2013

At the end of every year, I name it. Normally by the summer, I have already determined what the year will be called. I have done this since 2009...so it's a pretty recent thing.
2009: The Year of Natasha
2010: The Year of My Mission
2011: The Year of Adjustment
2012: The Year of Change

So the real question I have is...what will this year bring for me? There are endless possibilities. As a new year comes, I'm making goals. Goals are awesome. So far, I have decided that 2 quotes will reflect my attitude this year:

Well...the full quote I wanted but couldnt find was:

"Be of good cheer. The Future is as bright as your faith." -Thomas S. Monson

and 

"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed. The fact is that most putts don't drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just ordinary people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration. Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. . . .Life is like an old-time rail journey—delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."   -Jenkin Lloyd Jones

Resolutions:
1. Handle adversity with grace; don't complain so much (aka don't be a negative natasha)
2. Re-discover being independent. Embrace solidarity. (I used to love being single and doing things on my own....but these past few years, I have changed)
3. Be more cheerful. Laugh more. Adulthood is making me too serious.
4. Stop forgetting to have morning prayers.
5. Go to the gym AT LEAST 2 times a week. preferable go 5 times...but at least 2.

My Future Home

After years of being a nomadic soul, travelling, and living out of suitcases with most of my belonging is Texas (where I spent my childhood) and a bit of stuff following me wherever I go, the time has come for me to start to look towards permanency. I love to travel and go everywhere, but I'm starting to feel ready to settle down. It's funny because for my background check for my job, I had to write down every city I've lived in the past seven years. I've lived at 10 different addresses in the last seven years. It's been an amazing adventure with every single place. Even then, settling down will have to wait because my future job requires me to relocate four times within the first 12 months I'm working there.

However, I'm starting to look to look towards the future in my old age (age is relative). The *future*...I know. I'm soon going to be living on my own, something I use to love, but now, the idea makes me nervous after 2+ years of having someone sharing a room with me. (after my mission, I chose to have a roomie to share a room and ease the transition back to the real world)  I've even been thinking about what art I want on the walls; I've been thinking a lot about what I want my future home/flat/wherever-I'm-going-to-be-place to be like. So far I've come up with two rules:

1. No alcohol, cigarettes (if you smell like cigarettes, you have to go), or coffee (gross!) allowed
2. If you stay with me, you come to church with me on Sunday

I want to have a place with an open door policy of: if I like you, you can stay with me if you can respect my rules. Everyone is invited to visit.

Home. I think of where and how I was reared. When I think of the how I grew up, I think of happiness. I think of peace; it was a place where I learned about Jesus Christ. It was a place where I could always talk to my parents about anything and everything that was going on  in my life. To others, they were always to welcoming and gracious. I want wherever I live to be a place where people can feel welcome and feel the Spirit of our Lord. I think of Joshua 24:15. I want my home to have a firm foundation in Christ, no matter where I'm located in the upcoming first 12 months of work.