Happy New Year!

For New Year's Eve Kevin and I went out to a nice dinner, as is our custom since we're not really party people.  We had a leisurely meal and reflected on the past year - all the changes that happened, the high points and the low points (thankfully there were more of the former).

Some of the best things, you already have read about:

We moved to Michigan!

We got a dog!

I got to spend two weeks in Idaho this summer with friends and my whole Nothwehr family!

I ran really really fast! Twice!

Now we're looking forward to 2014.

I love New Year's Resolutions - or "goal setting" as I prefer to call it to avoid negative connotations.  It involves two of my favorite things: making lists (and sublists! And if you're lucky calendar appointments!) and fostering positive intentions. I try to set somewhat ambitious but still achievable goals, but don't get discouraged when some fall by the wayside.

So here's a sampling of what 2014 has in store for me:

1) I have been itching to do a half-ironman since watching the Boise 70.3 about 3 years ago.  In the meantime I tried a sprint triathlon, with mixed results (swimming in open water is scary!)
But I'm biting the bullet and signed up for a half-ironman distance race in Grand Rapids, Michigan this summer: http://mititanium.com.  I've already started having nightmares about the swim, but my pool sessions have been encouraging, and I'm joining the local tri-club, who does weekly open water swims once all the local open water stops being frozen over.

2) Once we move into our new home (closing on Friday!) I'm really looking forward to some homesteading.  We're inheriting some chickens (and a kick-ass coop) and I'm already plotting my veggie garden.  One of my goals is to take classes - there are organic gardening and cheese-making courses at the local community college and beekeeping classes at the botanical gardens.

3) We're going to work on training Canyon more! As in "Canyon! Don't bother those chickens!" or  "Canyon quit peeing in the garden!"

4) Reading 2 books for fun each month.  I'm already at one and a half books in 5 days, so I think this one will be manageable.

And I'll definitely try to blog more!  Including one tomorrow about French onion soup.  Hooray!