Happy 2014! – Snow Olympics, Goals

It’s 2014. How did that happen so fast?? I feel like 2013 went by in a blur but I know I enjoyed most of it – so I was at least present in the blur. It was fun, it was emotional, it was hard. But it was a great year and I am a better person for my experiences.

We are in Alberta again this year to spend time with friends and family. New Year’s Eve is a big deal with this group: lots of food and beverage and lots of fun. We start out the evening all together for dinner and to ring in the New Year; and then the youngest kids go to bed, and the wives, girlfriends, mothers, and sisters settle in with red wine and our cameras to watch our male contingent run around and be silly (as most males of all ages like to do) for the annual Snow Olympics.

(The Snow Olympics are a New Year’s tradition since before I came along. It involves running around in the snow on dares, with each contestant trying to outdo the other. In their swim trunks. (Did I mention this is at 1:00am and it’s -?? degrees outside?) While one or two are off in the snow, the rest keep warm in the hot tub and the cycle continues until they decide they’ve had enough of the cold and have given out the “medals”. (Sean won gold. 😉 )

It’s an activity fueled by beverages of a certain strength – though not for the 11 year old (for obvious reasons), who is fueled by sugar, pure adrenaline and the sheer joy of getting to participate in in the sheer craziness with all the “adult” males in his family that he looks up to (but would never admit it).

His sister and her friend may break ground as the first female participants next year – and will likely kick the boys’ butts.)

Last year, I made New Year’s goals and I am beyond proud to say that I have achieved some and started some. More than I could have hoped.

Of my bold items from last year…

• Yoga Teacher Training – I chose to do the Fall 2013 session instead of the Spring session and I am so glad I did. A couple more checks in the graduation requirements list and I am officially a certified yoga teacher. It’s one of the best experiences I’ve ever had, and I am so grateful.
• Driver’s License/Road Test – I wrote a bit about this throughout the year, but while I did take my road test in July, I failed. And was completely devastated, particularly because it was because I went in a complete bundle of nerves. But I took my road test again at the beginning of December, and this time, I passed – much to my and Sean’s delight. Yahoo!
• Reducing Debt – On my way. Slowly, but surely.
• 30th Birthday Vacation – My yoga teacher training fell around the time of my birthday, so my special trip has been postponed for now. But my teacher training was certainly a journey, and obviously the one I needed to be on during my milestone year.

Of the rest… I am better at getting up with my alarm (Sean is thrilled); I brought my lunch/dinner to work/school about 75% of the time; and I decided that some things were more important than others – so my teeth can wait and patience with myself will always be something I strive for more of.

For 2014, I’m going to focus on being patient with myself and getting more comfortable with driving now that I’m allowed to do it on my own. I also have a specific and very big goal, and it’s one I’ve been working on since early last year. I really hope I achieve this goal because it means big change and an adventure. No, we aren’t trying to have a baby (yet) but it will  be almost as big as that. So here’s hoping.

Happy New Year!