a time for every purpose under heaven

it's been a weird month. going back about 30 days....

on december 16th, i had my first pay check from my very first full time job. even as i write this, i am simultaneously proud, grateful, and a bit heartbroken... proud because i put on my big girl panties and got through my first month in the 9-5 world, grateful because of my fortune in having a good job in this unreliable economy, and heartbroken because i am no longer in college....and really that statement sums up so many different endings and beginnings in my life.

december 18th, my first company party with a bunch of orthopaedic surgeons and an open bar=hilarity and skepticism ensued.

december 20th, my 23rd birthday. i was spoiled with gifts from my family and calls from wonderful friends so far away. i've never really liked my birthday because of its proximity to christmas and all of the chaos that engulfs the last pre-holiday hours of the week. but this year, i stayed home during the day while dan worked at his church job and cleaned our apartment. after all it was still a sunday and the dust wasn't about to celebrate my 23 years by my side. we went out to dinner at the olive garden (yes i realize we live in new york city and still eat at the olive garden, but have you had their breadsticks? i mean really.) and toasted to another year of life :)

december 25th we took the first flight of the day to SLC and 12 hours arrived in a happening town called Blackfoot, Idaho. there we spent the christmas holiday basking in the snowy glory of Eastern Idaho and celebrated christmas with Dan's side of the family. we were beyond spoiled with gifts and food and wii games! we spent lots of time with some of dan's high school friends and we got to meet mr daxton allred, brittany and kelly's son, for the very first time! he was perfectly beautiful and it still tears me to think that my oldest bestest friend is a mother. it's an unbelievable feeling to see those close to you have children and start a whole new generation.

january 1, we rang in 2010 with ugly sweaters and mugs at our friend's apartment in blackfoot. dan went to kiss me and i tried to toast him champagne...oops :) we woke up the next morning and started 2010....the year that is meant to bring brilliance in our lives (i'm counting on it anyways).

we flew back to NYC a few days later, got settled back in our warm apartment, started work and school, and resumed life.

i don't know that i have really made resolutions for 2010 but i hope for wondrous things: a fresh outlook on life and what is most important, the courage and determination to live my life in the ways i truly want, the wisdom to know when to hold on tight and when to let go, energy, more family time, lots of fun adventures, a rekindled passion, to create the opportunities to tell those i love most just how much they mean to me, for dan and me to continue growing up together and to cherish our love for each other, to save money, and to spend time doing, creating, and relishing the things that make my life fulfilled.

2010 has a lot of potential, and i am determined to take advantage of it :)

happy new year! i wish you all health, wealth, and happiness!