Resolved?:

I've always been very leery of making new year's resolutions (see here). I feel like, as soon as you voice your goal, you're setting yourself up to fail. As soon as you put it out there, the world has a way of making sure it doesn't happen. Or at least, that's been my experience. I usually just keep these secret wishes close to my heart so if (and inevitably, when) they don't work out, no one knows but me. It's a self-preservation thing. But this year, I was brave. I made some statements. Some of them happened and some of them didn't. Let's see how I did, shall we?

Status: Done. I actually read 58 books this year. And I'm pretty proud of myself.

Status: Didn't happen. This is probably my biggest disappointment of the year. But there's really nothing I can do about it, so I'm trying not to dwell. All I can do is look to next year and work towards making it happen. But the good news? I feel like we're closer than we've ever been so maybe 2013 will be the year.

Status: Done. I've run 5 races this year (some of them are here, here, and here). And I'm training for a half marathon (!). 

Status: long story short, it didn't happen. But 2013 is the year. I can feel it.

Status: Done. You can read more about that here.

Status: Done, I think. I might have spent more on things this year, but what I did buy was good quality so in the end, it was smarter. And I did a good job this year of getting rid of a lot of things that were just sitting around cluttering the place up.

Status: Not yet. But I have taken steps towards taking it. I've been studying and gathering information. I plan on taking it the beginning of next year.

Status: Done, kind of. We spent quite a lot in 2012 but we also made more this year than in previous years. So, by comparison, yes, we saved more too.

Status: Done. This summer we rented a beach house with a bunch of college friends and spent an entire week hanging out in the sand and surf. Read more about that here.

There are a few things that I didn't include in these resolutions and for good reason. They are private. My most private longings are locked up inside me like a little girl's diary. With one of those heart shaped locks. Maybe when (and if) they happen, I'll share them. But for now, they're staying right where they belong.

I learned a lot this year. I opened myself up a bit and great things happened. And I'm happy. So, I think for next year, I will try my hand at this resolution thing again. But this time, I think, I'll be a lot more general. I think I will enjoy it more if I don't feel pressured by these standards I've set for myself.

So, farewell 2012. You were a good year. You did us right (mostly). But I'm not sad to see you go. On to bigger and better things!

A Year in Review:

Dear 2011,

Just wanted to drop you a quick line to say thanks for the last 365 days. I've enjoyed our time together much more than your predecessor, 2010. I appreciate the fun times you gave us, such as:

Getting crafty around the house, including this table we made for the dormer window:

Making a t shirt quilt out of my high school shirts:

Watching it snow like crazy:

Andrew running in the Little Rock Relay Marathon:

Celebrating the retirement of a good friend (and the man who officiated at our wedding):

Celebrating our 4th wedding anniversary (!):

Our new, super amazing bikes (and all the bike rides we went on):

Celebrating Andrew's 28th birthday (and my first homemade cheesecake):

Catching the last Harry Potter movie in theaters:

Our first and last trip to Las Vegas, NV:

Making Andrew's t shirt quilt:

That time I got plantar fasciitis: 

All of the brave new cooking we did:

These were all great memories but none of these are what I hope to look back and remember about 2011. What I want to stick with me are the quiet moments in between the big ones. Those moments when we're just us, together in the quiet, doing nothing and saying nothing. I want to remember how it feels to be me at this very moment in my life -- standing on the edge of my future, side-by-side with my best friend.