Reflecting on 2018

I'm sitting at my laptop strictly fueled by the raging of my boyfriend's nephew sitting on the couch playing Fortnite on my PS4. My boyfriend is also raging in his game room playing PUBG (I think) on his PS4. That being said...FREE TO GOOD HOME! 24 year old male and about 10 year old male, they come with their play stations and you only need to supply GREAT WiFi. They'll return home for food, I'm sure. 😉 Totally kidding, I'll keep them here and spare you all the screaming.

So, without further ado, here is my 2018 in review!

January

The beginning of January brought me two job interviews, and a new job. I accepted a CNA position before school started, and continued to work every other weekend and picked up random days throughout the week. It was also the "start" of my junior year of college, and throughout the months I was able to complete this year! Nursing school brought on the maternity and pediatric clinical rotations. Throughout these rotations, I learned that I am not really sure that pediatrics is where I want to end up as a nurse, so I'm still waiting to see where the rest of my nursing student career takes me!

February

February was a rather slow month, but it brought me a photography opportunity! My dear friend, Drew, along with his girlfriend, Becca, asked me to take some pictures at their gender reveal. On that day, we found out that Becca and Drew were expecting a baby girl. Later that month, my boyfriend, Dusty, and I tried out a virtual date from some company (it was free and I'm a sucker for free). The food wasn't that great, but it was fun to struggle through directions and attempt to make a new meal together!

March

March was a busy month! Drew and Becca's baby was born, so I got to go to the hospital after classes one day to meet her. What a precious little girl! A couple days later, Dusty and I celebrated one year of dating. We didn't do much, but one year is an accomplishment! I also planted some vegetables thinking that I could start them inside and transfer them outside within a month or two. They ended up getting pretty big in the house before the weather improved enough to move them outside. My car also started doing funny things, but no one has been able to diagnose it yet. I'll have to keep searching. Lastly, I invested in some new CNA shoes since the original ones are from when I originally took the CNA class, my feet feel so much better in the new shoes!

April

April was a rather slow month. Not much happened, but it did snow. As far as I can remember, this is the latest that it has snowed. I didn't mind the late snow because it meant that I got to finish up my brothers' senior pictures with some snowmobiling ones! Around the end of the month, I made a solo trip to Green Bay to go to my dad's cousin's wedding. My grandparents on that side of the state were kind of sick, but still welcomed me to stay with them for the weekend.

May

May means high school graduation, which means my brothers graduated! I had the honor of decorating both of their graduation caps. May was also the month of fishing for Dusty and I. We spent a lot of time in the Warrens area at the cranberry marshes.

June

June brought our first trip to a beach for the summer. I get so excited about going swimming because I look forward to the nice tan in the summer, but I'm not always lucky enough to spend much time outside with my jobs. June also means the Tomah Tractor Pull! I was able to get off of work for the first night of it, so Dusty, his friends, my brothers, and I decided to go. I look forward to the tractor pulls every year, but my work schedule doesn't always allow me to attend so I was glad that I was able to swing it.

July

July brought about a lot of fun! Obviously, the Fourth of July is a big holiday for Dusty and I, so we got all dressed up for that. Dusty also took me catfishing for my first time. We also made a trip to Mason, Michigan because my brother's high school trap shooting team made it to nationals, so we went to support him. I also got my second tattoo, and the next day I participated in the Dragonoboat Races for another year. I took an online photography class to improve my shooting skills. Around the end of the month, I spent my last time milking cows at my grandparents farm. Another blog post will be made about that when I am ready.

August

August brought about some adventures. Dusty's nephew spent the weekend of the Hillsboro tractor pull wiht us, so I convinced the boys to come with me and watch the pull. I got to spend some more time at the beach and soak up the sun. The end of the month brought about dropping my brothers off at college!

September

September brought along some firsts, and a second. My little sister passed her driver's test! We met and swapped cars so she could use mine for her test, then we celebrated with lunch! Later in the month, Dusty and I went catfishing again, but this time I got bit by the catfish. (Now you know one person who has been bitten by a catfish because apparently its a rare occasion.) Towards the end of the month, I FINALLY got my first cherry tomato from the plants I started way back in March. It was delicious, and I only ended up getting two more before it froze and the plant died.

October

October was a pretty slow month, but that was fine by me. It was nice having a break in the chaos. Dusty and I got a "new-to-us" couch. It's been passed around my mom's family, and now it has settled with me. It's not much for looks, but it's amazing and still very comfy. Later in the month, I got the turbo replaced in my car! It would occasionally throw up codes indicating a need for it, but it only occasionally affected my car's performance. I went to an auto clinic for a different issue, and ended up getting referred to get my turbo replaced. On the bright side, my turbo was still under warranty so it was free, and I got to borrow a 2019 Chevy Equinox. I only had to loan it for a couple of days, but I enjoyed riding a little higher than my car. Some day I'll get something a little bigger, but that day will come after this car is paid off, and probably when children are in the near future.

November

November was another slower month, but it's like the calm before the storm. I made time to go hunting with my little brother. On my last night out, I dropped a doe. My brother and I were texting my sister who was telling us where she could see deer in the field in front of the house, so we walked to where we could see them. I was in the middle of a trail, and the doe spotted me, so I had no choice but to pull up and take a standing shot. It was hard, and I've never taken a shot completely unsupported, but I was able to drop her! At the end of the month, my siblings and I made a trip across state to spend Thanksgiving with my paternal grandparents. It was nice to spend a bit of alone time with them.

December

December went out with a bang. With this month being my last official semester as a junior, my cohort had the "Junior Nursing Pub Crawl," so Dusty and I got a hotel room in downtown and spent the night out with friends. Early in the month, I celebrated by 22nd birthday. It was a pretty uneventful day, but Dusty and I hung out after my class in the morning. Later in the month, I accepted a CNA position at a new job. I'm very excited for the future and advancement opportunities. There were so many Christmas parties to attend, between both my parents and Dusty's parents being divorced, we get stretched pretty far during the holidays. At my dad's extended family's Christmas, Dusty and I; and my siblings and I got pictures taken. I also took some pictures of my brothers and Dusty for a fun little project they're thinking of doing. Dusty and I finished the year driving around the Tomah Rotary lights. About half of the lights were off, but I still enjoyed the effort and the fact that he asked, "Do you want to get out for pictures?" He truly knows the way to my heart.

Mental Health & Suicide

Mental health and suicide are two pretty "taboo" topics to talk about, right? They are also two topics that need to be discussed more than anything.

A couple of months ago, I got off work at 10pm and headed downtown to meet Dusty and some friends at the bars.  During the night Dusty introduced me to one of his friends who had lost his brother to suicide.  We all danced and drank for hours.  At the end of the night, I saw Dusty and that same friend sitting against the wall in deep conversation.  As I got closer, I realized that they were talking about the memories of the friend that had passed.

The longer I listened to them, the more I realized that everyone goes through tough times.  We are all handed different cards in this life, and no one's life story is exactly the same.  Some people go through the exact same situation, but no one handles the situation the same way.

It broke my heart when the brother asked Dusty if he thought that his brother was in Hell.  Christians have convinced the world that if someone commits suicide, they are condemned to an eternity in Hell.  I never agreed with, nor understood why, Christians believe this.  Dusty clearly explained to his friend that his brother had done nothing that would send him to Hell, and he even had a dream about him where he was happy and in Heaven.  Dusty's friend said that other friends have told him about similar dreams of his brother in Heaven, and he said it was very comforting.

Mental health is so important, but it is often overlooked in our society.  We need to step up and check in on our friends and family.  Notice the signs and take action.  You never know what someone else is going through, so check in every now and then and ASK THE HARD QUESTIONS!

One Step Closer...

I am two papers away from my final semester of my junior year of college! There are two days left of finals week and I have one paper due each day. Monday and Tuesday were exam days. Monday's exam did not really matter, I did the math and I could have gotten 0% and still passed the class. That's a great feeling! Tuesday's exam was a little different, after doing the math, I discovered that I needed to get 72% on the final. I got my exam grade back today, and while it may have been my lowest grade all semester...I passed!

Here's a Link to my Last Clinical Experience this Semester :)

Now, to end my procrastination and get back to these last two papers...

Where has the Time Gone?

It seems that January rolls around every year, and we set ourselves up for big plans and adventures.  Resolutions or bucket lists are made, and we look ahead to the possibilities of the future.  Sources have found that about 80% of resolutions fail by February, and that only 8% of people actually keep their resolutions.  It's the end of June, and I have accomplished five of my resolutions (pay it forward once a month, track migraines, blog post for photography sessions, monthly date night, go to the beach).  On the bright side, within the next month I will (hopefully) be able to cross two more items off my list: road trip to Michigan and getting another tattoo.  There is only one resolution that I really can't cross off anymore: monthly blog posts.

Working a full-time job and a part-time job have caused me to re-evaluate my priorities.  Both of my jobs require weekends, so I don't have too much free time.  I've had one weekend off each month since I started my second job in January.  My current schedule is working PM's at the nursing home Monday, Wednesday, and every other Tuesday, Saturday, and Sunday; and working days at home health Friday, and every other Saturday and Sunday.  Up until earlier this month, Dusty had been working Monday through Saturday on AM's, so we really didn't get time to see each other.  Even when Dusty was able to work just Monday through Friday, I was still working Saturdays so we were limited on our time to be together.  We aren't able to take long trips and it's really hard trying to sync up our off days.  We don't get to plan our our weekends.  Most of the time, we have to plan a month in advance, or make plans the day of.

Since the spring semester ended, I have prioritized my brothers high school graduation, and their party, fishing, time with my family and time with Dusty's family, and the Tomah Tractor Pull.  You could also say that I prioritize both of my jobs, since most of my summer is dedicated to them.  It's so complicated being in this phase of adulthood because you have to work to pay your bills, but you don't want to drown in overtime.  On the other hand, you also want to take vacations and enjoy this time in life before having kids.  I have two months left of summer, and I'm trying to make the most of it with the few days available to me.

What are YOUR plans for the rest of the summer?!?

First Semester of Junior Year

Well I'm a little over halfway through my first semester of junior year in nursing school, and it's been pretty hectic.  I am a full-time student with the minimum of 12 credits, I work between 4 and 13 hours per week at one job and 24 hours per week at another job.  Between school and my jobs, it gets hard to fit in a social life.

This semester's clinical experience has been in maternity and pediatrics; and for the most part, I've been enjoying it.  My favorite experiences have been in postpartum!  During most of our hospital clinical experiences, we wear the hospital scrubs, so it has been kind of fun to experience what real nurses wear instead of our traditional scrubs.

Finally, my job at the nursing home has been a bit of a learning curve.  I think that a lot of the time, we have ideas about what it should be like in the nursing home, but actually being there is so different.  I have many thoughts on nursing home staffing and work environment that I will dedicate a post to later on.  On the bright side, the dress code isn't strictly enforced so I've been able to wear some fun scrubs instead of making sure that I wash my work scrubs every night after I work.  Also, I finally got my official name tag!

Dreaming Of...

It's the end of February and it's pretty much the middle/end of winter.  I'm dreaming of being on a beach somewhere warm and sunny.  Spring break is coming up in less than two weeks, and I'm going to spend it in Wisconsin.  I'll be working, and just enjoying the time off from school.  My next hope for being on a beach somewhere warm and sunny is this summer.  My dad's family has a vacation planned for July.  The plan is to spend Saturday on Shawano Lake then have a bonfire at my grandparents.  I also know that I'm going to have a "girl's day" at Lake Wazee with a friend, or a couple.  Other than those two days, any other sunny beach day will be by surprise.  Hopefully Dusty will take me back to the place pictured above, and this time we'll load the bed of the truck (maybe a new one!) with pillows and blankets and enjoy the sunset together. 💖

30 Burpees for 15 Days

At the end of December, I was looking for some sort of activity to get me eased into working out, but not something that required a half hour dedication with a full meal plan to follow. I ended up stumbling upon a pin on Pinterest about doing 30 burpees every day for 15 days. The lady who did it there said she did 3 sets of 10 burpees. For the first three days, she rested for 1 minute between sets, the next three days 45 second rests, the next three days 30 second rests, the next three days 15 second rests, and the final three days there was no rest.

After reading about it, I decided that it was something I could do. I did 30 burpees for 15 days, and here's what I found out...

1. Burpees are not the kind of move that get easier the more you practice them.

Don't get me wrong, they do get a little easier over time, but they are still a challenge. The first three days weren't too bad, that one minute break between sets really helped. Days 4-6 also went pretty well, and Dusty informed me that 45 seconds is the recommended rest period between sets. Days 7-9 got a little harder, 30 seconds did not seem to give me enough time to catch my breath between sets. Days 10-12 were difficult, if I didn't stand next to my timer, my break would go about 3 seconds too long. Days 13-15 were the hardest, I'm not sure I will ever do 30 consecutive burpees for any reason in the future.

2. Burpees are truly a total body move.

By day three, my obliques were hurting and I don't even understand how they are involved in this move. Throughout the 15 days, I had next-day soreness in my thighs, shoulders, and abdominal muscles.

3. I had more energy.

Most days, I did the burpees first thing in the morning. Some days it required a commitment because I had to be at work at 7am. When I was able to do the burpees before work, I felt much more energized on my drive to work and throughout my 10 hour day. Yes, a couple of days I pushed them off until evening (hello New Years), but I still got them in.

4. They're not the move if you're looking for a "quick fix."

I had no intentions of changing my eating habits, or even watching what I ate for the duration of this. I also didn't have any other supplemental workout, aside from walking around, which wasn't any more than normal. I'm not one who pays much attention to the scale, but I figured it would be cool to see how my body weight fluctuated over the 15 days. I started December 27, 2017 at 163.0 pounds, and throughout the challenge I ranged from 162.8 pounds to 168.4 pounds. When I finished the challenge, I weighed pounds 164.4 pounds.

My "Before" on the left and "After" on the right. Each picture was taken in the morning before I had done anything else.

My Take on Promise Rings...

I had a plan to write this post before my boyfriend decided to "surprise" me with a promise ring, but as life would have it, that didn't happen. However, we did have a talk about it a couple of nights before he did surprise me, so my mind is at ease.

So here it is, my take on promise rings.

I cannot, for the life of me, find the picture of the ring that I want to use. But, it was something like a "Past, Present, Future Promise Ring," the kind with three large stones in the middle, and three more on each side.

Many, many years ago my boyfriend of one year got me a promise ring. It was beautiful and I loved it. I wore it proudly for about another year, but eventually I found myself not contributing to the relationship as much as I once had. In a moment of strength, I worked up the courage to put the ring back in the box and explain to my boyfriend that the ring made me feel like I didn't have to do anything more to make the relationship work. I had the ring and the promise of forever, so what else was there to do? Well, flash forward a year after giving back the ring, and we were done.

Not the greatest experience, right? For the longest time after that, I didn't think about promise rings. What was the point? From my experience, they didn't really mean anything.

Here is the promise ring that I got from my current boyfriend, and the letter that he gave me with it is in the background. It's a little heart with a single stone in the middle and small black stones on each side of the heart.

Dusty would tell me that I'm lying if I didn't mention that getting a promise ring is charged by a bit of jealousy, and he wouldn't be wrong. I'm definitely the jealous type girlfriend, but for the rest of this post, that is not the point. When I first brought up the idea of Dusty getting me a promise ring, it was kind of out of humor. Then it kept coming up, and it started to scare me. If I got a promise ring, was I dooming this relationship too? I have had the ring for a little over a week now, and I feel pretty confident. When I got my first promise ring, I was young, a bit immature, still in high school, and didn't really have a plan for the future. Now, I am an adult, working as a personal care worker, soon to be starting as a CNA, and have two and a half years of college under my belt with two years to go. Also, living together forces us to face our problems instead of hide from them. There is a light and day difference between the ways that I had approached/have been approaching this relationship versus my past one.

So how do I really feel about promise rings?
They can be great, but don't think that a promise ring is the end-all-be-all. It's not a wedding ring, it's not binding, so you can get out of it without any legal dealings if you really aren't happy in the relationship. Dusty also joked that he's going to spend just a little bit more on an engagement ring than he spent on this one, but he has also said he is going to get my engagement ring from a quarter machine at Walmart, so who knows! ANYWAYS, if you want to give your girlfriend a promise ring, go ahead, but know that her giving it back is a possibility.

New Years "Resolutions"

Here it is, the last couple of hours of 2017! It has been a great year and I am looking forward to 2018. Let's see how long I'll be signing my pay stubs, cards, and checks with the wrong year!

I am doing things a little differently with my New Years "Resolutions" this year. Each year people post their resolutions, and by the end of January, many of those resolutions have crashed and burned. So this year, instead of setting myself up for failure, I'm going to do a 2018 Bucket List.

Here is a list of things that I hope to do in 2018:

• Go to a Corn Maze
• Pack Up & Go Vacation
• Complete Two Rounds of Country Heat
• Complete One Round of T25
• Get a Gym Membership
• See the Holiday Train
• Get Couples Pictures
• Host a Bonfire
• Pay it Forward Once a Month
• Have a Water Balloon fight
• Take a Photography Class
• Go Camping
• Read "The Love Dare"
• Road Trip to Minnesota
• Meal Plan
• Make at Least One Blog Post per Month
• Create a Senior Scrapbook for Gavin
• Clean Up Pinterest
• Fill the Bed of the Pickup with Pillows and Lay under the Stars
• Start a Bullet Journal
• Track Migraines
• Road Trip to Michigan
• Get a Daith Piercing in May
• Start a Photography Project
• Get another Tattoo in May
• Buy another Camera
• Send Out Birthday Cards
• Go to the Rotary Lights
• Go Hiking
• Go to a Pumpkin Patch
• Create a Scrapbook of Dusty and I
• Go to an Apple Orchard
• Take Dusty to a Concert
• Go on a Monthly Date Night
• Make a Blog Post for Photography Sessions
• Go Ice Skating
• Go Snowmobiling
• Go to the Beach
• Play Sand Volleyball
• Make a Backdrop Holder for Photography
• Go Mini Golfing
• See a Waterfall
• Play Paint Twister
• Road Trip to Iowa

End of Year Wrap Up!

As I said in my first post, a lot has happened this year. So much, in fact, that it's easy to forget all of the good times. I scrolled through my Instagram posts from this year to pull out some of the highlights, and here they are:

My brother's friend got a puppy, Diesel, and he has pretty much grown up at our house. It's crazy to see how much just one year can change things! That little pup that we started with is now a full-blown "doggo."

My mom and I became official members of the North Bend Presbyterian Church! My siblings are members of the church by default because they were confirmed there, but my mom and I finally became members!

Dusty and I started dating. I won't go off on a tangent with this because I've got plenty of other posts about him that you can read, and let's not beat a dead horse.

I got my first tattoo! My friend and I decided to get matching tattoos, so we scheduled an appointment, decided what we wanted, and got them done. We chose the stethoscope bent into a heart with the words "Caring," "Strength," "Love," and "Courage" as a symbol of our commitment to the nursing profession, it is the reason that we are best friends now!

I moved in with Dusty. Living with my best friend has been a roller coaster, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. Some of my family doesn't agree with this decision, but it is one that I spent a lot of time making and I have been very happy with it. There have been a couple of ups and downs, but overall we are happy with this decision.

Hintzy Photography took prom pictures for my brother and his friends, and by Hintzy Photography, I mean me. Since he was a junior, and it was junior prom, I made sure I got some pictures for him to remember the day by.

I went to Las Vegas for a wedding! I flew for the first time with my dad, grandma, great aunt, and great cousin to Las Vegas for my great uncle's wedding. We spent a lot of time at his house, but he only lives about 5 minutes from the strip, so we got to walk around the last night that we were there. It was SO HOT, just like everyone says, "it's a dry heat." We got out of the airport, and it was like the gust of air after opening the oven, but it doesn't go away. Luckily, my great uncle and his husband have a pool, so being outside wasn't completely unbearable. I can't wait to go back some day, and spend some more time on the strip!

I participated in the Dragonboat Races, and our team took first place! One of my mom's friends is a breast cancer survivor, so she has a team for the Big Blue Dragonboat Festival in La Crosse and my mom and I participate. This year, like last year, our team took first place and we got medals for our participation!

I officially committed myself to the nursing profession at my school's commitment ceremony! Viterbo University holds a Commitment Ceremony for the nursing students before we begin our clinical experience to symbolize our commitment to the nursing profession. We got our "Student Nurse" name badges to wear during our clinical rotations!

I started my nursing clinical experience with gerontology! Being in the gerontology setting was amazing and made me even more excited to continue on with my nursing education. Next year is family health!

Hintzy Photography hosted three senior sessions! Bree, Cody, and Gavin were my seniors this year, all Melrose-Mindoro High School class of 2018. I am excited to see where life takes these three, and will forever be grateful that they allowed me to take their pictures!

Dusty and I got to see the Pink Heals National Tour, and I was able to sign the truck in memory of my mom's cousin. The Pink Heals National Tour drive around big PINK firetrucks that have been signed by survivors or family members of those who have battled with any kind of illness or disease. The volunteers who put on this tour encourage people to make donations locally, and all the money raised from sales goes to the gas, maintenance, and other tour expenses.

I got to take Gender Reveal pictures for one of my best friends! I met the guy in this picture years ago when I had a different boyfriend, and he has been one of my best friends since that day. He helped me through my parents divorce, and it's been a lot of fun knowing him. I was ecstatic when he called me and asked me to take pictures for him at their gender reveal party. I'm so excited to see baby Miller, PS - it's a girl!

Hunting was a bust - but I went out! I worked opening weekend, so I didn't get out until Sunday night. I sat with my brother and we didn't see much, but it was good bonding time. I don't get to see my brother all that often anymore, so any time with him is always welcomed.

I got a new car! "TECHNICALLY," my mom got a new car, but I'm making all the payments on it, so I'm saying it's mine. Dusty, my brother, and I went to look at a couple of cars in Viroqua one night, and we decided on one. After we headed home, my brother kept looking and found two in Sparta, so the next day I looked at one of them in Sparta with my mom, and we got it that night! It's been so weird having a new car, it's RELIABLE, and it doesn't make any alarming noises. Going from 275,000 miles to 35,000 miles has also been a bit of a switch, this one has so much to look forward to and will last me awhile!

I turned the big 2-1! As I covered in my post about my birthday, it was exciting, but it wasn't the big alcohol frenzy that everyone says it will be. I'm almost a month into being 21 and it still hasn't been all that much of an alcohol frenzy.

I got a promise ring! Dusty gave it to me in the sweetest way. For Christmas, he got me two lunch boxes, one fit inside the other, and inside the smaller one, was a ring box. I opened it up, and there was a ring and a piece of paper all folded up that said "I promise." It was a note with all of the things that he promises to do or be for me in the future. It was the sweetest thing ever!

Also, the movie Wonder was released, and you all should see it! Wonder is the story of August Pullman, a boy with facial differences entering the fifth grade. It is a wonderful movie that inspires others to be kind. If you have the chance, watch it and let me know what you think!

Preface to End of Year Wrap Up

Awhile ago, I noticed that I made 12 blog posts in 2016, and I wanted to at least tie that in 2017. Well, this will tie them up, and as the title implies, there will be at least one more post this year!

This year has been good to me, and I'm excited for what next year has to offer.
I finished up my sophomore year of nursing school, I bought a car, I got into an amazing relationship and met a lot of awesome people.

My little brother started his senior year of high school, and played a full season of football. I attended almost every football game and was able to take pictures at most of them. It has been a lot of fun to watch him grow into a young man, and an incredible football player. He even made Dairyland All-Conference First Line Defense, and was invited to play football in Hawaii for a couple of days in July 2018. I am so proud of him for showing up for his senior year, and I can't wait to see what the rest of this year and the school year have for him! He has dedicated himself to Southwest Technical College in Fennimore, Wisconsin!

It's not often that I get a nice picture of my sister, or that she even wants to be in a picture, but she insisted on getting a picture with our brother after a football game. She is a sophomore in high school, which is crazy to think of. She has blossomed into a very nice young woman (sometimes). Her grades are crazy good and I'm very proud of her for her accomplishments. I can't wait to continue to watch her grow and see what she decides to be as an adult.

Tune back in before January 1, 2018 for a final wrap up of 2017!

$5 Savings Plan

Let's talk money.

I've always been pretty money-conscious. My mom taught me how to save and how to live below our means. 

This past year I tried to follow a $5 savings plan which started the first week of January with $5, and increased every week by $5. At first it was pretty easy. It was such a small amount of my paycheck that I didn't miss it. However, as the months passed, it became harder and harder to put that amount into savings. I was able to save about $3,000 before I had to stop because I couldn't make it work financially. I had to pay rent and my credit card bill, which is a month's worth of gas and a few random expenses, each month.

Being a college student tends to mean that money is pretty tight. At the beginning of the year, I was still living with my mom so I didn't have to worry about the cost of food or pay her rent. In May, I moved in with my boyfriend, so I started paying rent and pitching in on groceries. Things haven't been too tight, and I've been comfortable with were I'm at. I made enough money each month to cover my expenses and still have some money left over.

This past month, I bought a new car. It came with a loan that I need to start paying back in January. With my average monthly income, I could just barely squeak by with my payments. However, my hours are going to be cut back at work this next semester due to a rather spotty class schedule. This means that I have to find another part-time job to pay off my monthly bills without dipping into my savings too much.

In January, I will try to follow the $5 savings plan again; however, I'm changing things up this year. Since I hit a bit of a wall this past year, I've decided to take the initial amount to save and alternate it with the final amount to save. This way I won't be stretched at the end of the year and will have one "easy" week and one "hard" week. I'm excited to see how this goes, and I will update you sometime in the next year!

Turning 21

21

This past week I celebrated my 21st birthday. It's the "rite of passage" into adulthood, right? The time when you can finally drink, and don't have to worry about getting an "under-ager." Everyone seems to be so excited to turn 21, it's like they want to rush through their younger years just to hit the "golden age" so that they are able to drink. Now it was my turn to enter the age that everyone looks forward to.

This birthday kind of crept up on me, and I didn't think much of it. My boyfriend, Dusty, and I made a plan to stay up until midnight on the 6th so that we could go out to the bar for a drink. It sounded like a fun plan until the night actually came and I felt a cold coming on. I managed to stay up until 11:30pm, but then I turned into bed because I decided that I didn't NEED to go out drinking.

Dusty and I both took the day of my birthday off of work to spend it together. We got to sleep in and start the morning slowly. Once we got moving, we headed to La Crosse and dropped off my brother's senior picture book at the Studio on Main (where he got his senior pictures done). After that, we went to the mall and Dusty treated me to some shopping. We stopped at Spencer's and we got a couple of shot glasses, Dusty got a Rick and Morty one, and I got one that says "Just Turned 21" and another that says "Drunk Up B*tches!" I got a matching set and two free bags from Victoria's Secret. We then wandered over to Rue21 and Dusty got two bottles of cologne, and I got two bottles of perfume. Our final stop in the mall was Maurices where I got a pair of blue jeans and a water bottle.

After shopping, Dusty treated me to lunch at Red Lobster. I had to show the waitress my ID for the first time when I ordered a Sunset Passion Colada. She wished me a happy birthday, and so did the couple at the next table. Dusty and I got to enjoy lunch, and then the waitress brought out a free sundae for us to enjoy.

This caption (I think) is supposed to say "Her *first* legal drink"

On our way home, we stopped at my grandparents to talk to them and see what they were up to. After at least half an hour spent talking with them, we headed home and they headed to town. At the end of the day, my mom, sister, brother, and "other brother" came to Tomah to eat at the bowling alley with us. We all split an appetizer platter and two large pizzas. The bartender mixed me up a "Sex on the Beach," and Dusty later ordered two Jaegerbomb shots, which he insisted that my mom or I had to take with him. My mom and I compromised, she took a sip, I drank half, and we handed Dusty the rest of it.

In the end, responsibility got the best of me (as always) because I had my last day of classes the next day, so I was in bed at a relatively decent time. It's now the weekend after my 21st, and I've been working. I work again tomorrow, and the following two days, and then I have finals the two days after that. I may never "really celebrate" my 21st birthday, but I am perfectly happy with the way that I did celebrate turning 21.

My Boyfriend

Each time my boyfriend notices that I'm making a blog post he asks if it's about him, so here's the first post dedicated just to him.

This guy means the world to me, and we haven't even known each other for a year yet. We have come a long way since adding each other on Facebook in late December 2016, then on Snapchat, and then agreeing to meet on New Years Eve at the party at his house. He was so persistent that we were dating, even though I insisted that I wanted to be single until the summer. I finally caved in and on March 10, 2016 we began dating. One school finished up in May, I started moving in and was fully moved in by June. It's been a roller coaster as we navigate life and living together.

Dusty having a full time job and working anywhere between 40-72 hours each week, and myself spending up to 17 hours on campus and 10 -22 hours at work each week makes for a tough time. We both come home pretty tired most days, and we've been trying to cut back on our fast food intake. I recently made a couple of freezer meals for the crock pot and hopefully we will try them soon! We are also planning to get back into working out. I made a plan for December using 3 different workout plans that I found on Pinterest, and Dusty is planning to start T25!

And a final shout out for my amazing boyfriend, he handles my mood swings so well. This final picture is from Thanksgiving day. I had gotten my hair cut the day before, shorter than it's ever been, and I didn't anticipate on having to do so much to give it some body. I asked Dusty to help me straighten it, but he didn't come right away so I finished up by myself. Once he came, he started braiding it, but he didn't really have any plan so I got frustrated and we just left. He just rolls with the mood swings and I'm so thankful for him.