2017 In Review

2017 was a year with a lot of ups and downs and learning experience for me.  I knew going into 2017 that it was going to be amazing as we were planning our wedding and had some great travel plans.  What I didn't expect from 2017 was how hard it would become to balance everything going on in my life like my added responsibilities at work and the stress that comes with working for your-self/family and being the OCD person I am.  I am still trying to learn to balance it all but I am hopeful that 2018 is going to be more balanced and equally amazing as 2017 with added adventures and new amazing experiences.   

Here are the goals I had for 2017 and how I did on accomplishing them!

• Read 20 books- read 15
• Go on a ski vacation- this didn't happen but it is still definitely on my radar
• Make for canning recipes-I didn't even have a garden this year as I didn't want to over commit since the wedding and our honeymoon were my main focus during planting season
• Get back into my groove of healthy habits and working out consistently- the most definitely didn't happen and the 20 pounds I've packed on this past year is proof
• Take a girls weekend trip to NOLA, Palm Springs, or Charleston- again this didn't happen but still going on the new list of goals for 2018 and this year I'm for sure going to make some of these happen
• Get bikes for Hendrik and I to start riding- we both got new bikes and have been on a couple rides but we can always make time for more and plan on doing so
• Cook new recipes- yes and no...I did cook a few new recipes but not as many as I would have liked and each month when I plan my meals I want to really try to incorporate new recipes
• Add landscaping to our yard- I worked really hard on adding new flowers and pots to our yard before our wedding and plan on keeping that trend going in 2018.  I want our yard to be an oasis during the growing months
• Have a positive outlook on life- well this is always hard for me as I'm such a realist and I think some days I did better than others but never as good as I should be.  I for sure need to keep this goal on the forefront of my mind daily.
• Make 30 the best year yet!- 30 was a great year but I know that more is in store to make all my coming years amazing
• Payoff the majority of my debt- No but didn't go any more in debt and this is a constant goal as well as working on our businesses
• Make use of my time more efficiently at work- I really have no other way but to be efficient at work as I have so much to do but I can work on procrastinating a bit more so I'm not as loaded down.
• Try more adventurous things around our area for dates with Hendrik- We have been so preoccupied and busy with life in general than other than a monthly adventure to restock at Sam's and some impromptu date nights we didn't "date" much

2017 was full of laugh and laughs and new traditions.  

• We got MARRIED!! (still need to blog all about this)
• had THE MOST amazing honeymoon in Mexico
• went on a family vacation to Florida
• I went on a girls weekend to celebrate Lesly's birthday in Galveston
• got 3 more tattoos
• redecorated our spare room to make it into more of an office space
• hosted our 1st annual white trash summer bash
• Hendrik and I celebrated dating 4 years
• renovated one of our apartments for Lesly (post coming)
• bought and renovated our first rental house (posting coming)
• celebrated Hendrik's 30th birthday in Cabo (post coming)
• Surprised Caleb in Stephenville with my Mom for his 21st birthday
• went to the state fair
• attended several BMT and BJJ, martial artists, seminars
• and had a ton of great times with family and friends

Peace out 2017 you were amazing!