7 Quick Takes Friday (Take 4)

1) With the New Year approaching, I’ve given a lot of thought to New Year’s resolutions. In the past several years, I’ve noticed that I either A) don’t make any resolutions at all or B) I go overboard and make ridiculous resolutions that I can’t keep.  I’ll have to give myself a little time to think about it, and maybe consult my husband, since this is our first New Year’s as a married couple and I would appreciate his support/advice in making changes for the better.

2) David wants a treadmill.  My parents have had many different exercise machines in the past (there are about 5 sitting (dusty) in their basement right now).  So my first reaction is that it would be a waste of money, and would eventually become as functional as a drying rack or storage area.  But David likes to run, and I saved up all my tip money for the entire time I worked at Starbucks which will almost cover the costs.  Maybe I’ll learn to like running too… (probably not).

3) I’m having a hard time adjusting to my new job.  I am grateful to have it, and enjoy the nights and weekends off with David, but by the time I get home at night, I’m exhausted.  Also, I’ve had very little training in the over two weeks since I started and my boss yelled at me the other day (I’m new…give me advice don’t yell at me!).  I’ve never been yelled at by a boss like that before, especially for something that I don’t think is my fault, but perhaps I’m just being a baby.  There aren’t many jobs out there, and many people hate their jobs, have much worse bosses I’m sure, and I should probably just stick with it.  Right?

4) My husband also thinks that I could go back to Starbucks and ask if my boss there would rehire me.  I know of a couple employees that will be leaving soon, so I probably could get my job back, but I left Starbucks because of the irregular hours and low pay, which is why I applied for this job.  But I loved my coworkers, interacting with customers, and the benefits of Starbucks.  How do I choose?

5) Ok, so I do have a New Year’s Resolution: write more on this blog!  I’ve noticed that recently, I’ve liked to do “7 Quick Take Fridays” and haven’t written much else.  I think that’s because I like structure, I’ve never done well with “creative writing” type assignments.  I’m loved writing essays though.

6) Is it weird to say that I am excited to take classes, that I actually miss school (tests, homework, and all)?  I am getting my Indiana Reciprocal Teaching License.  In order to get a permanent IN license, I have to take a test, and if I want to be licensed to teach more social studies subjects (currently I’m licensed, for history, government, English as a New Language, and Spanish), I have to take more classes.

7) I have been incredibly blessed this year: graduated from college, got married, moved out of state.  Even the hardships my family has encountered have turned out well: both my mother and my grandfather were diagnosed with cancer this year and both have gone through treatment and are now cancer free.  It’s easier to see God’s hand in extremes, and I’ve seen him in everything this year.  Hopefully, when life settles down in the new year, I won’t forget to look for God in the everyday.  Oops, I guess I just made another New Year’s resolution without planning to.

7 Quick Takes Friday (Take 3)

1) We are in Colorado visiting our families until Tuesday.  We flew in yesterday and are staying at David’s parents until tomorrow morning.  Then, we are going to my friend’s graduation from nursing school (she doesn’t know we are coming…at least it’s supposed to be a surprise!) and then spending the rest of the time with my family and visiting a few of my friends.

2) I am going to be a Godmother to my grandfather!  Tomorrow afternoon, my grandfather is becoming Catholic.  He will be baptised, have his first communion, and confirmation in a private Mass just for the family (he has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy, so he can’t be in large crowds of people).  This is a long time coming and he is very excited!  He asked David and I to be his Godparents, and we are very excited and honored.  It’s never too late to become Catholic (he’s 79).

3) I am almost done with my Christmas shopping.  I brought most of the presents out for our families and friends here, and have only a few more things to get.  I’m proud of myself, as well as the fact that I found some thoughtful gifts (at good prices).  I know my family doesn’t like me to spend a lot and doesn’t expect much since we are young and relatively poor, but I really enjoy giving gifts and am willing to do with less so that I can give more.  I especially spoil my little brother, I just can’t help it!

4) The best purchase David and I have made since we got married was a heated mattress pad.  As I think is the case in most marriages, I am always cold while my husband is hot.  Since the mattress pad came with a different control for each side of the bed, I can crank up my “snuggle dial” (as David likes to call it) while his side stays cool.  This has definitely made adjusting to sleeping with someone else much easier.  We got a great deal on one (half off at Kohl’s) but it would have been worth it even if it was full price.

5) My husband is convinced that we should go on a cruise of the Mediterranean.  He’s never been out of the country and is dying to see Europe.  While I would love to go, I’m trying to convince him that we just can’t afford it any time soon, but he was even looking up cruise and flight prices today.  Maybe we’ll find an amazing deal, but I don’t think that’s in our near future.  I think David calmed down a bit when I reminded him that if everything goes as planned, I may be pregnant soon and money will have to be allotted to other things (not to mention I probably don’t want to go on a cruise and travel Europe while pregnant).

6) My husband had his last class ever this week!  One step closer to getting his Ph.D. done.  He was SO excited - after 20 years of school, he’s finally a free man!

7) I’ve been thinking a lot about Mary recently (nothing like Advent and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception to help me get my head in the right place).  As a new wife and aspiring mother, there is no better role model for me right now.  Any ideas of how I can further my devotion to her?

7 Quick Takes Friday (Take 2)

I. My husband and I have decided to start trying for a baby in January!  We’ll be married for six month, settled into our new life here, and while we don’t have a lot of money we feel like we can make the sacrifices necessary to provide for a little one.  Making a sure decision about starting a family has been like a huge weight lifted from our shoulders.  Although I am dreading talking to my family about our decision, I feel like we have decided once and for all to make decisions based on our faith and as a family of our own.  I know that our parents only have our best interests at heart, but I felt that one of the main reasons we were waiting to have a family was because we didn’t want to disappoint them.  And that certainly isn’t a justifiable reason to postpone pregnancy.

II. I got a new job at a daycare, working in the one-year-old room.  I start in a couple weeks and I hope that it won’t scare me too badly about having a baby of my own.  While I look forward to the regular Monday through Friday schedule (more time with my husband!) and the increase in pay, I am scare of the diapering!

III.  I always feel incredibly guilty when I give my two week notice.  I hate inconveniencing my employer and coworkers when they have to hire and train someone to replace me.  I don’t want people to feel that I didn’t like working with them.  This is irrational, I know, since they probably don’t take it personally (and they shouldn’t), but I hate to let others down or hurt their feelings.  Even if I didn’t like the job, I appreciate that I was given the chance to work and help support myself and my family.  I don’t know why I can’t just treat it as the business transaction that it is, but quitting is so hard (although maybe not as hard as starting a new job - that’s just so nerve racking).

IV. Once an avid reader, I haven’t read a full book since I started my job at Starbucks.  Working irregular hours and not having a consistent sleep schedule (wow, I sound old!), I have been too tired to read much.  But I have decided to set an ambitious reading goal for myself: to read a biography of each of the American Presidents.  Have I mentioned I was a history major?

V. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.  Usually I get in the mood as soon as Thanksgiving passed, however this year, I had trouble getting in the holiday spirit.  That changed December 1 when: (1) it snowed here for the first time this fall and (2) we received our first Christmas card in the mail.

VI. What happened to snail mail?  There are few things that give me as much joy as getting a letter, card, or even a package in the mail.  Email just isn’t the same.  I love sending cards and I usually do so for the following holidays: Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  It goes without saying that I remember birthdays and anniversaries with cards as well.  Usually they are store bought, if I’m overly ambitious they may even be handmade.  And, actually, one of the few things I love more than getting mail is hearing how much others liked getting something in the mail from me.

VII. Since we weren’t able to go home for Thanksgiving, my husband and I celebrated one of his fellow grad students and his wife, who also had to work on Thanksgiving and couldn’t go home.  I thought it would be depressing to spend the holiday away from my family, but while I missed them, I enjoyed myself very much.  It was nice to make our own holiday feast and have dinner guests to our apartment for the first time.  I’m sure we aren’t the only ones who have spent the holidays without family, how have you enjoyed holidays without loved ones close?  Any suggestions for us as Christmas approaches?