The traditional New Year's post, 4 days late. :)

{Last night, I got to dress up for a bit with my favorite guy. Pretty cute, huh?}

At the end of each year, I get very pensive as I reflect over all that I've been through and accomplished. I felt like 2012 was a big year for us. First full year married, a big cross-country move, new jobs. It was crazy in the best way. 2013, on the other hand, threw us for a loop. It was a tough year, if I'm being completely honest. Living far away from friends and family, financial stress from the cost of living in NJ, packing up to move back to Texas only 10 short months later, and readjusting to life in Texas. The growing pains were real, y'all.

So as we (thankfully) neared the end of 2013, Luke and I did some talking about goals for 2014. A fresh slate; our chance to start over. I love new beginnings and praise the Lord that His mercies are new every morning.

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. Thet are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him." Lamentations 3:22-24

Here are a few of our goals for 2014. As you can tell, we plan on making it a great year!

*Sara: Complete 16-17 MBA hours

*Sara: Run 2nd half marathon (registered for the Bearathon in Waco in March!)

*Luke: Run 2nd Tough Mudder

*Luke & Sara: Family vacation this summer (almost booked)

*Luke & Sara: Pay off remaining debt (we're starting year 3 of this goal!)

* Luke & Sara: Really commit to saving money towards a down payment for our first house

*Health/weight goals and career goals are a must too, but we won't get in to the nitty gritty ;)

So there you go friends and family. Now hold us to it!

2014 begins for me with 6 straight weeks of Tuesday through Thursday travel for work; it's a bittersweet feeling. It's no secret that I love my job, but it's also hard being away from Luke and the pups that much. But the best part is that I work with an awesome team of people who are all on the same schedule and it's definitely helps us bond/make it through the craziness. If you get the chance, please say a prayer for traveling mercies for me, as I'll be putting a lot of miles on a few rental cars and airplanes this Jan/Feb.

Cheers to a great 2014!

Lately.

 

Let's not talk about how I haven't blogged in for.eh.ver. It's bad enough that I feel two months behind without you pointing it out ok? Let's just pick back up right where we left off...;)

 

The last couple of months have been a whirlwind for The Hinton's! The last time I blogged, my busy season at work was just starting to pick up and Luke and I were trying to settle back in to life in Texas. As much as I would have loved to blog about all that's been going on these last 8 weeks or so, I just simply have not had the time. So, here is a brief recap...

 

-We're currently living in Hallettsville in a rent house my parents own while saving to buy a house.

-I just finished a two-week traveling spree in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas for work.

-Luke is working for my dad right now while we get through the tax season (Mom, Dad, Luke, and I all currently work for the same company. Something I NEVER thought I'd say/type, ha!).

-We took a trip back up to New Jersey in early November for a little work and a little play. It was so great to see our friends and to take in some real fall weather.

-Luke and I ate 5 Thanksgiving meals this year to make up for not being home for the holidays last year (at least, that is my excuse for eating that much green bean casserole).

-I just wrapped up my first semester of grad school, thought it would be a great idea to take a 4-week wintermester class, and then dropped the class 2 days in. What was I thinking?! Momentary lapse of judgment via lack of sleep.

-Luke and I froze our tails off in Waco at the Big 12 Championship game, but it was so worth it to be at the last football game at The Case. Can't wait for next season in the new stadium!

-Instead of Christmas presents this year, my family has decided to go on a family vacation this summer. I know it's a cruise (before baby bucket list anyone? yay!), but I'm not sure if we're headed to Jamaica or the Bahamas. Either way, I'm stoked!!

-The pups are good and are enjoying the Texas sunshine, but they are in desperate need of haircuts. As soon as we get this taken care of, I'll post some pics for you.

-The Hinton's 2014 Christmas Card = Fail. Who wants a Happy New Year card? *womp, womp*

-I've decided to start taking classes at the local health & fitness center and today's bootcamp class just might put this grandma into the nursing home. Can't.move.

 

So as you can see, we're still here. Just a little sleep deprived. :) Here's to hoping I get to start blogging more regularly again. I've definitely missed it!

Where do you even begin an "update" post when you haven't blogged in 6 weeks??

Are you wondering if I'm still alive? Maybe not, since I'm sure there are all of about two people that even keep up with my blog anymore. I've been a terrible blogger the last few weeks (six and a half, to be exact!) and I feel terrible about this. Mostly, I feel like I've neglected myself. SO much life has happened since I last posted on my blog and I love the way writing allows me to sort through my thoughts and write about life experiences that I always want to remember. I've missed my blog!

Ok, it's time to catch you all up! Where to begin...

Well, the last time you heard from me, Luke and I were still in New Jersey. This is no longer the case! Over Labor Day weekend, Luke, I, and the pups packed up our apartment and car and drove 1700 miles from New Jersey back to Texas. It was crazy y'all, but waaay better of a trip than either of us expected. The pups did great and we were even able to stay the first night with friends in North Carolina, which was a HUGE blessing. We made it to Texas just in time for a Labor Day BBQ with my parents on Monday evening and it was the best welcome home possible!

After our first night in Texas, we got back in the car and headed down to Corpus Christi for a few days to catch up with family and friends. We had many lunch, dinner, and coffee dates with friends and family over those four days and it felt so good to be back in South Texas! I don't think I had realized how much I'd really missed my old stomping grounds until we were back. Luke, on the other hand, kept saying, "I love it here. I'm never leaving again. Why did we leave Texas in the first place?" Ha! Saying this Texas boy is happy to be home would be an understatement. :)

As if life hadn't been enough of a whirlwind up to this point, that next Saturday I hopped on a plane to Vegas for my company's annual convention. I spent almost an entire week in Vegas attending general sessions, meetings, break out sessions, and a trade show, although the pictures below don't quite depict this, ha! Lucky for me, I work with an amazing group of people that know how to both work and play hard. We had a great convention and I just know this next year of work is going to be the best yet!

 

(P.S. Luke stayed in Texas while I was in Vegas and helped my dad get a few things done around the house and ranch. He's the best son-in-law!)

Since I've gotten home from Vegas (about two weeks ago), work and school have both picked up like crazy! Between my job and taking two courses this semester, I feel like I'm talking marketing and information systems 24/7. Over the next six weeks, I'll travel to Houston, the Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio, Austin, West Texas, and New Jersey (twice!). Throw a couple of quizzes and mid-terms in there and this girl has a full plate! But I must confess that I'm loving it and I'm so glad that I decided to go back to school for my MBA when I did.  As stressful as some days can be, I know that I'm right where I'm supposed to be. 

 

{Left to right: homework, working from my parents' house while the baby sister studies, my 1 year appreciation gift from my company}

 

So, I think that's about the best recap/update I can give you guys at this time. There are quite a few questions I haven't answered, such as, "Where are you and Luke living?" and "What's Luke up to these days?" But answers to these questions will have to wait for a later date. Let's just say both are a work in progress and that God is good. Once I have more updates, I'll share, I promise. :)

 

Hope you had a great weekend!

One day at a time.

Moving...As you could possibly expect, life has been a little crazy around here lately. If you didn't read my previous post, I was offered the opportunity to relocate back to Texas and Luke and I are moving back in a little over 5 weeks. It took a few days for the dust to settle (we jumped straight into budgeting moving expenses, figuring out where we're going to live, etc.), but I'm feeling really great as everything is falling into place for the big move!

{Ha! This made me laugh. via}

Work...Everything is going great, but soon I'll be shoulder-deep in transitioning from my current territory in the northeast down to my new territory in the southwest. This will include me helping train someone new to take over my old position AND me being somewhat trained for my new position (although the latter should take less time). I've got a work trip to Vegas in September, one in New Jersey in October, and another in Florida in November. This girl is going to be on the MOVE! And this doesn't include my many shorter distance trips to Houston, Austin, San Antonio, West Texas, and the Rio Grande Valley throughout the fall. Summer is almost over y'all and this means work is about to kick into a whole new gear of busy! 

{via}

School...One thing I haven't talked about on the blog just yet is school. Back before we had any idea about being relocated, I decided that it was time for me to go back to school for my MBA. This is something I've always wanted to do, but the timing just hadn't been right until now. Back in June, I was accepted into UT Dallas' Naveen Jindal School of Management Professional MBA program. This program feels like it was created for my unique work and travel schedule. It might take me three years to finish it, but I can't wait to get started and to someday have my MBA!

{My sweet friend sent me this after she found out I got into grad school. Love her!}

Luke...This guy is amazing, y'all. I've been so grateful to have him by my side as we've decided to relocate back to Texas and make another huge life transition. He's wrapping up work in NJ and has already started the process job hunting in Texas. Please say a prayer for us as he goes through this process! God is already opening doors and we just want to be prayerful and faithful as we seek His will for this next step in Luke's career. Also, Luke is the mastermind behind all things moving (renting the truck, planning the route, budgeting the cost, etc.) and I'm so thankful for this! As you can see, this girl has A LOT on her plate as is. And at the end of the day, this guy lets me cry, scream, laugh, and just talk it all out as I self-induce panic attacks when thinking too much about all of these big changes.

I'm just taking it all one day at a time. But I must say, these temps in the mid-60s sure are helping make this week a lot less stressful. It's like a tease for fall, pumpkin spice lattes, and baked apple pie candles (I can't wait!).

Hope your Thursday is blessed. :) 

That time I was given a free iPad.

That title got your attention right? I mean, how does someone just get a free iPad? Well, I did! And there is definitely a cool story behind it.  :)

In December, I had a great opportunity to travel with my manager and another rep from the station to Phoenix, Arizona for a sales training. Cordillera Communications, the company that owns the TV station I work for, sent new hires from it's 13 TV stations around the country to participate in a Jim Doyle Upgrade Selling seminar. Jim Doyle & Associates is an amazing team of sales and marketing consultants who teach companies, business owners, and TV reps like myself to increase the results of advertising. I can honestly say that after 2 days of training, my brain was on advertising overload! I took a ton of notes and soaked up every opportunity to learn from these professionals and their real-world experience. I also loved getting to know other reps that work for the same company I do, just in other states. Overall, this was a great experience.

 {I had my own hotel room for two nights. King bed all to myself = fabulous!}

{Dinner in Downtown Tempe on our first night}

{I woke up to mountains. This was a different experience for this Texas girl}

{Amber, myself, and our new friend from Lafayette, Heather, out at dinner with the entire group on the second night}

{The KRIS team with Jim Doyle}

So now, I'm sure you're wondering about the iPad. We're almost there!

On the first full day of training, the president of Cordillera Communications, who was also in Phoenix with us, took a few minutes around 10 a.m. to get all of the TV stations on one conference call. The purpose of this call was to announce the winners of the 2011 President's Club Award. The winners of this award are recognized for their many accomplishments throughout the year, may it be meeting and going beyond their goals/budget, billing outstanding numbers of new business, etc. It was announced that these winners would not only be receiving a plaque with their names on it, but would also be receiving a new iPad 2 from the company! Whoa!!! I thought this was a pretty sweet deal for those winners and even sweeter when all of a sudden, MY NAME WAS ANNOUNCED! I was floored. What? I won?? I mean, I had had a great year and I work for great people who have taught me so much and believe in me (which I truly believe is a key to success), but I definitely wasn't expecting to win such a cool award. And this is how I won a free iPad.:)

Crazy, huh? The iPad arrived yesterday and I love it! I'd like to think this is God's way of rewarding me for planting my feet firmly where He has called me and persevering through what has been a huge learning curve professionally in 2011. It felt really good to be reminded that hard work pays off. :)

{Hello iPad 2}

Confession: I've been a bad blogger (but a good unpacker!)

I have severely ignored my blog over the last month or so, and I feel pretty bad about it. Yes, I've posted maybe once or twice a week, but it's just been little updates here and there. I haven't written my sponsor highlights yet and I haven't gotten back to a couple of people that have contacted me about guest posting. For this, I'm sincerely sorry. Life has just been nuts! But I'm back and ready to make it up to everyone. Be looking for sponsor highlights THIS WEEK and for me to be posting more regularly!! Ok, now that I have gotten that off my chest, I'm going to give you all a glimpse into what has been going on around here. :)

As my last blog post told you, we've moved! This is my first full weekend in the house and I have spent the entire day unpacking boxes, doing laundry, and hanging up wall decor. I must say, I'm pretty proud of my progress!

 {Our bedroom. Not much on the walls yet, but I'll get there!}

{Our HUGE closet! This "room" alone makes living at camp worth it!}

{Our new Ikea kitchen table and chairs}

{Living room #1}

{Living room #2. Sorry for the bright sun coming through the window}

I'm still adjusting to life out at the camp. Although I spent multiple summers working out here during college, living out here as a wife is a whole new ball game. Brooklyn and I have watched three movies on Netflix today (The American President, Father of the Bride, and some Hillary Duff movie that was never popular) because there isn't really much else going on. We also went for a walk and I went for an evening run. I'm sure I'll get used to this slower pace on the weekends, but today was definitely an adjustment.

Work, oh work. I wish I could just write and write about all of the madness that my job has been for me the last couple of weeks. Here is the short version: I was offered a new job. I wasn't looking and had no intention of leaving my current job. But I learned more about this new position and things just started moving. The new job really wanted me to come work for them; my current job really wanted me to stay. I had so many variables to weigh and in the long run had to make the decision that best moved me toward my long-term professional goals. And I decided to stay at my current job. :) This past week I was challenged to make some tough decisions, learn some big lessons, and set new (higher!) professional goals for myself. I really believe this situation/experience was God preparing me for something greater in the future and I'm excited to see where He takes me on this journey!

Luke has also been seeing some cool advancements at work. After one of the directors at the camp moved to take a new job, some re-organizing went down and Luke has taken on some new responsibility at work. Yay for promotions! Also, a group of men that travel and build buildings/office furniture/etc. for Christian organizations built a new desk that has been put in Luke's office, which is a pretty cool upgrade for him. God's blessings are just overwhelming us right now!

(This guy is one of the hardest workers I know!}

So you see, life has been pretty hectic. But beautiful, none the less. I can't wait for the upcoming 3-day week, Thanksgiving with both mine and Luke's families, a weekend of Christmas shopping in Houston, and buying our first Christmas tree as a married couple (all things that will be happening before next Sunday)!

Hope you all are having a blessed weekend. :)

Christmas Reflections

{Christmas Eve 2010} 

I feel like I haven't blogged in forever, even though it has only been a little over a week. But I mean, I guess I should cut myself some slack. It has been a little crazy with Christmas and all! I just want to start this post out by saying that I hope you all had a very merry Christmas and are looking forward to a blessed and happy new year. Both accompanied by family, friends, and other loved ones, of course. :)

The last few days have been filled with of some of the best food I've ever eaten in my life, holiday traditions that have continued to be some of the last constants from my childhood to now, my four "sides" of the family (including Luke's), and I must admit, some very fabulous Christmas presents! It has always been a personal goal of mine to take some time alone during the holidays to reflect on what this time of the year truly represents for us as Christians. More than good food, family, traditions, or presents, I'm in awe that God would so perfectly plant Himself in our flesh on Earth to save a people that didn't understand or want to accept who He was and still is. This love moves my soul and overwhelms me in a way that nothing else can. Most of all, I have been thankful for God's perfect gift this holiday season.

This year, I can proudly say that this was a Christmas full of "grown-up" presents! Luke and I had a great time opening joint gifts that will go in our future house! My parents bought us a flat-screen TV that Luke has (of course) already set up and plugged his Xbox in to at my apartment (don't even get me started, ha!). I was also given a wonderful vacuum that has worked wonders in my apartment already. Thanks mom!! Emily bought me the most perfect wine rack and Claire gave me a bunch of knick knacks for my kitchen from Ikea. My Aunt Amy gave me a gift card to Bed Bath & Beyond, which I proceeded to spend the day after Christmas. It was already burning a whole in my pocket! I bought a blender and some organizing racks for my kitchen cabinets. Don't worry now. I know that I need to be patient because with getting married comes wedding showers with which you receive many of these gifts. But these were a couple of things I've been needing for a while. Just call me Susie Homemaker. :)

Speaking of wedding, Christmas day was exactly 6 months until mine and Luke's wedding!!! Mom and I did a little wedding planning/talking over the break, so be looking for some wedding updates soon! I'm getting really excited because all of my ideas are coming together. Now, I just need to get some of my to-do list checked off!

For those of you that still have more time off from work or school, consider yourselves extra blessed (and envied!). For those of you who, like me, have to go back to work tomorrow, God bless us all. I know I'm going to need an extra boost in the morning! It's always so hard to go back to work or school after such a fun holiday.

Have a blessed last week of 2010!!!