Nicole’s Life

I realized something the other day. Someone asked me how I could handle so much on my plate and I said “because my plate is sturdy”.

For a long time, I took on many tasks to keep me busy. I was trying to fill my life not know what it was lacking. About a year and a half ago I felt like something was different with all my multi tasking. I realized I was happy! I was happy with myself, my family, my life. I was independent from my parents not that I don’t need them; because I do. For the first time I felt like a real adult.

I started looking at all that I had on my plate and realized I didn’t get nearly as stressed as before. I was taking on new projects because I wanted to learn something or I thought they could enrich my life. They have! I have learned new things which makes me feel fulfilled and complete.

In the past I tried to juggle so many things on a plate that had chips and holes, if you try to juggle the same amount of projects on a stable complete plate it becomes easier to prioritize and move things around. My plate is stable and sturdy because I am feeling complete. I am not saying I have done everything I want to do in life but I feel like I am in a good place.

I have come so far in 5 years, when my plate looked like a swiss cheese and was about as sturdy as a paper plate. I know now i can handle just about anything and I can’t wait to see what life has planned for me now.

Why is making a decision so difficult?

I mean really what are the steps:

1. Identify there is a choice to make

2. Identify the choices

3. Note the Pros and Cons of each out come

4. Weigh the Pros and Cons of each out come

5. Choose which solution is more beneficial

Ok 5 Steps, so why is it so complex?

We make thousands of decisions in a day from what to eat, which way to drive to work, or what shows to watch at night. For these decisions our brain does a mini analysis of the situation to come up with the best solution. These are simple tasks hardly thought of in a normal day.

Now for those decisions that will have more of an impact on our lives we may take a little longer. What college should we attend, which job should we take, which house should we buy. These things have to be thought of extensively because of the impact they have on our future.

When saying yes to a marriage proposal or giving one you don’t have to go through these steps, you just know that it is the right thing.

So tell me why it is so difficult to decide if you want a family or not. Is it because you are responsible for another life? You have to stop being selfish? Your life changes? I don’t know what the answer is but I believe people over analyze this decision. I am sure I am one of them.

Things to be happy about

A cat’s contented sigh

A free day

The art of packing

Having an epiphany

Paid bills

Being surrounded by books

A short list of dream vacations

A long list of dream vacations already taken

A bright scarf - even better if you were the one who made it
comfortable jeans

Everyday I get the “Page a Day” calendar of 5 things to be happy about sent to me.

The above are a few of my favorite. I started to think of some of my own:

A dog’s greeting

A palm tree in the South Carolina sun

Falling in love with your husband on a daily basis

Making something with your own two hands

Learning something new

Being a Daddy’s girl

Having a loving supportive family

Being proud of yourself

Standing on your own 2 feet

The way a dog cocks his head at you as if to say “I understand what you are saying”

Planning a vacation

Having an account reconcile in a mater of hours not days

An unexpected snow day

A song that makes you feel like a teenager

Realizing how lucky you are before it is too late

 

Looking back on last year I am happy that I have completed some of my goals for 2006:

To Stop Saying Shut Up – I rarely use that anymore!!!!

Take my CPA exam – Not yet, I just wasn’t ready, maybe in 2007

Catch up on Scrapbooking all of 2005 – Completed, Now there is 2006!

Read a Book a month – this was a great experience

Get back into Creative Writing – I have started to write more, but I would like to set aside time each week to work on this.

Learn to Dance – maybe 2007

 

All and all I don’t think it was that bad.  Not to mention I learned how to knit this year too!!  That is one of the most relaxing hobbies there is. 

 

So for 2007…….

 

Goals

Read a book a month – Including Anna Karina

Complete all 2006 Scrapbooks

Redo all my mom’s Scrapbooks

Knit myself a sweater

Give more money to Charity

Keep current on sending out Birthday cards

Go White Water rafting (again)

Update my site once a week.  I think I will do this on Wednesdays

 

 

Things to do this week

So on labels to Tatum’s, Anita’s, and Goma’s Scarves

Mail Tatum’s and Goma’s Scarves

Make new name tags for work

Buy yarn for Sweater

When we arrived at Hershey Stadium the gray skies had saddened our faces.  Heather and I were taking her children, my niece and nephew, to see Toby Keith.

It started to rain halfway to the stadium and we all started chanting, “Rain, Rain go away come again another day!”  Unfortunately no one was listening.  Half our summer has been spent with no rain, and the one night we had two little faces that we could not disappoint we have a down pour.

We sat in the car watching the rain dance on the windshield.  The kids asked, “When can we go into the concert?”  Heather and I answered, “the rain should stop in a few minutes”, we questioned if that would be the truth.

And so the night of us being wrong began…

We walked into the concert a few minutes later and much to our dismay we were not permitted to take our umbrella through the gates, this being the only thing protecting us from the lovely rain.  We bought ponchos as soon as we walked through the gate, but no where did we see cowboy hats.  A country concert and no Cowboy hats, that is like a church without a Cross!!!  We figured the ponchos would keep us semi-dry.  Wrong Again…

Joe Nichols brightened our spirits and made us forget we were drenched.  The rain even subsided for a few minutes, and again we thought “Maybe it is over”.  And again we were wrong!

Toby Keith made his grand entrance; the kids jumped up on their chairs and started dancing.  Heather and I already standing began to dance!  As the lyrics went on we cared less and less about the rain.  Our hair and make-up ceased to be important, when you saw the joy in the kids faces. “The night was great even if it was raining” confirmed the kids.

This comment has been on my mind in the days since the concert.  I enjoyed the concert because the music was great.   However the best part of my night was when my niece and nephew taught me how to Dance in the Rain!!!

Hmmmmmmmmm…..
Let’s see we have our standard answers, someone famous, the president, God, etc. I of coarse would like to sit down with my grandfathers. I think that since I have grown up I would like their opinions on so many things. Not to mention I would appreciate their life experiences so much more now. I would love to hear them tell stories about their lives.
Then there is Kenny Chesney, just so I could hear him sing
Dale Earnhardt Jr, to talk about racing.
F. Scott Fitzgerald, to talk about the Great Gatsby.
Jimmy Buffett, I need to know what it is like to live in paradise.
I can think of Historical figures:
Roosevelt, I would love to know what he was thinking during war.
Hitler, how did he think he was doing something good.
Stalin, what was going on in your head.
This train of thought came out of a radio station I was listening to this morning. Someone on the radio said they would like to talk to a World War II Veteran that saw combat to see what it was really like.
Besides all the people I have mentioned I would like to talk to Henry Bergh. He is the one who started the ASPCA. I would like to know what it takes to start such an organization and what made him do it. I would like to know how I can start my own rescue, since this is my dream…….

Why is it that some people get themselves in so much shit and still come out smelling like roses?
Why is it when I get frustrated I just feel like I want to cry?
Why is it that I am such a workaholic? Is it because I love my job or because I want people to be proud of my accomplishments?
Why is it one year later I still remember how I felt when they told me she died in a fire?
And I check my house 3 times before leaving every day.
I wonder if I will ever get of that fear of fire?

I can’t believe it has been forever since I posted!!! What has happened since the last post hmmmmm……. I read the Book Night – Wiesel, and The Wedding – Sparks. They were incredible books and I finished each of them in less than a week. I can’t believe how much I love reading when I am not tasked to do it, as in a school assignment.
Night
This novel was so powerful, I don’t think it was as explicated as I thought it would be and for that I am thankful. The story was as much about the Holocaust as it was about the relationship of a boy and his father. He is such a strong and intelligent person to be able to endure such a violent life. I would recommend this book to anyone; it is short and keeps the pages turning.
The Wedding
This book involves some of the characters from Sparks other novel The Notebook. I didn’t really want to read this book out of fear that is would not be as good as the Notebook, but it was just as romantic. I didn’t want to put the book down and I didn’t want the love story to end. I am not sure how a man can write something so sweet and incredible!!! The setting was North Carolina, I honestly felt like I was there!! I can’t wait to read another one of his novels.
So I have finished my books for February and March already! I am now reading Fat Girl: A true Story. So far so good. I am about 1/3 the way through the book and it is a great!!!  I think everyone who is over weight has thought the things that she is telling the reader.
The weather was beautiful this weekend!!! It was flip flop weather, my favorite!! It was just another example of why I want to move south, more days to wear flip flops. I realized on Sunday night that I had no short sleeve shirts to wear to work. Since I lost all the weight I have gotten rid of all my shirts. I really need to find time to shop. I am hoping to get away from my desk tomorrow and find some clothes.
I scrapbooked more of the wedding pictures. Heather and I were scrapbooking until 4 am; no one believes that we weren’t at a bar. I try to explain that once you get in that grove of being creative you can’t stop. We had such a great time talking, joking, laughing, and being creative.
I took some great pictures on Friday night and Sunday morning. I am starting to get a little more confident in my abilities. I think the ones of my dogs are great, but that is because they are so cute. The cows that “posed” for my on Sunday were so cute. It is amazing how curious they tend to be. I would really like to go back on a day when the weather and light are a little better.
I must get back to doing taxes but I am going to try to post at least one other time this week! Try being the key word!!

Well last week was my birthday; turning 27 wasn’t as scary as I thought it was going to be. I am in a much better place then I was 5 years ago. I am finally comfortable. I am happy with my life. I love my husband, family, house, job (most of the time), and most importantly myself.

In the days leading up to my birthday I started thinking about all these things and that is when I realized I have spent most of my adult life saying what I wanted to do and then why I couldn’t. That is no more!!! There is a site www.43places.com and www.43things .com both are incredible sites that let you put in writing what you want to do. My brother introduced me to these sites about 6 months to a year ago and now I am hooked. I have always had a list of places I wanted to go before I died and things I wanted to do but there were always in my head. In what I will now call my “birthday epiphany” I looked at that list and decided I need to have at least something checked off before my 28th birthday. I told my husband about my “wish”, he must think I am nuts most of the time but he supports me in everything I do. So we already had a trip planned to go to Disney World in May and I new that I could complete one of my things in Florida, soooooo we will now be swimming with the Manatees in May. Then he agreed to go skydiving for our 1 year anniversary. So here are my 43 things in no order:
Swim with the Manatees
Swim with the Sharks
Dive the Great Barrier Reef
Go on and African Safari
Skydive
Cruise Alaska
Cruise Panama Canal
Visit the Galapagos Islands
Visit Russia
Open a restaurant
Learn to Dance
Go to the Kentucky Derby
Hike in a Rainforest
Horseback ride on the beach
Get my CPA
Learn Russian
Live by the beach
Relax
Be more Patient
Get Organized
Go to a NASCAR race at Talladega

My 43 Places I want to go:
Botswana
Australia
Russia
Alaska
Egypt
Italy
Greece
Cuba
Costa Rica
Fiji
Madagascar
Galapagos Islands
British Columbia
Wyoming
Malta
Great Wall of China
Romania
Zanzibar
Kilimanjaro
The places will be a little harder to accomplish because they are a lot more expensive! I am trying to get to Wyoming this summer.

I can’t tell you how insane my family and friends think I am most of them just make the list and never try to fulfill them. My theory to those lists is “Talk is cheap”.

At least I figured out how much I love my life and how LUCKY I am on my 27th birthday and not my 80th!