On the New Year. And walking.

Well, a week into 2013, and I'd have to say that things are going along swimmingly.  Our goals for the year (though not written down yet) are in full swing.

We have been eating like champs.  Healthy champs!  We've said so long to the gluten (for the adults, at least.  I'm working on the kids, but they're already eating way less.)  There have been veggies galore, and smoothies, and lots of homemade soups.  Lots of tea, hardly any coffee, lots of water, hardly any booze.  There have still been sweet treats kicking around, maybe even more than usual, but they've all been gluten free and 80% healthy. (There's the occasional bit of sugar and lots of butter everywhere...butter makes gluten-free breads totally edible, even when they're not perfect on their own.)

And, I've been walking.  Every day except one.  Not for too long, about 40 minutes total, but it's a damn sight better than doing nothing at all. The walking has actually been my favourite part...it's been so nice to get outside, and breathe in the fresh air, talk with a friend, and just get outside in the winter. 

Speaking of being outside in the winter, I want you to know that I can count on one hand how many windy night we've had down here.  Three.  The night that hurricane Sandy hit the east coast, the night of the Winter Solstice, and tonight.  When we have these windy days, I thank the earth for small blessings that brought us here, out of the wind.  Because on nights that it's windy down here, I know EXACTLY what it's like up there. On the Roof.  It's shake-the-rafters kinda windy.  Hang-onto-your-play-structure kind of windy.

And frankly, I'm over that shit.

That's all I have to say about the wind.  Thankful for small things, like the lack there-of.

Next topic - lets talk quick about 2013 and some goals:  Our big goals this year are to eat better, exercise more, and be generally more awesome.   We're already on it, and all the more awesome for it.

Now...one of my little goals has always been to do a project 365.  I think between trying to walk every day, and remembering to bring my phone to take a picture while I walk (which, really, that thing rarely leaves my pocket) and then posting a bunch of pictures at the end of the week, I have a decent shot of, like 80% success at a project 365 goal. 

So here it is: Week 1.  I hope you enjoy.  I sure am!

  

January 1st, westbound into the setting sun. 

 

January 2nd.  Homeward bound, in the dark.

 January 3rd.  Boys Club.  (Or rather, Jon and Marcy's garage!)

 

January 5th, close to home.

 January 6th, heading UP the hill...leaving me embarrassingly out of breath!

 

Today, January 7th, with my walking buddy.

This very random post is brought to you by the insanity of the first day back at school, and a very tired Mama.  Please excuse the mess!

A New Year

So I was going to do this tomorow, but I know tomorrow is going to be a crazy day, and I know it'll get lost in the crazy day shuffle.  So here it is: the 2012 recap and plans for 2013.  Quick fast like, because it's waaay past my bedtime.

2012 kind of rocked.  We started out the year dreaming of a new home, but one that we were going to build with our own hands.  We spent weeks designing a house, which even though we're not going to build it (right now) was a wonderful learning process that taught us so much about ourselves and how we want to live.

Sometime in early March, when our plans to build were halted by a realistic driveway digger guy (who basically told us that the driveway into the land, which would have to be long, fairly steep, and cross a NEC protected river) could be the most expensive and most pain-in-the-assive* part of the project.  He also, for the record, said it could be easier, but it wasn't likely.  (*is TOO a word.)

We decided not to take the chance.

Especially when someone dangled something shiny in front of us.

It was another house.  Already built.  With a perfectly functional driveway.

In a community, a really good community.

And it was pritty!

So on May28th we moved into it, waiving adios to the Blue House, and started life anew in the Valley.

And since then, time has flown.  We've been here for 7 months.  It feels like we've been here forever.  I know more about some of these people here than I do about people I've known for 10 times as long. 

And they are our people.

To say that we're happy here would be an understatement.

Our lives have become so much richer in the past 7 months, that it feels like it would be tough to beat right now.

But gosh darnit if we aren't going to try.

So that's 2013 in a nutshell - beat 2012.  We're going to get out an enjoy the rest of the winter, something we never did at the old house.  We're going to eat better (we're going gluten free in the New Year.  I already have, I'm just taking the rest of the family with me!) We are going to be more active, take better care of ourselves and eachother; we will love more, laugh more, smile more, and do more to make our lives and our corner of the world a better place.  And then we'll work to send that joy out into other corners of the world and make them better places too.

If you are a part of our lives (which, you know, you probably are since you're HERE and all) then we thank you for being a part of all that's gone on in the past year.  From family to old friends to new friends, to friends across the country and on this crazy ol' internet, we've been so blessed to have so much support from so many wonderful people in our lives this year.  (That was sooo too many sos in one sentence.)

But seriously, for reals.  We love you guys.  And maybe I don't tell you that enough!

So thanks, all.  Thanks for being a part.  Thanks for reading.  And thanks for the love.  Right back at'cha. May wonderful things come your way in the following year (and forever more, for that matter.) You all deserve every last drop of it!

From us to you, the love!

xoxo