*NeW YEarS*

(Bethany, Benita, and I at CPK @ gateway for our New Years Eve dinner)

I love new years. Ok...wait I take that back. I love the restart of the new year. I don't like the actual holiday... I love it because it is a chance for me to reevaluate and change the things in my life that need changing. (It seems there are always a lot of things that need changing.) That is one thing that I love about life. Change is possible. Whenever you look at things in your life and you feel like they aren’t in order, you can always change things. You can pick a different path, improve, make amends. I have been thinking about new years resolutions all day today. I feel like I am in a great place in my life to make some good positive changes. New years is my starting point. My ready, set, go, line. I don’t know why, but last year I don’t think I wrote my new years resolutions down. I am really sad about this because I love going back and looking at what I’ve accomplished, what I need to improve on, what is never going to happen, and what I can try at again. Ok…so here they go.

1) Meet my fitness goals. I have been very diligent in my eating better and working out, and i feel like it's finally starting to pay off. This year I plan on getting where I want to be once and for all.

2) Run a marathon – a full one. I am planning on the Salt Lake Marathon in April. Cross your fingers for me.

3) Save Money. Why is this so hard for me. I'm just so good at spending it...

4) No candy until March 1^st. I’ve already started this one. I’m doing it with Lisa Watkins. As of Dec 26^th I have had no candy or treats. This is hopefully going to help with #1. I've done this before with my mom and sister and I love how good I feel when i don't eat treats and crap.

5) Have kneeling prayers morning and night. I can tell such a difference when I kneel to pray both morning and night. It changes my whole day. It keeps the spirit with me. It makes me better.

6) Cook more. I love to bake, but I want to cook more.

7) Be a better roommate, sister, aunt, daughter, friend etc. etc. etc.

8) Get Published. This is going to be a hard one, but one I’ve been thinking about for a long time. Eventually I really want to write a book. I’ve been writing articles for my Munch and Crunch Fitness Blog and my friends Fitness@Lunch website, and I have loved it but, I want to find a more official realm. I have always loved writing, and i'd like to test my skills...see what I can do.

9) Write in my journal weekly. I love when I can go back and read my journal entries of past, and laugh at how ridiculous I am 90% of the time. Ok…95%.

10) Start the BOM over again. I just finished it today. I’ve been reading it with my breakfast every morning and writing down my thoughts in a scripture journal. It’s been a great way to start my morning. I want to keep doing it, but I am trying to find another angle at which to study.

11) Read a conference article every day. I did this for a while, and I’ve since slacked off a bit, but I know I really benefited from it when I was valiant.

12) Go visit teaching every month. Make it a point to become friends with my girls, not just a message visit.

13) read more. Complete at least one book a month. FYI...I just read a book called The Hunger Games that was SO awesome. I definitely recommend it!

….this list is getting ever longer…I just have so many areas that I can improve.

14) Go to the temple twice a month. I would like to aim for weekly temple attendance, but I don’t know how doable that is. So I am going to say minimum twice a month. Maximum 4 times.

15) Accomplish my ridiculously long list of resolutions...