Goodbye 2013! Hello 2014!

Happy New Year!!! So I haven;t done a very good job of maintaining this blog. I decidedtonight to look and see what I accomplished this year that I have not marked off and plan some goals for the beginning of 2014.

Get my Bachelor's degree - After 20 years I graduated cum laude with my Bachelors of Science in Business Administration on December 14, 2013. I am very happy to have completed this goal. 

Donate blood 4 times - I am going to have to mark this complete. I only was able to donate three times since I created this list. Now that I have gone to Haiti I am not eligible to donate blood. I really like to be able to donate blood but going to Haiti changes lives too... mine included. 

Donate money to charity - I have done this in a couple of ways. The one closest to my heart is that I sponsor Theodore. He is a resident of the Cambry orphanage in Cayes, Haiti. Being his sponsor is much more than a financial commitment though. He has a huge piece of my heart there in Haiti with him. It doesn't hurt that he is the cutest thing ever!!!

Teach Karson to drive - I can only claim partial responsibility for this one but she is a driver now. She has yet to take her driving test but she has completed drivers training and is a pretty good driver. It makes me very nervous to think about the fact that she is growing up and will be on the roads alone. 

Increase 401K contributions - I increased my contributions by 1% in December of 2013. I intend to continue to increase it each year. 

Go on a mission trip to a foreign country - In October of 2013 I went with Give Hope Global to Cambry orphanage in Cayes, Haiti for a week. What a life changing experience. The children and people there are so loving and kind. It was a total low stress environment that my heart and soul long to be back in. I will be going back in 10 days and then again in June. I am not sure that I will be able to let a trip go by without me being on the plane. 

Makeover for bedroom - I would say this is 95% done. The only thing that was not done was to paint the walls. I got all new furniture and a new mattress. It makes a huge difference in the room. One of the funny things about that experience was when Mom and I went to Ikea to buy furniture. Let's just say that it was not intended to fit in my car with two people in there also. With some creative packing and a horizontal mom we made it back home in one trip. Putting the bed together with Karson was also a very laughable experience. Note to self: Probably not a good idea to put furniture together after midnight. :) 

Priorities for the first part of 2014

Leave an inspirational note inside book for someone to find

Take a road trip with just me and Karson

Pay for people's order at drive thru

Go to a movie by myself

Refinance house

Volunteer at a soup kitchen

Clean out storage building

Start and maintain a blog - Have to work on the maintaining part :) 

Visit the elderly at a nursing home

Organize Laundry Room

Restring Nana's pearls

Set up and maintain craft area/office - Craft area is set up - Might move it or try to figure out some way to may it a pet free zone. Have to work on the office part of this equation. 

Sell something on Etsy

Here's to a prosperous and successful 2014!