TGIF

Soooo happy that it is Friday and the weekend is here! For one reason or another I was just not in the blogging mood this week. Was I busy? Yes. Too busy? No. I don't know what it was...just in a blogging rut I guess....

We are off tonight to celebrate a little Bon Voyage gathering for this crazy cat! Rick is flying out tomorrow for Panama and then sailing for two months to the Galapagos Islands...sounds terrifying if you ask me, but I am certain he will have an awesome adventure!

We are meeting up with Rick and Laura and the siblings at the bar at the Hotel Monaco...I always feel oh-so-city-esque meeting at a hotel for cocktails. Cheers!

Rick cheering Nicholas on as he sabers a champagne bottle after law school graduation

A Good Day

Today I...

-Slept in
-Ran around the lake
-Nick and I cleaned out and organized the garage (good news: we think Mr. Rattens has moved out!! Yes, gross I know, we had a rat in the garage. It's common for this area people!)
-Deep cleaned the entire house
-Organized our storage room/closet
-Took an entire car load of stuff to Goodwill
-Did some winter yard work/maintenance
-Went to dinner and movie with the hubbs...

It was a good day.

First Haircut

Before

After

Inauguration Day

So did anyone else see the rolling quotes all day long yesterday on MSN? Just quotes from people throughout the country on their thoughts of the day, from all ends of the spectrum.

The strangest one I saw had to be this:

"Too much. It's Inauguration Day, not the Super Bowl."- Joe Blow, Crazytown-USA.

Seriously?! Ummmm....last time I checked becoming the President of our country was, in fact, bigger than the Super Bowl!

I was dying!

Here's to a bright future!

Leather and Lace

Oh how we love our Bride-to-Be, Miss Erin Coffey a.k.a. Stevie Nicks. Your bridal shower (attendance=most girls EVER at a shower) and your Karaoke/Stevie themed Bachelorette Party were a blast! You crack me up, your moves are TDF, and we just can't WAIT for your wedding next month!!
*Pictures courtesy of Michelle....thanks girl!

Fifeteen Two, Fifeteen Four

I'm hooked on Cribbage! Thanks to my fabulous teachers...Jamie and Spry...last night I had my first round of the game, quite addicting.

Jamie made this delicious dinner morsel for us before we played-

Can't wait to Crib it Up again soon!

We heart our Wraps!

Yep...that's right, we all have the same fabulous, cozy, and cost friendly wrap from Target! Last ThaHERSday we decided to all sport them for the gathering (thanks to Miss Jamie for the picture!) They are now on clearance, so if you can find one still...I strongly suggest it!

4th Annual Mt. Baker weekend

4 years ago Kyle and Kelsey started the tradition of heading up to the Mt. Baker area and renting a group of cabins during a weekend in January. It started as a birthday party for Kyle, which it still is, but in addition just a fabulous weekend that has become quite the tradition!

This year they added the awesome idea of having 80's Ski Theme night, complete with a Costume Contest. Everyone really outdid themselves!

The gals....I'm dying at Kelsey's face in this picture!! The whole group...what a bunch of lookers, eh?!

Goals

I prefer to call them goals rather than resolutions...it seems so much more positive that way doesn't it? My goals will be something I can work towards throughout 2009, not necessarily resolve to change. And if I slip up (which....duh, that is obviously going to happen)...I don't have to feel too horribly about it, because goals are ever changing and evolving.

With that said, I realize I'm about a week late getting these goals out there, but I always feel you get a recovery day/weekend/...er...I guess now it would be a week... after New Years Eve. Anyone else agree with that?

So here are my 2009 Goals...posted for my blogging community to read and hold me to them!
*Learn about photography and my camera*
I am absolutely in love with my new camera, but need to allocate some serious time this year to learning more about photography: lighting, editing, ISO, shutter speed, F-stop, etc. My goal will be to get some good books on it, take some classes either at Community College or a studio, and just take lots of shots! Practice makes perfect, right?

*Play the piano more*
There is absolutely no reason why I'm not playing the piano more...it brings my heart such joy, a have a beautifully special piano to play on (it was a gift to my grandmother when she turned 5!), and it is a great stress-reliever. My goal will be to get more new music so I'm not bored with pieces I've been playing for years. I did get this music and have been pretty obsessed with playing it...perhaps I will get the entire book by this composer?

*Healthy Choices*
I am making a point to not put a specific number here, as in pounds lost, times I will go to the gym per week, etc., but rather, I will make an attempt to adjust my lifestyle towards making"healthy choices". I will eat more organic foods, work out (cardio and weights), cleanse my body, and (sadly) drink less wine (or attempt to...). There is nothing better than feeling good in your own body, and I'd like to get back to that.

*Focus on Volunteering*
I love my volunteer work with the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, and I want to get re-focused with my work with them. I've been doing monthly events and still serve on the Council, however I haven't had a family that I've worked with independently in a while. I need to make more time for this.

*Correspond better with family*
Specifically, my grandparents. I am pretty good with keeping in touch with close friends and family that I speak with on a regular basis...but I need to send more emails, more letters, pick up the phone more often with family I don't see as often...

*Balance*
This is always a continual struggle for me...balancing married life, work life, friend life, family life, puppy life, Courtney life..sometimes it just doesn't seem like there is enough time to do it all. Actually, there isn't enough time to do it all, all the time...and this is something I need to work on realizing. There are times when I need to say "no" to events or occasions for my own sanity. My goal will be to continue to work on finding the healthy balance of it all, through the ebbs and flows of life....

*Financial Plans/Goals*
I've always been a saver, and this has continued in to our married life (thankfully)...however I need to make some plans with what I'm actually doing with this savings/retirement money...Nicholas and I bought a book a while back that we have never actually read on Asset Allocation. Actually reading that would be a nice start I think towards this goal...

*Being Present*
This is probably my biggest overall goal for 2009. I have moments of this in my life, where I am aware at the exact moment my life is happening how extremely blessed I am, and how thankful I am. I need to work on being in this "present state" all of the time (or at least more often).

So cheers to a fantastic 2009! I'm certain that many amazing memories will be made...

Email conversation re: SSN

Me: So...I'm officially officially Courtney Juhl now!

Nicholas: Welcome to the family!

Hee!

Marley

I think that the ghost of Marley, as in "Marley and Me", has just reincarnated itself in my sweet puppy's body. Yikes.

A celebration of life...

We spent the weekend in Oak Harbor this weekend with Nick's family...his sweet grandma's service was this Saturday. It really was a lovely service, and so good for everyone to be together. There were lots of laughs and lots of tears shed. She was one incredible lady!

New Years Day

The theme of today was definitely: babies, puppies, and relaxing! Teresa and baby Addy Mae came up to stay for the night so Diggy and Jamie came over and we spent the day just lounging around and hanging out together...it was so great!! I was so proud of Max for being such a good puppy with the little ones...The girls engaging in a little "Back Rub Train"
Later, AJ, Dave, Amy and Adelaide came over to watch some football and hang out too! Addie LOVED her mom's lip gloss...so pretty!

A New Year's Toast:

Nicholas: "Cheers....to the best year of my life..." (dramatic pause) "...NOT in sports."

My funny husband.

Happy New Year!

New Year 2008: great friends Michelle and Brad, delicious dinner and dessert, Rock Band, champagne, all within the comforts of our home. ..this equals perfection in my book!