Day 08 - Short term goals for this month and why

Goal 1: Fill out and submit all Secondary Applications received within two weeks of receiving them. Why? Because I really want to go to medical school, and I need to set a deadline for myself so ensure that I don't procrastinate.

Goal 2: Work on potty training my daughter. They start potty training at daycare at age 2, so I want to have her familiar with it at home. Also, diapers are really expensive and I'd be happy to be done with them. The last reason is because she has a terrible rash that comes and goes, but is never really gone for good. The rash tend to be drastically better on the days she spends in underwear, so I'm hoping that potty training may actually get rid of this evil rash.

Goal 3: Don't kill my family. Why is this on my goals for this month? Because I will be spending an unusually high  amount of time with family this month. Over a week in Canada with my parents and siblings (where I currently am), another day or two with family for Gabrielle's birthday, around 3 days with my extended family for the family reunion, and who knows what else may come up. So almost half of the month will be spent with family, which can be stressful. (Yes, I still love them.)

Goal 4: Work on scrapbooking. Scrapbooking gets neglected during the school year, and it was neglected even more the past little while as I was preparing to apply to med school. So I am terribly behind, even more than normal, since you are always behind with scrapbooking. Plus I really enjoy scrapbooking and looking at the results. This leads to the next goal.

Goal 5: Get better at Photoshop. I'd previously used Digital Image Pro, but the program is really old and has some glitches. It's getting worse lately, for instance, it will no longer copy things, and occasionally it will turn photos into these ugly overexposed negatives giving everyone a skeletal demonic look, and sometimes it refuses to save things. As you can see, these can create some issues.

Goal 6: Finish my summer to-do list. I have a list of several small tasks that need to get done, but they've been neglected for once again that darn med school application process.

Goal 7: Actually work out regularly. I try so hard, but then things keep getting in the way. For instance, I'll have to work late, or JP will have to work late and I'll have to watch Gabrielle, then somebody will get sick and of course that creates issues, or I'll have something other obligation at night. Often my day is so cram packed that I have no chance to do anything until around 10 at night, and by then I'm exhausted and just want to sit.

Day 07 - A Picture of Someone that has the Biggest Impact on Me

I couldn't decide on whether JP or Gabrielle are more impactful to me. Both of them changed my life forever.  So completely. JP has always been by my side, there for me through everything, taught me the basics of living on my own (do you know if you smash the milk cartoons they take up less room in the recycling bin, I didn't at first). He has helped me and inspired me to grow and become a better person. Without him, I don't think I could have accomplished near as much as I have, and want to. Nor without him would I have the second gem of my life, Gabrielle.

About Gabrielle, well I became a mother, need I say anymore about how that changed my life? I learn more about myself everyday. I also tell myself that I need to be better everyday. But it's much more than that, so much more, and unfortunately I don't have the brain power right now to even try to describe what it's like. I can not fathom what life would be like without her, I can't even comprehend how I managed to live life before her. It was like I wasn't even really living life, I thought I knew what happiness, sorrow and love were before, but I really didn't. I didn't realize that my life was bland before I had a child, now my life is full of emotion, wonder, new insights everyday. I truly now have a reason for living and smiling everyday. When I get a smile from her it's such an amazing sense of fulfillment, the reason for being. And that's only a smile, let alone the hugs and kisses. On the same note, I don't think anyone else has the capacity of complicating my life near as much as her, or making me feel so awful as when I make her cry. Also, somehow having a child just mean potential to me. Through her eyes I see the potential of what I and JP can become. I am constantly amazed at the potential she has, what she can become, and what this world can be like if put in the right perspective.

Day 06 - Favorite Super Hero and Why

So I'm not really sure I have a favorite super hero, I've never been big into the whole super hero thing.

When I was younger I always thought Batman was pretty cool. He didn't have any super powers he just did it on his own, with what he had. However, the movie Dark Knight seriously creeped me out. And my very well versed in super heroes husband introduced me to Iron Man who is basically the same as Batman, rich playboy with no super powers saving the world, with a slightly less creepy demeanor.

I also liked Storm and Wonder Women when I was little. Girl Power and all that, but I don't really know all the much about either of them.

I thought about putting Wolverine. He's kinda cool, got the whole rugged, loner, bad boy that's actually good guy thing going on. Plus, I really liked the show, and Hugh Jackman's pretty good looking. But I can't really categorically state that he's my favorite.

My husband and aunt would probably try to persuade me in favor of Superman. After watching all of Lois and Clark (yeah, that was my Christmas Break) I'd have to say they have a pretty good point (Lois Lane is obnoxious though).

So throughout all this rambling I still don't know who is really my favorite. I'm going to leave it to a vote, whoever gets the most comments in his/her favor will be my "favorite", persons are also welcome to leave arguments for a super hero to try and get said super hero extra points.

Day 05 - A Picture of Somewhere I've Been

I've been to Panama! That's the farthest I've been from home. (I'm not going to go over the whole lengthy trip synopsis here though.)

Yeah, that's a palm tree beach. They really do exist. 

 Beautiful sandy beach. 

Proof that I was in fact there. I'm the one on the far right by the way.

The Panama Canal is in Panama (surprise!) and I got to see it.

Ridiculously huge freight ship going through the Canal.

Also, there are really big ferns in Panama.

Day 04 - A Habit I Wish I Didn't Have

So I thought a really long time about this. I thought about putting chewing my fingernails, but I've almost completely eliminated that habit. Actually now my nails have been growing so strong that I doubt I could even chew them.

This may be a stretch but slouching. I have atrocious posture! I fault my mother, it's her genes. Every time I walk past a mirror or see a picture I realize how horrible it looks, like I'm transforming into the Hunchback of Notre Dame. There is a girl who was in one of my classes who has the straitest back ever, like her mother strapped her to a papoose carrier through her whole childhood. She never even leans against the back of chair, just sits upright during class. I'm so jealous, she looks amazing, beautiful, confident and refined. I can never remember to sit up or stand up straight, so if anyone was any tips feel free to give them to me. Someday, hopefully I'll learn to stand up straight, though more likely I'll just be mistaken for Quasimodo in my later years.

Day 03 - My friends and I

This was a rather difficult task for me. See I don't really have friends. Well the ones that I do have are very few in number and live far away. I don't do a lot of socializing. And then to try and find pictures with any of my friends is even harder. (And I now, there's another post with the same challenge coming up later, I may stage photos with random people.) But nevertheless I found one! Behold!

That is my dear friend and I at her baby shower several months ago. She now has an adorable little daughter. Anyways, we met way back in high school, were we swam on the swim team together. She was my conspirator in harassing JP (love you, sweetie). We also meant a great deal of time in the pool office, or locker room or anywhere talking, always talking and sharing our deep dark secrets to each other. But then we grew up. I got married and ran away. She was one of my lovely bridesmaids at my wedding. And shortly after that, she got married and ran away, like really far away, not even on the same continent far away, so the friendship and communication dropped off a bit. But she is back, though still a long drive away.

Now look back at that picture. Do you see that awesome diaper cake and diaper wreath. Yeah, I made those. I'm pretty proud of them, I think they looked awesome. So now you have to get more pictures of my craftiness.

Pretty pink diaper cake, with adorable teddy bear topper.

See those flowers, their actually rolled up baby socks. Functional and cute. 

And a diaper wreath with the leftovers. The big center flower is actually a massive headband.

Up close of the wreath decorations.

Day 02 - Blog name

My blog name really isn't that creative. It's the number of minutes in a non-leap year.  It's from the song "Seasons of Love" off of the musical Rent. I really like the song, it's about loving life and capturing every moment. That's what I originally set out to do on this blog. I started out trying to complete the challenge to take a picture everyday, a picture for every 1,440 minutes. Maybe I will take up that challenge again when I have a phone that takes good pictures, since it was difficult to remember to always carry around a camera and extra batteries. 


Season of Love
525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear.
525,600 minutes - how do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee.
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.
In 525,600 minutes - how do you measure a year in the life?
How about love? How about love? How
about love? Measure in love.
Seasons of love.

525,600 minutes! 525,000 journeys to plan.
525,600 minutes - how can you measure the life of a woman or man?

In truths that she learned,
Or in times that he cried.
In bridges he burned,
Or the way that she died....

It's time now to sing out,
the story never ends let's celebrate remember a year in the life of friends.
How about love!
How about love! How about love!
Measure in love.
Seasons of love! Seasons of love.