simple 2014 resolutions

Before we look forward, let's take a look back on last year's goals.

Grow my hair out
Doin' it!  Yep, I've only trimmed my crazy, grey-sparkled hair - no cuts or crazy ideas that my hair could suddenly look cute as a pixie cut.  It's long and I'm continuing to see how long I can let it grow.
Record another album (maybe another little EP of my stuff or maybe a lullaby album)
Check!  I recorded "Tucked In," a lullaby album, with my mom and sister.  We're so proud and so excited to have it done!
Read 4 books
Almost.  I read an e-book, "Gospel Amnesia" and Big Mama's "Sparkly Green Earrings" (which was the most ridiculous journey of crying and laughing I've ever been on).  I'm still only halfway through Jen Hatmaker's "7."  I really just need to pick it up and finish it because I do love it.
Make a photo book of Duke's first year
Did this.  It was overwhelming, but I love having it around to flip through.  At one point I thought about doing one every year.  And then I realized that I'd rather not freely admit myself into an insane asylum.
Work up a few piano pieces (new ones or ones I played in college)
Eh, not really.  I pulled some old things out and played them occasionally, but never "worked them up."
Go on a family hike somewhere pretty
We went to the Wichita's and it was wonderful!
Take more initiative in playing my music places
Holy moly.  I did this and it was a little nutso.  I said yes to leading two women's retreats, played at the Norman Music Festival, played at Cuppies a few times, and did various other musical things.  Doesn't seem like a lot, but when everything else is a lot and you have a kid you have to find a place for, it becomes a lot.  There's definitely a balance needed when it comes to music and child-raising.
Finish painting all the woodwork white in our home
No, but this is definitely still a goal of mine.
Take a trip, just the 3 of us
We have yet to do this.  I'd still love to escape to a cabin or something as a family of 3 before the baby comes in May.  Hopefully we can make it happen.
Go to Portland
Yes and it was an amazing trip.  Portland never gets old.  (I wrote about my favorite things to do in Portland here.)
Run 4 races
I ran the Elvis 5k, the Memorial Half Marathon, and the Timberline Half Marathon.  (That last half was the one I didn't train for.  If you've never read that story, you should.)  It would've been 4 races if we wouldn't have dropped out of the Route 66 Marathon Relay due to dumb weather.  So I didn't run 4 races, but I signed up and paid for 4.  So that's something.
Be in bed by 10:30 p.m. at the latest on weeknights
Maybe we did this 30% of the time?  Maybe?  We're night owls at heart so this is hard.
Be more diligent with our budget
There were definitely more steps in this direction, but I still wouldn't call my efforts diligent.  It's something I'm still working on.
Write music with Colt (We always write separately and have yet to try this out.) 
I guess we did kind of do that Verses Project song together.  However, Colt mainly wrote it beforehand and I just added to it.  So actually the answer to this question is no.  No, we didn't do it. 

Not too bad!  I accomplished some goals all of the way, some goals half of the way, and only few were complete flops.

For this year, I'm going to keep it simple.  I recently offered some tips here and here on how to make successful and achievable New Year's Resolutions.  I'm taking my own advice and scaling down my already-scaled-down goal setting ways.  Why?  Well, because I'm going to have another baby in May and that's going to make my life a crazy mess - a good, hard, wonderful, stressful, beautiful mess.  I mean, I don't know this for a fact, but I can pretty much assume that life is going to feel different with a toddler and a newborn.  Each month leading up to May will be spent soaking in family time and getting all of my millions of nesting chores done.  After that, it'll be the newborn days, breastfeeding schedules, and before I know it, the holidays will be upon me.  So I doubt there will be much time for reading awesome books, recording awesome albums, or doing anything else.

Like I said, I'm keeping it simple.  So here are my New Year's Resolutions:

1.  LIKE COUNTRY MUSIC
Why?  Because a lot of people say I should.  And because it's a goal I can accomplish by sitting on my butt.  And because Colt thinks I'm kind of a music snob for not liking it.  (But I mean, their vowels??  Eeeesh.  And their lyrics??  Man, oh man.)  I'm not into Carrie's twang or pretty much any male country artists' grunting.  The closest I get to liking country is halfway enjoying Taylor Swift.  And sometimes not even halfway.  I will say, I have always loved and listened to Alison Krauss (who's actually more bluegrass, but that still counts for something, right?).  So if any of you would like to guide me along in this new endeavor, I would appreciate it.  I'd like to consider myself well-rounded, but this particular genre just hasn't found its way onto any playlist I've ever made.  Ever.  Help me out!

2.  RUN TWO RACES
I figure between June and December, I should be able to squeeze in a couple of races.  It may be two 5k races, but for this, distance doesn't really count.  I just want to promise myself that I'll be back into running well before being 7 months postpartum.

3.  BECOME OBSESSED WITH DRINKING WATER
I have never been into water.  I lived my high school days on Dr. Pepper and college days on white mochas.  Yes, I notice more of a need for water when I'm exercising a lot or breastfeeding, but as a general rule, I don't always reach for water when I'm thirsty.  I know, I'm terrible.  But let's admit it, water is boring.  Sparkling water is okay, but it's such a tease.  So, I need to make myself drink more water.  That's just all there is to it.  No tricks.  I need to pick a water bottle and keep it by my side at all times.  Maybe a cool water bottle would inspire me?  Any ideas?

4.  ORGANIZE MY BLOG CATEGORIES
These have been quite a mess ever since I started the process of tweaking them a couple of months ago.  I do want them organized so readers can find things easily, but I also want to feel like I know where things are.  I have a plan for getting them organized, I just haven't had the time to devote to it.

5.  PRAY FOR COLT EVERY DAY
Maybe I'm the worst wife ever, but I just don't do this enough.  It's not because I don't love and think about him every day, but I just forget.  My plan is to write out 30 simple prayers for Colt that are specific to his life, his days at work, and what he needs.  I'll pray through one card every day and repeat each month.

6.  WORK ON ONE BIBLE VERSE A MONTH WITH DUKE
A couple of semesters ago in my MOMS bible study, we were given a stack of simple/easy-to-memorize verses to use with our kids.  At the time, Duke was too young to really participate in something like that.  But now that he's repeating everything, forming sentences, and remembers every detail of every moment in life, I figure it's time.  (Plus, in helping him work on one verse a month, I will also be working on it.  Win-win situation.)

As far as my word for the year goes, I haven't quite landed on it yet.  (If you missed my post on how my word for this past year played out, click here.)  I'll definitely share it when it's been decided and processed.

What are your resolutions for 2014?