So long 2014...

I can’t believe the year is over already.  It really did seem to fly by and although there were some trials, I did have so, so many blessings this year! 

Doing this list is always fun, I’m totally a list person and get all eager to cross things off, so this really helps me to get out of my rut and do something different once in a while.  But as we all know, life gets in the way and it’s always hard to complete everything on here, and really a year isn’t all that long.  There were things on here that weren’t really a priority, but others that I really wanted to do and made a point to. 

I challenge you to make your own list, whether it has 3 things on it, or 100.  Always strive to get out of your shell and try or learn something new!

1.  Kiss the man I love at midnight on New Year’s Eve ~ This was the first thing I accomplished and lucky me, now I get to do it EVERY DAY!  By the way....I'll be checking off this specific scenario again tonight! ;-)

2.  Pay off credit card debt  ~ So December’s budget was pretty much out the window.  I did use cash a lot, but I did also use a little bit of credit…guess it’s back to the drawing board and I will be keeping this one as a goal for next year.

3.  Go Roller Skating ~ I did not do this.  I don’t even know why, it should have been an easy one to do.  But really, I just don’t care.  It’s not even like it was something I was looking forward to, it was really just something fun to put on the list.  It just seemed like we found better things to do all year so…

4.  Go bowling ~ Again….just another placeholder I guess.  I did even go into a bowling alley a couple of times this year, but we didn’t bowl.  We played pool.  LOL

5.  Play (and win) a game of pool

6.  Take a class

7.  Go to a museum

8.  Be Intentional ~ I actually feel pretty good about this goal.  Although I still sometimes skip a day, I do at least take a few minutes in the morning more often than not to sit and “Be still” and read in my bible or a devotional.  I do still want to improve on the intentional part of setting a time to get up so that I don’t ever feel rushed.

9.  Eat Healthy ~ This one I think I’m going to have to keep on here, it really needs to improve.  Baby steps I guess.  I’ve done pretty well about eating more home cooked meals, and using fresher ingredients.  Now I just need to focus more on more  fruits and veggies, leaner meats and portions.

10.  Lose 15 pounds ~ Again – totally failed this one but keeping it on the list.  I just really am becoming unhappy with myself, but this just seems to get harder every year.  This kind of ties in with the last one I guess, which should also include more exercise.  I bought 2 Jillian Michaels videos yesterday and as soon as I post this, I’m going to do them!

11.  Try a new recipe ~ Totally accomplished, but I’m making this a habit.  At least once a month, maybe even once a week. J

12.  Pie of the Month Club ~ Crushed it!!  This one was actually kind of fun!  Although it may have undermined somewhat my progress with #10.  I’d actually kind of like to continue this one in 2015 also, but I think it will be only once a month and totally be the LIMITED cheat for that month instead.

December

13.  Read 10 Books (24/10) ~ I have been a reading fiend lately.  I guess I’m in one of my spurts, and will keep this one up in 2015 as well.  Plus I got a new Kindle for my birthday.  I always thought I’d prefer a book in my hands, but now that I’ve started using it, and I can check out library books and everything on it.  It’s AWESOME!  I was using my daughters iPad to begin with, but it was heavy and kind of hurts when you fall asleep reading in bed and drop it on your face.  LOL  But my Studhubs got me a Paperwhite for my birthday and it’s small and light and compact and barely even leaves a bump :P

3 More books this month!

Power Play by Danielle Steele – Danielle Steele was my first grown up author.  I started reading her when I was in middle school when my mom finished them.  She quickly became my favorite and I started collecting her books.  I actually have hardbound copies of her first 85 novels.  Then I guess I kind of outgrew her and became more interested in a different genre, because I stopped reading/collecting her several years back.  I came across this on my kindle available from the library and thought I’d give it a read, for old times sake.  I was really kind of disappointed.  I really didn’t care for the story, or even the way it was written.  I kept thinking, she must be older than dirt because she writes like an old lady!  Even the punctuation bothered me!  I’m not an English teacher or anything, but there SOOOO MANY times in every stinkin’ chapter that she would place a period in a sentence and then start the next one with “And” when it really was a continuation of the last thought and should have used a comma.  I don’t know, it was just all choppy.  I almost put it down, but figured I’d started it and wanted to finish.  I guess I kept hoping it would get better.  I don’t even know how many she’s written after the 85 I have, but I’m kind of thinking it’s really time to retire…

Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen ~ This was another one I came across in the library ebooks.  I had never read this author before and it looked interesting.  It turned out to be a pretty good story, and I was pleasantly surprised.  I may check out some more from him, and would definitely recommend him to others.

Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross ~ This was not at all what I expected.  Another one I thought might be interesting from the synopsis on the library site.  I was thinking it was going to be a mystery, but it turned out to be a Grimm type story, which I’m not into at all.  Again I almost put it down, but did get a little hooked once I got into it and decided to finish it.  It ended up being centered around a bunch of teenagers, and was pretty predictable, although it did peak my curiosity about some of the darker, original fairy tale stories which I’ve never read.  Probably not something I’ll read more of in this series though.

14.  Go to the zoo

15.  Buy myself flowers

16.  Run a 5K ~ this one is still a fail for 2014, but I may just keep it on the list for next year. 

17.  Escape for a Weekend Away ~ So while we did this in 2014, it sounds like a great idea to make this an annual trip.  I already have some dates picked out in 2015.

18.  Start scrapbooking again ~ Never really finished a page this year.  We’ll see where my interests take me in 2015…I do still have all those supplies.

19.  Dance in the rain

20.  Go horseback riding

21.  Add some charms to my bracelet ~ another one I want to leave on here, because I mean, why not?

22.  See a play

23.  Complete a Challenge

24.  Declutter my office 

25.  Follow a budget ~ As I mentioned in #2 this went out the window for Christmas, but I plan to get back on track starting TODAY.  I have a good feeling about 2015!

26.  Go to a concert

27.  Go to the State Fair

28.  Listen to my entire iTunes Library (3365/5909) ~ I never made it out of the N’s…who has time for this anyway?

29.  Finish my Christmas Shopping by Thanksgiving ~ So I was a little off, but I did totally finish and have everything wrapped and under the tree with more than a week to spare before Christmas!  Then I got my baking done and thought I would get to relax….except my kids are all last minute shoppers with no driver’s license… :-/

30.  Watch a sunrise with someone special  

31.  Go stargazing

32.  Enjoy a romantic sunset

33.  Go to the horse races ~ I would still kind of like to do this next year, it’s always fun.

34.  Go to the drag races ~ Same

35.  Go to Germanfest

36.  Blog Regularly

37.  Go to a Mavs game ~ We’ll see what happens, I’m not really a huge basketball fan, it’s just something to do.

38.  Go to a Stars game ~ I enjoy hockey games, will probably try to squeeze one in next year

39.  Go to a Cowboys game ~ The only problem with going to see the Cowboys is that it’s so damn EXPENSIVE… :-/

40.  Go to a Rangers Game

41.  Paint a new painting

42.  Go to an Air Show

43.  Try a new restaurant (20/12) ~ I didn’t really try anything new this last month as far as restaurants.  Honestly, I only ate out a few times.  We did however try the new Brew House that opened here in town a couple of months ago.  This item though is another I'll try to keep up as a monthly habit.

Audacity Brew House ~ They do daily tours and have a pour room that’s like a little cheers type bar.  They have new brews on a regular basis, so you definitely have to go back and try all the latest.  They have a nice patio and garden that I’d like to go back and check out when the weather starts warming back up.

44.  Shoe Challenge ~ This one will have to continue into 2015 as I still have more pair to wear and post.  Keep checking back.

I’m not sure what next year will hold, but I am looking forward to it.  Thanks for reading and joining my on this journey for 2014.  What a GREAT year! =)

xoxo