1st Blog of 2009

Happy 2009!!

Wow! I can hardly believe we're already 11 days into the New Year! And this is my first blog?!? What a slacker!!

I thought I'd kick off my 2009 blog-series with a brief synopsis of the holiday travels and then give my New Year's resolutions. So, without further ado...

Cara and I had an amazing trip back to the NW! Even with some wintry weather throughout the country (and surprisingly in Western Washington too!), all of our travels via planes, trains and automobiles went without hitch. This being the first holiday season either of us has been engaged, meant we both experienced a "dual-family" Christmas season for the 1st time. So, after taking in a great Gonzaga basketball game for Battle in Seattle (a loss, unfortunately!), we loaded up in the car and headed South for Vancouver/Battle Ground, WA to spend a few days with Cara's parents and the Sarvelas. Our trip was made much more interesting by a surprising blast of winter weather, which caused train and flight cancellations/delays. So, we had Kate O'Farrell join us for the drive and we all made it safe and sound. I had so much fun visiting with Cara's family! We split our time between her parents house in Battle Ground and her sister's house in Vancouver. So, I got lots of great time with her parents, sister and brother-in-law, and of course her adorable nephews and niece! Cara's sister, Megan, wrote a great blog that really shows how welcoming Cara's entire family has been to me. I may not "officially" be part of the extended Gish/Sarvela clan, but I certainly feel like I'm already in the mix!

After enjoying some of the white stuff (snow!) with a little sledding, snowman building and slip-sliding on the backroads of Hockinson, WA, Cara and I ventured north on Christmas Day to spend a few days with my family. We arrived around noon and enjoyed a day full of presents, good food, and lots of games! Cara and I received a Wii Fit for Christmas and our new toy received lots of attention from the whole family! We aso discovered Blokus (an awesome game) and had a rematch of Up and Down the River with my parents (a card game we both enjoy!). That weekend, Cara headed south for a few more days with her family and I travelled East to spend some time with James (my brother) and Ada (his wife) in Ellensburg. I returned to Federal Way for another couple days at home with mom and dad before Cara took the Amtrak up to rejoin me in Seattle for an excellent night spent ringing in the New Year with friends!

We took a red-eye flight back to Knoxville on the night of the 1st. Cara and I were both pleasantly surprised when we were upgraded to 1st class seats on our first leg to Cleveland. AWESOME! We returned to Knoxville and after a day of R&R to recuperate from a busy holiday, we set to work getting ready for a new year/semester of work/school! All-in-all, we decided that this was our best holiday ever! It was so wonderful seeing all of our family and friends! And while it is certainly hard to be across the country from some of those closest to us, we are both blessed to have an amazing amount of love and support from friends and family at all times! And finally, what would any good "1st Blog of 2009" be without some New Year's resolutions? Cara started blogging in themes of "five" with her last two blogs (1 and 2), so I'm gonna give five resolutions in similar spirit:

(1) Exercise more! No this isn't your typical "hit the gym" resolution. I've got a wedding coming up, which means I've got to get myself in shape for the wedding and honeymoon! We'll certainly be headed somewhere sunny and warm (read: beach!), so this is like the "Spring Break" push on steroids!!

(2) Eat better! I have slowly started to adopt this resolution. I do love my sweets and fast foods, but I'm slowly cutting them out of my diet and replacing them with more fruits and veggies! Mom would be proud!

(3) Get organized! I've always had my own organization system that to most could only be called "organized clutter." As we start planning for a wedding, I realize I need to get more organized in several facets; our budget, our bills, our mail, our wedding planning, my schoolwork, and basic home organization in well!

(4) Relax! I've had several aspects of my Ph.D. program that have really been creating a lot of anxiety and stress, leaving me on edge and easily frustrated at times! I need to be able to better "let things go," and realize that being stressed is not good for my health. Also, I think succeding in my 1st resolution will help me achieve this resolution tremendously!

(5) Finally, a few years ago I made a life's "To Do" list. I want to tackle some more of the items on this list. So, shortly I'll elaborate on this in a later blog and share my plans for 2009!

Once again, Happy 2009 to everyone and thanks for reading!!

Love from Matt!