Changing Traditions

This year was full of changed traditions, with a sophomore in college  and a sophomore in high school, family members ill, changing jobs... But I felt the changes most acutely during the Christmas season. All my blog friends with adult children can sympathize, I'm sure. Some traditions remained the same, as well.

1. First, I didn't do our thankful feathers this year-I just was too busy to write up the letter, cut up the feathers, address the envelopes and send them out. My oldest daughter was sad.
2. We cut our Christmas tree with all my husband's family, which is our tradition, but we went to a completely different tree farm. We've been to the old one for many years. At least 15, anyway.
3. We put up our Christmas village, but it was my youngest daughter and I who put everything up and took everything down. Was another mix of kept and changed traditions.
4. We did go up to visit my family, but we changed things up by just visiting for the day to fit it into our schedules.
5. Our New Year's will be different as our oldest will be visiting her boyfriend and his family. Strange to have her not here, but not off at school. A whole different set of worries.
6. I didn't watch either of my two favorite movies-It's a Wonderful Life and White Christmas-normally I watch them at least once. We did watch several Hallmark Channel Christmas movies which was nice and romantic. ;) 
7. Our oldest daughter had to work, so our Christmas Eve meal was different-it was just three of us and my in laws. Usually the 6 of us eat and then attend church. This year our oldest wasn't out of work until after my in laws had headed home. So, just the four of us headed to church much later than normal.
8. My mother in law continued her themed Christmas dinner, this year was Sesame Street Christmas, and we continued a new tradition we started last year of the adults drawing names, excluding my in laws.
9. Since I was working at the office a lot, I wasn't home to bake (too many) cookies with my girls. They worked together and baked a few kinds without me. 
10. I don't think I'm doing a one little word this year. I have done it at least the last 6 years. I am just not feeling it right now... Never say never, I still have a little time, right? ;)

I think there were a few more, but this was what I remembered. How about you? Changes or keepers in traditions this year? Kids growing older makes things different, for better and worse, doesn't it? Growth and change...

2015 Goals and "Resolutions"

I know "they" say don't make resolutions for the new year. You're bound to fail and be depressed-I did look at last year's list with a bit of disdain this weekend. :) But I like a goal for the future. Even if they aren't always reached. I also like to look upon the new year as a fresh, clean slate open for me to write upon. :) I normally pick a "One Little Word", as well, but I haven't done so this year... Not sure whether I will or not.

So, without further ado, my goals for 2015:

1. Reach my weight goal by my birthday, 4/24-my 40th-and sustain it through 12/31.
2. Run a half marathon under 1:45:00.
3. Run a full marathon under 4 hours, if I can work through injuries and losing weight helps them.
4. Run 900-1000 miles this year-to reach the yet unattainable 900 mile mark.
5. Read the entire Bible. I've only tried to do this once and had a lot on my plate at the time.
6. Complete a Bible study-either on my own, with my husband who said he would like to try to do so, or with a class at church.
7. Read 24 books-I read 19 this year and am looking forward to reaching this goal-I enjoy reading and I'm happy to be working towards a goal to give myself permission to read for fun.
8. Take our puppy to another obedience class-this time a "Canine Good Citizen Class" which is a step up from her last puppy obedience class.
9. Purge our home and prepare for our move.
10. Learn/try 3 new things. Possibly: skiing, a new language, a spinning class...

*Extras:

Get house ready for move

Moving

Working on my marketing job full bore to be successful

Continue using MyFitnessPal, which I have started again this week to keep track of calories

Continue working on funeral for church when they come up.

Resolutions Revisited

2014 Resolutions Revisited:

1. Run 900 miles-this was my goal-and I have 26 miles and 2 days left to run this year... I won't make it, but again I will be close.
2. Fall half marathon under 1:45:00-I ran a good half for how I felt, averaging 8:30 per mile, but not under my goal. 
3. No new running injuries-I didn't have new ones, but I didn't fully heal the old, either...
4. Read 24 books-I finished 19 and am in the midst of 20.
5. Reach my goal weight-I continued the tradition of getting down to a better weight over the summer and then rising again. My goal is to be at said goal weight by April since I will be 40 then. 
6. Make 1 craft from Pinterest per month-Not even close.
7. Finish my 2013 Project Life-I did accomplish this and got about 6 months into 2014 before I took another break again.
8. Mini albums-I made one of a fun trip in the summer... 
9. Finish a rag quilt-I did finish the one I had started with my mother, although it isn't pretty-looks more like a bar graph than a tidy lined quilt.
10. Send 1 card or note-I did send several, but I did them in spurts, and did about 110 Christmas cards... ;)
11. Daily Devotionals-Again, spurts...
12. Clean/organize one room or full item of furniture per month-I did make wonderful progress on and off this year! Donated 6 tubs of books to the library this week to cap off a nice purge. Also, cleaned out a tub of Christmas decorations and organized a few pieces of furniture.
13. "This is an open goal. It is something I want to leave unknown and revisit later. It might be writing a book, entering a new profession, taking a sewing or knitting class, taking a college class, mentoring or volunteering, skiing... I don't know. I learned in 2013 that a year is a long time and anything can happen. I never thought I'd change my goals and dreams away from teaching but I did. I never thought I'd be content just... waiting... but I am. I am praying on it and I hope God will guide me." *This was interesting... I am in the midst of building a new home (well, a company is building it for us) and we will be moving in the next year. I completely gave up teaching and am a marketing/sales person in my husband's company... These are very big endeavors I would never have guessed I'd be headed towards at the end of 2013. 

A year is really a long time and many things can change... How did your plans/resolutions go?