-1 Anniversary

Yesterday, October 4, marked ONE YEAR UNTIL WE ARE HITCHED!!!

To say I am excited would be an understatement.

(My MOM did our engagement photos all around Baltimore in May--she is sooo talented. Such a rock star--love you Mom!)

In any case, this "almost" anniversary led me to feel really mixed feelings, actually. EXCITEMENT, of course. But it also made me realize how FAST life is passing me by. I am trying very hard to stop texting/emailing/facebooking/tweeting all the time and just LIVE MY LIFE WHILE IT IS HAPPENING. I am admittedly obsessed with social media, love staying connected to friends near and far, and I love reading blogs and connecting to new "blends" I've never even met. But, I need to realize what is right in front of me.

Last night, Sean and I celebrated our "pre-anniversary"....by lounging in our pajamas and catching up on Boardwalk Empire. At one point, he came over, gave me a huge hug and a passionate kiss, and said "I love you so much."

And it was at that moment that I realized that even though life is fast, and I am in awe and a bit sad at how my "childhood" and even "early adulthood" are gone, I am incredibly lucky. I have the most amazing man who loves me and supports me and doesn't just TELL me how much he cares about me--he SHOWS me. Each and every single day.

He supports my decisions. He is proud of me for my independence, for getting a higher degree than he even has, for working my butt off to get my new job (which I am loooving, by the way!). He values my opinion. He even asks for my advice, which we all know is hard for a man to do ;)

I'll stop the mushy stuff. All I can say is, I am so blessed to have this person to walk hand-in-hand through the craziness of life with.

I cannot wait to be Mrs. Cornwell next October 4!!!

I Said "Yes!" to the Dress...and a New Job!

So, I'm sure hardly anyone reads this blog these days, but I still like to update my thoughts from time to time for my own sake. It will be nice to go back and read about these moments in the future.

First, I said yes to the dress!!!

About 3 weeks ago, my mom, Sean's mom, and 2 of my bridesmaids went to some bridal shops. Now, I had already seen "the" dress at a previous shopping trip with my mom, and AGAIN when I went to "visit" it with Sean's mom. But, I am a very indecisive person, and if I can barely decide what to order for dinner, how am I going to decide on a wedding dress?

I decided to take my two bridesmaids to a few more bridal shops (I went to a total of 5 I think?!) to try more dresses. Some were definite "No's", some were "Maybes", and some were even on the "A" list. But none compared to "the" dress.

So, on that Saturday afternoon, I called the bridal shop (and my salesgirl, who now knows me personally haha) and asked if I could come "visit" my dress. As soon as I put it on, my friends were speechless. Most importantly, I was speechless. All I could do was stare in the mirror at myself and hold back tears. I pictured myself walking down the dock (since we are getting married outside on a dock overlooking Baltimore -- sigh) towards Sean, and I couldn't see myself wearing anything else. That was it. I was sold. It was such a special moment, and I'm so glad I could share it with my friends and my two "moms". I can't wait until it comes in about 4-6 months from now!

Maid of honor, Me, Bridesmaid

So now, onto the new job!

Over the summer, I was barely nannying because the family I work for didn't need me very often. I wasn't making any money, and I knew the whole "hanging with the kids" thing wouldn't last forever. So, I casually started looking at HR jobs online (Human Resources Management is what my Master's program is). After applying to several jobs online and not hearing back, I decided to contact some friends from previous Grad School classes who already have good HR jobs. One girl immediately sent my resume to another girl who had a position open...and it turns out, I had a class with that girl as well! Double win!

I interviewed on the phone, in person the next day, and got a job offer the following day. 2 weeks later, I said my farewells to the children (which was--and still is--tough, believe me) and began my journey as Human Resources Coordinator at Bon Secours Health Systems, Inc. So far, in these first 2 weeks, the job has been an absolute whirlwind, but also a blast. The organization itself is incredible. They are Catholic-based, and were founded by Sisters. They are all about service, helping others, and wellness and good health. One of my main projects I am working on is the Wellness Committee--I am in charge of health and wellness initiatives, events, and seminars. I am also in charge of new employee orientation and a slew of other projects. It's a lot on my plate, but everyone is so friendly and helpful, and I hope I will be a part of this organization for a long time.

The only con? The commute! I was always spoiled by very short commutes, so now, driving in Baltimore traffic is killing me. It's only 25 miles away, but takes anywhere from 35 minutes to over an hour, depending on the day. I'm sure I will adjust, but boy am I pooped at the end of the day!

Q: How long is your daily commute? Any tips on how to cope?

Two Months

It's been TWO MONTHS since I last posted.

Yikes.

So, what have I been up to?

A lot. I've been busy.

Really busy.

Some good stuff, some bad.

First of all, I've been working (still a nanny to these two gorgeous kiddos!) 45+ hours per week.

I've been attending Grad School twice a week in the evenings...and I've been dominating! Can you say 98% on my first paper AND my first exam?!

I've been doing lots of fun social stuff. Hanging with friends, going to new bars and restaurants, going to Orioles baseball games (remember how I love my Baltimore Orioles?) We weren't able to make Opening Day at Camden Yards this year (work work work), but we went the next day...close enough.

Things with the man are going wonderfully. His mom met my parents for the first time last weekend, and they all got along great! Huge sigh of relief...I may or may not have taken a shot of vodka before that dinner...haha.

A few not-so-pleasant things have been going on as well. A girl I knew since middle school died in a plane crash in Afghanistan on March 11 while on deployment. She was an Army Helicopter Pilot, and she just got married in November. The viewing/wake was pretty rough. She was 27 and was excited to start her family. I was pretty torn up about it for awhile, and it still makes me cry when I think about it. Especially because I have a brother the same age who is also a military pilot...I just can't imagine losing him, and I can't imagine the pain her husband must be going through.

A few other personal things have been going on that have been difficult emotionally, but I don't want to bring negativity onto my blog by discussing it here (and I'd rather protect my own privacy and the privacy of all those involved).

However, I will say that things with my boyfriend are INCREDIBLE, so it's not that. And everyone in my immediate family is happy and healthy. In fact, my sister-in-law is expecting a second little girl--now I will have TWO NIECES to spoil!

Gah...I am so excited. I already have visions of two little flower girls at my future wedding!

Ok, time to go...I'm nannying and the baby is about to wake up...

How has your April been?

To My Blog Valentines

Happy Valentine's Day!

Honestly, I've never been a huge Valentine's Day fan, whether I was single or in a relationship. Even when I had a serious boyfriend all through college, we never really did anything too crazy for Valentine's Day...it always just seemed like an excuse for stores to rake in more money. 

However, I'm certainly no Valentine's Day Scrooge, either. I always wear red or pink, love giving out (and receiving) candy hearts and heart-shaped chocolates, and love to send cards and e-cards to my family and friends each year.

So, imagine my surprise when I woke up to quite a festive sight this morning:

Inside the card was a simple, heartfelt note, and a Livingsocial deal for a Pub Crawl! Yesss. What made this whole setup extra special was that Sean and I go to bed at the same time, and I wake up before him...which means he snuck out in the middle of the night to set this up. I love that man.

So, the rest of my day has been spent with my mini-Valentine:

Being a nanny is still going really well. Other things going on lately?

Grad school. I am loving it so far, but it is (of course) very hard work. I am still trying to get into the groove and find my rhythm with paper-writing, textbook-reading, and studying--all while working 40+ hours per week (I work a lot of weekend hours, too). So...sorry for the lack of blogging.

Other things I've enjoyed include crock pot meals:

(with a side of wine, of course)

Football games:

(This was taken before the Super Bowl, when my RAVENS won!!! That hasn't happened since I was a kid, so needless to say I was PUMPED)

And random trips to visit friends in interesting, fairly-nearby places:

(Philadelphia, PA)

I just wanted to post a quick little update to let you know what I've been up to lately. Off to do some reading for school and have some chocolates! 

Have a day filled with love and sweetness!

Life Lately and Goal Progress

A random photo montage of life as of late:

Some baby-wranglin':

...Some family (and friend!) time:

(that's me and my Uncle)

...Some (kind of) DIY projects:

...Some watching the Ravens dominate the AFC!!!

...Some being spoiled by my boyfriend:

(Came home to chicken with onions, peppers, and peanut sauce one random evening...smelled ((and tasted)) like heaven! )

...And some new socks, just for kicks:

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As for my Goal Progress, I've made a few small improvements:

1. Add more fresh fruits & veggies into my diet -- I have managed to squeeze in some more fresh produce throughout the day!

2. Work out more regularly -- If walking 2 miles uphill while pushing a chunky 9-month-old in a stroller counts, then YES!

3. Spend more quality time with Sean -- Still many Scrabble nights, and the other night we stayed up in bed talking for hours and it was incredible.

4. Spend more time with my friends -- Just this past weekend, we went to a friend's birthday party, and this coming Saturday we are going bowling with some more friends :-)

5. Go out to eat less often so that we have more money to save or spend on other things -- Doing very well with this one, and meals like the stellar one above make me (almost) not even miss going out so much!

6. Have enough money to take a small trip -- Sean's aunt and uncle live on a lake in Wisconsin, so we are 95% sure our "vacation" this year will include a road trip to visit them, with stops in Pittsburgh (I have family there) and Chicago (just because!). I am super pumped.

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How is your 2013 going so far?

2013 Goals

So, when I first sat down to write this post, it was going to be similar to last year's post on my 2011 goals and 2012 changes, where I vowed to "give up" goals in 2012. But then, I thought about my life, and realized that I have a lot of things I'd like to accomplish, especially because halfway through 2013 I will celebrate my 25th birthday, something that always used to feel so far off. I looked back on my 2010 goals for fun, and then came up with a list for this year.

Without further ado:

2013 Goals

Health & Fitness:

• Schedule yearly check-ups for Dentist, Primary Doctor, & Gynecologist (I have been putting this off, and it is not good!)

• Add more fresh fruits & veggies into my diet (I tend to go for frozen/canned because they are easier and often cheaper, but there are so many fruits & veggies I enjoy, and so many new ones I’d like to try!)

• Sign up for (and run!) a 5k (I have been wanting to do some sort of race for years, and my 25th birthday this June is the perfect motivation to just DO IT)

• Work out more regularly, incorporating yoga, strength training, & cardio (I do some yoga & strength training, but I have fallen off the cardio bandwagon big time…and it shows in how my clothes are getting wayyy tighter)

• Get more sleep! (I struggle with this one. I tend to stay up too late, and I need to remedy this stat!)

• Drink less alcohol and more water (This has been particularly hard because of all of the holiday shenanigans. Between Thanksgiving, birthdays, Christmas, and New Year’s, my liver is NOT happy with me. It is sooo easy to have a glass of wine—or three—after a long day. But it is a habit that I need to break, at least during the work week.)

Educational & Professional:

• Make it through my first year of Grad School alive! (That’s about it…not that I want to set the bar low, but I truly just want to give myself a chance to re-acclimate to the whole “school” thing again after 2+ years off.)

• Start looking into Human Resources internships while maintaining my full-time nanny position

• Set more solid goals about what specific aspect of Human Resources I am interested in (which will likely become easier once I start exploring courses in the program)

Personal:

• Spend more quality time with Sean and be the best partner I can be (A lot of times we’ll be on our various electronic devices, and we need more face time. The Scrabble board game he got me for Christmas has helped some, as we have been playing several times a week and just chatting. We also tend to eat dinner on the couch, usually at different times. I’d love to do at least 2 sit-down meals together per week.)

• Be more patient, kind, and understanding of others (I tend to get frustrated with little things like getting cut off on the highway, or someone taking too long in line at the grocery store…I need to slooow down a bit.)

• Spend more time with my friends (Life tends to get in the way, and I want to make it more of a regular thing than once every couple months like it has been lately.)

Financial:

• Pay for school without taking out a loan (I already paid for the first semester out of pocket—go me!)

• Manage to save at least $100 each month (This seems feasible to me, though it may be more or less depending on what’s going on each month.)

• Go out to eat less often so that we have more money to save or spend on other things (We get lazy and eat out or order carry-out, so even substituting one meal out with a meal in will remedy this one.)

• Have enough money to take a small trip (we are thinking a 4-day weekend somewhere fairly close, unlike the week and $1000+ we spent last summer at Cape Charles, even though it was awesome) this summer 

So, there you have it, We'll see how these all go. If I can improve in half of these areas, I'll be happy!

How do you feel about "New Year's Resolutions?" Do you set goals each year? If so, what are some of your goals for 2013?