Planning...

First off, I hope you like the new look.  I liked my old layout, but the header was too big and I wanted a more subtle look.  I'm sorry if you were on it the past couple days and weird things kept changing/happening.  I may have flip-flopped between two columns and one.  Let me know if something looks/acts weird or funky.

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It's the new year.  Wait, you didn't know that? Well, yeah.  Everyone keeps mentioning it so I thought I should mention it at least once more, in case you forgot.

Bloggers are all talking about the new year, new goals, new blog posts, new planners, etc.  Me?  Well, I have goals, who doesn't right?  They are pretty consistent year-round.  You know.. work out more, be more spontaneous, read more, save more, blog more, be more organized, etc etc.  I think I'm always going to want the same goals, whether it's new years or not.

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One goal I have, though, that I MUST share, is to get myself a planner that works for me.

I've seen such cute planners.  Erin Condren planners?  Well, that'd be nice, but $50?!  Ugh.  Why must you cost so much?

I do have a planner.  I even made myself a personalized one with a mini binder I found at Goodwill, but...

I'm having such a hard time getting myself to use, utilize, and remember my planner.  I'm trapped in this world of "oh yeah, there's my planner.  Let me write something in it and update it.  What? I haven't used it in two weeks?  Well, I better remember next time..."

I then went through this phase of using my Google calendar on my iPod touch.  The problem, though, is that I don't use my iPod all the time and I'm not about to get an iPhone because (1) I don't have the money to afford a nice phone AND a data plan.  Why can't I have an iPhone without a data plan?!  and (2) I don't NEED an iPhone just to take better quality pictures with Instagram and to access my calendar whenever I need to text someone. 

Am I right?!     via

Although, it would make my problem easier...

So now I'm stuck.  Do I stick with technology, even though I don't always have a charged iPod with me, or do I go back to a nice paper notebook planner and just try to drill it into my skull? 

What do you do as a planner?  Do you even use one?  I could seriously use some guidance from some professionals.

And I wait..

I'm sitting here in front of my computer playing the waiting the game.

I hate the waiting game.

Nick and his friend left yesterday to do some winter mountain climbing and now I'm sitting here waiting for the phone call saying "Hi honey, we're on our way home now and in one piece!"  It never comes when I want it to. 

That's where they're climbing.

 
My phone rings throughout the day and each time I think "YAY! They're done early!  I don't have to worry anymore!"  But reality bites me in the butt and says "Ha! It's just someone else. Try again later."

I know my husband is smart, safe, and cautious.  I would trust him with my life, but I still worry.  I can't help it.  It's that motherly-wifely disease that I have contracted and each time he leaves to go on an adventure I worry.  Not all adventures, though.  If he's hiking a trail I know or snowshoeing I don't worry because it's not as dangerous or scary to me.

I think it also comes with my overly-cautious self.  I tend to think about all of the possibilities and disasters.  It's awful, sometimes.




On that note, I really dislike people who walk/bike on the road without some sort of light or reflector. 

To get to our house you have to drive on country roads.  Nick and I have almost hit countless people because they have not (a) carried a flashlight or some sort of lighted thing with them or (b) worn visible or proper reflectors. 

I understand having to walk your dog or bike to/from work, but I think you can spare your life by just investing in some nice reflectors or bike lights if you are going to walk/bike on a road with little to no shoulder.  I don't want to kill you, but when it's pitch black outside and I can't see you because you blend in with the trees and there is a car coming at me with blinding lights I may have no choice.  I'd never hit a person.  I'd drive my car into the ditch first and/or slam on the brakes, but I'm just trying to make a point here.

Left: GOOD!  Middle: Also good, but not plausible.  Right: BAD! Where are you?!

Alright.  I'm done with the hatred and I must go further distract myself from my thoughts.  So for now..

 

It's the New Year, what?!

Each New Year's Eve is so crazy.  Not crazy as in whatdididolastnight, but the fact that it's another year down in our lives. 

This year we rang in the New Year in Seattle.  We've been under the space needle before, but this time we wanted to actually be able to see the whole thing.  Last time we went you were in the middle of the fireworks and didn't get to see the whole fireworks display from afar. 

We went to Kerry Park - if you don't know, we are very fond of this park.  Hint: It's where we got engaged.

It was fun to be in a huge crowd, watching the space needle, and talking to complete strangers.  Although, I admit, I do enjoy my nice simple New Years evenings.  I'm not that much of a huge crowd person, but occasionally it can prove to be quite fun.

 
Now, I must make a typical New Years post, right?  Well, I'm not too big on resolutions because, honestly, I have the same goals all year round, but I do enjoy a little recap of the year.

Meg did this great 2012 recap and layout that I really like and so I am going to steal borrow it.  She originally stole it from Fran, so I'm not the only thief ;)



LIFE
+ We moved into an awesome house in the country.

+ We celebrated 6 months and 1 year of married wonderfulness.

+ We did some serious budgeting with money envelopes.

+ We bought a new car and a car rack - love our bear!

+ We got new jobs after new jobs and I think we finally have found great jobs for us in this area.  I hate job hunting and waiting to find the right job.  It means dealing with jobs you DON'T want to be in.



ADVENTURES
+ We saw a few awesome concerts, including the Punch Brothers.

+ I was able to see an amazing musical, Wicked!

+ We ran two different 5Ks, trained, and signed up for a half-marathon.

+ We backpacked around Ross Lake.

+ We kayaked many times - although not enough.

+ We took a family vacation to the middleofnowhere, Montana.

+ Nick climbed Mt. Baker - his first major peak, and it will not be his last.  He's even climbing the next ridge over as we speak. 



HONORABLE MENTIONS
+ We did a week long fruit and vegetable fast.  Or at least we tried to do it and made it about 6 days.

+ I had my one year blogiversary and FIRST ever giveaway.  That's still crazy to me.

Happy New Year everybody! 2013.  What?!