# 22 - Take my in-laws our for a nice dinner

Travis and I spent a few days at the end of January in St. George with his parents. We went down for business more than pleasure. I have 4 clients down south and had some meetings to do down there. Travis and his business partner held a seminar for some of Travis's parent's friends and were able to conduct some business down there as well!

Well, we decided to take Travis's parents out for a nice dinner! Now, I know that a "Nice" dinner is relative... Travis's parents are on the Atkins diet and can only eat meat and veggies - his dad loves to eat at a Brazilian steakhouse up here called Tucanos - so we figured we would take them for their first experience at a Japanese Steakhouse - and took them to a place called Samurai 21 - it's just like Teppanyaki. Boy did they love it! It was perfect for their dietary restrictions - and in their eyes it qualifies as a "nice" dinner. I think it was a nice dinner. Travis's dad spent a good chunk of the dinner time harassing the little boy at the table with us with hair like Justin Bieber - boy does Bob think he's funny!

It was nice to be able to take them out for a nice dinner and to be able to spend time with them without other family members around. I'm really excited to do this with my parents next!

# 17 - Throw a Themed Party

Is Christmas a theme? I believe so! Travis and I put on Christmas dinner for both of our families in our home. It was such a hit - I was really surprised! It took a TON of work - but turned out amazingly well! Here is what our tables looked like... Yes, I made the treats in the baggies with the help of Travis' niece and nephew.

This is the table in the kitchen... My parents and Travis's parents sat there

This is the rest of our living room. We had 15 people at our house for dinner - I was surprised everyone fit - but they did and it seriously went so much better than I thought it would have!

Our first attempt at homemade stuffing - as well as Turkey!

Such a beautiful bird! Perfectly moist! Notice all of the crockpots? It was crockpot-a-palooza at our house on Christmas! But it was such a perfect way to make sure everything stayed warm! I think we may do this again next year... We will see! :)

#19 - Sign All of the Books I read

This goal was accomplished on December 26, 2010. You see, for Christmas I got a Barnes and Noble Nook I LOVE IT! It is going to help me reach my goal of 30 best sellers in no time! So, I finished reading my final paperback book - and have since moved on to e-books! I was worried I would miss the feel and smell of books - but I don't. After all, I teach college courses and read textbooks on a regular basis. The Nook is the best present I have gotten in a long time! It fits in my purse and I take it everywhere and can read whatever I want, whenever I want! It's such a fantastic little toy! I highly recommend it!

Push

One of my favorite movies is White Christmas... One of my favorite lines the movie is when Judy tells Betty "You can't leave everything up to fate. Just like honesty needs a little plus, Fate needs a little push".

Well, I have given fate a little push. Yesterday I decided to send an email to someone that I really want to work for. I wrote a long thoughtful email as to why I wanted to work for them, the needs that I have seen in their company as well as the needs they have vocalized - and how I can fill those needs. I was TERRIFIED to send the email - but about an hour after I sent it, I received a return email saying that they would like to meet with me to discuss the position...

We will see what happens!

Resolutions

I figured I didn't need to make any resolutions this year since I have some goals I'm trying to accomplish by the time I turn 30 (in 7 short months). HOWEVER, I realized I need a time-frame for some of these - for my own sanity and mental health.

So - my New Years Resolution - to Find a Masters Level Social Work job and start it by April 1, 2011. I want to be out of my job by April 1st. I love my job, I do, but I need something that's more challenging - and I need to put all of those student loans to good use!

SO - if any of you know of anybody who is hiring an MSW/CSW - please let me know - I will apply!

Goodbye 2010...

I'm just not sure I'm ready to welcome 2011 yet! Where has time gone?! I'm not sure if it's the weather, the cold, or the fact that I'm even closer to 30 than I'd like to be... but I'm just a little depressed lately. It seems like things are NOT going the way that I want them to.

I had so many great intentions for my 30 by 30 list... I have a couple of them accomplished, one or two more to blog about still, a few I'm working on still, and some I haven't even touched. I guess my big stress right now is that there are 2 or 3 on there that it seems like, no matter what I do, I'm not any closer to accomplishing them than I was in September when I started... and I feel like I'm never going to get there.

I don't want to be a cry baby or a whiner - but I'm seriously struggling here. I want to cry and whine even though I know it won't help. I'm trying desperately to find a new job! I've got to get a different job - my current job is going to be the death of me! I'm overly stressed, under paid, and for the most part I don't even like it anymore. It makes me so sad because I have loved this job for the past 6 1/2 years - but every day, I realize more and more how unhappy it makes me - How stressed I am - How much I dread going to work, checking my email, etc. - How I have NO LIFE but work... I can't live like this anymore.

Unfortunately, out of the dozens of resumes I've sent to places I've only had 2 interviews in the past 4 months. One where I was the company's second choice (how do you choose someone with 9 months of experience when you can choose someone with 15 years of experience - they chose 15 years). The other, a good friend of mine got me the interview - but the company isn't hiring a social worker right now, so that didn't really go anywhere. But, to this particular friend - you are the best! Thanks for looking out for me and giving a good word... You know who you are - and I know I don't say it enough - but you're the best!

Additionally, we've been married for almost 2 years - and yes, we've been trying to have babies the entire time but we need help to make it happen (if it is possible at all)... I know this, yet every time I am more than 5 days late (i'm currently 2 weeks late - and clearblue says that I'm NOT) - I get my hopes up... and then every time it happens a little part of me cries. I try to be brave and pretend it doesn't bother me and that I'm okay with it not happening right now - but truth be told - I'm terrified that it will never happen. I always thought i would have all of my kids by the time I was 30 - just like my mom did (the twins came 4 days before she turned 30) - but now I'm just hoping to have 1 by 35.

Travis and I have talked and decided that as soon as we have our debt paid off (besides student loans and a mortgage) that we will go see someone about it... Right now we are looking at late March/early April for having our debt paid off (it would have been sooner but my car ended up needing some seriously expensive work done last week)... And then we will see what happens.

I need to relax... I am sure things will happen when they are supposed to - but I'm getting a little tired of waiting. Patience is a virtue that I do not possess!

Cleaning House

No, I'm not really cleaning my house - although I should be for this weeks Christmas Celebration... I'm cleaning "house" in facebook and in my blog. I'm deleting people and deleting blogs. There are people who I am "friends" with on facebook that I've never considered "friends". Why is it that, just because we went to High School together - we should be friends on facebook. We didn't even like each other then?! I don't get it. And people that I was friends with - that I would never be friends with now (we have nothing in common, we don't talk, and they aren't the kind of people I necessarily want to have in my life and knowing my business)... So, why have them in my "friends" list?! It's not worth it if you ask me. So, I'm downsizing! I've already deleted over 200 friends - and I know I have plenty more to delete.

My question is, how do I delete the blogs that I'm following from my dashboard?! I'm not sure why I'm following some of them and I don't want to take up that space anymore. Does anyone know how to delete them?

Maybe when this is done I'll move on and clean my actual house.