another year

At the beginning of this year, I said I was going to do a lot of things. Now, it's time to see how I did and plan for the upcoming year. 

So a little recap for 2012…

live healthier

Yes. I've lived one of the healthiest years of my life, but not really because I've done so well with eating healthy or because I've worked out every day…because I haven't…it's more because my mindset changed. I'm conscious of what I'm eating and doing. I know that nachos aren't a food group, but they are delicious and I'm going to indulge in them every once in a while. I don't believe in depriving yourself, but as the year has passed, I've grown more responsible for what I'm putting into my body and how active I am, and I'm healthier because of it…both physically and mentally.

create more

Yes. I did some freelance work for a while, created simple design work for my Etsy account, and learned to crochet. I dove into several DIY projects, including making some Halloween decorations for the door using stuff I had laying around the house. Creating things has helped make me less stressed, but has definitely made our house a little messier.

start planning the wedding

Yes! In case you didn't know, I'm engaged now. Weird! So now I'm officially planning the wedding for September. 

get a bike

Nope. Where we live really isn't conducive to bike riding. We basically live on a strip mall, so a bike might be dangerous. Maybe next year…

plant a garden

Yes. Kinda. I started some plants in containers, because when I tried to dig up a part of the yard, I found that the dirt was basically clay. Not really good for plants. So I had several plants on the porch. Some grew nicely, some didn't. And any time I had to leave to go out of town and leave Kyle to take care of them, he would forget to water them and they'd dry up and be dust when I came home. So again, maybe next year…

volunteer

Nope. I did take a part time job working for a nonprofit organization, though. But yeah, not really volunteering because I get paid.

start running

Yes! I haven't kept it up like I'd hoped, but I participated in two 5Ks with Kyle and my family and friends. Super fun. And I got a North Face jacket for Christmas, so no excuses about the weather being too cold now! 

write more letters

Yes. I joined something called moreloveletters.com, but I need to keep it up!

learn to take a compliment

Kinda. I'm working on it. I honestly think about this all the time and make a conscious effort to take one gracefully. But yeah, I still need some work.

learn to be patient

Kinda. Kyle would probably argue with me here. Some things just don't require a fit of impatience, and I'm trying to deal with that.

write more

Kinda. I have written less blog posts this year, but I've written more in other ways. For instance, I started writing about the conversations that Kyle and I have before we fall asleep. I'd try to remember them each morning and type them into a document. Sometimes they are sweet, and sometimes they are hilarious/ridiculous. I've found that to be a nice way to keep track of memories and allow me to write some each day. I need to keep that up, too.

travel more

Kinda. We went to Nashville and Savannah, and we've driven back to Huntington about a bajillion times. So I guess that counts. 

pay off credit cards

Yes. Well, two of them are paid off, and I still have two more. Progress, I guess.

update blog

Kinda. I decided to create a new website altogether, so that's what I'm working on now. I'm hoping to have it up in the next couple of months!

read a book a week

Nope. I would say I read a book about every month. Which is NOT what I wanted to do. Work harder on this one, for sure.

be more thoughtful

Kinda. Since Kyle is basically the only person I see on a daily basis, this mostly relates to him. I try to remember to do tiny things for him that will make his day nicer or easier, but I definitely need to do this more. And I think I should make a bigger effort to text or call or send people things in the mail, just to let them know I'm thinking of them. 

love deeper

Yes. As you grow up, I feel like you realize how important your people are more and more. I have never loved Kyle more than I do right now, and I will probably love him more with each day we are together. And my family and friends…I can't say enough about them. Being away from them makes me love them more all the time, because I've realized how much I need them. 

read bible/pray more

Kinda. I pray a lot more than I used to, but I still don't read very much. I've got to make time for that. 

be more organized

Kinda. Kyle is really good at organizing things. I'm not. But I've done an okay job at making sure things have a place…even if that place is the coffee table.

drink more water

Yes. Absolutely. I have finally started drinking enough water consistently, and now, if I go a day without drinking very much of it (like at Christmas, when it was all coffee, iced tea, and coke zero), I almost feel sick. And my skin is dry. And I wake up feeling like I'm stranded in the Sahara. So yeah. I get an A for water drinking.

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Overall, I give myself a C. Not that great. If this were high school and this were a real report card, I might have cried. But whatever. I'm not going to forget about these goals for 2013. I have new goals, plus my old ones, so I guess I'll be busy again this year. 

For 2013…

I feel like all of these are pretty self-explanatory, and mostly just extensions of last year's. But "stop keeping score" is definitely going to be a hard one.

I've realized this year, that I like to keep score. If Kyle asks me to do something, I sometimes come back with "I did it last time" or "It's your turn." I'm not really sure why it even matters, but I do this. And I don't like that about myself. It goes beyond "turns," too. I'll even say "I swept the floors, so you can change the lightbulb." That's just not how I should go about things. It's like I want recognition for mundane crap that doesn't matter. Who wants to hang out with someone like that? So I'm going to try to work on that this year. 

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New Year's Eve may seem stressful sometimes, but it's a time of hope and opportunity and change. It's a new year and now is the time to make a change if you want one. 

I hope everyone's evening is fun and safe, and that 2013 looks bright for you.

Cheers!

love.

krq.