2009

I'm not a fan of resolutions. I also don't enjoy year-end reflections. However, I like to think of the year ahead and what is in store for my life. This year is going to bring a lot of changes...

• BABIES: As you might have guessed (see video below) several babies will be joining our circle of friends, which as you can imagine, will alter the dynamics of those friendships. I'm excited though. Excited for my friends, excited to meet their babies, excited to spend time around newborns. In all honesty, I feel like I'm becoming an aunt. These babies are going to be a part of my life for a long time, they are being born to our closest of friends, and it's incredible to think that I will watch these children grow up. I'm just praying that these babies don't spark a fever in Jon or I. We're still hoping to hold out at least two more years before we really even consider starting a family. We just want a dog and a cat soon (we even have their names picked out!)
  
• WORK: God willing, this will be the first year in my life that I'll only have one w-2. I'm thankful for a job in this economy, thankful that I'm done with school, thankful that I like my workplace and those I work with. I'm also proud of my husband and the wonderful employee that he is. As much as I desire to move to Portland, I know how much he loves his job and the people he works with and I know what a burden it would be for him to try and find another job that he loves as much as his current one. This year, I'll be working on patience. I love change, and it's interesting to start settling into a life that is not consistently changing. I enjoy it for the most part, and I am honestly trying just to be more satisfied with where we're at and not constantly looking forward to the future. I don't know if we'll ever move to Portland, and I want to be more okay with that.
  
• HOUSE: Jon and I will begin to look seriously into buying a house. In this market, it's hard to sit idly and continue to rent when buying is a possibility for us. However, purchasing a home in our current area is almost impossible, at least the type of home we would like to own. As much as I adore living in the city, I am looking forward to moving out into the suburbs. I like the peace and quite, the trees, grass, I like seeing sky at night and not having to pay for parking everywhere I go. Most of all, I like SPACE. I don't want to have to re-arrange my entire kitchen every time I go grocery shopping. However, with a house comes a longer commute, a commitment to the area we move to, and unless we move north, the burden of finding a church again. I can't wait to have a yard so we can get a dog, but taking on a mortgage is a huge responsibility, so we'll be praying for the next 5 months about the possibility of buying a house once our lease is up.
  

Other than that, well, I'm not expecting any other big changes. I don't have any big goals for this year. I'm happy with my weight and the way I eat, I feel good about my budget and finances, I'm happy in my marriage and with the relationship I have with friends. Overall, I feel truly blessed and I'm looking forward to 2009. Yay!