a wise man once said...

"if we did all the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves"
-thomas edison

2010 is here.

2010 is here! i had a great new years night with some of my favorite ladies from school! lake martin was beautiful and our cabin was so nice. i did not have the highest expectations for the cabin, and i was pleasantly surprised. while we were there we walked the park, built a legit fire (no easy task), ate s'mores (what else?), and ate dinner at sinclairs. i loved sinclairs! it was a restaurant on the lake, so you could trust the seafood and my parmesean crusted trout was delicious.

right before midnight we all made a "bucket list" for 2010, of 20 things we wanted to do in this year. mine turned in to being 25, and i am excited! some of my things are small but still things i want to do. for example some are: watch gone with the wind (i have never seen it), play frisbee on the quad, try depalmas (restaurant in ttown), try 5 new recipes, run atleast 2 more 5ks, etc...

one thing i learned from the trip was how to set my self timer. yay! i have been wondering how to do that for a while, and it comes in handy. since my personal photographer could not make it to capture all my kodak moments, self timer was what i forced to resort too.

my new year is off to a great start, here is to a fun filled 2010 everyone!

epic.

so i was in party city today buying..

this snazzy little light up tiara for new years eve. and this employee creepo approaches and says something like "thats a stellar tiara youve got there." i go with the generic reply "i know, right?!" he then proceeds to ask what im doing for new years. i say "oh my friends and i have rented a cabin on lake martin for new years eve." "EPIC" says the employee creepo.

so im getting pumped for this "epic" new years eve. i have packed my ski jacket, uggs, and tabagon since are planning to light up a fire and make s'mores, and take in that fresh wilderness 40 degree air. hope everyone has a wonderful new years eve. get ready yall.. 2010 is gunna be a good one! my fortune cookie even said so, and if that aint proof i just dont know what is..

blogs, blogging, bloggers.

blogs are weird to me. i make it a goal to update mine regularly (and hey, 4 posts in 4 days..) but why? why do i feel like posting my life on the internet suddenly adds significance, and why am i SO ADDICTED to reading everyone else's? thank you to all my (maybe 9) thoughtful readers! you have faithfully stuck with me through my dilemma of picking out the right heart rate monitor, have seen our christmas tree a million times, and can now picture me sipping out of my new mug while writing down everything i want to do in my life before i die. i REALLY do APPRECIATE all my readers, but lets face it some of my days are far less than interesting.

in my blog research (sounds better than blog stalking, right?) i have concluded that blogs provide an accepting listening ear. blogs seem to say "oh hey, that mediocre day you just had..tell me about it, and uhh add a picture if i will let you" or "hey, breakups are hell, tell me about it" or even "yeah i want YOUR opinion on this issue" just think of what all the blog world has seen. its crazy, everything from beautiful babies, crafts, photos, family vacations, and triumphs to fears, loneliness, despair and heartbreak. why are blogs an escape? why in this white box is it easy to write and organize all your thoughts? why is it hard sometimes to think of anything to say?

in summary, my thoughts on blogs: they are weird. how can the button "publish post" be such a satisfying comfort? blogs are also wonderful. ideas, emotions, and people are shared through these accounts of life. so thanks blogger, thanks for giving us all a place to vent, a place to share, a way to encourage, and a way to relate to others without even knowing them. and lastly, thanks for all those talented blogger's whose blogs inspire.

2 more additional comments about this blog post:
1. this post happened because i read multiple blogs in a row tonight that had similar stories. each blog "author" was an irregular blogger that seemingly only posted after something upsetting happened, and so i got to thinking about why they chose this as the way to vent. and the thoughts and questions continued.. (can you tell im a psychologist in the making?)

2. it is night time. (11:23 pm) i tend to get into deeper thought at night, and a teensy bit more emotional. so if my wording started sounding a little dramatic, i blame it on the p.m.

heart rate curiosity.

i am hooked on spin class. over the break i have been doing as many classes with my dad as i can, and i make a good many because my agenda for the break is fairly low key. (and by fairly i mean VERY) but, i am now addicted, maybe i have a "spinning high" similar to a "runner's high" but i am borderline obsessed with this indoor cycling. tomorrow staley (and i would tag her blog if i knew how) is coming with me, and im really excited! she took spin this last semester at Samford and says she really misses it. i see why, girl!

now that i am going to spin regularly, i really want a heart rate monitor. when the instructor says you should be at "85% of your maximum heart rate" i want to know am i really at 85%? or does it just feel like it because im huffing and puffing like i'm about to collapse? i think i would have a better workout if i could see my results. and also, when this "spinning high" wears off, maybe this new exercise accessory will keep me motivated! sad, but true.. i get a new pair of exercise shorts and suddenly the urge to do another 5k has come! i know the heart rate monitor would be the same way.

ive been researching what kind i want, only they are slightly pricey.

one like this could do..

but there is a cuter one in pink or green i really have my eye on.

for now, im going to experiment with on my dad has, and decide if it is something i will actually use after i purchase it!

spirit.

this is one of my favorite christmas presents i got this year. it was a surprise, and i LOVE mugs. really i love any source for holding a beverage other than your plain jane cup. wine glasses, mugs, travel mugs, etc. are all favs.

this mug says: the world is full of people who will go their whole lives and not actually live one day. she did not intend on being one of them.

dayyy-um straight i wont. what could be better than an inspirational mug saying to enjoy the rich goodness of life? not much in my book.

now, excuse me while i go sip from my new mug.

to all: enjoy this life, and LIVE! ..and this concludes my motivational speech.

christmas.

christmas is over. the day after christmas is the worst day of the year, i think. going downstairs and seeing the mess of the living room with new goodies and tid bits of wrapping paper is so sad, because all the giddy anticipation is over. yes, even as a 20 year old i experienced a bit of this today. to end this depressing note, i had a great christmas with my family. my mom said it felt like it was a "grown up christmas" for me, and i think she is right. each year it becomes less and less about the presents, and more about the spirit of christmas, family, comfort, and love. to quote jamie myers, "i think i am transitioning into adulthood fairly well" haha!

but now that christmas is over new years is left to look forward to! as a goal-oriented person i love this holiday. its like a clean slate, a new beginining, a fresh start, etc. basically its amazingness. its refereshing to be able to think about a whole new year. and i have a good feeling about 2010. i wont go into deatils, as many of the reasons i have such high hopes for this year are solely based on susperstition. (ex: 201o is an even year, divisible by 5 (my fav number)) yesss, im a fuhhh-reak, i get this obsession from my mother.

last photos of christmas '09:

disney village set out by the fireplace!

about the 75th photo taken of the Lester family christmas tree '09.

my aunt got us reindeer antlers. shockingly enough, this photo ranks in the top of favorite family pics.

hope everyone had a wonderful christmas, and is having a relaxing break. i know i will have to adjust when i am expected to do more than sleep till 10, and watch 90210 all day long. but i will enjoy it for now!