Wednesday

* I took down the Christmas decorations yesterday.  It made me unexpectedly sad, which isn't normal for me.  As much as I love Christmas and the coziness of my home with all the lights and greenery, I'm usually more than ready to pull it all down around New Years.  I changed things up a bit this year in how I decorated....added some new things, went more simple with others...and I really loved the way it all turned out.  I think also, that my quest to try a little harder to be less stressed and to enjoy the season more, find joy in the never ending tasks and errands, be really home when I was actually home and try to seek the spirit of Christmas...the spirit of Christ throughout the month....worked.  Was I perfect at it?  No.  Do I already have plans and ideas for making next year even better?  Yes.  But I think all of that combined to make me a little teary boxing up all the decorations yesterday. 

* I signed up to do the Women of Steel triathlon in May.  When I competed in WOS in 2009 it was my first race EVER.  When I signed up, I didn't really know how to swim.  I couldn't run more than 1.5 miles...and usually had to stop a couple of times to walk.  I had to actually go out and BUY A BIKE before I could compete.  Yeah, I think this year I'm quite a bit ahead of the game.  That being said, I still think the swim will kick my trash.  Time to start training!

* I planted 2 amaryllis and 1 paperwhite bulb last night.  I can't decide whether to let them grow on my kitchen table or on the hearth in my living room.  Either way, I'm excited about watching them bloom.

* Watching a Youtube video of David Archuleta sing "I'm Trying to be Like Jesus," Lilian proclaimed, "I can sing better than him!".....and then proceeded to sing the song with the most lovely (insert sarcasm) vibrato you've ever heard.  Apparently vibrato = beautiful and accomplished singing in her mind.

* The big, ugly, blue dumpster which has made its home in my driveway for the past 6 weeks got removed today.  And I immediately did the most spirited "happy dance" you can imagine.  Because not only was that thing a huge eyesore, it also made it impossible to park in my garage.  And I am sick of scraping the windshield every morning...something that was seriously difficult owing to the fact that I am short and my truck is not!

* I've totally become immersed in my new book, "The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova.  We are reading it for book club this month and I am hosting...duties include not only making sure my house is nice and neat and providing lots of yummy treats, but also finding thought provoking questions and leading the discussion.  I was conflicted about this.  Because although I'm secretly and geekishly thrilled about being the one to host a book with this title, the book is about vampires...Dracula, specifically, and is a freaky thriller that I have been worried will give me nightmares.  I'm only on page 78 of 676 so sleepless nights may very well be in my future.  (I am a first-class chicken, you see.) But so far it's so engaging that I can scarcely put it down! 

* I participated in a fire drill at the elementary school today.  Once a week I spend about a half hour stuffing folders for Brandon's teacher....notes home, stuff from the PTA, corrected assignments, etc.  I've been doing this since the beginning of the year.  And since then I have participated in 4 fire drills.  They say they have them only once a month...and today I was there on a different day than usual...but somehow, I was there during fire drill time once again.  I fully admit to groaning out loud when the darn thing went off.  Seriously...I was ALMOST done!  (Apparently I missed the earthquake drill in November.  Bummer, cause I actually would've been interested in that one.)

* Sushi tonight!  Bryan claims we need to eat at Happy Sumo more often.  I wholeheartedly support this plan.

* I want it to snow so bad I can hardly stand it...