New Year, New Us!

With 2013 being a complete whirlwind of ups and downs, the hubs, along with my family are hoping for a boring, uneventful 2014. I still have a few things to check off my "Emily beats breast cancers ass" list including:

•  Herceptin treatments every three weeks through November-ish 2014 
•  Fills for the foobs
•  Reconstruction sometime at the end of summer
•  To nip or not to nip?
•  Port removal at the end of 2014
•  Follow up doctor appointments

But that stuff is NOTHING compared to what I have already accomplished and I'm thinking it will be a walk in the park! Looking back on 2013, I would have to say it was not bad at all. Although there were times through my fight against breast cancer that I was depressed, pissed, sad and mad, I feel that my positivity and determination greatly outweighed the opposite.

My diagnosis changed the way I look at most situations. I take pleasure in the little things: a morning cup of coffee with my mom, sitting on my couch with my June-bug and the hubs under a big comfy blanket, sushi dates with my friends, having both my parents around to spend time with. Cancer has affected me in so many ways that it can be overwhelming at times, but it has given me the ability to truly see the positive in ANY negative situation. I have learned that your life can be turned upside down in a matter of moments, so to enjoy the time you have with people and soak in those moments like you soak in the sun on a warm summer day!

The hubs and I have so many projects planned for this upcoming year that I cannot wait for the first break in the weather and for it to warm up!!

We are planning on replacing our windows because they are original, old, we can literally feel a breeze blowing in when they are closed and this:

Yup, that is the frame NOT attached to the window and boy do we love it!  So we are replacing them all in March (weather permitting).  There will be nine windows total that we will be replacing and I can't wait to see the difference in our energy bill when it's all done!  We do have some projects around the house that we are planning on attacking over the next month or so, but cannot wait to attack the outside!!

Here is a sneak peak of what we have started:

 And...like most Americans we are making our own resolutions that we will be taking care of. We want to be more healthy, including exercising more and portion control. We actually did have a good handle on that before I was diagnosed, but then once we found out the bad news, we didn't have time, nor the energy to focus on what we ate. (Plus chemo makes almost everything taste terrible. The only food that had any decent taste was pasta and donuts. Not together.) Yay me. I do have to say though that I lost 7 pounds initially after my first chemo, then gained and lost within that 7 pounds, but I would like to lose about 15 pounds and tone up some.

How are we going to do this whole healthy lifestyle you may ask?!

• Portion control 
• No regular soda 
• Healthy eating 
• More exercise
• More water 

 You'd think that would be easy as pie, but with both of us having rotating schedules and working goofy hours, it is a little difficult...but at least we have a plan. So that makes us one step ahead of where we were. 


Looking at everything that the hubs and I have been through this year and succeeded with, I'm thinking that:

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2014!!