Happy Birthday, Happy New Year

Hello everybody!
We are settled into our new apartment (thanks Mom and Dad!), and had a wonderful holiday break, and we are ready to start the new year!  This year is the year of the Dragon, starting on Monday, and that is my year.
While I did not necessarily make "New Year's" resolutions, I did make some birthday resolutions.  I usually make seven.  I don't know why seven, it just is.  : )
1. Get down to 175 pounds.  (That means losing 25 pounds)  I don't really have a plan of action for this one.  I have been taking more walks with the family, and I have every intention of eating healthier, I just haven't started that part yet.
2. Pay off all of Scott's debt.  We want to buy a house.  Since my credit is messed up beyond recognition, we are going to do it in Scott's name.  So we are going to pay off all of his debt.  (Next is mine, but it will take more than a year to do that : )
3. Clean house.  Somehow, even after the three-week camping expedition, we still have too much stuff!  We did empty the storage units, both of them, and threw SO MUCH stuff away, I still have more donating and trash to get rid of.  I am doing 40 Bags in 40 Days for that one, and I have done 8 or 10 bags so far.  It feels so good to get rid of clutter!
4. Get my passport.  This has been on my list for years.  No plans to travel out of the country yet.  : )
5. Meditate daily.  I am starting off with a simply daily review before I fall asleep.  So far, I haven't made it before lunch before I fall asleep (I review my day backwards).
6. Plant an herb a month.  Calendula for January!  I'm so excited about this project, you can use calendula in so many ways, and it is pretty!  I got my seeds from New Frontiers yesterday, and I'm getting my compost/soil ready now! 
7. Keep up with Herb Mentor.  An online learning site for using herbs medicinally. 
      So that is what is going on with the me lately.  
     

Happy 2011!

     It is 1.1.11.  I am leaving 2010 behind with a grateful heart and wonderful expectations for the new year.  I am thankful for the prince of a man I met in August, that I am marrying in 2011.  I am happy to have met my boss Angie this past year, and the opportunity to work at the school with all these amazing children and other women who make the school the success it is today.  I had the chance to visit Sedona, the Grand Canyon, Virginia, California, and Flagstaff in 2010, always in good company.
     In 2011, I have four resolutions.
1. Meditate every day.
2. Get my financial house in order.
3. Work on my housekeeping skills.
4. Lose 25 pounds before the wedding.
     These resolutions fit with my life priorities and goals of living more simply, being balanced, and healthy. 
     I'm making my life a deliberate adventure.
     I aim to keep this blog as a journal as I (with my understanding and supporting family), make changes in our lifestyles as we move to a more sustainable, simple life that brings the importance of our relationships with others to the fore, and pushes back the greed and unkindness of the mainstream.
     Right now we live in a rented property with a nice front yard.  We have two vehicles, which we drive around town and to and from our jobs.  We have three incredible children who are all in their preteens.  We do a lot of eating out.  All of us are interested in making changes.  Good luck to us all!