2010

I have to admit I'm feeling a ridiculously high level of anxiety for the coming year. I have plenty of reasons both good and bad. It has the potential to have some major events. Or not. We'll just have to wait and see. Either way, I'm determined to make the most of whatever comes along. "Life is either a great adventure or nothing." --Helen Keller

I do have some goals/plans for 2010.

It's the on year for an international trip for me and Misti. Italy is on the short list. If tickets from SLC are still $600 when we get our tax returns back it's on. We've been toying with Prague or a tropical island as well.

Opened a bottle of bubbly and toasted with my parents New Year's Eve-afternoon

I am also going to run my second marathon. It will be the Ogden again. I love that race. Also, I plan to beat my PR for the marathon. It is currently 5:09. Sheesh. That is such a long time to run. I'm hoping to finish closer to 4:30. Based on my 1/2 marathon time from the Ogden, that is reasonable.

I've decided I'm going to skateboard to work. At least once. Hopefully I don't hurt myself. I just want to do it because I can.

I'm going to go on 13 dates. Last year I made my goal 12 and I exceeded it. I just like that number. It's a baker's dozen. Which reminds me of baked goods. Mmmmmm.

I'm also going to hike a location that will not be named because if everyone finds out how awesome it is, there will be people there. It's like the Narrows in Zions but more awesome.

I also want to sing with a jazz band. I've wanted to since college. I have some contacts. Even if it's just in my living room with nobody around. 2010 is the year.

I want to make it a year of service too. I am a lucky, lucky girl. I am educated, I have a job I like that pays the bills, I am healthy, I have the best family, I have the best friends, I am well-traveled, and I'm happy. I haven't figured out what I'll be doing, but when I find the opportunities I want to do things that help other people who may not be gifted with the opportunities I have. I want to make someones life a little happier, healthier, comfortable, or better in some way. Then maybe I will stop feeling so guilty for having such a great life. :P

My last meal for the year, roasted duck with sundried cherries. Devine.

2009 has been an awesome year. I can't even think of any compliants. It wasn't all smooth, but I look back on it fondly. No year can compare since 2001/2002 (ahhhh, San Diego days).

All my love to everyone who helped make 2009 awesome and may you all have the best 2010.

Best Christmas Ever

Christmas Eve

We ate a lot. Food is always plentiful at a Pett family dinner. Dinner actually seemed fairly unchaotic for having 19 people there. We had one stray this year. There's always at least one stray. Misti's co-worker just moved here so she invited her. She handled the family antics quite well. Well, we had Dave too. He's a permanent stray.



The kids (including Tony & David) played Lego's. I built the small castle for Livi. Spencer then destroyed all the the structures.



Another thing we do on the holidays, is play games. In true Pett style we added a little flare to Pit. The winner of each round had to wear Spencer's pirate hat, eye patch, and hook. It was awesome. The only thing that could have made it better is if we had made them talk pirate, but we didn't think of that until later.

We also had a rousing game of Apples to Apples. Mom won. How did that happen?


Favorite quote: Livi walks into the room, "Grandma, I don't know what I'm talking about."


Another highlight was when Grandpa let the kids play with the forbidden finger paints. Oh yes. Paint everywhere. Is it washable? We'll see. Is it non-toxic? We're keeping an eye on baby Savvy.

Not that gifts are important but some of the highlights this year were Spencer's pirate kit, Jason's "How to host a romantic Evening," David's can of corn, . The secret to a really good cheap cheesy gift--love. We still talk about the year we all got pictures from Tony--mostly Tony, but also Dave and the cat.


All and all, the family just had a great time being together and being ourselves.


Christmas Day:

Sweats--"When real clothes are just too much work" -Apples to Apples card

Now that I'm working again, sleeping in is special. We had a nice, quiet slow morning. Ate lots of leftovers. Opened the few presents we had left.


We all got food storage from mom this year. Handy. We also all got scarves mom crocheted while she was dialysis. Mom liked her addition to the Christmas village, a tent and some lumberjacks. Nothing wrong with a few more moustached men under the tree. Who doesn't want that? One of these years Santa is gonna come through for me.......

We finally pulled out a puzzle. We have one of the largest collections of Charles Wysoki puzzles. He passed away last year so there won't be any new ones. We'll have to make due with the other 200 we already have. Usually he comes out with 2 or 3 new ones and we put them all together after Christmas.

I don't want to see sugar again for a long time. Well maybe a little at New Year's but then no more sugar. Blah. And yet I keep eating it.

We also took naps this afternoon. Ah, sweet, sweet naptime. Another thing that is meaningful now that I'm working. Cause I needed the nap so much more than a good long run.

The kids all came back over. More Lego time with uncle Tony.

We had gongbao chicken and fried rice for dinner. That's my influence on the family. It's Christmas; we eat want we want. We were going to have jiaozi or eggrolls too but we couldn't find the ground meat.

Merry Christmas!

I am overwhelmed with the Christmas spirit. So overwhelmed that I am overflowing. Overflowing through my tear ducts during these stupid Christmas movies. Seriously, even the funny ones, they say one nice thing and I'm choking up. I can't help. I just feel so full of feelings right now.

I know a lot of people who are going through hard times right now and I feel way too blessed. I am so lucky to have a job I like. I'm lucky to have a job at all, but I happen to like my job and compensated much better then I had expected. I almost feel bad how well I have it.

Misti a few years ago

It's the time of year you think back over the year about stuff. Thinking about stuff always gets me in trouble. I have the best friends and the best family. I've been trying to find a way to make all those people feel what I feel for them, but I'm drawing a blank. I'm just going to try and pay attention for opportunities.

I sincerely wish everyone a Merry Christmas! All I want for Christmas is joy and comfort to everyone I know, and 6 sets of different marbles.

The Sound of Music

A couple of weekends ago I went to the Sound of Music singalong. It was one of the most delightful experiences of the year. Delightful experiences are very rare. Fun is easy to find, but things that are delightful or rapturous, or blissful are not as easy to find.

Here I am in my homemade dirndl. You can't tell, but I have two braided buns on top.

I smiled the whole time. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much. They gave us goodie bags too with stuff to use during the show. During Edelweiss, you had little white flowers to wave. There were bells to ring and feathers to throw in part of My Favorite Things. My personal favorite was the confetti poppers for after Maria & Von Trapp kiss for the first time. Mmmm, mmm, mmm.

Other fun little parts were whenever the Baroness showed up or even her name was seen everyone would hiss. Nazis or nazi flags got boos. Everyone cheered for Maria of course. And whenever little Gretel said stuff everyone would ahhhh.

And of course we could sing a long. The words to the song showed up on the screen with the movie. It was like when you're in your car alone and sing to your hearts content only you're in a theater full of people also singing. Very enjoyable.