Happy New Year!

I'm not big on New Year's resolutions, but it sure doesn't hurt to take stock of where one has been and put some goals in place.

As far as my health and fitness goes, I weigh about 12 pounds more than I did a year ago, and that makes me sad. It's possible that the mid 130s aren't my premium weight. Except for some tummy flab (name me a real woman who doesn't have some of that!) I feel reasonably fit. Wish I could fit back into the cutest of the clothes I wore last winter, but that's about it. I'm at 148# today, and I'm simply thrilled I didn't gain anything over the holidays!

I guess I was too busy (and too stressed) to do any Christmas baking. I'd also intended not to, but last year I had the same intention and yet in a two-day whirlwind I decimated that plan. This year I just couldn't work around the renovation mess in the kitchen (and didn't even get the tree decorated until the 23rd). Hanna brought a couple kinds of shortbread home (including my favorite, cinnamon shortbread) along with home-made candy. I had a few pieces but found it too sweet to eat in abundance. A good thing!

I haven't been on the treadmill in...three weeks? We've gone for several walks, one cross-country ski day (while the kids snowshoed) and two snowshoeing walks. I've eaten *normal* food, including way more potatoes than is usual for just Jim and I. And still I'm down a couple pounds from mid-December. I guess I just kept active with the cooking and the tidying and all, less sitting around. I can't think of any other reason! (But I'm not complaining.)

2007 held a reasonable amount of stress what with my nephew being deathly ill in April and my mother's stroke a week later, the kitchen renovation which still needs completing, and a flare-up of degenerative disc in the fall. Some of the good things that happened were seeing all my sisters in May, a great trip to Yellowstone to meet up with Bonnie and Mar, lots of camping, having Hanna and Craig move closer to home, and having the whole family home for five days over Christmas.

The renovation stress will remain in 2008 (probably 2009 and 2010 also...) and so will the stress of my mother's health. Her health is certainly deteriorating but she keeps hanging in there, so who knows what time line we're looking at.

Something really positive in 2008 is that Jim will be starting a new job on January 21st, right here in town. No more commuting four hours one way, no more night shifts, no more apartment at the mines, no more being away from home regularly. He'll be working at a GMC auto dealership, Monday to Friday, 8-5 with an hour for lunch. Sure, he is taking a drop in pay but it looks like we should come close to breaking even because of the expenses that will also be dropped (the apartment, the fuel, the boredom fund).

One downside for him is losing the great time off he got at the mines. Less holidays (but every weekend!), and, in fact, no vacation time at all in 2008. I have three weeks so I keep telling him all the cool stuff I'm going to do by myself!

So we are facing 2008 with optimism. It'll be good to have him home, it'll be good to have evenings and weekends together. We're looking forward to getting more involved in music at the church again--and in simply going more regularly together. Jim's looking forward to getting a puppy...and I'm hunting for enthusiasm!

For me, personally, I'd like to find a weight that I'm comfortable with and can maintain. I'd like to keep active, keep degenerative disc at bay. I'd like to get back into FlyLady as many times as I drift away. I'd like to write, revise, and submit novels--more this year than last.

I'd like my life to honor God.