Hair boredom

I will admit, I suffer from what is known as "hair boredom". ;) Ever since middle school when I starting putting highlights in my hair, I got bored with the color, cut & look of my hair fairly quickly. I've been blonde, red, brown, short, long, permed, straight, & everything in between. For the past few years I haven't done TOO many extreme things (aside from chopping of all of my hair & dying it a dark chesnut brown...) but lately that itch has been coming back. Since about February or March of last year, I've been trying to grow my hair out. It's grown about 6-7 inches since then, which I'm pretty proud of. But now I'm torn. Currently I have blonde-ish hair that is about 5-6 inches past my shoulder. I can't decide if I want to continue to grow it out but add more blonde or chop it off. Below are some pictures of styles I like for both ways. I would really appreciate any input or votes :) Thanks!

Miley Cyrus. I really like the big curls. I have liked her hairstyles for a while, especially when it's so full & curly like this. This was originally what I wanted my hair to look like when I started to grow it out (except probably not the same color). However, my only worry is that my hair is pretty fine & I'm afraid it might look even more so with the weight of added hair.
Kristen Storms. From the Disney channel to General Hospital...She appeared on The Bachelor last week & I LOVED her hair! I think I want a similar color even if I don't go with that cut. Josh is convinced that if I cut it, I'll start complaining that I can't do anything with my hair. Maybe true...

Again, any input or ideas would be very much appreciated! I'm visiting my sister, the hair-stylist, next week & need a plan :)

This is what I do when I should be cleaning...

I THOUGHT THIS WAS FUN!
bold: means you have done it
italic: means you want to
normal: just stuff/ideas

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Been to the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen buildings of an Ancient Civilization
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Visited the Caribbean
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Been to a World Series game
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving6
6. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten sushi
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someones life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

Finally Found!

So about two months ago I realized that I had lost my wedding ring. I love that ring and I was sooooo upset! I looked all around in my house, thinking I had looked everywhere: the washer, the dryer, behind the toilet, in the toilet tank (our toilet was having flushing issues for a while), in my pants pockets, under my bed, etc. I knew I had had it on my birthday because I have a picture of me wearing it in my house. I assumed I had lost it somewhere in the house because I rarely take it off when I'm not at home. Finally, after looking long and hard for it, I just assumed that it was lost somewhere under my bed where I couldn't see and I'd eventually find it when I moved. Today, when I was getting dressed, I decided to wear some pants I hadn't worn in a while because it's been cold out. (Thank goodness for this "warm spell" we've been having!) When I pulled them down from my shelf, I heard something fall and saw my wedding band! I looked in the pockets but my engagement ring wasn't there. I looked on the shelf where the pants had been and lo and behold, there it was!! I had thought I had looked everywhere but apparently I didn't think about those pants. Thank GOODNESS I found it and I hadn't actually lost it on the street or something :)

4 Months!!

Steven is 4 months old today! The time has sure flown...he is so big now! I'll see on Wednesday exactly how much he weighs but I think it's aroun 12 1/2 lbs. He's such a joy & so much fun. Here are some pictures :)
Josh thought it would be funny to put both of his legs in one pant leg. Here he is: Steven the Merman

This was our first book reading session. He was pretty interested in it :)Here he is again, paying close attention to the book
He loves chewing on things
Steven's first pretzel....he was pretty excited This was taken RIGHT after he woke up in the morning. He'll sleep 12 hours and still be super happy when he wakes up! I would think after not eating for 12 hours he'd be pretty hungry...I am so grateful he is such a happy boy!
His toes can get freakishly separated...especially his pinky toeHe some how turned himself perpendicular from where he started...This was tonight with Grandpa

Resolutions

Well, it's that time of year again. I've always heard that it's easier to continue with or succeed at a goal when you tells others about it. I'm hoping that by posting my current goals for 2009 that I will be a little more motivated to live up to them.

1. As with many people, weight loss is my main goal this year. I've lost all of my baby weight, and then some, so I am very proud of myself so far. When I got pregnant, however, I was already a bit chubbier than I'd like to be so now I'm trying to lose that weight. I've always had a hard time losing weight in the past. I really love food and I've always said, "I'm not big enough to really care enough about losing those extra pounds." It was almost as if I was saying that I had to get bigger in order to be motivated to lose weight. Seeing the weight I've lost already, however, is a big motivater for me. I don't have too much more to lose so I'm hoping to have lost the majority of it by mid-February when it is said that most resolution's fizzle out.

2. Another big goal for both Josh & I is to get out of debt as quickly as possible. It's such a burden to be in debt and I really want to learn from this experience and not make the same mistakes when we're older. If I could cut down our debt by at least 50%, I would be extremely happy.

New Years

A few days after Christmas, Josh, Steven, & I made the arduous journey to Northern California where two of my sisters and mother live. We had a lot of fun out there. We didn't do much for New Year's Eve but I'm all for going to bed when you're tired instead of fighting to stay awake just to say "Happy New Year". :) Here are some pictures.
My brother, Marc, and I on New Year's Eve

My sister, Lisa, and I

Marc & Steven

My niece, Savanah, with Steven

Me, Savanah, Marc, and my niece, Teagan

Have you ever done that "airplane" thing where you lay on someone's feet and pretend to be an airplane? We thought it would be fun to try to do that as adults...

Marc & I

Now my nephew, Jake, is the "airplane"

Marc trying out a mustache

My sister, Heather, Teagan, and Steven

Teagan is a self-proclaimed "Chinese acrobat"

Teagan can not only touch her nose with her tongue, she can pick it...

Steven as "baby New Year"
Marc & Steven

Christmas

It's a bit late for a Christmas blog, I know, but Josh, Steven, & I went out of town just a few days after Christmas so I didn't have too much free time. Well, that, and I was a bit lazy.

On Christmas Eve we went to Josh's brother's house and had dinner with his family. That same night we went to my sister's house and had more food. I have a big family and so, inevitably, we end up splitting some of our holidays. It was a lot of fun seeing both of our families. We didn't get home until about 11:30 and didn't get to bed until even later. The next morning, I woke up at about 7:30 to set up our stockings. Our little tree with our and stockings are so pathetic looking...it's like a Charlie Brown Christmas. I love it though, and I'm so excited to start more traditions with our own little family :) Every Christmas Josh's family opens presents together and have a family brunch with some of his extended family. We had to be there at 9 (we were early though! ;) ) and ended up spending most of the day there. We hadn't planned on doing that, everyone just ended up staying. For the past year, Josh's mom has been hard at work converting their home videos to DVDs for us for Christmas. We watched one of them that day with the whole family; it was awesome to see Josh and his brothers as kids! They were totally stylin' with their mullets and neon green wind breakers! ;) Anyway, here are some pictures.
Our attempt at a family photo.

Me a bit irritated with Josh & explaining why it's not funny when he makes stupid faces in pictures.

My side of the family at my sister's on Christmas Eve

Josh & his dad

Josh's brother, Matthew, with the present we got for his family. We had the flippin' coolest gifts ever!

Josh's dad opening our present to him

Josh and Steven "opening" Steven's presentSteven & I

Our nephew, Lothair, with his really cool remote control dinosaur
My sister-in-law, Chirin, & I. She just found out she's pregnant! Yay!! Cross your fingers for Will & Deanna ;)