The Check In

It hit me the last few days that I have had lots of goals/resolutions for this year, and that I have achieved every single one of them (except for one that is private) - for the full list, click here. What this means, for me, is that it's time to update you all and now set some new goals for the remainder of the year! Normally I would not bore you all with this, but it seems that I am more likely to do what I actually tell others I'll do instead of having a mental check list.

1. I had a goal of losing 40 pounds by May 1st so that I could enjoy our vacation and just be more fit. Well, I struggle on whether or not to say I officially did this. Since last June, I have lost a grand total of 43 pounds, but fell short of the actual number I wanted by 13 pounds. So, yes and no on meeting the goal. Over all yearly, yes, actual number wanted no, but came close. I was actually feeling semi discouraged, and then a friend made this collage so that I could see how far I've come. The far end is last summer, middle is February, and the end was back in April. So, we're making progress.

The next goal is to lose another 40 pounds by May 8th, and I'm pretty certain I can do it! Already have some plans in place to make it happen, along with an accountability partner!

2. I think I'm getting baptized this year. I was a long, long time ago, but am feeling led to do so again now that I fully understand what it is. So, the goal is to suck it up and just do it even though I don't particularly want to in front of the entire church. Yikes!

3. I finished ALL of my courses for my degree. The only things I have remaining are student teaching and one Praxis exam. The goal is to complete/pass the exam this summer, and to study two courses that I don't feel really confident on prior to September.

The color blue means passed. No other colors left!!!!!

4. A picture speaks a thousand words on this one. Take a look below!

First family trip to Disneyland

The hubby and kiddos at Cars Land

And the next goal is to take the kids camping this summer for the first time, and plan next year's family trip.

5. I wanted to be more open to possibilities. I still have to work on this one, as I am semi reclusive and like routine, but as the picture below shows, I am breaking outside of my comfort level. The next goal is private, I'm not sharing it :)

I'm the one in the back, screaming

6. Yeah I'm still not organized. I wonder if I ever will be organized. I may have an epitaph saying "here lies the most unorganized woman in the history of the world. We'd have a better quote, but she misplaced the paper it was on". Yep, that's me.

7. Still not sharing. It's private, just for me to know and all of you to possibly find out some day :)

8. We have implemented Friday family nights (sometimes held on Saturday afternoons depending on the activity and the weather). Our family has watched movies, gone bowling, been to the circus baseball game, etc. It's been nice to know that one day a week is reserved for something fun to do, and a chance to reconnect. The goal, now, is to find ways to inexpensively do this as I am about to be jobless for many months.

The new goals are as follows: Part time job to work between now and the end of August (it'll help us have money for Christmas and other fun things while I'm student teaching), find a way to economically shop for professional clothes (eek!), fix my car so that it's in tip top shape for September, brush up on all I'll need to know for the classroom as well as any new curriculums I have never used, go zip lining, build a decent size savings account, start resolving some old debt, cut down on tv time, cut down on time using the phone, and find ways to celebrate holidays that will make memories yet not cause a wave of stress or debt.

TTFN, folks!