To resolve or not to resolve, that is the question

Ahh, resolutions. Those pesky promises we make to ourselves at the start of a new year- to lose weight, to spend less, to call home a little more often. You know the drill and you also know that by March, your new treadmill is serving more as a laundry rack and your attempts to budget are on hold until the Christmas bills are paid.

So why do we make resolutions in the first place?

The answer to that became very clear to me today. We resolve to do better, to be better, because even if we fail, we're still a little better than we were before. And a little better is still better, right?

If I resolve to save $1000 but I only manage to bank $500, I'm still 500 better off than I was before. If I resolve to lose 10 pound but I only lose 5, I'm still a little more healthy and a little more happy than I was before. I guess it all boils down to this: whether you move a step, a jump, or a leap, you're still moving toward something better.

I think a large part of keeping resolutions is accountability and tracking. That's where you come in! I'm hoping that if I publish my resolutions here and talk about them from time to time, I'll be more likely to keep them. So, here they are... my 2013 resolutions.

I resolve to do a random act of kindness each day. Yesterday, I left coupons on products at Wal-Mart. (There's nothing wrong with a little head start, right?) Today,  I rented the movie Robert wanted instead of the chick flick I wanted. I'm not sure if that really counts as a RAK but given that his movie picking privileges were revoked after the last movie he chose, I think it should.

I resolve to save more money. I'm sure I need a concrete value on this one but I haven't gotten that quite figured out yet.

I resolve to move more and eat less junk. Since Robert got home, I've put on a few pounds and it's time to get the jiggle out of my middle. I can't say I'll work out every day or that I'll get back on the P90X or Insanity bandwagons but I'm going to do something, even if it's just chasing Chet around in the yard. And eat less junk? Yeah, we'll see how well the posterchild for 'I love cold pizza and brownies for breakfast' does with that one! :)

Again this year, I resolve to try new things. I am such a creature of habit- I park on the same row every time I go to the store, I order the same thing when I eat out, I wear the same outfits every week. I am starting to think maybe I'm boring! I resolve to branch out, spend a little more time outside the box, and to see what I'm missing.

And finally, I resolve to think a little longer before I respond, to be a little more open-minded, and to be a little more patient. I am usually running around in a hurry, trying to multi-task and do too many things at once. I tend to want everyone to move at the same speed of blur that I do. I think it's high time that I stop to smell the roses and that I let everyone else enjoy them too. 

I hope you'll make some resolutions and that they will propel you toward a little better version of the wonderful you that you already are. I hope your 2013 will be something amazing, something memorable... something MORE. See you in the new year! :)

Looking Back on 2012

In just a few days, the clock will strike midnight, the ball will drop, people will kiss, and the fireworks (and shotgun rounds, if you live in the sticks like we do) will ring out as people all around the world ring in the new year.

In no time at all, 2012 will be just a memory but before I place it permanently in my rear view, I think I'll take a quick stroll down memory lane. Walk with me, won't you?

Since Robert was deployed last New Year's, I got to ring in 2012 in two different time zones. That might sound exotic and romantic but I can pretty much guarantee you that watching this year's ball fall from the same couch will be better by far. In March, he came home for a much-needed R&R. It's still up for debate who needed the R&R more!

July took us from a couple to a family with the addition of our fur baby, Chet, a sweet (and very rambunctious) chocolate lab. I was on my own for the first few weeks, potty training him and teaching him NOT to get on the furniture. His 67 pound body now regularly occupies a spot on Robert's favorite chair and at the foot of our bed.

September 9 was without a doubt the best day of 2012! After 353 very long days (and nights!), a huge plane landed on the flight line and a sea of camouflaged bodies streamed out. After a brief speech that no one heard, we navigated the maze of reuniting families to find each other. Next to the moment we said "I do" and "I do too", seeing hime home safe and sound was the happiest moment of my entire life.

October brought a two-week staycation which allowed us to reconnect and rekindle. The old adage proved true, time does fly when you're having fun!

Thanksgiving and Christmas 2012 were fantastic, full of family, fellowship, and food! (Lots of food; I'm pretty sure there will be diets in 2013!) and now, we're 48ish tiny hours from the start of a brand new year!

I hope your wishes came true in 2012; I hope that your dreams will be fulfilled in 2013. I know that wherever our 2013 takes us, we'll enjoy the journey because this year, we'll be able to take the journey TOGETHER. If there's one thing that 2012 taught me, it's that EVERYTHING is better when you're side by side with your best friend.

Happy New Year, everyone!