2018 - In Review

I feel like there's probably not a lot here that isn't already covered in social media and previous blog posts, but I do like to just have it all listed out like so.

2018 Highlights

• So many trips! (See below.)
• Trixie talks now. It came so quickly once it started coming, and she is like a different child now.
• Running a 5K. (And now I'm training for a 10K.) This was either my third or fourth attempt to train with Couch to 5K, and I finally finished it and run even more now. It feels awesome (and still kind of weird) to actually WANT to go for a run.
• Lots of trips to the aquarium.
• Trixie learned to talk and got potty trained.
• We got a new park right by our house.
• More canoeing on our local river than ever before.
• Ike started a piano class that has been good for him (and me!). He's learning theory, and having him in an environment where I am not the teacher/enforcer has been good for us.
• Felix is enjoying kindergarten, and he's learning to read.
• Big strides for both boys in swimming lessons this summer. Trixie and I also took a class together, which was tons of fun.
• The boys and I read the first three Harry Potter books together, and I have definitely instilled a love of that series in my oldest kid. I consider that a parenting win.
• Felicia learned to crawl, and then to walk, and then to run. She also says a handful of words.
• I was released as choir director and am now the Primary secretary. For years I've longed to be a secretary of something because it's right up my alley, and now it's my thing!
• I've also told about 700 people over the course of the last nearly-eight years since we moved into our house that I would love to help with/attend Young Women camp, and just two days ago I was asked to be on the stake YW camp committee. So, wishes being fulfilled over here.

Places in 2018:

• Spring Break and Easter in Montana with Eric's brother's family.
• Road trip to Seattle to drop off our kids with Eric's sister so Eric and I could go to Europe. Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, Lichtenstein (for 10 minutes), and France. I already blogged extensively about these places, but it really was magnificent.
• Massive 5000-mile road trip to the Midwest and down to Dallas to visit my family. I added four new states to my list of states I've visited. (New to me: South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana. Other states on that trip: Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado.)
• Fall break in Moab.

Birthdays/Traditions:

• Our birthday visits to Cold Stone are firmly cemented. Nobody will let me forget to go. Eric skipped out a few times while he was cutting back on sugar to lose weight, but that just meant more ice cream for the rest of us.
• We held our shepherds' meal in December. Historically we've only invited Eric's family, but with his parents out of the country this year, we invited friends, and it was great.
• Fondue to celebrate the last day of school.

2018 Goals:

• Finish Personal Progress - NOPE. I worked on it at the beginning of the year, and then it just kind of fizzled when I had some calling changes. I better get it done in 2019 if it's ever going to happen.
• Edit and resubmit genealogy publication - Again, I worked on this at the beginning of the year and then never finished it. I probably need to recruit some colleagues for a little more hand-holding on this one.

2019 Goals:

• Redecorate my living room. My friend, Molly, has already created a design board for me, so I have lots of inspiration, and I'm ready to go. (The biggest task in this project is getting Eric on board since this involves taping and painting, and he thinks our living room is fine as is.)
• Run a 10K? Look, I'm not committing to this whole-heartedly. I'm sure I can do it, but I have some other work-out interest right now, so I might end up focusing on a faster 5K or something non-running-related altogether. But definitely I want to keep exercising.
• Read more books on paper and Kindle. I love audiobooks, but sometimes I rely on them too much and use them to justify wasting time. (For instance, I spend a lot of time dinking around on my phone while listening to a book and then justify said wasted time by calling it "'reading.")
• Read more books with my kids, especially chapter books with the boys.
• Maybe get around to finishing up those 2018 goals. (And with commitment like that, clearly I'm on the right track.)