Huh...?

I was driving around in the car yesterday and I heard this song on the radio. It's supposed to be a love song. Now, this is going to make me sound really old, but some of these lyrics just confuse me.

I know you've never loved
The crinkles by your eyes
When you smile
You've never loved
Your stomach or your thighs,
The dimples in your back at the bottom of your spine
But I'll love them endlessly

I'm sorry...but huh?

Current Fav...

Christmas Memories

         This is a picture of my grandpa, Robert Earl Buie. I know many of you think your grandpa(s) are the best, and I am sure they are wonderful men. However, my Grandpa Buie was the best grandpa a girl could ask for. He always had a smile and a hug for me. He loved to listen to my play the piano, talk to me about my life and encouraged me to work hard for what I wanted. Some of my best memories are of summers spent down at Lake Powell with him on his boat.
         He died New Years Eve 2001. That last Christmas we had with him is something I'll never forget. I remember his laughter and his joy in being with his family. Every year at Christmas time I think about him and how loved each of his grandchildren felt.

        This is my father, Robert Kent Buie. Now, he and I haven't always had the easiest relationship. We both have very strong personalities and usually aren't afraid to say what we think. However, I am happy and blessed that our relationship is better than ever. As I was thinking of my grandpa this past Christmas season, I was particularly struck with the similarities these two men share.
       It was Christmas Eve and my dad had the two local grandkids on his lap. He was talking to them about Christmas and reading to them from our Family Bible. It was a little bit of deja-vu for me. I remembered sitting on my grandpa Buie's lap at Christmas as he talked to us of our Savior and the reason for the season. It made me very happy to know that the next generation (and someday my children) will have the same wonderful grandpa Buie.

2013

The year 2012 was a year of changes for me. I know I'm not unique in that I tend to get reflective around this time of year. I think back on where I was this time last year and it is amazing to me to see how much has happened and changed. I was still in grad school. I was getting ready for student teaching. I still lived in Salt Lake. I wasn't sure where or IF I'd have a job. I wasn't sure how I was going to make ends meet.

But now I have a good job that I love (most days). I'm teaching a bunch of rowdy 13-15 year olds. I've learned to stand up for myself, really put the past behind me. I've allowed myself to get closer to my family and have been so happy and blessed because of it. I live in Layton, (not really my favorite) but am looking forward to the future.

As such, here is what I hope to accomplish in the following year. I haven't been so great at keeping up with this kind of thing in the past, but I am actually going to focus on realistic achievements. At school we talk a lot about making SMART Goals - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound. It's bound to rub off on me. SO, here are my 2013 SMART Goals.

1. Work hard to help my students by creating focused, relevant and engaging lessons.

2. Learn to play the violin (this one has had mixed reactions from family and friends, but I'm really excited about it.)

3. Work out and stick to a budget.

4. Plan a weekly menu and stick to it!! (this will definitely help with sticking to a budget)

5. Make more of an effort to be social. It's easy to use school as an excuse not to go out and do stuff. I am legitimately tired during the week, but on weekends I need to spend more time with friends.

6. Spend more time with my family

7. Be better at staying in touch with friends and family I don't actually see on a regular basis.

8. Organize and clean my room regularly (weekly). This may seem like a somewhat juvenile and silly one, but when I get tired or stressed, the last thing I want to do is clean my room. Yet, ironically, it is one of the easiest things to do that will make me feel better.

9. Travel to one city that I have never been to before...ideally Washington, D.C.

So...there you have it! Those are my SMART goals for 2013. I think that these are realistic and will be interesting/fun.