everything

A little bit of this, a little bit of that:

--I am deathly afraid of heights. When I was in Costa Rica (and Santa Barbara) we had to drive over huge mountains to get where we were going. There is something about driving 50 miles an hour on the edge of a cliff that terrifies me. I have absolute panic attacks and feel like we will tumble to our death at any minute. I guess I'm dramatic but it really scares me.
--Since moving in our new house I have become obsessed with gardening/landscaping. We went to Home Depot yesterday and bought some flower seeds and Danny insisted that we buy these giant Sunflower seeds (the ones that grow like 6 feet tall). I'm sure they will never grow but it's the thought that counts. We also looked at trees to plant around our house because our neighborhood is tree-less! So far all our house has outside is dead sod but I am determined to beautify our yard by Spring!
--As of today, I decided to let Hubby manage all of our finances. This should have happened a long time ago (especially since he is in the banking industry). Not having to worry about when a bill is due or if my account is going to overdraw? Yes, please.
--I've embraced the fact that we will be traveling alot this year and already started looking online for bathing suits and summer clothes.
--We should be receiving our tax refund within the next few weeks and we are already planning out how we will spend it. We were eligible for the first time homebuyers tax credit and it is glorious.
--I am trying to take my New Year's resolution seriously by gonig to the gym whenever I can (Monday-Thursday, of course. Who works out on the weekend? Not me!). My goal is to lose about 10 lbs. I've been having some health problems recently (nothing serious) and Danny's mom suggested that I try hot chamomile tea. So we went to Rainbow Grocery (an organic/super healthy grocery store downtown) and bought some and it has been wonderful! It tastes so fresh and light and really has been making me feel a little better. Thanks, Maritza!
--I am getting more and more excited about Mexico (even though it is 6 months away)! I can't even remember the last time we had an entire week to ourselves without any responsibilities. Cannot wait!
--One of my best friends just finished writing his first book and he is looking for an agent. I know this is a long shot but if anyone knows anyone please let me know! It is based on his great-grandfather's 200 page diary that he found in his parent's attic. It documents his time in World War I. It should be absolutely amazing and I cannot wait for him to get published!
--Romans 8:38-39 is my favorite bible verse.
--Danny and I have been married 530 days. I know I always say this, but it really does feel like yesterday. I love him so much and can't imagine my life without him.

are you there?

As usual, things have been crazy around here! I just got back from Oxford yesterday after spending Monday night there for work. It started snowing while I was there...it looked like a beautiful winter wonderland. I told my friend that I felt like I was in "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" because of all the falling snow.

The next few months are not looking like things will slow down any. I have to go to Dallas for a week and Memphis for a full week (both for work) in March. The annual St. Paddy's parade is coming up, and Danny and I are also going to the Lakers/Hornets game in New Orleans (I surprised him with tickets! He loves the NBA and especially the Lakers and neither of us have ever been to an NBA game). We are also going to Destin with some friends for a week in May. And....drumroll please....we are going to Mexico for a week in September! To say I'm excited is a huge understatement. I have never been to Mexico (Hubby has) and I just can't wait! We are considering this our "honeymoon" two years later since we never had an official newlywed trip.

It snowed in Jackson last week and here is a picture of our house the day after it snowed. How pretty!

We don't celebrate Valentine's day the way most couples do. In fact, we don't really celebrate it at all. Danny thinks it's a "commercial" holiday and I feel too materialistic to really push the issue. So we don't give Hallmark any money on the fourteenth of February. But we did do something that we both enjoy...

...we explored our little town. We took back roads, side streets, ended up at dead ends, we just go wherever the road takes us (literally). I think we both have such sweet memories riding around doing nothing but enjoying the views. It reminds us that we don't need to spend money to enjoy life. We don't need to look beautiful. We just need to enjoy the view. The picture above was taken on Valentine's Day driving down some country road right next to a grave yard. Look at how beautiful those trees are!

This old tree was stunning. It was standing right over one of the graves, almost as if it were protecting it. Beautiful.

Well, I have to go again...life is calling. More updates soon!

into the wild

Well, again I'm sorry for the brief hiatus. It seems that life has us on the fast track right now and I haven't even had a moment to breathe.

Late last night before we fell asleep, Hubby and I began watching a movie called Into the Wild. Have any of you seen it? If you haven't, I highly recommend it. We stayed up and finished the entire movie and I have been thinking about it all day. It's about a guy who just graduated from college in the early 90s. He is sick of living in such a materialistic world, so he burns his social security card, burns his money and decides to live the life of a wanderer. He doesn't tell his family goodbye - they didn't even know he was gone for months. Did I mention this is a true story? So this man (his name is Chris) abandons his former life and begins hitching rides up the west coast. He rafts the grand canyon, kayaks all the way down to Mexico, finds work on a farm, catches rides with gypsies and just lives. Eventually he makes his way to Alaska with just the clothes on his back and a few supplies. He subsists on berries and plants and lives in complete solitude. He crosses a stream to find an abandoned bus in the middle of the wilderness, and he lives out of the bus for months. He begins having trouble finding food and tries to make his way back across the stream, only to find it has turned into a violent torrent. He is trapped by nature. Starving and weak, he dies a slow, painful death.

For the two years he was gone he kept a journal, and one of the last things he wrote in his journal before he died was "happiness only real when shared".

This is the last picture ever taken of Chris - a self-portrait found undeveloped on his camera.

It got me thinking: what would it be like to abandon everything and live a natural life where my only worries were what I would eat and where I would sleep? I can definitely understand how he saw this lifestyle as an "adventure"...and I find it bittersweet that in the end he realizes happiness stems from the joy of human relationships.

There are so many adventures that I would love to have before I die...but would I ever undertake one at the expense of losing my family? No, I don't think I would...because my greatest joy in life is my family.

Just musing about what's been on my mind all day. It even made it hard to concentrate at work...so I had to take a minute to jot it down.