2012 Goals in Review

2012 was a roller coaster of a year for us with lots of ups and downs. There are many people that will say they are glad 2012 is over, but for me it brought me another year of growth and opportunities to make myself a better person.
 

Here's my original goals that I set back in January:
1. Start a blog and post regularly.
2. Run a marathon.
3. Be a CPA by the end of 2012 – Study for, take, and pass the CPA exam.
4. Read 12 books – one each month.  
5. Clean out the clutter - trash/donate any unwanted/unneeded items.

I did really well with most of my goals this year.
1. I started by blog and posted regularly to it. There were some months that I posted more than others, but I kept with it all year long.
2. I didn't run a marathon, but I did start being active which was my main purpose of this goal. I ran regularly in January and February, then didn't do much until this fall when I started working out with some girls from work. Then in November and December, I took a 6 week kick-boxing class. I really enjoyed this class and will probably take it again some time in 2013.
3. I completed my goal of passing the CPA exam and am very close to being fully certified. A little bit of paperwork and an ethics course are all that stands between me and my license!
4. I came oh-so-close to completing 12 books this year. I am 25% of the way done with book #12 right now.
5. We cleaned out a lot of clutter this year giving lots of things away and trashing more. We still have more we need to clean out, but we are well on our way to de-cluttering our house/lives.

I'm proud of how I achieved or made progress towards my goals in 2012. I am still working on finalizing my goals for 2013 and will share them soon (hopefully no later than the end of the week). Blogging about my goals has helped to keep me accountable to them and has provided lots of encouragement from you. Thank you for your support and I'm looking forward to your continued support and encouragement in 2013.

Book #11 - Secret Santa

 

Last week I finished book #11 of the year, Secret Santa by Kathleen Brooks. It was a short little novella that was cute, but jumped around a bit for me. Here's the synopsis from Amazon:

It wouldn't be Christmas in Keeneston without a party! Everyone's invited, even Santa… 

Kenna's court docket is full, Dani's hiding from her in-laws, Paige and Annie are about to burst from pregnancy, and Marshall is breaking up fights at the PTA Christmas Concert. The sweet potato casserole is made, the ham and biscuits are on the table, and men are losing their shirts - and not because of bets placed with the Rose Sisters! All the while, the entire town is wondering one thing: who is the Secret Santa that showed up with special gifts for everyone?

The book has too many characters for such a short story and doesn't set up them up very well. I was confused for the first few chapters of who was who and who was related to who and how they were all connected. It was an easy short read, but has way too many characters for such a short read.

Book #10 - Blame It On The Mistletoe

Today I finished book #10 of the year, Blame It On The Mistletoe by Lily Graison. This is a short little novella that will put you in the Christmas spirit. It's a cute little romantic story. Here's the synopsis from Amazon:

When Macy Carter’s parents order her to bring her live-in boyfriend Sean home with her for Christmas she has no idea that her little white lie is just about to snowball into a fabrication of monstrous proportions. Sean isn’t her boyfriend, he’s her boss. Now she has to reveal the lie she’s been telling her family for the past two years or hastily concoct an elaborate ruse to fool them instead.

When Macy tells Sean Mathis of her predicament he does what any gentleman would - he laughs and then agrees to help her out. Little does he know that one misplaced word in their little scheme will backfire and land them both in the hot-seat.

Secluded in the mountains, surrounded by snow and good will, Sean and Macy can’t help looking like the perfect couple. So perfect that the family decides a Christmas wedding will make it a holiday none of them would ever forget!

I liked this little book. It was such an easy read and was definitely a sweet story. If it is put up for free again on Amazon for the Kindle, you should grab it.

Top 5 Things I Learned in my 1st Season as a Coach's Wife

I got a little taste of the coaching world and what it's like to be a Coach's wife last year when Josh helped out with the football team during his student teaching. It prepared me a little bit for the first season of him being a full-time coach, but there were still some things that I learned this season. I'm sure each new season will bring new things to learn and experience, but probably not as much as this first year.

Top 5 Things I Learned in my 1st Season as a Coach's Wife:

5. Friday night into Saturday morning is a very short night. Late when you get home from the game, early morning work for Coach.

4. Saturday is laundry day. If the laundry gets done on Saturday, there is no worrying on Thursday night that Coach’s game day clothes are clean and Coach is happy because all of his favorite practice clothes are clean and ready for Monday morning.

3. You always need more shirts with the school name on it or in school colors. You don’t want to be seen in the same thing every week!

2. People outside the coaching world don’t have a clue how many hours coaches put in every week. Most are shocked when they find out Coach works 7 days a week.

1. Coach loves looking up in the stands and seeing you there cheering for him and the team. It’s one of his favorite things! (He said so himself!)