny! 
8. Put my childhood dog of 14 years to rest. (Forever in my heart, little Sunrise.)

This year has been full of amazing adventures, but I have a feeling 2012 is going to be beautiful and full.

For Christmas, Matt and I made a trip up to Colorado to spend the holiday with his Aunt, Uncle, little cousins Joey and Nicky, and his grandparents. It was so much fun, I forgot to take many pictures! :( Due to a little accident in the kitchen Christmas Eve afternoon, we had a late start to our trip. Matt sliced open his thumb while cutting apples for the road and ended up in the hospital. Nothing is more terrifying than getting a call from your husband while at work telling you that he's in the hospital. Because of his "bum thumb" I was the one wrestling and sledding with the boys all weekend. It was a blast!

Oh, and Mochi came, too! She hated the car ride, but absolutely loved being in a new place! She was so good with the boys - when they weren't playing with their new nerf guns, they wanted to be playing with her. Their dog loved Mochi, too.

Just Dance 3 - SO fun!

Brothers. 

Joey would NOT take a nice picture with Nicky. 

Monument, Colorado.

I love these little fellas, and I especially 

loved being attached at the hip with the both of them.

We had such a sweet visit with Mando, Leacia, the boys, and Papa and Weea. Living so far from family makes the holidays especially difficult when you can't afford to go home, but being able to spend a few days with them made our first Christmas away from home much more enjoyable.