New Year's Resolutions- Revisited

Well, the year is now officially half way over, so I thought that I would check in on my hopes for this year...see how I am doing so far. So here goes nothing.

I hope to grow my hair longer.

I haven't really cut my hair that much...only trims here and there to keep it healthy. However, my hair it taking it's sweet time reaching my shoulders.

I hope to take better care of my body. This is not exclusive to diet and exercise, though I am going to focus more attention to those areas, but things like brushing my teeth more, flossing, washing my face more, getting pedicures...things like that.

I am now on my third month of doing Weight Watchers. I am actually going to meeting and everything. To date I have lost 16 pounds. It took me awhile to whole heartedly commit to the program, but I am there, and hopefully will stay there. I think the biggest change I have made, other than watching what I eat, is exercising. This will start the 3rd week since Granville and I have started getting up early and working out. On the lucky days that I get home before 8 pm, I try and work out again in the evening. Due to getting up early, we are going to bed early, thus I am actually getting a proper amount of sleep. I am pleasantly surprised at how much better I feel just by doing these two things.
Oh, and I have been able to get one pedicure...which was very nice, and I have increased my flossing habit.

I hope to wash my dishes within the day that I dirtied them.

For the most part I am actually doing this...though I do hope the next place we live has a dish washer!

I hope to cook more, therefore eating out less.

This is just another plus from watching what I eat...I can control portions and the way things are cooked at home verses a restaurant. My favorite thing so far to cook is couscous and grilled chicken.

I hope to spend less time worrying/stressing about work.

Yeah, not so much. With two people quitting and one person getting let go, the work has got to go somewhere.

I hope to work within my normal work hours more (8 am to 5 pm).

See answer above.

I hope to show and tell friends and family hope much I appreciate them.

Work in progress!

I hope to keep in better touch with friends.

I am still not the greatest at this...but I am much better at it.

I hope to complain less. I hope to be happier. I hope to have the courage to allow people to know how I think and feel.

I lumped all these things together b/c they pretty much have the same answer. These are things that take a bit more time....little by little I will get there, but not quite yet.


Well, there you have it. For some things I feel great about where I am at and the progress I have made. Some things, of course, still need a bit of work. Either way I have roughly 6 months to work on it.

We did it!

I guess that more appropriate title of my blog is Granville did it...he finished law school! However, it has been a very rough three years for me as well...so I will say we did it. Graduation was actually very nice...beautiful day. Nicole and Wesley were able to come join the family for the big day (Wesley was actually adopted during the weekend...there were papers and everything). Granville and I made a new friend in Greg. Lots of love and laughter were shared.

I can't believe that it is over already. I remember moving to Athens, being scared out of my mind, being a newlywed in an unfamiliar place. I was scared. This experience has, I truely believe, helped me to become a better person and a better wife. For the first three months we were here Granville and I only had each other to rely on. Believe me, being around somebody 24 hours a day 7 days a week can be very....interesting is the word I choose to use. I have held two jobs, one I hated, and one I like most of the time when I am not overworked (which is basically all the time). I still really don't know who I am, but am getting a greater grasp on who that might be with each passing day.

Words can not express how proud I am of Granville. You take things like going to med school or law school being hard and difficult process as pure fact...but MAN! The stress, the agony, the shear brainpower it takes just to SIT through a class, much less participate in. Based on what I have seen him go through, law school is not for me. Granville has recently started studying for the BAR exam at the end of next month. He is attacking his studies with a determination like never before. He says, quite truly, that how he does on this ONE exam affects that rest of our lives. I have a measly little LCSW exam coming up sometime next year, and yes, it is a big deal, but if I don't pass it, no problem, I can still work. Not so much for Granville.

Anyway, the time what we all knew was coming is here. School is over, the BAR exam will so be a thing of the past. Everyone will pack up and move on. I truly hope that Granville and I will be able to keep in touch with the people that have become...well our family here. These people, and the laughs we shared with them, made this journey a little easier.

Granville wrote a blog entry recently saying that his life is episodic. That is true, we all have milestones that guide of from moment to moment to life. Now that Granville is done with school, we can close that door ( as I have been done for some time now). I am excited and scared for the new journeys ahead...buying our first house...maybe we will become parents...who knows?

Congratulations Granville and the rest of the class of 2007....in the ever wise words of Elle Woods and the commencement speaker at graduation...WE DID IT!!!

Granville's Graduation

Table art at The Grill.
Granville squishing Wesley and Greg.
WOOO!
Haley and Jeremy sharing a true Kodak moment...being nice to one another.
Becky, Daddy, mom
Granville looking like anime with his Jack.
Wesley with his unofficial adoption papers.
Cat nap.
Killing time while waiting on everyone.
"I'll never leave you again Granville."
Yipee!
Anuj giving us a preview of his back up career in case law doesn't work out for him.
We are all very important people.
Granville and his team of photographers.
Daddy and mom
Sugar






Gussio and Granville
Billy and Granville
David Dix, Granville, and Anuj
Granville and David Dix

Justin, Granville, and Shawn
Playing naughty
Playing nice
Kyra completes her final test to be a part of the family by willingly getting photographed with underwear on her head.
Me, mom, and Becky.
Working in the field.

Black and White Pictures from the trip.

In west Philadelphia born 'n...you know the rest...

So here are the pictures from Philly and Washington. I did some experimenting with my camera in D.C. , so that is what the weirder looking picture are. We started off the day in Philly, went to Independence Hall and then on to the Liberty Bell. It was hard to get a good picture of the Liberty Bell due to the low light. We then headed into D.C. and just walked around, all the museums were already closed by the time we arrived. We still had fun though!





This photo was not contrived at all, Granville totally was sitting there like this. Seriously.

This is the room where the Declaration of Independence was signed.

This is the room that Washington and Adams were inaugurated as presidents, the Senate met here as well.
Granville and the first George Dubya.

Abe Lincoln stood there.
The Liberty Bell.



Delaware!!!

Maryland!!!


Back view.

Front view.





The pose just keeps going on and on.





I looooooooooooooooooove America.


I finally get to join in on "the pose" fun.

How patriotic.

Museums and history and irreplaceable documents oh my!!

The following is pictures of our day in D.C . We went to Ford's Theatre, where Lincoln was shot, The National Archives, where we saw the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution, The Air and Space Museum, and The Natural History Museum. We did lots and lots and lots of walking. Me in front of Ford's theatre.

Bad picture...but this is where Lincoln was shot.


The Declaration of Independence.

The Constitution.



Me trying very hard not to cry after Granville smashed my finger.

Granville learning (also known as playing) in the Air and Space museum.

Granville and I in front of a heat sensitive camera...notice Granville's white hot eyes.

Me and Dorthy's Ruby Slippers.

Granvile in front of the Wright Brothers plane.

Ricky realizing a dream...getting a picture taken with R2D2 and CP3O.

Granville realizing a dream...getting a picture taken with a dinosaur.

Ricky and Granville in front of a stone figure from Easter Island.

The Hope diamond at the Natural History Museum.

Oops!

Okay, so I just realized that I forgot to post the pictures from Monday at the Hockey Hall of Fame and our drive into Cooperstown, NY. Enjoy!




OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!


Granville washing the funk of the car in NY.


Granville knee deep in the snow.

The day Granville and Ricky went to the motherland.

Below are pictures from The Baseball Hall of Fame. Ricky and Granville were quiet for most of the day...I think they were in awe. Notice that I am not in a lot of the pictures. The wintertime seemed to be the perfect time of the year to go as it was not crowded. During the first 10 minutes we were in the Great Hall, where all the Hall of Fame member's plaques are held, we were alone. The only sound that could be heard was the shutter sound from Ricky and Granville's cameras. Anyway, it was nice to go and not crowded at all.


Famous name!



Ball from Randy Johnson's perfect game...we were totally at that game!



I am excited to be eating something other than McDonald's.

The picturesque village of Cooperstown.


Me paying a toll in PA.

Over the edge and on the top of the world.

Okay, so I am not able to upload any pictures tonight, it is just taking way too long. So I will just give an overview of what we have been up to.

1) I am allergic to Canada, I don't know if that is true, but I woke up while we were in Niagara Falls with a rash.
2) Niagara Falls is just like Gatlinburg, except with a lot of gushing water.
3) I am REALLY tired of McDonald's.
4) Granville and I went to the CN Tower, Ricky was too chicken.
5) While we were at the CN Tower I had a "mama moment". There was a couple behind us in line that saw Granville's Predator's jersey and said "Hey, we're from Nashville too!"...to which I exclaimed "hey!!!!" like they were long lost friends.
6) At the CN Tower instead of going through a metal detector we went through this weird machine that shot out air at you...it got in my ear and hurt.
7) We touched the Stanley Cup at the Hockey Hall of Fame.

We are in Cooperstown, NY right now which is absolutely covered in snow. We tried to stop and get a picture of the Welcome to Cooperstown sign, Granville got out of the car and fell into knew high snow...there will be pictures soon!