1/3 of the Year

Four out of Twelve months have passed this year,  April really flew by (which seems to be a theme lately) like it was a week long.  I firmly believe that these monthly reflection posts are really helping me stick to my goals and to look back to see what was helping/hurting me reach my goals.  Sometimes it is easy to look back and say... "Oh, I was lazy that week and didn't accomplish anything"  but others make me say "Wow, you really had it together that week" so I definitely think it helps me see what is or isn't working.

• Getting back on track with my weight

Considering we went on a four day vacation for our Anniversary (aka. eating and drinking binge) as well as a long weekend at the in-laws I want to pat myself on the back.  When I started this goal I wanted to make it a lifestyle change instead of doing a extreme fad diet/workout that I would burn out on and rebound.  I tell myself that I didn't gain the weight in one month and it will take more than one month to lose it.
So in April:  I worked out 18 times.  I lost another 1.5 lbs.  Total lost since New Year's 8 lbs.  I was 2 lbs shy of my goal, but I am not going to let that discourage me because given that I was out of town two weekends I expected to gain.  I am still getting up and going to the gym in the mornings  I average 4 mornings a week, so I am still striving to make it to 5 days a week.  IF I don't work out I try to go on a walk with T after work or not have any sweets/wine.

• Start Saving More

Fail.  Our vacation was not the cause of this failure.  Remember when it rains it pours? Yes, very true.  The month of April brought us a car repair, bi-yearly insurance payment, termite inspection/renewal, and taking an additional day off work for me.  Towards the end of the month and ongoing we are really pinching our pennies to try NOT to pull any money from savings to pay for any of these things.  I will admit that the insurance payment we knew about and wouldn't have been a problem if the others had not happened in April too.  Yes, we could chose to pay monthly on our insurance but because we pay every six months we get a better rate and if we were to break up the payments to monthly payments there would also be a service charge so we take advantage of the savings.
Since the car repair we were kind of smacked in the face that purchasing a car in the (closer than we planned) future is going to have to happen.  Originally we wanted to save as much as we could to put down on a new car to lower the payments to something we felt comfortable with that would not have to sacrifice our lifestyle, instead we might have to crunch numbers again and find another car and find a money tree!

• Maintaining Our Home

Success.  We're getting the hang of it people.  It's not always perfect - but nobody is right?  We're even getting better in the yard.  I planted some flowers in pots on the front porch as well as in the yard over a month ago and those suckers are still alive!!  T is great about cutting the grass once a week.  I've been pulling a few weeds out of the flower beds each time I walk by the flower bed.
I think next on our list is to de-clutter... do we really need all the stuff in our house?

• Having Patience

Embrace it.  I still have problems being patient.  Let me throw this thought out there... I'm almost a quarter century old and I have no idea what I want to do with my life.  I have been at a so-so job for the past three years and originally my plan was to go back to school to get my masters, which isn't going to happen.  After two trails and extreme failures at the GMAT,  I just don't get it... I put in hours and money and regardless of how I think I know how to solve the math problems.. I don't do it the correct way.  So at what point do I figure out what I want to do? or try?  Thus far in life anything I want to do does not have a high demand and I refuse to put myself through the time, money, and effort to be in the same position I am currently in, just not worth it.  So where does that leave me?  Nursing?  Engineer? Computer programmer?  How much longer will it take to figure it out?

• Being a better wife

It's important to take time to acknowledge your spouse each and every day.  Sometime I come home and just hug T, and it's amazing how much that hug can do.  It's undeniable that spouses have a certain connection and they can completely turn your day around from bad to good.  This past Sunday T and I had dinner outside at the TABLE... we rarely eat at a table, but I enjoyed it and want to start coin git more often.
After hearing about some relationships on the radio or through other friends I realize how lucky and how great our relationship really is!!