Reflecting on 2010

New Year’s Eve is just a few days away and like most people, I can’t help reflecting on the year and looking toward 2011. On last NYE, I never could have predicted what a wild, fun, happy and exciting year I would have, but I guess that is the way life is. You can plan, predict, make resolutions and hope for things, but life can be unpredictable and surprising in so many ways.

We all know how this year started with a kidney stone and ended with an extremely rare throat infection and hospital stay, and there are a few things that haven’t changed a bit, but this past year has been amazing for me. I’ve accomplished a lot, tried new things, laughed a lot and learned a ton about myself in the process.

I’m thinking a lot about what the next year might hold and can’t wait to share my 2011 wish list with you guys…. stay tuned!

I hope you all have a safe and happy new year! 

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Christmas kind of snuck up on me this year. I knew this would happen seeing as I was out of commission for the month of November. Nevertheless, I am loving this time of year. I always have and always will. I have so many wonderful memories of Christmas growing up with my family and I love the traditions we keep and the memories we continue to make each year.

I've always been really into Christmas. We wouldn't even be finished with Thanksgiving dinner and I was the kid asking when we could put the Christmas tree up. In high school, I worked at a year-round Christmas store. I spent the year lighting and decorating trees, listening to Christmas music and stocking ornaments and Christmas villages. I loved every minute. I love it when one of the local radio stations starts to play nothing but Christmas tunes and wear I my Santa hat while I do my Christmas shopping.

My favorite part of Christmas is the traditions. For as long as I can remember, my siblings and I have done a secret Santa gift exchange. The thing is, it never ends up being secret because someone inevitably slips and then next thing you know, everyone knows who had them. It never fails, but it's one of those things that I love about us. Another tradition that we've started in the last few years is having a girls cookie day before Christmas each year. Sometimes it is my mom, sisters, aunts and I. Other times, like this year, it is just my mom and I. We each pick a new or favorite cookie recipe and spend the day baking and gossiping and giggling. This year, I made Snickers Stuffed Brownie Chunk Peanut Butter Cookies...and it was a huge success! I got the recipe from a fantastic blog I follow, A Whisk and A Prayer. Check it out...she posts some great recipes and was totally right when she said these cookies were life changing.

The best part of Christmas in my family is that it's not about the gifts. Sure, my parents still ask us to make Christmas lists, which become more boring every year as we get older (this year I asked for pots and pans). We still do stockings for my parents and get them a few gifts. But when I look back at Christmas over the years, I'm not reminiscing about the gifts we got or gave. I'm remembering the moments...the wonderful memories I made with these amazing people.

I try to always appreciate the wonderful life and family that I have, but the holidays always make me extra emotional and appreciative for all the blessings in my life. I hope you all enjoy the holidays with the people that mean the most to you.

Merry Christmas!

Finding Harmony

Being on eHarmony has been relatively unsuccessful for me. Have I met people? Yes. Have I started a relationship with any of those people? Yes. Have I enjoyed the process? Sure. But the most important question is, am I in a relationship now with any of those people? Nope.

After recently realizing that I have been on eHarmony for a year now, off and on, I decided that when my membership expires in February, I will close my account for good no matter what happens in the next few months. It’s not that I am bitter about my lack of success, just that I think it has served it’s purpose in other ways and that maybe some people aren’t meant to meet the love of their life this way.

To be honest, I have actually really enjoyed the experience. Sure, it brought a little bit of heartache and some awkward, nightmarish dates, but I wouldn’t regret any of it, not even for a minute.

By joining eHarmony, I was able to see that there are great guys out there, I got back into the dating world and learned a lot in the process. I’d say one of the biggest things eHarmony did for me was help me become more aware of not only what I have to offer, but also what I am looking for in a relationship, in a person.

I now know what I can and will compromise on and what I simply won’t settle for. I won’t settle for having to convince myself that someone feels how I feel about him. I won’t settle for someone who doesn’t know how to communicate his feelings. I’ve learned to trust my instincts. You can’t create a spark, no matter how much you want it to be there with someone. I’m more aware of what I have to offer someone. Please don’t mistake this for arrogance, but I know I am a great person, I know I am beautiful inside and out (even if sometimes I don’t feel that way), I know that I have lots of love to give and that I deserve that in return. It’s taken me quite some time to find this self-confidence and awareness, but I honestly don’t think I would find the right person without it.

So maybe I haven’t found the love of my life on the World Wide Web. I’m single with no real prospects right now. I don’t know what’s next in my dating life and I’m okay with that. I do know that when the time is right, I will meet someone special and I will be ready to love him.