Welcome 2010!

Whew! What a whirlwind holiday season! It comes and goes so fast that you hardly have time to realize it is happening - and then it's gone! And now we begin the year 2010 (that's twenty-ten according to AP Style).

There are so many things I am looking forward to this year:

• Friends' weddings
  
• The birth of friends' and family members' babies
• Seeing where my brother will land in his career path
• Getting to know another supervisor in my work role
• Watching Dave graduate with his PhD (finally)
• Seeing where we end up after Dave's graduation!

With a new year also comes the opportunity to try to do some things better in life. I know, you can make a change at any time, but it seems like a new year gives people that extra push in a better direction. At least that is how it seems to work for me! Here are a couple of things I am hoping to do better with this year:

• Saving money - Sure, we have a savings account and contribute to it each month, but then usually have to turn around and pull money out again to do things like replace broken electronics, fix cars, pay car insurance deductibles... you know, cover those unexpected expenses. So I'm going to make a better effort at clipping coupons, making our dinner menu based on what is on sale at the grocery stores that week and spending less at the grocery store on snacks and desserts. 
• Losing weight - Yeah, yeah, yeah, I do this every year. I think my downfall is making a lot of huge changes all at once. So this year I am going to take tiny steps, one at a time, to gradually change my routine and lifestyle. I have also joined The Biggest Loser Pound for Pound Challenge along with some of my co-workers and now I have some support at work to help me make better food choices throughout the day. Let me tell you, it is a whole lot easier to not snack in the break room if everyone else isn't doing it either. In the last week I've already lost two pounds. Go me!
• Finding more joy at work - It may seem like a very rewarding job to help feed the hungry, but in reality it is not all beer and skittles. It is very draining to constantly see people in need; I mean, the waiting room is always full, people come in when we are closed for distribution telling us their sob story about how they don't have anything to eat and used their last bag of change to buy enough gas to get here etc., etc. and after doing this for over three years I have sort of become numb to it all. I need to refocus, reenergize and find that passion I once had for helping those in need. I know I can do it, I just need to try harder!
• Refocusing on MY family - And by my family, I mean the one Dave and I created when we got married. We don't spend enough time starting and maintaining our own traditions, especially during the holidays. While we love spending time with both of our families we need to really work harder at putting a priority on what we want/need to do for ourselves and then decide what the best way to spend time with our families is. It sounds kind of selfish but what I mean to say is that we need a better balance and I'm hoping we can figure out what that is this year.

Well, I guess that does it for now. I hope everyone out there has a very rewarding and fulfilling 2010. And stay tuned, who knows what will happen in our lives; whatever it is, it is usually entertaining. Happy 2010!