Happy New Year!

I just accidentally stuck my finger in my eye. It didn't hurt as much as expected, but I thought it was noteworthy enough to share. And that up there is how Hank chose to sleep this afternoon.

2013 has been a good year for us Clarks. I always feel at a loss when people ask what's new with us. "Ummm...nothing?" is usually what I come up with. But looking back on the year, it has been filled with lots and lots of good. I ran Ragnar. I hosted a summer camp for the youth girls at my church. I designed a children's book. Hank turned 2 (only 1 more year of puppyhood!). Ty finished a whole nother year (I've always loved that grammatically incorrect phrase) of school -- only two more years to go; good work, sweetie. We visited Hawaii, and I saw sea turtles for the first time. Portland became more of a home away from home for me. My best friend got married. I learned to say no to freelance work I didn't want to do. Running and hiking got easier on my lungs. I excelled at work. Learned to cable knit. Made biscuits for the first time. And became much more comfortable in the kitchen. And overall I feel like a better person than I was last year. Happier. More able to be kind. More aware of my small little part in making this world a better place. And more comfortable and capable-feeling in my skin than I have ever been before.

The other day in the car ride home, I jotted down some new years goals. They aren't exactly measurable, but I have been focusing on aligning my actions with my beliefs lately, so I tried hard to make my goals match. Here we go:

1. Share my faith and beliefs more
2. Study the scriptures
3. Live with less -- buy less clothes & goods
4. Eat meat sparingly, and only eat ethically treated and killed animals/animal products
5. Run 3 times a week
6. Write a journal entry at least once a week

So here's to 2014! It's gonna be a goodie.

A condo at Snowbird

Earlier in December, Ty and I spent a week at a condo up at Snowird. We grabbed our mittens, warmest jackets, and coziest pajamas, and we headed up the canyon to lounge next to the fireplace as it snowed and snowed and snowed and snowed the entire week. It was heaven. Until I had to venture out into the storm to drive to and from work everyday :) I guess that's the drawback of taking a staycation. Or bonus, I suppose, since I get to vacation without taking vacation time AND the commute from Snowbird is shorter than from my home. So bonus bonus. It was a treat to return each night to our cozy getaway in the mountains.

Besides doing a whole lot of lounging and hot tubbing, I hit the slopes for a few hours one of the days. White-out conditions and single digit temperatures brought me back indoors pretty quick. But it's just as well -- my excitement for the fireplace in the suite pretty much superseded my excitement for the slopes anyway (I honestly pine for a fireplace every. single. winter. day.). I was happy to just sip tea and cozy up with my husband to watch episodes of the office. Highlights from the week also included hosting our annual friends christmas party, making a bajillion gift tags to sell at a Christmas boutique, and getting completely rocked by Ty at ping pong. Also, eating a persimmon.

Don't forget to check your mail

I am not the best at checking my mail. Sometimes I go...two? Three weeks in between? I know I know. This is not my proudest moment. But when you have a locked mail box, it just doesn't seem as urgent. Until you go out of town for a week and come home only to discover the mailman has deemed your home vacant. And rather than being greeted by a bulging mailbox last night, I was left a singular bright orange piece of paper with the word "VACANT" (all caps) printed across the top and a request that I, the new tenant, please write my name on the slip so the mail man would know who's mail would now be coming to my mail box. Nuts.

It was all cleared up after a quick call this morning and Ty agreeing to drive to the post office to pick up our bin (yes, entire bin) of mail waiting for us. The kind woman on the phone, who turned slightly irritated when she realized just how much mail I had been neglecting, informed me I should be checking the mail at least every 3 days. I agreed I would. I may have to set a reminder on my phone or something.

In other news, Ty and I spent this last week at a condo at Snowbird. It was snowy and freezing, but our condo was cozy and wonderful. Pics and post to come.