A Little Bit of This. A Little Bit of That: Lately

     Oh my stars, it has been ages since I have blogged! I was really going to try and do better, especially sharing all of the house updates we did, but then life just got in the way (in a mostly positive way, of course). I last blogged in August, at the very beginning of a new school year in a new grade and the start of my Masters program. Because I don't want to sit here and ramble on and on, here is a quick run down of my life since then:

*Started teaching in a new grade, with a class of 18 students which is totally different from last year.
*Began my masters program at Arizona State University (online)
*Went to Charlotte, NC for a beer festival with my family and to visit my cousin that lives there
*Concluded my year of being a bridesmaid with my last two friends tying the knot in October
*Hosted the first gathering at my house on Halloween
*Ventured to Nashville to take Dave to the Bears v Titans game for his 23rd birthday
*Visited Arrington Vineyards in Franklin, TN -- which was beautiful!
*Ventured to Lynchburg and Tullahoma with two good friends to explore the George Dickel distillery and Jack Daniels distillery. We also stayed in this quaint Bed and Breakfast that was just perfect!
*Enjoyed Thanksgiving with my wonderful family
*Watched David become a graduate of the University of Memphis :)
*Earned a 4.0 in my first semester of my masters program
*Enjoyed Christmas with my whole family, my brother flew down with his pup and spent 10 days here!
*Hosted my first dinner party for 13 people. Cooked 60 Italian Spinach Meatballs, spaghetti, and Italian spinach + a few delectable desserts
*Ventured to Cherokee Village, Arkansas and stayed in a cabin on Thunderbird lake with 9 other people to ring in the New Year

     That is pretty much a summary of the last 5 months of my life. Overall, they have been great, especially the little trips that I was able to take. There have absolutely been some down times, but that is life and it is what ultimately makes us all appreciate the good times even more.

   I am not one for New Year's Resolutions, as I always tend to break them within about 13 seconds. So this year I have taken a new route. I am simply going to strive to be better. That leaves me with a lot of options of how I can be better, whether it is being more active, cooking more, listening better, reading more, saving money, etc. By leaving it vague and open to interpretation, I can't really break any "resolution". As long as I am always doing something, no matter how small, to better myself then I will consider it a success. I am looking forward to a new year and a new beginning. Hopefully I will be a little better about blogging so I am able to share some of the fun times with my few, yet faithful followers! With all of that being said, I will leave you with a few end of the year pictures.

Happy 2013, y'all!