2011 Goal Progress

In January 2011, I blogged a little list of goals that I hoped could be accomplished by 2012.  Although I didn't get them all done, I'm pretty pleased with what was done.

Here is how I did...

1. Pay off $10,000 of our debt. We have been on a true budget (yep, Excel spreadsheet and all) since August and it is one of the best things we ever did. This goal should definitely be accomplishable. Is that a word?

We have paid off a little over $16,000 since beginning in August 2010, so this goal was met - yay!


2. Blog twice a week. I started this blog as a way to keep up with my children and sadly I am seriously lacking in that regard. There is no reason I can't do better. I need to remember that not every post requires pictures!

One word - FAIL.

3. Join Weight Watchers and get serious about losing weight. My goal for the year is 40 pounds lost. When you are fat plus-sized like me, it should be attainable.

Yep, FAIL again.
4. Spend a week in Florida with the family (with minimal Blackberry usage). We love Okaloosa Island and it's an ongoing goal that we be able to spend a week there every summer while our children are at home.

Done - it was awesome as always!
5. Have the shower in our master bathroom tiled. I have hated the shower stall in our bathroom since day 1, but have done exactly zero to change it. This year I would like to bite the bullet and make it great.

We are pressing the "Pause" button on this one until the debt is paid off in about 18 months.  Can't wait!

6. Finally decorate my master bedroom! We have lived in our house for two years so it's definitely time. I recently purchased new bedding as a jumping off point so I hope to get this done in the first quarter of the year.

This room may forever be a work in progress.  I did get some things hung on the wall and we added some new accessories, but it still doesn't make me really happy.  But, I would be so bored if the house were all done!
So, that's how it all panned out.  I am working up the new list for 2012.  Did you get your 2011 list done?

Summer Vacation - iPhone Style

Since I am the worst blogger ever and haven't done the second half of our vacation, I thought I'd take a minute and share the pictures from my phone.  Hey, it's something!  Enjoy!

What we did on our Summer Vacation:

Watched tv (Chloe & AnnaLauren in pool floats)

Rode Mechanical Sharks

Drove the dolphin cruise boat

Hung out with a couple of really pretty girls

Posed for some cute pictures

We had a great time!  Can't you tell?

Florida Vacation 2011 - Part One

A couple of weeks ago, we made our annual trip to Okaloosa Island, Florida.  As always, it was a blast for us and the kiddos.  Since these tend to be long, picture heavy posts, I am breaking it into two parts.  This is a recap of Saturday through Tuesday. 

Saturday - Driving, driving and more driving.  Luckily we are blessed with two kids who are excellent travelers!  They hung out, napped a little, watched a movie or three and we were there.  We rented a ground floor condo to make pool and beach access easy.  We have done this for a couple of years and losing a bit of view to gain so much convenience is totally worth it. 

Our view from the patio was this...Love!


So, Sunday through Tuesday we...

 did a little swimming in the pools,

came up with a little vacation theme music,

wrote our names in the sand (and held hands, I die!),

and got a big girl hair wrap!

Where we stayed:
Summer Place on Okaloosa Island, Fort Walton Beach, FL rented through VRBO

Places we ate:
Saturday Dinner - Hungry Howie's Pizza - <3 the flavored crust! (and we don't have one at home)
Sunday Dinner - Grilled Burgers & Dogs courtesy of Tommy
Monday Dinner - Staff's in Fort Walton Beach
Tuesday Dinner - Hungry Howie's again (yep, it's good!)

Our good friends the Warren's came in on Tuesday and stayed the rest of the week.  All the fun from Wednesday  through Saturday will be in Part Two!

Hot Weather and an Update

OK, so it's been over a month since I've posted about anything.  But, that isn't exactly atypical for me.  My excuses are:
1.  We went on vacation - and yes, at some point there will be a post or two about that
2.  I'm lazy
3.  It is so hot outside

So in honor of all this hot weather, I leave you with a picture of AnnaLauren in the snow. 
Happy Friday!

AnnaLauren - February 2011

Goals for 2011

The always fabulous Nester, challenged her readers to list some home goals for 2011.  Not resolutions or hopes and dreams, but true goals.  Wow!  That really got me thinking about some concrete things that I would like to accomplish this year - but for my home and in my personal life. 

So, in no particular order, here are my Goals for 2011 (including a few home goals):

1.  Pay off $10,000 of our debt.  We have been on a true budget (yep, Excel spreadsheet and all) since August and it is one of the best things we ever did.  This goal should definitely be accomplishable. Is that a word?

2.  Blog twice a week.  I started this blog as a way to keep up with my children and sadly I am seriously lacking in that regard.  There is no reason I can't do better.  I need to remember that not every post requires pictures!

3.  Join Weight Watchers and get serious about losing weight.  My goal for the year is 40 pounds lost.  When you are fat plus-sized like me, it should be attainable.

4.  Spend a week in Florida with the family (with minimal Blackberry usage).  We love Okaloosa Island and it's an ongoing goal that we be able to spend a week there every summer while our children are at home.

5.  Have the shower in our master bathroom tiled.  I have hated the shower stall in our bathroom since day 1, but have done exactly zero to change it.  This year I would like to bite the bullet and make it great.

6.  Finally decorate my master bedroom!  We have lived in our house for two years so it's definitely time.  I recently purchased new bedding as a jumping off point so I hope to get this done in the first quarter of the year.

Here is a sneek peek at the bedding.  You can see more here.

Do you have goals for 2011?

Okaloosa Island, Florida June 2010

My family loves Florida! And no, I don't mean just the beach. 

Tommy, Nikki, Noah, Lois (T's mom) and AnnaLauren

Tommy and Noah love the seafood.  Tommy relishes the opportunity to eat raw oysters with every meal and Noah always orders crab legs.  Yes, I know snow crab doesn't come from Florida, but the whole seafood at the seashore idea works for him. 

AnnaLauren loves having a pool right out the back door (hear that, Daddy, she really needs a pool at home) and she loves collecting little bits of shells and rocks in her net.  She also loves the wildlife.  Every morning she would head to the sliding glass door of the condo to look for lizards outside.  Most mornings she was not disappointed.  She also has developed quite a fondness for crabs, starfish and pretty much any other aquatic creature. 

I love the shopping.  I always take one day to ramble around the multitude of thrift, consignment, junk and antique stores that dot the Emerald Coast. 

Our vacation this year took on special meaning as we watched the news every day and prayed that no oil would come our way.   Sadly, the tarballs rolled in after five absolutely fabulous days.  So, we shopped and ate and rested and ate some more!  It was our best family vacation since AnnaLauren was born!

And if you are brave, you can scroll through my bajillion pictures and see all the fun we had. 

AnnaLauren and Me enjoying the emerald green water.

Noah and AnnaLauren on the beach

My pretty girl drying out

AnnaLauren and Grams

Fun at the Crab Trap Beach & Play Area 

Noah on the Lifeguard Tower

Noah is so sweet to play with AnnaLauren

The Gulfarium

This was pretty cool - see the dolphins in mid-air!  Tommy is a much better photographer than me!

AnnaLauren calls this her Minnie Mouse hair, but it keeps her cool

The Sea Lion Show

Holding a starfish in the touch pool

Silly!

More Fun!

For some reason, I this one makes me think of Cousin Eddie from the National Lampoon's movies!

She's ready!

Tommy's vacation - work!  What did we do before the "Crackberry"?

Singing Twinkle, Twinkle on the patio

Our traditional shots of ourselves.  I sure do love him!

Some pretty family beach shots

Starting to get a little warm!

My little southern bathing beauty!

Congratulations or I'm sorry if you are still with me!

This is what was on the beach our last two days.  So sad!  Please keep the entire Gulf Coast region in your prayers!

Sign warning people to stay out of the water

Tarballs!