Happy New Year

I generally hate New Years. I've never really partied ever on NYE because I think it's overrated. Yes, it's a new year, but yesterday was a new day. Why shouldn't we celebrate everyday with such vigor?

Anyways. I did spend the evening with my friend (from grade 2!) and my hubs joined us playing board games and eating. I made it past midnight and Alexys went to bed at 930ish, like normal. She's just started to grasp the concept of tomorrow versus today so why confuse her with years? ;)

I do like to use this time to reflect on my last year, though, simply for memory and record keeping purposes. I like to reflect on the next year too and while I don't like resolutions, I do focus on goals.

So 2011?
-Actually a pretty big year of change in some ways for our family. I started off the year at my old company and big promotions. Jordon was at his old company. We were actually making good money. We decided that as much as we like current money we need to focus on family and the long-term, rather than what was good for us at that very moment. So that resulted in:

• Jordon got a new job at Telus. He's been there a year in March and while there are definitely good days and bad days, I think overall it was the right move. There's a future and a pension and all that grown up stuff. There's places to move up to in the company and he's quite a bit younger than most people he works with (good on multiple levels I think). He's based in Abbotsford.
  
• I got a bunch of huge promotions with my old company and was working like mad. Alexys was being ignored during the day in favour of work. Didn't like it. Completely quit to start over and now work with a company called Accentus, and essentially I work for the Fraser Health Authority through them. There's a multitude of work, bonuses, etc. It's a good company. I can truly set my own hours, work after Alexys is in bed OR during the day if I have time, etc. It's a good place to go forward and grow with in the future. 

-So those were our big 2011 changes mostly. We're happy with our decisions even if the pay cut has taken a while to adjust to.  We're getting there and getting back on track though. What else?

• Alexys started "real life" in September as we like to call it. She started preschool, skating, and ballet. She was put on a little schedule and is absolutely thriving on it. It was an adjustment for us too actually - to get up and out the door before 9 a.m. sometimes, etc. We're very glad with our choices here though.
  
• I really can't remember at this point (I'm finishing this before I've had coffee...perhaps a dumb choice)...if anything else changed in 2011. Nothing major I don't think. It was just life as normal with a few adjustments really. 

So now? 2012. I hate resolutions, but I do like to look forward. I am a planner and constantly make short and long term goals and achieve them. So...barring any major lottery wins *grins* our 2012 looks like this (totally random in order, just as they pop up in my head):

• I guess the most obvious 2012 thing is that baby will be here in just 13 short weeks (I'm 27 weeks today) - give or take a couple. I told everyone my New Year's resolution is to have a baby *grinning more* - I'd say it's a good resolution I can keep at this point. I guess my short-term goal with this is to finish organizing the house and preparing for baby. I've been quite the nester lately and if I let it continue, I'll be done in no time. Now...just to get hubby to bring down these bins from upstairs (Christmas stuff) to put into storage. 
  
• Alexys will start 3-day a week preschool in September in the 4-year-old class, still at the same school she's at...regardless of location of US - she'll be there because I love, love, love her teachers, she's comfortable, and she's made some friends I'd like her to keep. She'll still do skating and ballet...and I think that's all for now.
  
• We'd like to move, truly. I don't know if it will happen in 2012. I really, really want it to happen, but I just don't know if it's feasible. If we do move in 2012 and buy a bigger place, it will take a lot of hard work and moving mountains. We hoped to move in the spring, but if it happens now I think it will have to be in the latter half of the year. Which is fine. We'll have to see...and basically that's all we can do. Of course, that would also mean selling this place and moving would obviously be dependent on that.
  
• We're going to pay off the rest of our loans/debt. There's not huge impending debt that's going to land us in financial crisis, but we're going to the bank this week and getting it sorted out and paid off quickly this way. The end. It's over :) This is actually our 1st priority in terms of moving, etc., this year. Neither of us can stop thinking about it. We paid off 2 loans (car and dentist) in 2011...2012 will bring more paying off. Wahoo.
  
• We're going to continue going to church and me to Bible study. This is something I need in my life and has lacked for far too long. It's important to us that Alexys is raised in a church.  We've been going the past few months on and off and we're going to work on more consistency of it. I don't know that we've found our home church, but we're going to one now and it's good for now.
  
• Judging: There's actually not a lot to say here, because after April judging will probably slow down a bit for baby. I'm good with it. I need to send in my last promotion (Novice singles if you're keeping track) ASAP...it's finished - I just have to scan and organize it all. I may apply for my Senior Synchro promotion come fall as well, but that will take some organization with our synchro rep, etc. I'm not sure it's feasible. If not, then it will have to wait a couple years. After that, I have my Senior Singles promotion (assuming I get my Novice *grinning*), but not really working on that at all. I probably won't do many competitions at first after babe comes, but may do a couple test days as those are generally just an hour or 2 :) 

 Well - that's my 2012. I think anyways. Who knows right? You can plan and goal-set as much as you like, but if you're not flexible, then life brings you shocking news too often :) So off we go. Life continues and while we aim for the best, we prepare for the worst (that's how my mind works anyways).

Hope you had a safe happy New Year's Eve and that your 2012 brings much joy. I saw a lot of sadness experienced in 2011 by close friends and I hope that this year brings only the best xoxo

kortney elise xoxo