The little things...

Ok...so one of my personal anthems is that people should all pay attention to the little things. I know there are sayings like, "Don't sweat the small stuff," or "Don't make a mountain out of a mole-hill," but I tend to believe the complete opposite of both of these statements. It is the little things that mean the most...and isn't it a whole lot of little things that make the big things?

I tend to believe that the things that make me the happiest in every day life are when someone opens a door for me or says thank you when I hold one open for them...or when while I am at work, everyone I come across has a great attitude and is very polite. These little things are what most people have gotten away from and that is why our population, for the most part, is "me, myself and I."

Maybe this can become you personal anthem as well...one step at a time...the little things do matter.

Sunday Mornings...

I have always loved Sunday mornings...I don't know exactly what it is about this morning that makes it so different from the other mornings but for some reason, it is my favorite. It even beats out Saturday mornings, and Saturday is when we have family breakfast at the apartment.

Maybe Sunday mornings are my favorite because it is the Lord's day and normally I wake up with a little more pep in my step. Or maybe it is because I have a little bit longer than usual to get ready and enjoy my morning coffee. Or maybe it is just because as I am writing this right now, I get the joy of watching my nephew roll around and crawl on the floor.

I mentioned in my last post that I am thankful that now I finally have a plan and somewhat of a time line, which I am very thankful for. Now, the hard part begins...Where are Steve and I going to live? Where are we going to be working? Will we be making enough money to survive? All of these questions are ones that are scary but exciting at the same time because, as I stated before, Steve and I get to enjoy these adventures together. I love you best friend...

Engagement Pictures

New Lease on Life...

Ok...so in my last few blogs I have been explaining why I feel that a part of me is missing and why I have been unhappy for the past couple of months...now, I feel that everything has been put in perspective for me. It's not because I got a diamond ring put on my finger, it's because of what that diamond ring symbolizes; a plan and a future. I no longer have to worry about figuring things out on my own...I now have my partner to help me figure things out. A long time ago, I made the decision to start basing my personal, life decisions on "us" and not "I." As hard as this has been recently, I don't regret making that decision at all.

Every morning that I wake up, I know that it is one day closer to the day that Steve and I get to begin our life together. We will learn, prosper, and fall down together...not alone. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I can't wait to be married.

Engagement Story

On January 14th, the day of my 23rd birthday, Steve decided to take me to a popular restaurant for my birthday dinner. When we got to the restaurant, I noticed that the waiters were acting a little funny and grinning at me whenever they realized I was with Steve but I did not put two-and-two together at this point. We were taken to our table, and as we approached I saw that there was a vase of a dozen roses that Steve had come along before and left for me. I thought then, that that was what the waiters were smiling about but I was wrong. There were much better surprises that were yet to come.
After dinner, Steve took three flowers from the vase of roses that was sitting on the table and began his presentation. He laid them on the table and referred to the first rose as a symbol of our past. He talked about how we meet four years ago and how we have spent the last three years of our lives together. For the second rose, he spoke about our life in the present tense and at this point, he told me that I could open the present that he had gotten me for my birthday. As he handed me the package, I was trying to hide my dissapointment in opening a picture frame for my birthday present until I read what the frame said, "The night you won't forget."
As I read this, the wheels were turning in my head as to what I thought this meant. Once he got to the final rose, he slid off the seat and got down on one knee and asked me to marry him...Now we are engaged and planning our wedding...

Best Day of My Life

Yesterday on my 23rd birthday, the best man in my life asked me to be his wife. I of course said yes and we are now in a whirlwind of wedding planning. This is how it went down...

Unknowns

There are so many questions that I would love to have the answers to right now. For instance, where am I going to be living next year? Will I be married or not? Will I have my career started by next year? Will I be making better money and using the skills that I learned in school at my job? Or...will I still be spinning my wheels and not going anywhere like I am right now?

I am a planner by nature so having all of these unknowns are somewhat of a struggle for me. I have been unable to wrap my mind around not knowing where I am going to be in the next year; not just location wise but in all aspects of my life. My spirit is uneasy and I have began to question my purpose in life. I feel that I am capable of so much more than what I am doing right now but all my efforts to move forward have been unsuccessful.

Dear Real, Big Girl job...please let me find you soon...

Best Little Boy Ever

Sawyer Anthony Van Es was born April 11, 2009 at 4:44 p.m. After 23 hours of labor, my sister was able to bring my pride and joy into the world. After being born only hours, he was already moving his head around and keeping his eyes open to check everything out that was going on around him. He is a little busy-body still to this day. He is now nine months old and is getting to the point in his young life where is beginning to develop his own personality. He is also beginning to be very particular as to who he wants to hold him and who he will grin and play with. Thankfully, even though I live four hours away, I am able to see him often enough to where I am still one of those people. Being around him almost every day for the two weeks here recently spoiled me and I am dreading the day that I see him again and he doesn't recognize me. It will break my heart. Little Boy...Don't you forget your Auntie "J"

New Year's Resolutions

According to Squidoo.com, the world's top ten New Year's Resolutions for 2010 where:

1. Stop smoking
2. Get fit
3. Lose weight
4. Enjoy life more
5. Quit drinking
6. Get organized
7. Learn something new
8. Get out of debt
9. Spend more time with family
10. Help others

Well let's see...I don't smoke so I can't stop doing that...I could stand to lose a few but I am already working out so check...I could stand to enjoy life more but I am a pretty happy person already...I don't have a drinking problem so that doesn't apply...I am crazily organized so check again...I feel that I learn something new everyday, check...I don't have any debt besides smart debt so I am O.K. there...I spend every free moment with family so check once more...and I feel that I do my share of helping others as well...

It looks like Squidoo didn't quite have me pegged with the whole New Year's Resolution thing...maybe they should have spoken to freshly graduated, young adults and see what their top ten where. Here are mine:

1. Start my career
2. Get married
3. Begin a plan for my future
4. Figure out where I am going to end up location wise...
5. Hopefully move closer to my family...
6. Enjoy every moment with friends
7. Meet new people
8. Network
9. Get more involved in Church
10. Put more money in savings

Getting my career of the ground is No. 1 for me right now...getting married is in the relatively near future (I think), I am a planner so I am yearning for some sort of time line of the next year is going to play out...I want to know where Steve and I will be living... I miss my family all the time that I am not with them so living close would be amazing... I don't know how much longer I will be with the group of friends I am with right now so spending time with them is key right now...I would love to meet new people and make connections and network to help get my career started...I need to get more involved in the church I am attending...and last but not least, I would love to be able to start saving more money than I currently am. I don't know how I compare to many other 23 year-olds but those are my top priorities and goals of 2010.

Muddy Water

I really surprised myself today. I got very upset with water...muddy water. This is how it happened...
I was on the road today traveling from Arkansas to Missouri. Those of you that live in either area know that parts of both states have been hit with some winter weather recently. This morning, I was lucky enough to have to travel across state lines in both parts of the state where the winter weather had hit. It was not fun to say the least. After traveling for five hours (when it normally takes three) and not going over 40 miles-per-hour, I was beginning to get a little irritable towards the end of the road trip.
I 10'd and 2'd it the whole way and when the road conditions finally started to get a little better, the muddy water started to fly. As the snow melted on the roads, it turned into a nasty, muddy mess and all the vehicles that went through it, kicked it up to the ohh soo lucky recipient behind them. I myself happened to be that lucky recipient the entire last half of the trip. I thought to myself, "Oh yea...I will just use my wind shield wiper fluid and my wind shield wipers and it'll all be ok." Ha...little did I know, since it was only 15 degrees outside, my wind shield wiper fluid was frozen and so were my wind shield wipers. When they did wipe my windows, they simply smeared muddy mess all over my wind shield and made my visibility next to nothing.
Needless to say, I did make it to my destination safe and sound but I will not be driving in muddy water conditions any more unless absolutley neccesary!

Lying Awake

So...today was an eventful day. I woke up to begin a new year by picking up the best thing in my life right now...my nephew. He rubbed his eyes and tried to figure out who was picking him up by probing my face with his eyes and hands. After playing with him for a while, having breakfast and my coffee, I began to help my sister around her house. I did odd and end things that my sister, a new mom, doesn't really have the time to do anymore. We ran errands, bought groceries and made dinner. Somewhere in there, I even had time to give Sawyer a bath and watch him grin as mystery bubbles rose from the water (wonder what that could be?). This is where I am the happiest. I love spending time with my family and really feeling like I am being a key part of Sawyer's life. Too bad I am still living in another city where I attended college.

After graduation in May of this year, I would think that by now my life would be a little different. Don't get me wrong...I love my life and the people in it. Family just means so much to me that sometimes being away from them is harder than one would think. As I sad in a previous post, I am waiting for that "real, big girl job" to come my way. I guess what I am saying is...I am at a stand still in my life. I know I am young and it should be just beginning, but that first step is proving to be a little harder than expected.

Keep on keeping on...that's all there is to do. Just live one day at a time and look towards tomorrow.