My excuse is I need an outlet...

I really shouldn't be blogging right now.

I really should be doing a million other things right now like a) wash dinner dishes, b) clip my nails, c) prepare stuff for church, d) call my family, e) write Elder Abel Wilkins, f) turn off the DVD menu which has repeated for like the 13th time, g) finish a quilt, h) eat some more cake or i) put the cake away so as to remove the need to do "h", j) remove the 25 lbs. of folders, papers, books, and other miscellaneous unknown objects from the back of my car, or k) sneak a snapshot of my napping husband. But, life is short AND right now I need a mental outlet for my seemingly never-ending, crazy, busy, don't have time to eat, sleep, or bathe life.

Yes, I need an outlet. Period.

I really am not complaining. I really am grateful for the many, many doors which have opened up to me in the last 2 weeks. Between home, school, work, and church, my life has been filled with incredible new (and challenging) experiences which I know I will be even more grateful for at some future point in my life.

Soooo,here's the topic of my outlet today:

Top 10 Recent Realizations Signaling
The Fact That I AM GETTING OLDER

10. My laugh lines don't exactly disappear when my laugh does

9. I feel lucky if I get my teeth brushed and my hair combed before I leave my house

8. I tear up at any and every church event

7. Sleep is dearer to me than ever before

6. Some of my Young Women were born when I was in Young Women

5. I get strange looks when I bust out the Adri dance moves at the youth dances

4. I consider the best gifts to be Target gift certificates, sewing supplies, and chocolate

3. I like pink

2. I eat late in the morning AND late at night

1. I spend my free time blogging.

And, since I got a saweet memory capturing device for Christmas (compliments of my awesumm mommy-N-law) I will end this post with some saweet pictures of me, J, and the cat. FYI, the goal this year is to include lots of saweet pics with my posts.

Okay, they we mostly of me...but doesn't the cat look sooooo cute?!

--A

Can you tell I got a camera for Christmas?

I love days off. Today, J and I went to Tuzigoot National Monument to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine and patronize local cultural history.

Did you notice I discovered the "collage" feature on Picaso Picture? Yeah, it's like pretty awesummmm man....

On a side note, it's been a while since my last top 10 list. Here's the latest:

Top 10 Reasons Why Blogging May Be Hard To Come By In The Upcoming Months

10. I'm in my last semester of school...wohooo!

9. I'm still working (part-time of course)...that deserves another wohoo!

8. I may try to exercise more often.

7. I've found I enjoy reading other people's blogs more so than writing on mine.

6. I just got called to be the new Young Women's President for our ward.

5. Life is exciting right now, but not in a blog-worthy way.

4. I'm running out of blogging material.

3. My computer is drastically aging and can only operate at maximum speed for about 15 minutes...much too short for my blog posts.

2. I may be extra lazy to compensate for my extra hectic schedule.

1. I want to actually DO stuff this year instead of dreaming/writing/coveting about it.

As my first post for this year, I want to wish the best to my blogging buddies/relatives/persons vaguely interested in my life. Here's to 2010!

--A

Special Delivery: A Belated Merry Christmas!

Here's a message for all our family and friends in which I missed sending a physical newsletter this year...

The Ragan Family

Annual Stakeholders Report

December 2009

Dear Family & Friends,

We can’t believe another year has come and gone! We hope all of you are doing well in your health, jobs, and families. We miss all of you dearly, and we can’t wait until we can visit you sometime soon...

In retrospect, much of the past 12 months seems like a big blur, but hopefully, we can try to capture some of its highlights. Here’s what each of us have been up to:

Justin

The old man has been incredibly busy with his new job in Camp Verde. Much of his work has been patrolling the forest/desert roads and trails on his (beloved) KTM dirt bike. He has also spent a good deal of time fixing things, cleaning things, and keeping the peace between people in the woods. Outside of work, he has enjoyed his spare time fishing, bicycling, hiking, and hunting with Dad.

Adriane

The old lady has been busy working for the Forest Service’s public affairs shop, finishing her master’s degree, and various responsibilities at church. She has especially enjoyed working on her new quilting hobby, cooking tasty recipes, and teaching hula to the ladies at church. She dreams of the day when her domestic skills can further expand with the addition of kids and her own house.

Beetle

The little (big) man has been busy eating Science Diet cat food, scratching the kitchen table leg post, and chasing various kitty toys across the floor. This past year he reached his milestone year of adulthood.

Well, this pretty much sums things up. We wish all of you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

With love,

The Ragans