Holiday reflections and looking forward to 2015

Hello, hello!

I hope you and yours had a very merry Christmas!

I had planned on taking a few days off of blogging but certainly didn’t plan on a whole week!

Our Christmas was pretty fantastic.

Thing 2 had to work the early shift on Christmas morning but I still got up early.

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I had muffins to make and deliver to her at work! šŸ™‚

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We did gifts when she got off work.

Let me tell you something – we clearly are still children because that was the LONGEST. WAIT. EVER! We kept looking at the gifts and then at the clock and then out the window. #impatient

Then, it was time for Christmas dinner!

Of course, we grilled our turkey. Thank you, Mother Nature, for giving us a gorgeous day for it!

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Think this is enough for 4? šŸ˜‰

And then theĀ bubonic plague flu set in and we’ve been down for the count ever since.

I’ve literally been on the couch since Friday. It’s my new home.

There are only a couple of pictures of my misery.

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As you can see, I was well taken care of. šŸ™‚

Thing 1 came up the day after Christmas and took one look around and decided she was better off at home. It was nice to have her here but I understood her early departure.

My sailor got hit pretty hard too – he’s a day or so behind me in the recovery process so this New Year’s holiday and weekendĀ is going to be filled with rest and recuperation rather than parties and celebration.

Speaking of the new year, ’tis the season for those resolutions!

Are you making any? Did you make any last year? How did that work out for you?

I find that most people make resolutions in hopes of “changing” something fairly ambiguous (usuallyĀ revolving around a number on a scale) likeĀ a behavior. “I resolve to lose weight!” or “I resolve to get back in shape!” Gym memberships tend to spike in January and then, by February, all those “resolutioners” are back on their couches because they didn’t actually set GOALS.

Instead of saying, “I resolve to get back into shape!” say, “I’m going to train and run a 5k!” or “I’m going to learn how to dance.” (that’s fun!) or “I’m going to eliminate soda from my diet in January.”

Smart, attainable goals that allow you to see results and move forward from there!

I’d already been thinking about my goals for 2015 but all my recent time on the couch has afforded me some extra time for reflection. At least, when my brain wasn’t foggy, that is.

So, without further ado, these are my goals for 2015:

Fitness

Well, Ā I have a few fitness goals. Barring any unforeseen accidents, oneĀ goal is to stay physically healthy. I should be able to manage this by working more on mobility and flexibility, upgrading my shoes on time, and listening to my body. Getting back to back fractures in my feet really stunk and I do NOT want to go down that road again. I also plan to run just because I love it.Ā I’ve kicked around the thought of still shooting for a 50k. I obviously haven’t gotten the okay to run from the orthopedist (now THAT would be a sight since I’m still in the boot! ha!) but, once I’m clear, I just want to enjoy my time out on the road. I’ve got plenty of time to do a 50k if that’s what I decide I want to do. As far as CrossFit is concerned, I plan to reallyĀ work on achieving chest-to-bar pull-ups, strict ring dips, and a bar muscle-up.

Education

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In case you missed it,Ā I am starting back to schoolĀ on January 5th! I’ll be completing my undergrad science pre-requisites this year and completing my application into the Coordinated Program in Dietetics. My goals are to earnĀ all As and have a perfect application packet. šŸ™‚

Life

A friend/colleague of mine recently suffered a huge health problem. She went in for a hysterectomy and, while the doctors were operating, they discovered she had a severe case of flesh-eating bacteria. It was literally eating her from the inside out. She had 13 (!) surgeries, flat-lined twice, and spent some time in a coma. She was in the hospital for numerous weeks. During her first week back at work, we talked about some of the things she had experienced. She told me about this dream/vision she had during the second time she essentially died.Ā I won’t go into the details because, well, it’s not mine to share and it was also a little scary but basically, she saw the face of evil. The take-away she got from it was that she needs to love people more. But not just her family and friends. ALL people. Especially the ones she doesn’t want to love.

I happen to think that’s an excellent idea.

There is entirely too much negativity and hatred in this world. But, just because we’re surrounded by it doesn’t mean we have to let it into our own world. Ā We certainly don’t have to add to it. Maybe we can even help to change it. A smile and a kind word go a long way, even if you’d rather give that person a piece of your mind instead. So, in 2015, my goal is to love more and to get involved with a humanitarian organization in my community.

Well, there you have it. It’s going to be a busy and fantastic year!

If you’re heading out to celebrate tonight, have fun and be safe! 2015 won’t be the same without you. šŸ™‚

Talk to me: What are your goals for 2015?

– jennifer

2014 goals – Challenge Accepted!

Hello!

Happy New Year’s Eve! šŸ™‚

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So, I’ve been doing some thinking.Ā  ā€˜Tis the season for resolutions, after all. Did you make any resolutions?

Tee hee!

I don’t know that I’m making any real resolutions – it’s more like establishing goals and setting the plan.Ā  I already exercise so I don’t need to start and I already eat healthy so I don’t need to ā€œdietā€ but my goals and plans for 2014 definitely revolve around those two areas.

Ā In 2014, my focus is going to be on fitness, food and FUN!

Ā Fitness

Ā Okay, so I’m making some big, big plans for my fitness next year.Ā  I feel like I’ve really been slacking the past couple of months.Ā  Yes, I know I’ve moved, bought a new home, dealt with holidays, searched for a job, etc but still. I DO have that marathon coming up in just under 2 weeks and I haven’t been running as much as I feel like I should have.

I really hope I don’t break.

That would be so not good.

Ā So, after Mississippi Blues, I’m running Flying Pig Marathon in early May.Ā  I’d really like to get that BQ during that race.

Yeah, THAT’S going to take some work.

Ā Then – and here’s the big news! – I’ve decided I’m going to run a 50k.

Like, for real.

31+ miles.

From start to finish.

On purpose.

I’m going to do the New River Trail 50k.

Registration isn’t up yet but as soon as it is, I’m IN!

Ā Yes, I know I’m crazy.

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Ā As far as CrossFit goes, I’m hoping to get back into a box pretty soon.Ā  I’ve held off because I haven’t found a job yet but I have a couple of interviews coming up (YAY!) and I’m confident. Ā *fingers crossed* So, I think I’ve narrowed down where I’m going to go and I am So.Ready.

Ā Hm….I wonder if a muscle up is in my future for 2014? šŸ˜‰

Ā Food

Ā We eat pretty healthy around this joint in general but I’m looking to upgrade our health even more.Ā  Very in line with that awesome Clean Eating cookbook I just got, I plan on upgrading my pantry and trying to eliminate those processed foods that seem to just work their way back in.Ā  I really want to get some Paleo cookbooks, too. I can’t help it – I have a cookbook addiction!Ā  Do you have any recommendations?

Ā I’m also going to try a little more recipe development. The success stories I will share with YOU!Ā  One of the items on my list of things to make is homemade BBQ sauce.

Ā Hey, why start with something easy? šŸ˜‰

Fun

Well, duh. Who DOESN’T want to have more fun?

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But, it’s really easy to get caught up in normal, daily business and forget to have fun.

That’s a total bummer.

Definitely NOT FUN.

I’m going to try to not let that happen in 2014.

Okay, so I’m realistic – I KNOW I’m going to forget to have fun every now and then.

Doesn’t mean I’m not going to try to remember.

You can help remind me!

After all, life’s too short to not have fun.

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Celebrate safely tonight and remember –

HAVE FUN!

Question: What are your goals for 2014?

– jennifer

Christmas fun & thoughts on New Year’s Resolutions

Hello, hello!

I hope you had a very merry Christmas!

We certainly did!

We were SO merry that we didn’t take many pictures. šŸ™‚

Actually, that’s not true.

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I must confess. I did not take this picture. A dear friend was visiting and SHE took the picture. I just took the liberty of using it. šŸ™‚

Santa brought us an UH-MAY-ZING camera – a Nikon D5200!

Clearly, I have been VERY, VERY good this year! I got a house, a new MacBook Pro AND a kick-ass camera! I don’t know what I did to deserve it all but I’ve really got to make sure I keep it up!

So, we took pictures of random things around the house and the fuzzy ones that would pose. šŸ™‚

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“What are you doing?”

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Eliza loves the camera!

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#wino

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#random

Yeah, we’re having a good time. šŸ™‚

We did a non-tradition Christmas dinner this year.

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Om nom nom!

We had bulgogi!

If you’re not familiar, bulgogi is Korean bbq.

Marinated beef grilled and wrapped in lettuce leaves.

So delicious!

So, now that Christmas Day has officially passed, it’s time to start looking toward New Year’s Eve and then, 2014!

A whole new year and a fresh start.

I’ve been thinking about New Year’s resolutions.

I prefer to think of them as my goals or, perhaps, lifestyle changes.

Do you make resolutions? Are you planning on making any for next year?

Some of the most popular resolutions made are losing weight, quitting smoking, exercising more. eating better, and saving money. (pulled from www.USA.gov)

Any of those sound familiar?

I actually got back into running and starting running road races as part of my New Year’s Resolutions in 2008.

A resolution that I’ve stuck with and I’ve loved every second of it!

In addition to my overall health and fitness, running has been phenomenal for my self-esteem. I’ve really grown into myself over the past 5 years.

Does that make even sense?

Anywho, I’m trying to decide what I want to accomplish in 2014.

So, I want to know what YOU want to accomplish in 2014.

TELL ME!

You know, statistics show that more people achieve their goals when they share them with others.Ā (sounds logical, doesn’t it?)

Friends can support you and help hold you accountable.

I would totally do that for you. šŸ™‚

– jennifer