Out with the Old, In with the New!

A lot of people whose blogs I read have been posting about things they enjoyed and will miss from 2008 and things they will be looking forward to in 2009. Since my New Year's resolution is to speak and think about myself and my life in a more positive way, I'm going to make my own list.

Thinks I liked about 2008:

1.) Finally fitting into a sz 16 pants. This is not my final goal, of course, but it really made me realize how well I've been doing with my exercise routine and watching what I eat. I've been really hard on myself for not losing weight fast enough, but finally making it to a size that I consider to be "normal" makes me feel a lot better about how I look.

2.) Our weekend trip to Louisville. In October of 2008, James and I took the dogs with us to Louisville on vacation for the weekend and it was sooooo much fun. The dogs had a great time, we had a great time and it wasn't very expensive at all.

3.) Moving to our new apartment. I know, who likes moving?? I didn't like the moving part, but I LOVE our new place. It's an apartment in an old house that's divided up into 3 apartments, but one of them is vacant and we have the whole top floor. The girl who lives downstairs is really nice, loves animals, and is hardly ever home. A perfect combination! Our new neighborhood is really pleasant, it's a lot quieter than I expected, and the place just feels better. It has really high ceilings and a nice lay-out with a huge kitchen.

4.) Pies! Half way through the year, I finally discovered something I can cook. Pies! I made a bunch of really delicious and adventurous pies this year and I can't wait to make some new ones for the 2009 holiday season!

Things I am looking forward to in 2009:

1.) Going to some of my husband's office parties. I have long refused to set foot in his office because I didn't want his co-workers knowing how big I was. I had a goal to be under a certain weight before I could intentionally meet any of his co-workers and I have now reached that goal. I went to his office to watch the inauguration, and it was really fun. People there are very nice. I always make desserts for his office parties, so I am looking forward to soaking up all the compliments that I will hopefully get for the next round. :)

2.) Reaching a reasonable weight loss goal. I seriously am "big-boned" and I will always be soft. I have come to terms with this fact. I really want to be able to comfortably wear a sz 14 pants. I think I would only need to lose about 20-30 more lbs to do that, so I feel like that is a reasonable goal. I would really like to be able to fit into my wedding dress by our anniversary.

3.) A vacation? I really want to take another dog vacation. My cousin is having his bar mitzvah in April and we may go to that. It is in Albuquerque, where they have like 10 free dog parks. If we don't go there, I would really like to go back to Louisville, maybe for one extra day.

4.) Canning! After Christmas, I bought a water-bath canner and made my first preserved marmalade. I am really looking forward to canning some more fruits and veggies this summer. I would love to make some sour kraut and pickles. I was also thinking that it would be great to can some peaches for pies in the winter. I'm really excited to see what kinds of delicious goodies the summer holds!

Well, that's my list. I hope 2009 is as much fun as 2008 was.