2013 Review

So here we are, at the end of another year. This past year was a great one, however I did not complete as many goals as I had set for myself.

2013 Goals:

1. Read two books a month.
Fail. I completed 15 of the 24 books I had set out to read. I did not take advantage of my time while I was out with my wrist surgery. It's really unfortunate that I do not read more, because it's something that I really enjoy doing yet it's the first thing I give up when I find I don't have time for certain other things.

2. Run and/or walk 1250 miles.
Fail. I don't even think I would have made it if I hadn't taken two months off while recooperating from my wrist surgery. This year just was not the year to push the mileage. I did do a lot though and am proud of what I was able to accomplish.

3. Get out of debt.

Success. I did officially get out of debt. However, Patrick and I did combine finances this year and his debt became my debt. On top of that I mistakenly took back my credit cards from him and have a small amount to pay off before I am debt free again. He and I are making a huge effort to both save for a house and pay off the rest of our debt.

4. Take a picture every day for a year.

Fail. No real excuses other than laziness and forgetfulness. I very easily could have lied and taken two photographs in one day to make up for the missed day, but that isn't the point of this. I am getting a new (and quite beautiful) camera for Christmas from my loving husband, so this will probably make it's way onto next years goal as well.

5. Complete a cross stitch.
Fail. I have a very bad habit of starting a project and getting distracted and bored with it about halfway through. So many gifts gone unfinished. I don't know why it is so difficult for me to just finish a project...

6. Write in a journal every day for a year.
Fail. I attempted to do this on my old blog last year. I had a journal that provided a prompt to write about for every day of the year. I stopped in April. Again with the laziness/forgetfulness/boredom. I also felt like it wasn't really interesting things I was writing about and a lot of the time I would write very short responses. I really wanted more out of this goal rather than just doing it to do it.

7. Take a cake decorating class.

Fail. I had signed up for a class which ended up being canceled. I made it a goal because I knew that it would be something that I could succeed in, however once the class was canceled I never pursued finding a different class to complete this goal.

8. Organize photos into albums.

Fail. Too much time and money needed to accomplish this. At this time I have started organizing my photo CDs onto our laptop in order to organize them by month. Eventually I do hope to be able to have better organization with these photo CDs and maybe actually print and frame pictures to put up in our apartment.

9. Complete a marathon in under 6 hours.

Success! I had a lot of doubt that I would be able to accomplish this because my training did not go quite as planned as I had hoped for the race. Thankfully, with the help and encouragement from my family and friends, I crossed the finish line under 6 hours.

10. Ask for a raise and prove that I deserve it.

I don't quite know how to explain this one. I did ask for a raise in hopes of getting more than the standard 3% increase we get every year (because apparently that's the fair way to do it... Give everyone 3% no matter their performance). I did get a great review and was told that if there was something more that could be done then it would be, but that this was the best that could be done. I accepted it and moved on. A couple months later I got a promotion.

I may not have reached all of the goals that I had set for myself, but it was a wonderful year overall...

January:

I participated in my first night race (New Years Race) with the Resolution: To Be Awesome-Sauce

I participated in (and completed) the 26 Angel Run

 

February:

Spring soccer started and Emma's team (The Firecracker's) started the season with a win

 

Marley learned that she can climb the screen door in an attempt to get outside

March:

Isabel turned 5 and we celebrated her birthday at the LA Zoo

Patrick turned 34 and I got him this inappropriate birthday card

I completed the LA Marathon with a new PR and cried as I saw my family, showing them my watch saying "I'm gonna make it!"

I had surgery on my wrist

April:

I cut my hair off and donated it to Locks of Love

May:

My niece turned 9

Patrick and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary

June:

Isabel graduated from Pre-K

We took the girls on the train to the bee farm where we got to take a tour

We celebrated Father's Day

I got a tattoo

I ate a bug (on purpose)

I saw wild elephant seals

And went to Hearst Castle

July:

Continued our road trip at the Monterey Bay Aquarium

Took a steam train ride through the Redwoods

Went to Alcatraz

Road a bike across the Golden Gate Bridge (and took a selfie on it too)

Saw fireworks in San Francisco for the 4th of July

Went on a tour of the Jelly Belly Factory

And the State Capitol

August:

Isabel started Kindergarten

September:

Ran a 5K with my niece (her second) and my best friend (her first)

October:

Isabel was promoted to first grade

Patrick and I celebrated our one year anniversary

Patrick had surgery on his neck

I made Halloween cupcakes

November:

I ran a 5K and 10K back to back

Isabel received her first pair of running shoes

Isabel ran her first race (a turkey day dash 1K)

My niece PR'd her 5K time at the turkey day dash

December:
I started my Santa to Santa- 13 half marathons in 13 months goal



Started over... Again

Drove 3 1/2 hours to make cookies with Patrick's aunt and cousins

2013 was a pretty fabulous year. It wasn't all positive and happy, but then again not many photos are taken during the bad times. I will choose to focus on the positive and the knowledge that I am starting 2014 the right way- with a glass of champagne in my hand, a good man by my side, a family that I love, a child that brings so much light to my life and the biggest smile on my face.

I hope that 2014 starts off just as well for all of you! Here's to health and happiness in the new year!