I have been a busy busy lady with my new part-time job but I wanted to give a little update on my life. I began wrapping gifts for those who hate it or don’t have time for it. It has really taken off and these days I have more than I can wrap but it’s been a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to the business that’s headed my way and I’m excited for my new venture!


Due to tomorrow being the Thanksgiving I thought I would end with the things I’m thankful for!

This year I am thankful for:

My amazing husband who never ceases to aww me and always keeps me laughing.


My job and the amazing feeling of working to make a difference each and every day. Also, my work friends!


My loyal friends who have been there through thick and thin.


My loving family that knows how to have fun!

My new beautiful home.

Exercise of choice… jazzercise. If you haven’t tried it, you should. I will soon end my fourth class to begin my fifth and must say it’s a lot of fun and surprisingly relaxing. In large part I think I’ve been fortunate to find such a wonderful instructor, Lindsay Long. She’s extremely energetic, positive and makes exercise fun. This last class I took four days a week but was only able to get into two days a week this time. I’ve enjoyed losing about 12lbs, especially if we begin trying to be parents this summer. I figure the best shape I go into a pregnancy the better I will come out. Plus, I’m a firm believer in working out to the same degree when I’m pregnant. Lindsay worked out hard all through her pregnancy and taught our class. As soon as her daughter was born she popped right back into place. I hope I experience that, if I’m fortunate enough to get pregnant!

I’ve been my usual awful blogger self. Things have been going great. Staying busy at work, projects here and there. Bradley and I are headed out of town this upcoming weekend to Glade Springs Spa for a little Valentine’s Day treat. I will be meeting my new little sister on Thursday through the Big Brother/Big Sister program. I’m stoked to meet her and pray that we connect. I know how important it has been in my life to have gained a valuable mentor when I was young and hope that I can in someway instill the things my coach brought into my life. Wish me well! Aside from losing my camera last month, hence no recent photos, I couldn’t ask for more right now. Which is really just great, I find myself these days regularly looking around to realize how wonderful and blessed my life is. This possibly could be due to my new career path… but who knows? No matter how it’s come my way, I plan to just enjoy right now!

Christmas was good to the Sumpter family. Brad and I spent a lot of time with family, eating good food and opening gifts. Santa was very good to us.

Now that the New Year is here, Brad and I hope for a lot this year. On top of my list is a new house and possibly starting a family! Lots of things will have to take place before this can happen. We’ll take it one day at a time.

To keep me busy while we work towards our new dreams we’ve already got lots of plans in 2010. This year we plan to take a few trips like Vegas to visit our friends Sean and Annika, I possibly will tag along with Brad on a business trip to Boston in June and a few other weekend trips like Glade Springs and a Carowinds trip with Brad’s family! I’m looking forward to each trip and excited to go to places I’ve never been before.

A few other things to keep me busy will be my New Years resolutions. This year I plan to become a better Christian. I plan to do this by learning more about our savior by dedicating more time to the bible. I also plan to learn, or at the very least attempt to learn, to play guitar. I plan to rent a guitar for three months and possibly teach myself. If that’s not possibly I may have to take some lessons. I’m not much of a musical person so this may be one of my far fetched ideas.

I'll keep you posted.

Turkey fever has got a hold of me! Since we are now into the second week of November I’m feeling very festive and excitingly planning for Thanksgiving. This will be my first year making a turkey. While I’m not a great cook, I think I’m capable and with the right ingredients and recipe, can do just about anything. Watch out!


At the office we have officially brought out the Christmas tunes and no I don’t think it’s too soon. The way I see it we only have two months of that Christmas spirit and it never seems like quite enough to me. I’m ready for the cold weather and have disappointingly been watching the weather in the mornings to see 60 and 70 degree weather. It’s November… I want the cold and will soon want the snow. I’m ready for the Christmas lights, trees, presents, shopping, food, family and friends!

The best parts of living in this area;

About three or four months ago I started a book club with Monique and Sarah from work. Our goal is to read a book a month and then we have a dinner meeting to discuss the book together. We currently have five or six members and are looking to expand. So if anyone is interested let me know!


So far I think the book club has been a success. It’s nice to spend time with and discuss books with others who enjoy reading. Especially since my husband doesn’t fall in that category. In the next month or so I’m hoping to pitch an idea to my book club to possibly do a fundraiser for literacy. A few years ago I worked at The United Way and learned about a really great volunteer organization called the Literacy Volunteers of the New River Valley. This non-profit helps both children and adults by improving their literacy skills.


From http://www.begintoread.com/ I found some really sad statistics on literacy.


• Literacy is learned. Illiteracy is passed along by parents who cannot read or write.
• One child in four grows up not knowing how to read.
• 43% of adults at Level 1 literacy skills live in poverty compared to only 4% of those at Level 5
• 3 out of 4 food stamp recipients perform in the lowest 2 literacy levels
• 90% of welfare recipients are high school dropouts
• 16 to 19 year old girls at the poverty level and below, with below average skills, are 6 times more likely to have out-of-wedlock children than their reading counterparts.
• Low literary costs $73 million per year in terms of direct health care costs. A recent study by Pfizer put the cost much higher.


I wanted to see if anyone had any cool fundraising ideas? We could always do a bake sale, candy sale, resale or raffle of sorts, but these are also open to their own possibilities. Let me know if anyone knows of a fundraising idea that has proven to be successful!