A is for Alicia

I know it's totally unexpected to see two posts from me in one week, but I'm trying to do better. My aunt Susan was tagged to write a post about the letter S, and she did such an awesome job, that I'm inspired to do the same. I haven't been tagged so I think I can make my own rules, and the first thing I'm going to do is start with the letter A. I'm going to try to follow through with this for each letter of the alphabet, because after all, that would be 26 ready made post ideas. Can't beat that! So to begin, I will list as many things as I can think of that I like, that start with the Letter A.

1. Apples. I love a good crunchy sweet apple. My favorite variety this year is Honey Crisp. I tried these when they were on sale at Fred Meyer earlier this year, but normally they're pretty expensive. A couple weeks ago while in Tacoma, I noticed the sign on the Tacoma Boys market said they had Honey Crisp apples for $.99 a pound. Imagine my delight when I purchased a bag of honey crisp apples for super cheap. When Daniel and I were at the Tacoma Boys (which is a really neat place, I'm not sure exactly if it's a farmers market or a grocery store or how it's classified, but I love getting good deals there) I also got oranges for $.49 a pound, and grapes for $.99 a pound. I love it.

2. Afternoon naps. Nothing beats a cozy nap in the afternoon. Since I work all day, my only chance for a nap of this variety is the weekend, and now that we have afternoon church, that gets rid of Sunday, so Saturday is now my only day for an afternoon nap. This is sad, but it's ok. I did get a lot of afternoon naps during christmas break, so it kind of makes up for it.

3. April. This is one of my favorite months of the year. I love the beginnings of spring time when the sun reappears, and the flowers bloom. This is also my birthday month, so that also makes it fun.

4. Anticipation. I love anticipation. I've always liked Christmas Eve, and early Christmas morning before all the surprises are up. The giddy feeling of anticipation is so much fun to me.

5. Being Active. I think it has to do with the way my parents raised me, but I love to be actively doing something. On weekends, I have to get dressed and do stuff, preferably relatively early in the day, or I feel like I've wasted my whole day. I also love to be active when it comes to exercise. It feels so good to be physically active...you'd think that would be motivation enough to get to the gym every day...sometimes it's not.

6. Adventures! I haven't really had any adventures recently, but back in June when Daniel and I took our little train vacation, that was my kind of adventure. I still love talking about riding the train, and I'm currently trying to come up with another little vacation we could take for cheap. I looked into flying down to LA for Daniel's spring break and then going on a cruise to Mexico, but when everything added up, it was more pricey than I'd hoped it would be. So if anyone has any affordable getaway ideas, I'd love to hear them!

7. Animals: Mostly my cat named Wesley. He's my favorite cat. I also have always loved rabbits. When I was turning eight, I was allowed to get my first real pet, and I chose a rabbit and named her butter cup.

That's all I can think of for now. Somehow I thought that this would be a lot easier!

I saw these journal ideas on another blog, and figured it would be a good post. Eventually I'll post some pictures (after all, I did get the camera I've been hoping for, and the pictures have been taken).

Outside my window: It's very grey, and it looks really cold, I'm glad to be inside.

I am thinking: I've been thinking about a lot of things lately. Yesterday I read the transcripts from the Round Table Discussion which was broadcast during the World Leadership Training Meeting in February 2008, and it's really stuck with me. It's so full of truth, and it's one of my favorite things to read and re-read over and over again. It's all about eternal families, and each section is wonderful. For those interested, it's available here. It's a long one, but I promise you it's good. My favorite part is the section titled "Bearing Children in Faith". I love the comparison to paying tithing.

I am thankful for: the wonderful people that surround me. I love living close to my parents and extended family, and Daniel's family. I'm also grateful for the friends we've made in our ward over the last year. It's one of my favorite things to spend time with those I love.

I am wearing: My favorite work pants. I love the pants cause they're the most stylish, but they are not the most comfortable...I'm also wearing a not so favorite sweater. My work wardrobe could really use some touch ups...so could my general wardrobe, but that's a whole separate post!

I am creating: a new post for my neglected blog. If I had a working computer at home, I might post more frequently, but again, my lap top has given up. Hopefully Daniel will get to fixing it sometime!

I am going: I'm already at work for the day, and I'll be here till 5:00. After that Daniel and I are going to the gym (assuming he remembers to bring my mp3 player). Then we're going to go home and have dinner, and maybe watch an episode of House. That's pretty much our usual routine!

I am reading: Right now I'm in the middle of three books. I'm almost done with White Oleander, but it got overly depressing, so I haven't actually finished it yet. Someday maybe. It's sitting on the edge of my kitchen table as a constant reminder that it was left unfinished. I'm also in the middle of John Grisham's The Appeal. This is a little more interesting, and I'm actively reading it right now. The third book is the Book of Mormon. I think I'm always in the middle of that one somewhere.

I am hoping: I'm hoping for guidance and answers as Daniel and I contemplate the big scary decisions of our future. The words of Church Leaders make me feel peaceful and calm (probably why I keep re-reading the article I mentioned earlier). I know there are a lot of decisions to make, ie. house? baby? education? car? etc. and it will all work out, but it's a little intimidating being in the thick of it.

I am hearing: the printer, and other office noises. Blogging at work? You betcha! At this moment, I have nothing better to do. We're past the first two weeks of school (which were crazy busy with overtime etc.), but things will be gearing up again tomorrow, as we start processing student's financial aid refunds. This will be a good thing for us, because for Daniel, free tuition+financial aid= refund!

Around the house: Since I'm not there, I can only assume that right now there's a husband who's studying and two kitties who are most likely sleeping. The house is not spotless, but it's not a disaster yet...After all, it's only Wednesday.

One of my Favorite things: Right now one of my favorite things are Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches. They're healthy and delicious and perfect for dessert!

Plan for the rest of the week: Work, exercise, relax. Friday we're going to visit Daniel's family, and Saturday we're going to the temple. It's going to be a good weekend!