In case ya'll thought you may have blinked and missed it, I'll let you know now.   I did not get married or pregnant in 2012.  We know that from your constant Facebook updates.  Ok, just wanted to be clear.

What did I do in 2012?

Let's first review the goals I set for myself this year which I was reminded of when I looked back here

Goals for 2012...
1. Run 3 5Ks, without walking
                  - Ran 2
2. Go on 1 date...I'm setting the bar low so I can attain this one ;)
                  - Check...actually, 2...what, what, look at me!
3. Drink 1 glass of green tea per day
                  - Um, no...why is the hell did I even write this?!
4. Eat an apple each day
                   - Or this one?  Committing to doing something EVERYday for a year...no, fail.
5. Put at least 100 miles on my bike
                   - Check, check, check


What else did I do in 2012 if I didn't get married or have any kids?

Blogging
I blogged my ass off...literally.  I wrote and you read.  Thank you for reading my rants.  Your comments are my fuel.  I don't know if I really realized how much I like writing until starting this blog.  I actually love it and, if we're being completely honest, I think I'm pretty damn hilar.



Whole 30ed 
I had no idea I had no much will power.  I did at least 4 complete Whole 30s.  I learned exactly what different foods do to my body and I'm so happy knowing more now than I knew then.


Crossfitted
I did things with my body that I didn't know it could do.  I got so strong.  I worked out more in 2012 than I did in 2009-2011 put together.  Go Katie.


Tattoo
I got my very first tattoo!  It's the first line of Desiderata which is a poem that has always been in my house, my mom's favorite.  The whole poem is full of such great advice on life.  A tribute to my mama and a reminder to myself to keep on keepin' on.

Best Shape I've Been in 5 Years
Yes I did it.  I busted my bootay.  I ate great.  I worked out.  It paid off.


New Job
I applied for and got a new job.  I am making mistakes every single day.  I'm learning new things and I'm loving it.  There are a thousand things I could do better...and there are a few that I'm already pretty damn good at-such is life.


Masters Degree...so, so close
I'm so close I can taste it and it tastes like...time!  Lots more time for ME!  No more paper writing.  So, lucky blog readers I'll get to spend more time here, writing about awesome things (like myself <---totally not narcissistic at all) and not lame 30 page research papers.

It's been fun NAU but this time next year I'll have a new little piece of paper that cost me way more than a Kinkos photocopy.

Aunt Katie
Oh yes, I'm still Aunt Katie.  Oh, Katie, we KNOW.  Those are the only pictures you EVER post on Facebook.  Yeah, well, get used to it Kids!  I still have the BEST niece and nephew in the world.


Lily is 2!  Oh my gosh...when did she get so big?  She's a little daredevil that talks all day long.  This is probably my favorite age she has ever been.  Every time I see her she has changed so much and just gets cuter each time if that's possible.

Yesterday as Tom, Danielle and I were talking about tattoos, she said, "I want a Dora tattoo, and Boots tattoo."  Ok, sweet girl, when you're 18 you can get a Dora and Boots tattoo.

And she says, "Watch this Aunt Katie."
I'm watching Lily...I'll be watching forever, promise.


Philip is 4 1/2 (and the 1/2 is apparently a big deal because it means that you're "way older than just 4") and the sweetest boy you'll ever meet.
 Knock, knock on my door.  "Who is it?"
"It's me, Philip!"
"Who is Philip?  I don't think I know anyone by that name?"
"Yes, you do.  It's your favorite nephew."
I open the door and swoop that boy up and say, "How do you know you're my favorite nephew?"
"Because, you tell me that!"
Oh yes, baby...favorite nephew forever and ever.

Goals for 2013:
1.  Go on 4 dates...What?!  <---Who am I!?
2.  Get even healthier than I got in the last year.
3.  Get surgery on my ankle...it's not something I want to do per se but something that needs to be done so this summer.  Ready, set, go.
4.  Get a new bedroom set.
5.  Pay off my medical debt <---Another necessary evil.
6.  Pass my Principal Test
7.  Go to hot yoga at least 36 times in the next 3 months.
8.  Get my ankle healed and back to Crossfit.
9.  Put 300 miles on my bike...I better get moving!
10.  Do at least 20 hikes.
11.  Keep balance and keep moving.


Your turn!  How was 2012?  What's on tap for 2013?  Get it done!!

I haven't posted a blog in over a month.
That doesn't mean I haven't written a blog.
I have written about 7...all still in the Draft folder because sometimes I get a little too honest on here and then I just don't feel like I should post it.

Like, should I tell you that my dad is getting married?
Yep, married again, to a woman who is fantastic.


She's so wonderful to me and our whole family.  She asks about us.  She remembers details.  She welcomes us into her home.  She's great.

And I'm so happy for my dad.  I'm so happy that he's found someone to share the rest of his life with.  I'm so secure in knowing that he has someone to lean on forever.

And somehow his getting remarried makes my mom feel more dead.
Gasp, did she just write that?
She just wrote that.



I knew she wasn't ever coming back.
I know that.
I don't wake up surprised that she's gone anymore.

I rarely accidentally pick up the phone to call her.
It's not nearly as often that I have some slip,
Where I speak of her in the present tense as if I saw her yesterday.

But somehow, now, it feels more real.
She feels more distant to me than ever.
We don't really talk about her anymore.

I'm starting to forget the way her voice sounded.
I can't remember how it felt to hug her,
What she smelled like.

There are ways to make her memories race back like a flood.
Favorite songs hooked to so many deep rooted memories.
Old letters written just the way she talked.
Old stories told just the way I remember them.

Delighted and Distant in Phoenix.
Cheers to a new and beautiful union
Here's to safety, security and a lifetime of love
to my father and a wonderful, wonderful woman


And a reminder to me that Mom is no more "gone" than she was yesterday
or two years ago
or five years ago.

Gone is such a relative term anyone.
She can be as close and I want or need, right?