Welcome 2015!

It seems like at this time of year, I should take some time to reflect on 2014 and look ahead to 2015. In many ways, the past year was full of challenges as well as disappointments, but there are certainly many things to be thankful for as well. Here's a short, certainly incomplete, list:

• Mark and his friendship, support, and love. This summer, we celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary, and as mushy as it sounds, I do love him more and more each day. We've been through a lot together, and knowing that he's always there, no matter what, is such a blessing. 
• Health. Though Mark in particular has faced a number of challenges this year, we've finally got a clear diagnosis for him (after months of testing this fall), and things are stable. Also, we're both eating well and in physically better shape than we've ever been. We know that there are a lot of things about our health that are not in our control, but we're both committed to investing our time and energy in the things we can improve. We hope this will have good returns for us in the future. 
• Employment. While we had hoped to be starting a new chapter in a new place last summer/fall, we ended up in BG for another academic year. We have high hopes for what 2015 will bring for Mark's job hunt, but in the meantime, it's amazing that I've been able to hold on to a job here amid yet another round of layoffs. Though it's meant a move to a new department and a few related issues, it really has been a good opportunity for me to dust off my first-year writing materials. Who knows--it may also be laying the foundation for whatever comes next for me professionally.
• Travel. I think Mark and I had our busiest summer ever in terms of travel. We started out with our awesome Walt Disney World trip, then joined Mark's family for their annual visit to Missouri and Arkansas, and wrapped up with an anniversary trip to Niagara Falls. Great memories!
• Family. As always, I'm so grateful for my family, extended family, and in-laws. We're truly blessed to be loved and supported by so many gracious, generous, hospitable, kind, and fun people. 

As for 2015, I don' think I'll make any resolutions, per se, but here are some things I'm thinking about.

• Attitude of thankfulness. Back in November, I did a small gratefulness challenge. The objective was to write down three things each day I was thankful for, in hopes that it would contribute to a better attitude overall. It was a good exercise, but I've definitely got more work to do in this area. 
• Fitness. Beginning in the fall, I got more structured with my strength training routine, but I also lost ground in terms of flexibility. I'd like to keep up with what I've been doing and make sure I add regular stretching back into the routine. 
• Food & Cooking. Thinking about, buying, and preparing what we're going to eat each day seems to take a significant amount of my time and energy! In the last several months, we've made some big and small changes to how we eat, and I'd like to keep the ball rolling there. Specifically, I want to be sure to continue trying new, healthy recipes on a regular basis (say, one per week?). I also want to find all the wonderful ways to use my fancy new food processor to make kitchen prep work easier (and potentially more cost effective). I think we might also be ready to try out a CSA, but that'll be something to explore later in the spring. 
• Leisure. I'm the type who likes to finish things; sometimes I write things down on my to do list just to be able to have the satisfaction of crossing them off. Mostly, this trait is fine, even helpful. But when it comes to leisure activities like reading, TV, and movies, there is a downside. Namely, even if I'm not particularly enjoying the book/show/movie, I generally feel compelled to finish it. After watching a mediocre movie on Netflix and reading yet another chapter of a book I wasn't really into, I decided this habit needs to be changed. I think I'll try a 15-minute rule: if I'm not having fun by then, I should give it up and move on (without any guilt!). There's endless entertainment out there, but my time isn't unlimited, so if I'm not having fun, I need to leave it unfinished. (By the way, I did quit reading the previously mentioned book, and started a new one, which I am thoroughly enjoying--it's working already!).

Well, I'm sure there are things in both categories that I've overlooked, but this seems like a start. It'll be interesting to see what this year will bring!