New Years Resolutions 2009 recap

Last year I made very specific resolutions so that I could

better quantify my success at achieving them, I stayed busy

and worked on them all year. It was fun to continually check

my list, plan, and make things happen.... especially after

the usual quittn' time for new years resolutions in mid

february. Although I did my best there were a few goals

I didnt finish or get to, things come up and new opportunities

present themselves asking for some versatility...but overall

it was so motivating and amusing to have the list and to figure out

how to cross things off. It got me out, kept me busy, and made

me feel productive. Definitely a good experience, one that I

will hope to have from here on out. This is how I did.

YES, I Did It!

Didn't Do It! Maybe Next Year....

Did It Half Way...

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Clean more (work a little everyday on dishes, laundry,

and CAYG"clean as you go" on clutter control, meaning that I

will put away a little something every time that I go up the stairs

or down the stairs for something) I did try, but I did fall into my

normal cleaning habits of instead of CAYG everyday I do larger

all day cleaning spurts a few times a year...which unfortunately

only provides a totally clean house those fewer times a year. I will

not give up hope, and will most definitely try harder this year.

Cook More (memorize the recipe for one bread and for

one major dessert, try baking at least three types of pies during

the year) Click here...here....and here....to see when I crossed all

these off.

Read more (secular book list for this year:

Mysterious Island by Jules Vern, Gone With The Wind, The

Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society, Life of Pie, Screw Tape

Letters, and probably a few Dirk Pitt Novels)(Spiritual Book List

for this year: Jesus the Christ by Talmage, Caught in the Gospel

Net by Witdsoe, In his Likeness by Paul Brand) I was lucky enough

to be invited to a book club in april of last year so my "to-read" list

changed a bit to the club's list. I was still able to slip in one personal

book a month along with the clubs choice for the month.

Although I only got to a few of the previously chosen books for

this last year, the bigger goal of READING MORE was accomplished

in a big way. It has now become a dear dear love of mine.

Here were all the books I was able to read last year...

Not pictured but read was the book "Precious Bane" I borrowed

this beautiful book and am aiming at getting my own copy soon.

Study my Scriptures everyday. (reading the Old

Testament Made Easier by Ridges, amazing) I got in the habit

of reading everyday while I was having breakfast. So far I have

been able to get through the first 2 Parts of the Ridges old testament

series with commentary which has brought me up to psalms. I have

learned so much and have loved seeing the spirit that reading the

scriptures everyday has brought into my life. There have been many

instances where I read stories that taught principles or gave

encouragement related to what I was dealing with in my own life at

the time. I will continue learning and loving the scriptures

every morning.

Go to the Temple once a month I went 7 of the 12 months.

Ill try to improve on this number this year for sure.

Write in my journal everyday (or at least catch up

for the week on sunday in my 10 year journal) I still need to fill in

entries for the months of october through december but with the

help of my print outs of ical for those months I am filling

in the blanks while writing for the current days this year. Since this

is my second year in the journal I can finally enjoy the feature of reading

what I was doing the exact same day the year before. I love it. So much

so I am not daunted and will continue on the best I can.

Exercise more regularly (when Im not working on my

triathlon training program I will at least pop in a Power Yoga or

P90X video in everyday. We certainly did exercise regularly.... mixing

up running, swimming, and biking. I have to say that I loved swimming

the most... especially when we started doing two or three events per work

out, swimming always was so refreshing after a long run.

Do a triathlon some time this year (I will

choose one from here) I put two thumbs up on this one as we didn't only

do one...we did TWO! check them out here and here.

Hike More (Hike Mt. Olympus & Mt. Timp, then either

The Fiferhorn or Kings Peak ((Family get excited to come with)) Well we

sure did Olympus which ended up not being so great an experience so we

pulled an audible and hiked up to silver lakes (twice) to fulfill the other

hiking experience. Check them out here and here.

Do at least 10 trails in my mountain biking trail book. We ended up

doing 6 of 10 which included:

1-Dimple dell trail (that grade 6 or 8 for a mile is killer! uhhg.)

2- Jordan river

3- Kennacott trail

4- A mountain trail in MT that we did while visiting Reece's grandma

over the 4th of July.

5-Alpine loop

6-Camp Williams

We then started to bike to the gym to swim and run and then bike back home.

Produce a fine art photograph that Im completely proud

of every month I shoot so often that I got lots of fine art photographs that

Im proud of. But they resulted from bringing my camera everywhere that

I went instead of going out especially going out to photograph. I will need to

start scheduling more photographic excursions.

Enter photographs in at least 2 shows found using my

lovely source... Check them out here.

Make fine art travel books of my 3 latest excursions using this

Dang it! I will do this someday.

Finish the rest of our major house projects (Kitchen-tiling &

cabinets(designed, bought, and halfway installed), Bathroom-wallpaper&tiling)

We still have to finish the cabinets, brick a fireplace facade, redistribute and

organize all the art supplies in the nursery to the kitchen cabinets, then finish

hanging and painting artwork. Hopefully this year I will be posting ALL our before

and after pictures of ALL our house projects I see the end of the tunnel is near.

Go camping more (at least twice this year ((I know it

doesn't sound like much but that will be doubling the number of

times we went this year)) Well we went once....check it out here.

Still working on streamlining everything and already have campsites

picked out for next year.

Go to bed earlier (no later than midnight) wake up

earlier (trying to limit my number of all nighters that I seem to do

pretty often) Well I didnt do any all nighters...I think Im too old to

do those anyways...but I still got around to bed around 1-2am everynight.

Ive got to get better at being able to stop myself even when in the middle

of a project to go to bed. Ill keep practicing.

Drink more water (drink at least one water bottle a day)

ummmm, diet Dr. Pepper was still a favorite beverage of mine, I love the

ice cold sweet carbonation midday during my afternoon break. Ill start

putting my water bottles in the fridge or adding some ice cubes....crushed

is my favorite...to get into refreshing my day with water instead of DDP.

Practice the piano more (learn at least 5 more hymns

really well, be able to play, again, all the music in my old black

repertoire book) I still only played my favorite few songs when I

needed a stress relief. It will need to be made a habit. For more work

to get done.

Continue making newer and stronger relationships with

the people in my ward by doubling my efforts to volunteer for activities

and service. I did teach two enrichments one photo 101 and one cupcake

pop demo which can be seen here. I have made many new relationships

which I simply adore. I am now so happy to live in the neighborhood

in which I do, I used to be intimidated and isolated, glad to say.... I feel

the exact opposite now. What a blessing.

Practice my sewing (make at least one more

quilt and one dress this year) I did not make another quilt

other than these two, or work on a dress. I did buy all the

fabric for a 30's quilt Im dying to make, as well as patterns

for pencil skirts and longer dress coats that Im excited to try.

I did sew my husbands halloween costume seen here, and I

would have sewn myself a beautiful pharaoh-ess dress if I didn't

run out of time. I still have all the materials and hopefully I can

use them next year.