Welcome back, Dave.

So...after about a 2 month hiatus from good 'ole Dave Ramsey, he's reentered my life. I found it nearly impossible to stick to the envelope system during the holidays. I did well with my Christmas shopping, but I shamefully didn't stick to the "just use cash" rule.

2010 is well underway though, and I'd really like to get back on track with Dave.

So, if there's still a week left in the month and I want to go to dinner with friends, but find that there is no money left in my "recreation" envelope? Well...I'm just going to be out of luck.

Anyway, I've got to really really start pinching those pennies again.

Why you ask?

Well...

Perhaps you remember me flirting with the idea of buying a house. I've been looking a lot and praying even more and a few weeks ago I found a house I really liked! So after much thought, I made an offer on it, but unfortunately it fell through. :(

I continued looking at other houses and came across another one that I LOVE (even more than the 1st!)! I actually made an offer on it this weekend and I'm waiting to hear back. I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but I really REALLY want this one to work out!

Cross your fingers for me, will ya?
I'll definitely keep you posted...

I'm also still waiting to get Max's biopsy results back, so be expecting an update (hopefully a GOOD ONE!) soon! Thank you much!

Jimbo and Caroline!

Congratulations, Jimbo and Caroline!One of my dearest childhood friends, Jimbo got married this weekend!

Aren't they sweet?

I couldn't be happier for these two.

Want to see some more pictures of my fun friends who were there? Well, here you go!

me and HEGS with the beautiful bride!

me and the happy groom!

me and Ashley and MSKS. Love these girls!
Sara Beth, Gracie and me! Fun college friends!
more high school friends... me and HEGS
Finally, here's a sweet one of Jimbo and his mom who I ADORE.
YAY FOR MR. AND MRS. HEARNSBERGER! :)

It Is Well...

Happy Saturday friends.

First of all, thanks so very much for all of you for checking on Max this week! His mouth is starting to look better and the past couple of days he's started eating a little and actually keeping it down. It's been a tough week for him (well...his mommy too!). We should get the biopsy results early next week. Obviously, my fingers are still crossed that this is nothing other than a bacterial infection that can be easily and quickly treated. I'll definitely let you know when I find out.

Secondly, I want to share this video I found several months ago. It gave me chills the first time I heard it and I listen to it pretty regularly. I always love contemporary Christian songs, but there are some old hymns, that in my opinion, just can't be beat. "Holy, Holy, Holy", "How Great Thou Art", and "It Is Well" are a few of my favorites.

Anyway, watch this video of these 3 sisters singing "It Is Well" (acapella nonetheless!).

Amazing.

I'm watching my Dawgs play LSU on TV right now and then I'm heading to Louisville to see my dear childhood friend, Jimbo, and his precious fiance, Caroline get married tonight!

I wonder if anybody loves Saturdays as much as me...

poor little guy.

Thanks so much for praying for my buddy today. I worried about him all day and was relieved to get him home with me a little while ago. Here's a picture of him:Doesn't he look pitiful? It breaks my heart. He had to have a couple of stitches, and I think he's in a good bit of pain right now. They had to cut the hair around his mouth and nose which makes these horrible sores even more noticeable. His eyes even look swollen to me.

Please keep praying for this little guy! We'll get the test results back next week sometime. The Dr. said that hopefully it's just a severe bacterial infection, but if that IS what it is, he's never seen it this bad before. That's a little discouraging to hear!

My sweet little Max.

Max.

Hey friends. I need to talk about my best buddy, Max tonight. The poor pup has been a little under the weather for the past day or so.

A couple of days ago I noticed a rather large sore around Max's mouth. I was hoping it would go away on it's own, but instead, it spread and now he's got sores covering his entire nose and mouth. I've never seen anything like it. It really hurts me just to look at him! I freaked out when I noticed them last night.

Needless to say, I took him to the Vet immediately after school today and he was even a little unsure about what was causing it, but it doesn't look or sound good. I've got to take Max back in tomorrow morning and he'll have to spend the day at the Vet. They've got to put him under anesthetics and get a biopsy. They'll then have to send it off to Texas A&M (for some reason), and then I'll have to wait for a few days to get the results. I'm hoping for a good, treatable diagnosis, but I'm still worried. He's not really eating, he doesn't want to play, and he's just not being himself. I'm sad.

I know he's "just a dog," but if you've followed my blog long enough, you should know by now that he's sorta, kinda, just a little special to me.

And while there are so many people who need prayers tonight, could you please squeeze little Max onto your prayer list? His mommy would greatly appreciate it.

I'll let you know as soon as I find out what's wrong with him.

Thank you much.

LT

twins.

So...I show up at school this morning, and my teacher friend, Anna (who also happens to be my "mentee") and I were totally dressed alike. Take a look at this...Seriously, Anna. I know you want to be like me, but I think it's gone a little too far...

TGIF! :)

These are a few of my NEW favorite things...

Life is good tonight. I'm lounging on my couch with Max (who I think unfortunately has a tummy ache. Sad.), watching American Idol, and sipping on a glass of wine. The weather was absolutely beautiful today, so I was able to enjoy a fantastic jog without having to wear 42 layers of clothes. I'm totally craving spring.

In the mean time, I've got a few favorites that I thought I'd share with the blog-o-sphere. Favorite what, you ask? Well....I guess you can say it's just a little of this and a little of that. It's a completely random list of items, so you will find very little rhyme or reason as to why I chosen these things tonight.

Here's a bulleted list of some new favorites of mine!:

• My HERO! I told myself I did NOT need a fancy phone like this, but now that I have it (and become quite attached to it), I can't imagine not having it. I'm still learning new things about it, but I've had fun with it. A few of my favorite apps: 1. Shazam! In a car or a public place, hear a song you love and don't know the name or artist who sings it? NO FEAR! Simply open up Shazam, hold the phone up, and viola!...the title, artist, and album appear on the screen. Genius? I think so. 2. Calorie Counter - You may be rolling your eyes at this one, but really, it's quite nifty. If you're trying to eat a little healthier and wondering what your best food option is at a popular restaurant, you can open up this app and you'll see tons of restaurants, their menus, and the fat content (including weight watcher points!) of each meal. If you think that ordering a salad is always safe, you'll think twice after looking at the number of calories some of them contain! YIKES! 3. Pandora- this isn't new to many of you, as I'm sure some of you listen to this fantastic online radio site. I've enjoyed listening to it while exercising when I want to hear something new as opposed to my predictable I-Pod (which I am also obsessed with). If you're in the market for a new phone, allow me to suggest this fabulous one. And if you know of some other fun apps I need to download, give me a shout out, will ya?
• Philosophy Senorita Margarita bubble bath, shampoo, and shower gel all-in-one. Thanks for introducing this one to me, Claire. It was given to me as a Christmas gift from this dear friend and I've already used it ALL! I couldn't help myself. First of all, I love bubble baths. And a bubble bath that smells like margaritas? Does it get any yummier than that? I think not. A friendly reminder: My birthday is in a couple of months. Got it, ACH?
• And finally, I must tell you about Bobbi Brown's Hydrating Eye Moisturizer. I've had very dark, puffy circles under my eyes for as long as I can remember. Bobbi's (I feel that she and I should be on a first name basis) corrector and concealer work really well, but I've still been looking for an eye moisturizer that could actually help reduce the puffiness rather than just hide it. I recently ordered some make-up and was sent a free sample of this eye moisturizer. I've been using it for a couple of days, and I can already feel a difference! I ordered a real size of it today and I'm pretty excited about it. If you're in the market for something similar, you should probably give it a try! Ok. I'm tired now. I'm sure you'll hear from me again sooner than later, though. Enjoy your Wednesday, and if you're from around here, get your umbrellas ready! The rumor is that this beautiful weather we've enjoyed for the past couple of days will be turning into thunderstorms tomorrow!

ONE MORE!

HERE'S the picture of Heather with the cute hostesses! I didn't want to leave it out! :)

Laurette, Tricia, Heather, Lindsey, Amanda, Laura (aka "Mims")

shower pics!

Heather is without internet access at the moment, so I'm taking it upon myself to post some of the pics from her shower on Saturday. These are some of the ones from Mom's camera. They're super cute, but unfortunately there's not one of Heather with her fun friends who put time and effort into making it perfect for Heather!

Heather with Trey's aunt, Mom, my Nana, and my Mom

Sister pic. Absolutely horrible of me, but the blog world has seen plenty of those I guess!

Opening some great stuff for Jones!:A hospital gown that says "Jones' Mommy"! Great gift, Amanda!

Precious notecards! Compliments of Renee of course!

This baby's gonna be a bulldog (sorry, Trey!)

I'm sure Heather will have more to say and more pics to post since it was her shower afterall! This really makes me excited about Jones' arrival in a few short months!

Happy Tuesday! LT

baby Jones and thoughts about 2010...

While I spent over 10 hours in a car in about a 30 hour period this weekend, I was so glad to be able to go spend some time with my family and go to Heather's baby shower in Gulfport (pics to come soon!). Heather still looks fantastic of course and she got so many adorable (and some very practical) gifts for Jones.

Heather's sweet friends Lindsey, Laura, Laurette, Amanda, Katelyn (who was missed), and Tricia hosted the shower and it was perfect. Seeing the nursery for the first time and watching Heather receive such sweet gifts makes me so excited about Jones' arrival!

And about the 10 hours...well... here's how that happened. Friday afternoon, Mom, Dad, Nana and I headed to Clinton (over a 2 hr. drive) to spend the night with Kristen and Rob. Kristen was on call Friday night, and when she got off work Saturday, she, Mom, Nana, and I drove to Gulfport (3 hours from Clinton) for the shower. Unfortunately, we had to leave pretty soon after the shower was over and drive back to Clinton (again...3 hours) to drop off Kristen and pick up my dad, who'd been hanging out with Rob and Henry for the day. It was about 8 pm at this point, and Dad, Mom, Nana, and I headed back to Vegas (+ 2 hours and some). Do the math and you'll see that it all adds up to over 10 hours. I was exhausted last night, but it was totally worth it. Wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Meanwhile, my friend Hope posted some 2010 (two thousand ten, or twenty-ten??? What do you think?) questions, and I thought I'd waste a few minutes answering them! Want to copy? Go ahead...knock yourself out.

2010 Questions:
Will you be looking for a new job? Hopefully not! I'm pretty happy with the one I have now!
Will you be looking for a new relationship? Looking? Doesn't that make me sound a little desperate?
New house? Possibly! I'm looking to buy. We'll see what happens!

What will you do different in 2010? More contentment.

New Years resolutions? Thoughts, ideas, and goals maybe, but I don't like using the word "resolution". Too much pressure.

What will you not be doing in 2010? Getting married.
Any trips planned? Yep! I'm going to NY with Alexa during Spring Break and going to the beach with HEGS in May! So excited about BOTH!

Wedding plans? Not my own, but happy to help others!

What's on your calendar? important dates. Isn't that what most people include on their calendars?

What can't you wait for? My nephew to arrive in April and Kristen, Rob, and Henry to move here in June!

What about yourself will you be changing? Nothing. I'm practically perfect in every way. Just call me Mary Poppins.

Will you be nicer to the people you care about? I always try to be!
Will you dress differently this year than you did in 09? At school? It seems so since we're going to be wearing some sort of uniforms next year. Hopefully that means I'll have more money to spend on fun clothes.

Are you going to be in school in 10? As a teacher..yes. As a student...NO.

How will you make more money in 10? Teaching and working at MINT on the side!

Will you do charity work? Yes.
Will you be nice to people you don't know? I tend to start random conversations with people I don't know (ex. check out workers at the grocery store). Kristen and Heather get annoyed by this trait of mine.

Do you expect 2010 to be a worse year for you than 2009? Here's to hoping it's a better year! I'm not pessimist...

How much did you change from this time last year til now? Hmm....not sure I've changed that much. Just one year closer to 30.

Do you plan on having a child? One day hopefully, but I'm thinking most likely NOT this year! Ha!

Will you still be friends with the same people you are friends with now? Absolutely.

Major lifestyle changes? Who knows?!
Will you be moving? Possibly!

Is there anything you are not looking forward to this year? No! Kristen is moving to Starkville and Heather is having a baby! 2010 is going to be great!

What change would you like to make to your life? Life is good.

I hope your weekend was great and if you're lucky enough to have the day off tomorrow like me, then I hope you enjoy it! :)

LT

calling all moms!

A talented friend of mine, (well...we've actually never met but I feel like I know her!) has added fun new items to her website! I'm not a parent, so I don't really have need to order these, but I thought all of you who ARE parents should see them. Aren't they adorable?!

My sister has ordered numerous things from her (mostly for Henry of course)and has always been pleased with the outcome. I've also ordered Christmas return address labels from her as well as Christmas gift tags and I L.O.V.E.D them.

Renee is very talented, and if you haven't checked out her many products, you must!

Click here to check out her cute blog..

It's American Idol time!

Is anybody else pumped about the premiere of season 9 of American Idol tonight? I'm PUMPED. I'm not sure yet how I feel about Ellen replacing Paula this year, but I'm going into it with an open mind. We'll see how that goes. What are your opinions of the new judge? I also heard that Simon is leaving after this season. What in the world will AI be like without him?

another movie recap and OH, do I have a crush!!!

Anybody seen "Leap Year"? My friend Mims and I (yes, yes...the same friend who joined me in seeing "It's Complicated" last week...) went to see it tonight. While the movie was a little slow in the beginning, and somewhat predictable, I absolutely loved it. It's a total romantic comedy, so perhaps you guys out there may want to steer clear of this one.

I am such a fan of Amy Adams. She's just adorable and she has fabulous hair, doesn't she?

And umm...I'd never so much seen Matthew Goode before, but uh, yeah...I'm pretty much in love with him now. I suppose it would be terrible of me to re watch the movie just to see him again, but I'd be lying if I said I hadn't already thought about it. Maybe I should just buy the DVD when it comes out, so that I can pause and stare at the screen whenever I see necessary. Rolling your eyes at me? Go see the movie, THEN you'll understand. =)

I hope you're stay warm, cause baby it's cold outside!

ok ok OK!

After fellow SEC supporters got slightly fed up with me for not supporting Alabama during the championship game last night, I feel as though I should show a little support now that they won. So...CONGRATS TO ALL OF YOU ALABAMA FANS OUT THERE!

(See? I can be nice. Sometimes it's harder to be nice than other times, but I still can do it).

GO SEC!

winter storm, longhorns, a touch decision, and NEW YORK, NEW YORK!

Well, It's a Thursday afternoon, I'm home from school, and still in my pj's. Home sick? Thankfully, no. We're under a winter weather warning, so school was cancelled today. I obviously loved being able to sleep in and do nothing on this gloomy day, but I'm pretty sure that missing today means that we'll have to make up the day. I don't really want to do that. Bah humbug. Still, it was probably wise to make the decision to cancel school today, as it looks as though the temperature will drop later, causing the rain

on the ground to freeze. There's no need to take the chance of having school buses driving on roads that could be frozen.

I'm hoping the roads aren't completely frozen later tonight, because I have plans to watch the championship game and check out the new Grill tonight with Tom and Heather. I have had a tough time deciding who to pull for tonight...Alabama (I strongly dislike UA, BUT they're a part of the SEC, which I want to support!) vs. Texas. After several days of going back and forth and weighing out pros and cons (yes..I take this very seriously), I think I've made a decision. I'm pulling for the Longhorns! Bringing myself to say "Roll Tide Roll" is almost as difficult as bringing myself to say "Hotty Toddy". I can't do it and can't be associated with it. I just can't.

HOOK 'EM HORNS!

Speaking of tough decisions....

I have another (more serious) decision that I'm trying to make. I've been renting this 2 BR apt./house..whatever you want to call it, for 3 1/2 years. I've enjoyed living here, and even now I still don't mind it at all, but I've reached a point where I'm tired of throwing away $ on rent! I realize that becoming a homeowner is a huge decision, and will definitely be more costly, but at this point, I realize that buying a house might be a wonderful investment for me. During my 2 week break, I met with a mortgage loan officer, got pre approved for a loan (yay!), met with a realtor, and found a house I love! Becoming a homeowner before age 30 and still single is not something I ever thought would happen. It's a huge commitment and a lot to think about! I mean-- Am I willing to give up some of the fun things I love to do? What happens if I buy the house, amazingly meet the "man of my dreams" shortly after, get married and move away...am I going to want to have to worry about selling the house? Should I just stay where I am, knowing that I'm just "OK" living here? So many tough decisions to make here. I go completely back and forth, one day thinking I'm ready to make an offer, and the next day thinking that I should just stay where I am. Any advice?

I'll keep you posted!

And FINALLY, for some fun news! I'm planning a Spring Break trip to NY! Alexa's sister Cynthia lives there and has invited me, Alexa, and Alexa's friend Courtney to come visit. How can I turn down a free place to stay? :) I've been to New York one other time with my family in 2000. We did a lot of the touristy things that you just have to do there, and I just fell in love with it! I've wanted to go back and spend time doing other things like shopping and eating at fun restaurants! I can't wait!

I suppose I've done enough "blah blah blahing" (aka "stalling") on the blog right now. I suppose that since 3 pm is creeping up on me, I should actually get out of my pj's huh?

Happy Thursday!

back in action

Well...school has officially re-started. Today was mostly a work day, and tomorrow my little ones will grace me with their presence once again! The break was really really good for me (obviously). I did tons of relaxing and sleeping, and I feel refreshed. I'm ready to see my kids and get the 2nd half of the year started.

*I am, however, teaching my students how to subtract and regroup, so give me a couple of days and I'm sure I'll be totally stressed out again! *

In a few weeks, I'm sure I'll begin my spring break countdown, which will be followed by the countdown to my annual beach trip with HEGS! There's so much for which to look forward!

On a more serious note, I want to ask you to please keep the students at my school in your prayers. Last week I posted about the horrible fire that took place in Starkville, taking the lives on 9 people, 2 of which were students at my school. Our administrators are handling the situation as well as can be expected, and they've arranged for counselors to be at our school for the next couple of days to help the students who may have difficulty dealing with such a tragedy. I truly don't know what I would do if one of those precious children had been in my class. We're expecting the next couple of days to be hard. Remember: the school where I teach is a K-2 school. Many children this young do not completely understand death, much less the death of one of their schoolmates. Please pray for the families as they go through the funerals this week, pray that the school counselors and teachers find the right words to say to comfort those who are hurting, and pray for the 1,200 students at this school who are going to try their best to understand. As a teacher, I know there are some things that I haven't been trained to do, and discussing death with my class is one of those things. It's such a sad situation.

OK...sorry for the sadness...wow...

I'm going to end on a happy note, OK?

My friend, Mims, and I went to the movies and saw "It's Complicated" the other night. First of

all, I'll say it again, Meryl Streep is completely fantastic. Just fabulous. I pretty much love any of her movies. Alec Baldwin? Well...I'm not so much a fan. HOWEVER, he could not have been better for this role. It was perfectly cast (or is it casted?).

Now, as my beloved little sister will tell you, I have a very loud laugh. Needless to say, Mims had to "shush" me a couple of times throughout the movie, because of my laughter. I couldn't help it! It was just that good.

I wouldn't recommend taking your kids to see the movie:), but if you're into comedies and don't mind a little...well...what's the word...risque(??) humor, then this is a must.

Thanks for hanging in there with me through this post.

Hoping you're week is fantastic.

Anybody seeing snow?

Happy birthday KRISTEN!

"Having a sister is one of the nicest things that can happen to anyone." -UnknownHAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BIG SIS!

Perhaps I've overused the A-Z list lately, so while I have a fun time with it, I am going to do a little something different for this girl. Since she's 31 today, I've compiled a list of 31 things I love about Kris.

Enjoy!

1. She's bossy a LEADER! What would I have done as a child without her there telling me what to do?!

2. She's smart. Really really smart.

3. She's selfless. She always wants to do something to help someone else, even if it means less for herself.

4. She's gave me my nephew! (Did you think I was going to be able to go without including Henry in this post?).

5. She's H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S. I have somewhat of a filter, whereas Kristen...well....she'll pretty much say anything. I always laugh when we're together.

6. She's pretty.

7. She's a doctor. Again...she's just smart.

8. She's completely over the top. She wants everything to be the best. Her parties are always so fun because, well, she doesn't like to skimp! Remember seeing pics from Henry's birthday party? That was pretty much all her! It was perfect.

9. She's a fantastic dancer. I would love to have just half of her coordination!

10. She has a beautiful singing voice. Again, I would love to have just half of that!

11. She has great taste. I personally think she could model for Anthropologie.

12. She still remembers cheers from high school as well as KD Derby Day dances. (Please just do me a favor and don't ask her to perform them when I'm around!). :)

13. On a similar note, she knows every word to "Baby Got Back" and will proudly sing and dance to that song if you'd like for her to.

14. She's my biggest fan, while also being my biggest critic.

15. She can work a crazy number of hours at once and not complain about being tired. In fact, she'll come off a 24 hour shift and think about nothing except getting home to see Rob and Henry.

16. She is obsessed with picture-taking.

17. She tells me she loves me everyday.

18. She's a woman of faith.

19. She reads to Henry daily.

20. She has a pretty cool husband, who I'm pretty proud to call my brother-in-law!

21. She's not afraid to eat half a gallon of ice cream in a period of about 2 days or so.

22. She makes time for her friends.

23. She reminds me of our Nana, and that's a very very good thing.

24. She's a role-model. Heather and I grew up wanting to be like her and I still try to be!

25. She graduated from UM Medical Center, but thankfully, she wasn't conned into liking anything red and blue. Yep...she still bleeds maroon and white!

26. She can talk anybody into anything. Good luck trying to tell her "no!"

27. She's spontaneous, while I'm very much a planner. Sure it stresses me out often, but how boring would it be if she was just like me?! I think we keep each other balanced.

28. She takes up for me. She's done this on numerous occasions.

29. She has fabulous jewelry.

30. She really is the best big sister! My life is much better with her in it!

31. She's my best friend!

I don't know what I'd do without my sisters!!

Happy 31st Kristen!

I love you!

HEGS!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HEGS!I promise this will be my last post of the day, but I absolutely couldn't go without giving my dear friend Heather a huge happy birthday shout out! I have yet to complete an ABC list of this girl, so allow me to do so now:

Reasons A-Z why I am glad to be friends with this girl!

Aunt! She loves her "Abi J" and "Baby D"!
Beautiful. On the inside AND out.
Countdowns. She counts down to every event. I love her for that.
Desserts. This girl has the biggest sweet tooth of anybody I've ever known! (See above pic)
Everybody loves her.
FRIDAYS. We live for them.
Girly girl.
HEGS---her beloved nickname (her initials obviously).
IDOL! We share a love for American Idol.
Job...thankfully it's the same as mine!
Kids. She loves them. They love her.
Libby Story. Heather keeps them in business.
Multi-talented. She can pretty much do it all.
Not selfish at all.
Orange Beach. Her favorite place on the earth.
PINK! Her fave color!
Quiet.
Reese. Her beloved yorkie.
Sugarland concert. Such a fun memory!
Teacher friend! I'm so glad we're in it together!
Understanding.
Vacations. We teachers LOVE our vacations!
Wife to Tom. Great guy!
X-tra creative. She even started her own painting business!
Younger than me unfortunately.

Zero (Cherry Coke Zero that is).

The Best of '09

Feel free to copy and answer for yourself!

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before? ran a half marathon!

2. Did you keep your New Year’s Resolutions in '09, and have you made some for '10? I was proud of what I accomplished this year. While I didn't take a plane trip this year, I did put a nice dent in my resolutions of '09!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?Yes! My dear friend Candy had Charlie Lawson on November 30! Precious child.

4. Did anyone close to you die? thankfully, no.

5. What countries did you visit? NONE. I've NEVER been out of the U.S.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? more patience.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? the day I found out I was going to be an aunt again!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? completing a half marathon!

9. What was your biggest failure? fortunately, nothing comes to mind...

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? no...thank goodness!

11. What was the best thing you bought? a new computer.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? I could make a list of people who demonstrated heroic behaviors this year...

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? I have an opinion here, but I'm choosing to keep it to myself...

14. Where did most of your money go? Rent. 2010 may be the year for me to become a home owner!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? seeing my friends and family! When I know that I'm about to see someone I haven't seen in a long time, I act like a child waiting for Santa. I got to see a couple of dear friends this year who live way too far away.

16. What song will always remind you of 2009? Beyonce "Single Ladies" of course

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:a) happier or sadder? I'm content. Is that a good answer? (b) thinner or fatter? About the same.c) richer or poorer? same...

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? reading

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? complaining

20. How did you spend Christmas? my family!

21. Did you fall in love in 2009? My answer, like last year, is NO. Here's to hoping this time next year, my answer will be a big fat YES!

22. What was your favorite TV program? The Office, Desperate Housewives, and American Idol. I also love real-life mystery shows: 48 Hours Mystery, Dateline, etc.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? I don't "hate" anybody!

24. What was the best book you read? "Marley and Me"... "The Dead Don't Dance" was good too!

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? negative.

26. What did you want and get? a new phone

27. What did you want and not get? to get married.

28. What was your favorite film of this year? I really liked "Julie and Julia"

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? My 28th was spent with my friends and family! Nothing too wild and crazy...

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?to become a homeowner

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009? Ann Taylor Loft.

32. What kept you sane? Jogging, Blogging, family, friends, Mexican food and margaritas! :)

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Sarah Palin.

34. What political issue stirred you the most? Again...no comment.

35. Who did you miss? I always miss my Dada.

36. Who was the best new person you met? The best people I know are people I've known longer than a year.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009. Life isn't always about what I WANT, WHEN I want it. I've also learned that I'm no where near as patient as I used to think I was.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. My favorite Bible verse:

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "palns to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11

Ironically, several of my answers from last year remained the same!

Welcome, 2010!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Confession: I did NOT make it until midnight to ring in the new year (I am going to blame it on the fact that I was with my pregnant sister). I did, however, enjoy time out with Heather and Trey and some other friends at The Veranda!

(In pics above: Me, Heather, Trey, Laura Mims, and Kate Flanagan)