Goodbye 2013, Hello 2014

I can't believe it is already a new year. Just one day left of 2013.  Amazing how much has happened this last year.  We moved out of that horrid rental, we bought a house with acreage, we travelled, we gardened, I started a business, the kids grew like weeds, Bear started Kindergarten, Mia has become a little kid instead of a baby, Tom has grown to love his job even more if possible and has taken on even more responsibilities, and we've acquired several critters.  We've also gained an incredible number of friends in the last year.  I really can't say it enough.  This place feels like home and the people here are super nice. 

I keep wondering if this is the so-called honeymoon period.  I really hope not.  I feel like we have been truly blessed to find this place and these people here.  There is very little we dislike about here.  The wind can be tiresome and roads can be tough at times.  Still, pretty small potatoes in the grand scheme of things.  I guess I can say I don't really care for the rattlesnakes or the tornadoes either but so far neither has been a true bother for us.

I think I have what I would call goals instead of resolutions.  I need to get running again.  Our cold and crazy weather has had me hiding and not running.  I miss getting out and I'm seriously out of shape again.  I want to increase our entire family's vegetable consumption.  It would help if I actually cooked with more vegetables.  More fruits and vegetables for us.  Less butter and cheese.  We love these but I think we need to treat them more like special treats rather than an every day necessity.  For me, less bread.  Fresh bread is a weakness of mine.  If I bake less of it I'll eat less of it, and maybe there will be a bit less of me.  We need to eat a healthier diet across the board.  We all want to be around for as long as possible.  I want to include more organic food in our diet as well.  We have some pretty great access to organic foods from friends I've made at the farmer's market and I want to support them in addition to improving my family's diet.

While I'm on the food train of thought I want to put up enough food this fall to last us through until the fresh stuff is in the garden again.  We are already running low on things like whole tomatoes.  I'll take stock again in the spring and make a list for the garden and what I need to can more or less of.

In other goals I want to continue growing my little business.  I have lots of projects around the house that I want/need done.  I want to fix up my home office so it works a lot better for me.

I think that is the majority of it.  For the most part I'm very happy with how things are going here.  There is very little I want to change.  A few tweaks here and there to make things run more smoothly, to help money not be quite so tight, and that sort of thing but really that is it.

So, Happy New Year!  Hope yours is a good one.

Procrastination

I have a huge to-do list and it seems the longer that gets, the longer I procrastinate.  It doesn't seem to matter if it is for my household or for my yarn business.  I guess I am the epitome of a procrastinator with the slogan, "If it weren't for the last minute, I would never get anything done."  Thank goodness for those last minutes!

We've had some brutally cold weather.  The computer says it has warmed up to a balmy -10 F.  Which means it is still probably at least -15 at my house.  We seem to sit at a firm five degrees colder than the airport.  At least my south facing windows are getting lots of beautiful sunshine that is helping to heat the house today.  It was cold enough I even moved my chickens inside.  Dogs are certainly inside and even the cat has been allowed to come in and get warm.  She lives in the garage but since losing her brother we've felt badly that she has no one to curl up with for heat.  She doesn't stay in but she visits several times a day right now.  The kids and her love it.  The dogs and us adults aren't too sure.  We tolerate it.

We are all getting excited since Christmas is almost here.  Christmas vacation is much looked forward to here.  At least I am. :) I doubt Bear really is.  He does love being in school.  I am glad about that but it makes days that school is cancelled, or when he is sick, pretty tough.  We get visitors for Christmas this year. Yay! We don't have to travel and we still get to see family.  I am hunky-dory with that.  I just hope we get some decent weather for them to travel in.  I don't want snow storms right then.  After they get here is fine, but not when they need to be driving up from the Denver area.  We can get some yucky storms around here so I'd like to just hold off on those if we can.

Okay, I guess I'll quit procrastinating and get some stuff done.  I need a firecracker lit under me.