New Year, New Goals

One of our below zero mornings this week!

Happy 2013!  Things have been crazy busy around our house with the holidays.  Christmas with an almost 2-yr-old is so fun!  The week that the kids had off school was exhausting between the chaos of a houseful and the constant taxiing (is that a word?) of kids to friends and the ski resort.  I am so glad that my kids are able to experience skiing as kids...  it is something I never did until college, and while my husband and I spent the first 6-months of marriage as relatively unemployed ski bums, I never fell in love with downhill skiing.  As a result, our family has never been a ski family.  But when you live in the mountains of Utah, you gotta learn!  Part of the culture here that we can embrace.  :)

I decided this year that I would only resolve to a few new habits at a time, since my previous attempts at new resolutions failed miserably by mid-January.  My goals for January are:

• remember to write 2013 on the checks when I pay them this month- well, there is always 2014!
• use my elliptical machine or run on all school days- this entails getting up at 5:30 AM
• clean off my kitchen table daily
• register for the local 15K (9.3 miles) race on Memorial Day weekend (still looking for the half-marathon that I'll do this year)- this is my accoutability and motivation for the exercise :)
• finish Rudy's agility career (do GSD ever do agility past age 8?)

That's it!  So far, I love getting up at 5:30.  I feel so energized and I LOVE having some time to myself and to get ahead of the day before the constant supervision of Toddler M starts.  I did have to move my bedtime up a 1/2 hour to get enough sleep, which my teenage daughter finds to be ridiculously early.  I like my kitchen so much better with the table clean!  This may inspire next month's new routine...  (more on that later).

It looks like we will be getting our next Guide Dog puppy in the next week or two.  Still a female Black Lab;  no other info yet.  I have to admit that I have really enjoyed having only 3 dogs.  The house does not feel like it has gone to the dogs (although we did have to remove one of the dog beds from the main room to accomodate a play kitchen that L'il M got for Christmas).  The dogs seem to enjoy having the extra attention and getting non-GDB approved play in the house (and treats from Grandpa who was here earlier this week).  But, just when I question whether I should take a bit of a break from raising, I read or hear something that confirms the need and value of puppy raisers, like this post from Becky.  So, we will contiue to open our hearts and homes to the little bundles of energy (and much joy!). 

Just do it!

No, this is not a plug for Nike.  Although I really like Nike, and the concept of "just doing it", but I digress. 
This is not an amazing revelation, but sometimes we just need the cold, hard truth spoken clearly.  To run, you have to put your shoes on and get out there and do it.  To have a clean house, no magic "system" will clean it for you.  You still have to do the work.  To teach your dog to do, or not do something, you have to put the time into that training.  Seems we all look for the magic pill to do our dirty work.  Here's to getting dirty!

Getting real...

I have yet to make this writing thing a regular therapy for myself, although what I do write leads to me thinking about the answers to some of the things I am going through.  I am not sure why I am lead to share publicly that which probably belongs in a journal, but maybe someone has a kindred story...  I guess i just feel led to do it this way.  Life has seasons, some that are incredible, some that just kind of stink.  With faith and perspective, one can always count on things to return to that happy median.

I have set some short-term goals to jump-start the care and keeping of myself.  These include:

• Running 4-5 days a week, with a goal of a half-marathon by June 2013.  The more I thought about what my personal goals should be, the more I realized how necessary this one was.  It makes a HUGE difference in my life.  I feel better, look better ;), drink more water, less coffee, have more patience, and sleep better.  I have figured out how to fit it into my day between the toddler and homeschooling the 5th grader.  Yahooo!!
• Get back to regular church attendance (need I really explain this one?)
• Read more books (currently have Highly Sensitive Child, Unglued, Not Just a Fan on my list, but I need a good dog read.  Let me know if you have a suggested doggie read!
• Blog! Maybe even let someone know I am doing it.. :)
• Finish Rudy's agility career.  As a GSD, age 7, his time for running and jumping are becoming short.  Speed has always been our weak point, but we'll never know if he can become an Excellent agility titled dog until we give it a try.

That's where it's at for now.  It may change with the New Year, to a degree.  Have you begun to think of your goals for 2013?