hello new year

2012 means business time. Its a new year and I think it's going to be a good one!!
We had an awesome Christmas and New Years in the gorgeous Arizona with my family. It was so nice to be in 70 degree weather and take a break from our busy work/school schedules. On Christmas Justin and I received some pretty awesome gifts from my parents and siblings. (Thank you!) We ate so well the whole week and got more than our fill of shopping. It was great!

this about sums up my family.

While driving around town I would often catch Justin looking around and saying "yeah we could live here".... Oh YES! I would love to end up back in Arizona for good.
When we finally had to leave it was 80 out as we boarded our first light back to our little house in Iowa on Sunday. We even sat across from Mitt Romney's son on our flight from Minneapolis. That Tuesday we voted in the first Caucus and were so proud that out votes really counted (even though Santorum somehow pulled out the win in the end).
We got back into the swing of things with studying for tests, working out, and trying to get out of work at a decent hour. Right before we left I was released from two of the three callings I had: Activity Days and the Relief Society Board. Then guess where they put me!? In Young Womens of course! If is kind of a scary calling for me because I don't know if I am old enough to have anything good to teach these girls but for the same reason I like being in it because I still feel like I'm a part of the Young Women. So it will be a calling that I'll stress over a lot but I am really excited about it too.
As its a new year and all, Justin and I have made some goals as a family. One goal is to start eating healthier and to workout at least three times a week. We want to have beach bodies by the time we go om my family's summer vacation to St. Thomas.

I went to this beautiful place with my family about two and a half years ago and I am so excited to go back. So Justin and I are saving our pennies and working out at the Palmer gym in hopes that by June we'll look good! I also started to go to Zumba every Saturday and love it! This same studio is where we go salsa dancing and they are opening a new studio closer to where I work. It's really exciting.

It has been a pretty mild winter here they say and I'm just fine with that. It has snowed a hand full of times and I've definitely slid both in the car and on foot a hand full of times as well. I think that this mild winter is a blessing for me and I'm grateful for boots and coats!