Sunday, January 22, 2017

It's a New Dawn, it's a New Day, it's a New Life!

Now this whole post you will be singing Michael Buble. You're welcome.

Ahh, the new year! Fresh starts, new goals!
I'm quite proud of myself for actually keeping my goal for 2016 of not eating treats. I know I made more, but I have no idea what they were. This year I am making a list of my 2017 resolutions so I can actually see them and check up on them monthly.



1. Be more of a minimalist - declutter the house monthly (already did it for January, and 3 large bags going to the D.I. has never felt better), and don't buy as much crap! 
2. Have people over once a week for dinner. This is just a good way to get to know people better, and keep in touch with friends. I love hosting and cooking, so why not.
3. Delete all social media apps from phone. Sorry Snapchat, I will no longer be using you. I don't want to be totally out of the loop on social media, so I am allowing myself to use them on the computer, but that's it. No more spending countless, wasteful hours looking at social media apps on my phone. It has already been a breath of fresh air. (I am sort of breaking this rule though when I post on Instagram. I post, then delete the app again)
4. Look more presentable. Yes, it's true. The only clothes I really wash are scrubs and workout clothes. Not to mention, I wear sweats like 75% of the time. How hard is it to wear jeans? It's really not (if you have a good pair). I just bought some more makeup, and am determined to "get ready" more than once a week. We'll see how this goes ;)
5. Bake a treat once a week. Yep, you read that correctly. Now that the "no sweets stage" is over, I am going to become a better baker. I got really obsessed with watching cake videos on Instagram and pinned like 100 desserts on Pinterest while I wasn't eating treats. Haha, weird, right? I got a Kitchenaid and a bunch of other baking tools/cookbooks for Christmas and I am putting them to good use! (This is also why I work out...)
6. Finally read the Harry Potter books. Don't be mad at me. I know, I'm not a real human for not reading them up to this point. I read the first few when I was little but couldn't really remember a lot. BUT I am already addicted and on the 3rd book, so this goal should be easy! And after Harry Potter, I want to read 2 books a month. 


I think if I add more to this list, I won't be able to do it, so I'm stopping there. Goals don't have to be hard or something that weighs on you. Most of mine are pretty easy and fun and goals that I'm actually excited about. I'll do a half-way update in July and see how I've been doing...

Good luck with all your new years resolutions! May the determination be ever in your favor.


xoxo,
kay

Monday, January 2, 2017

I am '16, going on '17...

WHAT A YEAR!
I've seen many posts on "this is the best year of my life" and "this is the worst year of my life". Is there an in between? This was a great year, but there is good and bad in every year! We've had our fun. We've had our challenges. We've had adventures. We've had tears. We've had laughs. But most of all, we've had each other! (I'm so corny, I know) But I really mean that. We've been married for almost 4 1/2 years and I feel like we keep learning more about each other and growing in our relationship as time goes on. I like the place we're at. We still have goals, but life is good! God is good! I'm excited for what 2017 has in store. (also, we totally failed at Christmas cards, so this is basically your Christmas update)

Here are some highlights of 2016:

1. McCall, Idaho Winterfest - friends, ice sculptures, elk reserve
2. Moving to Japan - the biggest adventure thus far
3. Disneyland in Japan :)
4. Thailand - Riding elephants, playing with tigers, the beaches and temples
5. Getting good job opportunities
6. Getting certified and teaching Zumba and Strong
7. Vegas (three times) - Neon sign museum, paddle-boarding, seeing Chris Angel
8. Seattle- there's no place like home!
9. Boston - second greatest city next to Seattle :)
10. San Francisco & GOING TO SEE BEYONCE
11. Gaining another newphew!
12. Gaining another sister!
13. Having Dad visit for my birthday
14. Hosting our 4th annual Baldwin Halloween party
15. Having the best fall weather I've ever seen in Utah
16. Completing my new year's resolution of no sweets!




































































What a busy, but great year for us. As I've written this blog post and looked at these pictures, I've realized how much Alex and I are blessed and how much our Heavenly Father is in our lives. We have great friends and family that love us and we cannot wait to bring on 2017!


xoxo,
kay