This week's prompt is: "10 Things I Live For", and it was a lot tougher to think of what to write than I'd previously thought it would be. It wasn't difficult to come up with things, but I did not want to repeat many things from my Who I Am post last week... so I tried my best to vary it.
1. Quality Time With Dan
Being in a relationship with someone in the military is oftentimes similar to being in a relationship while in middle school. You don't get much time together, and there are all kinds of rules. As much as it sucks not having Dan around all the time, we have certainly learned how to spend our time together and to not take that time for granted. When we have the opportunity to hang out, we try to make the most of it!
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| We have a lot of fun together! :) |
Like I just mentioned, Dan and I always use our time together to do really fun and exciting things (okay, so maybe not always, but we sure try). Naturally, doing those fun and exciting things leads to many amazing memories. I love looking back on all of the cool things we've done!
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| This photo is from the Air Force Academy Ring Dance that was a month ago exactly! That night/weekend will remain one of my favorite memories for a long, long time. |
Yes, I know I'm a teacher, but I would love to be a lifelong student. Learning is a passion of mine, and I am always trying to learn new things. I recently started re-learning French on a great website (Duolingo.com), which is free and fun!
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| I bought a new notebook and a new pack of my favorite pens before attending a writing conference in February -- I wish I could go to more events like that to learn new things! |
One thing I am always trying to do is to make a difference in others' lives. Naturally, that happens in the classroom, but I do like to extend that goal to other areas of my life as well. I love reaching out to people who need help, and if there's nothing else I can do, I aspire to be that person who can give a pep-talk. Dan says mine are great, and he has been a frequent recipient of them.
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| A couple of my sweet students from this past school year :) |
My two cats, who I still adoringly refer to as kittens (though they are definitely not), are my life. That may make me sound a bit crazy, but I am always thinking about Stormy and Gilligan when I am away from them. I try to love on them as much as I can, and they follow me around everywhere. I love my little sidekicks!
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| These two love lounging in the sun :) |
As difficult as it is sometimes, I try to make my health a priority. I have always been active and involved in sports, but it's a whole different ballgame as an adult. I don't want to end up with diabetes like my mom or have a heart attack like my dad, so I try my very best to eat well and exercise as much as possible. Of course I have my lazy days where I don't go for a run, and of course I eat my fair share of desserts and fried foods, but when I think about my future, it makes decision making much easier.
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| I juice almost every single day. The one pictures includes carrot, celery, cucumber, orange, lemon, and apple, but sometimes I add lettuce, kale, peach, lime, etc. |
I used to dread alone time. I didn't like when Dan had to be somewhere because I didn't know how to fill my time. Now, I almost look forward to it sometimes. I have gotten far more comfortable with being in my own company, and I even enjoy it much of the time now. I make things to put around the house, create things for our wedding, read, write, go out to eat alone, etc. I'm really glad I have grown into spending time with myself.
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| This is an incomplete craft that will be displayed at our wedding and in our future home; it is just one example of how I fill my time alone. |
You want to know what makes me feel free like nothing else? Spending time with Mother Nature. Colorado is the best for this (or at least it was before all of the fires), and I can't wait to go on more hikes this fall. It's a great feeling conquering an obstacle, and the beauty of the outdoors always leaves me breathless.
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| I felt like I was on top of the word after Dan and I hiked to the Pancake Rocks formation in Teller County, CO last fall. |
I'm a happy, cheerful person. I've always been this way. I can't help it. Some would say I'm easy to please. Others would say I'm easily amused. I would say that I simply CHOOSE to be happy. Life is what you make it, and I am constantly searching for further happiness. Life has a lot to offer, and I am bound and determined to take advantage of that!
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| Sometimes all you need to be happy are a glass of wine, a good book, and a sunset over the mountains! |
If you've spent any amount of time with me at all, you know that I take a lot of pictures. No, I'm not a professional, and no, I don't have a nice camera. I am usually snapping photos with my iPhone. I just LOVE capturing memories. I have this irrational fear that I will lose my memory one day (thanks, The Notebook), and I want to be able to look back and see what I did with my life.
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| This is only a portion of the magnets I have made out of photos for my fridge. I have since added another three or four rows, and I'm running out of space! |
So cute. I love this post!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! It was fun to write. :)
Delete-Janelle