2018 Resolutions

A look back, a look forward.

Last year I wanted to schedule things like...

personal trainer sessions   CHECK

swimming lessons   CHECK - AND DIDN'T LIKE SWIMMING

monthly massages   CHECK

15-30 minutes of yoga a day   INFREQUENT

monthly cultural event with Amanda   DIDN'T HAPPEN BUT A LOT OF OTHER STUFF DID

meal prep   MOSTLY ACCOMPLISHED

Sunday suppers and reaching out to new people   CHECK (but not as often as I'd like)

A check-in with my 2017 personal growth projects:

// Shoot Along camera course. I didn't do a single one! Bah!

// Swimming lessons. I did five lessons which isn't enough to become a proficient swimmer but is sufficient to realize you'd rather be lifting weights, playing tennis... really anything that doesn't involve wet hair + winter nights.

// Read at least one book a month. I read fourteen books this year. Met my goal though my second, more ambitious goal was 25 books -- one book every two weeks plus one when traveling, etc.

// Surprise: those 20 pounds are still there.

In 2017 we travelled a lot (San Antonio! Kentucky! Italy! Chicago! San Diego! Portland! Charleston! Phoenix! All over Texas!)  In 2018 I want to devote my time (and our money) to our new home. For the first time  (I'm always thinking about where to next?), I'm thinking about making this place our own, rather than inhabiting it like the peripatetic hermit crab I've been. Segue to my projects/goals for the next year:

🏡 House projects: In the next six months I want to 1) raise our sunken living room 2) turn the bar into a pantry 3) do the girls' rooms 4) furnish the guest room. The first two are in the very early planning stages with a design firm. The third and fourth I'm going to brainstorm over the next weeks in order to accomplish over an upcoming vacation week. Upgrade the toddler beds, (hire someone to) paint the walls, decorate. So far this unicorn bedding is the front runner; I like the colors, they like the print. Should they share a room? Free up the other for a guest room, an office, an art area for them? Any advice? 

🎟 Re-boot of monthly cultural event with Amanda.

📷 The Shoot Along course. I have all the 2017 lesson emails. Wouldn't it be great to learn some photography basics and have a year of portraits to show for it? Especially if you've already paid for it?!!

💻 Blog more frequently. This is my diary, photo dump, mindfulness practice, and gratitude journal.

📚 Read 25 books. One every two weeks plus an extra -- seems doable! 

💍 Throwing an achievable one in here: wear the jewelry that I have. I haven't changed my earrings in six months.

🍎 Lose weight. It's hard to do. Meal prep, mindfulness, bye bye carbs.

⏰  I've been getting more efficient at work yet am dismayed by the amount of time I get with the girls in the evenings -- don't get to the gym -- don't seem to have any downtime at night. My solution is to wake up at 5:30 every day and either walk to work (35 minutes from our house), go to the gym, or do a home workout if Luke isn't around to take the girls to school. I used to get up at 4:30 regularly to get to Alamo 180. I can do this! I want to feel strong again.

I'll check in with these in three months. Happy New Year!

Resolutions 2011 // Word of 2012 // 2013 // 2014 // 2015 //  Summer 2015 and Summer 2015 eval // 2016 // 2017 // 2017 summer

Christmas in Elgin

The last three days of my vacation we headed to Elgin for our friends' annual Christmas party. (Here's our visit last year - the girls have changed so much!)

On Thursday I brought lunch to Amanda at the Novel Neighbor and stocked up on sticker books and a Highlights hidden picture book for the trip. I also checked out several picture books with CDs at the library. They happily stickered away.

Stopping for lunch at their favorite, "Old McDonalds".

Fun in Elgin! We ordered in Mexican food for dinner and the girls played. And played.

And played. I love how completely zonked C looks here.

The newest addition to the family, Uma the Bernadoodle!

A light dusting of snow the day of the party. We went to see Coco, which was beautiful and so clever. The adults were moved by the themes of death, dying, aging, and memory and Clementine liked "the rainbow dragon cat!" That's a Pixar movie for you: come for the incredible animation, stay for the emotional gut-punch.

As it happens, Mike - my lifestyle guru - bought a sous vide machine almost the same time I did and used it for several of the dishes at the party --> beef tenderloin crostini

Shrimp with Old Bay seasoning

This year,  Brett and Elise brought their baby!

The Night Before Christmas and presents from Santa and Mrs Claus. Josie's gift was this reindeer (selected by me) and when I asked her what Santa brought she said cheerfully, "a goat!"

As the party wound down I snuggled in with the girls to watch the Robin Williams version of Jumanji and finally, somehow, all of us fell asleep somewhere. When Josie woke up next to me she smiled and snuggled close and gave me a hug. She's such a love bug.

Doughnuts and breakfast sandwiches before the long drive home.

With the sticker books all stickered and not much interest in the audiobooks, the girls watched Lady and the Tramp and Moana. Their favorite quote from Moana is, "really, a blowdart? In my butt cheek." which becomes, "Willy? A bwodark? In my butt cheat?

Restorative Sunday night dinner of 10 cent ramen topped by 6 minute egg, sprinkled with cilantro and scallions. The next week I would be on call and the band would arrive from Texas - all of us back to work.

Thanksgiving

Catching up with late November...

GAGA! It was an incredible show.

Pre-Thanksgiving with all the cousins! We took family photos too.


The girls have been referring to their cousin Ava as BABY AVA since she was born. Seeing her on this visit, Clementine said, "She's not a baby. I'm just going to call her Ava."

Josie and BABY WILLIAM.

Brett and his mini me Isla.

Popsicles and Ava in the very first pair of Hanna Andersson pajamas that I bought for C.

Babies in the SHU.

I had a week of vacation which started with two days of feeling crummy (allergies) and then plenty of time to putter around the house and try out recipes and use my new sous vide circulator!

Sunny side up eggs in my new favorite skillet. Functionally nonstick!

Making biscuits.

Clementine's drawing of the biscuit-making.

Taken by C.

Dancing to the Frozen record.

On Thanksgiving I found out my great-grandmother was a tattooed lady! Here she is with her son, my grandfather and Clementine Frances' namesake, Thomas Francis.

C and I made almond brittle brown butter ice cream for Jenny. The leftover brittle was my Thanksgiving contribution and the leftover brown butter has been improving everything (green beans,  ravioli...)

C copied the letters for the construction paper (above) and when she was done she said, "that looks like a giraffe!" So she drew in the giraffe and named it Jenny (it doesn't show up in this photo but she wrote YNNEJ on its back).

Playdate with the neighbors.