Graduation Day, Finally Here... WAAHOOO

Blogging has been mostly on the back burner for the past two years, while I navigated going back to college.

I heard this funny commercial the other day making fun of bloggers who apologize for forgetting to post, or not posting enough. The spoof was saying why are they apologizing because really no one cares if they skip a day or stop posting LOL.
I have to admit I've done that in the past, but I laughed more because it's so true, you go MIA for a while and let's be honest probably no one or so few care that there is no need to apologize or make excuses. I couldn't tell you what the commercial is promoting, but if you're a blogger and you see it, you're going to get a great laugh!

So to get to it, I did it, I am an official college graduate, FINALLY! It has been one of those things I regretted not finishing when I was younger and when I decided to do it as an adult everything just fell into place.
I was able to secure enough grant and scholarship money to completely 100% pay for all my college tuition for the past two years (YAY ME!)
I'll tell you this now, I was a skeptic, but if you're thinking of going back to school and you're worried about affording it. Just apply for everything you can, I did.
Yes, it took time to apply for all of them. But It paid off in the end, there is in fact money out there just waiting for some of us to apply for it and ask for it.

I now officially have majored in both Recreation and Sports Management as well as Digital Design.

What am I going to do with them? Well, that will soon be shared, but for now, I'm just loving the fact that I did it.
I pulled off 16-18 credits a semester so I could graduate in 2 years instead of 3. I did my thesis research and project last summer to make the best use of my time. Literally, everything went so perfectly, even the exact classes I needed were available right as I needed them. Honestly, things couldn't have been more perfect if the college had catered to my needs specifically.

I worked hard, so many late nights. Things at times I wondered how on earth I was going to be able to pull off. Learned new design programs in record time (for me) and was able to figure out every single thing I needed to in the time I needed to do it. Seriously, lucky right!

Additionally, I was able to get straight A's every semester and I made the Presidents List each semester as well. (Yes, I'm gloating but it's okay haha)
I was only a few points away from being a full Honors Graduate, but that is my own fault from many years ago when I did my Associates Degree and was basically in college to party and didn't really care too much about my grades. But to be honest, who cares, I graduated and since businesses now are starting to require copies of transcripts mine will look fabulous and that's all the matters.

Okay, I'll shut up now!
Time for me to move onto the next phase! Well and enjoy life a little haha

Job that Won't Accept My Resignation, Snow, Wedding & Weight Loss, Car Issues and The Best Parents Ever - How's that for a Mouth Full of a Post Title!

I thought I'd give a little re-cap of what I have been up to in the past 3 weeks.

Right after my last final in December, literally left from the parking lot of it to take a 5-hour drive north so I could get ready for that holiday wedding I booked.

Lucky me, got to drive a trailer in a blizzard and pack it up for a wedding in one heck of a storm...  That lucky part is sarcastic, LOL

Did all my wedding prep work in 8 hours, probably the fastest rush job ever!  Then took a drive to beat out a storm so I could arrive to set up for the wedding early

The storm that was supposed to hit didn't, just a nice 5 degree's out that morning. It froze the locks on my trailer, thankfully I am full of hot air, LOL and was able to blow into them enough to get them to unfreeze and unlock.
The rest of the day went perfectly, we were rushed but it was some of our better work and we did it in record time, I was thrilled!  My team that helps is incredible!!!!

The bride and her family all loved it and were more than happy without work, so it was a great day!

Spent the night for a slumber party with my niece and nephew. We attempted to make cupcakes with her new baking tools.
Apparently, it did not go so well, I guess you can't bake the frosting mixed into the cake batter, LOL LOL

EARNING SOME $
Since I was coming up north and my old library job, well they apparently never accepted my resignation so I decided why not make more money while I am here and pick up a few shifts. A few turned into many and before I knew it they asked me to pick up 44 hours.

So yeah, that first two weeks was a little more work than play, but that was okay. I got to get together with past co-workers and catch up. Great times!

Christmas Eve my dad and I took a drive up the mountains to pick something up at my sisters, and then hit up a new gun store and target range, because well that's what we red-blooded Americans do on Christmas Eve, LOL.

SNOW SNOW AND MORE SNOW
Christmas was wonderful. We woke up to 14 inches of fresh snow, so we definitely got our white Christmas! Had so much fun chilling with the family and playing!


My sister won in the gift department, she saw these awesome boxes. HILARIOUS 
Makes the receiver think that is actually what is in it, and she gave it to my pregnant sister. Inside was a gift card, but it was fun and laughs.

FUN
Took a night and went and slept over and played for a day with one of my sisters kids who live up in the mountains. Truthfully, we in the valley were in a yucky inversion. So I enjoyed getting up to the mountains for a day where the skies were blue and the temps were a little warmer than the valley!

The kids loved tearing it up with the snowmobile in the back yard for sure!

Between working, I had a great time hanging out with friends and family and catching up! I also got my fill of snow, all together it snowed over two feet in the series of storms we had. So fun!

DECEMBER WEIGHT LOSS
Last time I wrote I mentioned I was planning on sticking to my weight loss goals for December. Well I forgot that I would be up with people who haven't seen me in many months and I couldn't even tell you how many restaurants I visited for lunches and dinners those first two weeks.

I know I could have turned the offers down, but I may not get so see them again for a while so that would just be rude. So I am avoiding the scale and enjoying all the food and fun chats!

However, although I wasn't even trying and the loss was due in no part to actually trying, I still managed to drop 2 pounds during the month. Nothing to give a shout out to, but that brings my total to date now to 16 pounds lost.

NOT SO FUN NEWS
My final week home up north, I had no plans to work and millions of plans to do fun things with family and friends.
But as luck would have it on New Years Eve I came down with a terrible horrible cold/flu, I pretty much didn't even get out of bed for a week.
It's been horrible and I am more bummed because of all the people I wasn't able to see, and all the plans I had to cancel, when I don't know when I'll be back up to see them all again.

CAR PROBLEMS SAME OL' AGAIN
During my week of sickness, I did make it out once to drop my car off at the dealership (same problem as all 6 times before that the other dealerships haven't been able to fix.) Turns out my Warranty was to expire 12 days after I dropped it off.

They diagnosed the problem and finally had a mechanic who was a specialist and had seen it before and knows exactly how to fix it. Problem, the part they need is on National backorder and will be taking two weeks to get.
I had no choice because if I took the vehicle from the dealership while I waited for my warranty would expire. But keeping it there meant it was an open case and even though it will be fixed after the expiration, because it is still in shop it still counts as the day I brought it in.
So yes, my car is staying there for a few weeks.

(I am finally hopeful that maybe these mechanics have more experience and might actually fix it!)

MY AWESOME PARENTS
Problem was, I needed to drive back to my home down south and I didn't have a car. So my parents who are amazing gave me their car to take back.

Top it off, my mom knew I was sick and wouldn't be up for grocery shopping when I got home. So she went to the store and filled the trunk with groceries for me. No worries on keeping them cold, it was -11 to highs of 5 degree's, LOL
By the time I arrived back in the 40's in the desert where it's a little warmer they were fine.

In addition, since I have been so sick and they were worried about me driving, they even drove me half way so I could sleep more and have less of a drive alone.  So sweet of them!

I am still sick, but I'm finally starting to feel like I may be on the turnaround!  Which is great because I started classes today, I had my first two this morning, and I will start my next three tomorrow.

This is going to be an insanely busy semester, not only am I taking 15 credits, but I am beginning my Senior Thesis (early yes) the research phase.
What is a senior thesis? Well, I'll probably tell you more about it another time, but basically it's about half the work of a Masters Degree. So as you can see I have my work cut out for me!

On a side note, now that I am back, I am hoping it will snow down south. Ever since I moved back here I have been looking forward to seeing snow on palm tree's, don't ask me why I just am!

Health and Happiness

Have you ever looked at someone and you didn’t have to speak to them or know anything about them, and you just know they were happy?

Wouldn’t you like to be one of these people and radiate happiness?  Believe it or not, you can!

Why be happy?  Happier people may actually be more inclined to participate in healthier habits and behaviors. Happiness has proven in the medical field to combat several types of illness in relation to the heart, such as high blood pressure, heart attacks and even overweight.

Does that mean if you are happy you will never have these problems?  Of course not, but if the simple act of happiness alone, could help reduce your risks for these things, isn’t it worth it?

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Parents don’t only pass on their genes to their children.  They also pass on their behaviors.  Will this happen automatically for every parent who is happy?  Not likely, but if you center your life in a fun, relaxing and pleasant environment for your children to be in and see.  There is much greater chance you’ll pass the happiness trait onto them.

Everyone has something if not many things that they would love to change about themselves.  It’s only human to think this way.  Sure with goals, some of those things can be changed if you want those changes.  But not everything can be altered or worked on.  That is when accepting ourselves, accepting our faults become important to our health and happiness.  It is okay to not be perfect and it’s okay if we can’t do everything that our neighbor does.  Embrace your individualism and spend a little time each day finding a reason to love your faults you can’t change. 

Maybe you are one of the lucky ones who have a job you love.  If you fit this, enjoy each day and remember their might be a co-worker who may not love it so much.  It’s important to be aware and be kind to others.  Make sure that along with your great day, you are taking a little time to make others day great too.

If you are at a job you’d rather not be and you feel there are no other options for you.  Remember that you are in complete control of your life.  What job(s) would you rather do?  Once you have that figured out, make a list of what things are keeping you from getting a job as you would love.  Whether its skills, or education, presentation or personality.  Why not start slowly working each day on those things that are keeping you from finding a job of happiness?  It doesn’t always have to cost money; there are many free useful tools online or at your public library that you can use to help yourself.

If you are working on goals to better your life, and get to a place you’d rather be.  You’ll be amazed at how much faster the time will go, and just possibly it may make working the job you don’t love a little better while you are going through the process of finding one you will love.

You don’t have to run a marathon or even a 5k to be healthy or fit.  What we fuel our bodies with alone can drastically change our health and not to mention how we feel.  Start little by little; making changes and watch the changes to your health take effect. 

If you want a more active life, and want to see the benefits of exercise and physical activity you can start implementing that into your daily life as well.  It is important not to jump into something you are not ready for.  Speak to your physician and see what level of activity they recommend you begin with.  It could be as simple as taking the stairs at work, or parking your car on the furthest side of the parking lot for the extra walk in.   If you need more of a support group for this, join a gym or start taking a class lead by a fitness instructor or enlist a friend.  If you don’t feel you have time for anything, look at your life and see where you do have a few extra minutes.  It could be as simple as taking walks on your work breaks or during every TV commercial.  Don’t allow yourself to make excuses.  Imagine how much better you will feel each day, and how that might affect your state of mind and of course happiness levels.

Although it is true, not everyone may have the built in genetics to create happiness for themselves.  It might not be as simple for you to make small changes in life toward making you happier and healthier.  If you feel this is you, you can find help.  Know that you are not alone in this, and others have fought and won this battle too.  Speak to your doctor and let them figure out what drugs or therapy may be needed to assist you in this.

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Remember it is important to live in the moment.  Don’t dwell on the past or your failures, doing so will only bring you down.  Live each day with the mindset that you are going to do at least one thing that will bring happiness to you.  Take a moment each day to bring happiness to someone else.  (This could be something as simple as a smile or a compliment.)  Spend a little time on these two things each day and one day someone is going to look at you and think to themselves, that person is happy!