2011 Revolutions

Resolution can be defined as "the condition or quality of being resolute; firmness or determination." And revolution can be defined as "a drastic and far-reaching change in ways of thinking and behaving." So, for 2011, I have decided to resolve that I will make revolutions in my life. I want to be determined to reach my goals and I want my goals to reflect a drastic change in the way I think and behave.

For the year 2011, I intend to aspire to the following goals...

- Improve my running form, speed and skill

- Work towards increasing my strength in my upper and lower body training sessions.

- Run 6 half-marathons. (I have already chosen 4 for next year and have them split to three at the beginning of the year and 3 at the end of the year)

- Spend more quality time with family

- Continue working towards my weight loss goals

- Be more diligent with my nutrition on a daily basis

- Pay down our debts

- Encourage my husband to pursue his dreams and goals

- Plan an outing each week that involves being active (hiking, trips to the beach, etc....)

- Get at least 8 hours of sleep each night

- Make time to connect/reconnect with dear friends that I do not get to see often enough.

- Make more time for reading

- Give blood at least every 60 days (you can donate whole blood every 56 days).

- Continue to find ways to serve others in our community

- Improve my shooting skills

I think it's a pretty well-rounded and fair list. Some goals are more specific than others and I am certain I will come up with more throughout the year. But I intend to make the most out of 2011. I will live this life to the fullest and spend more time enjoying what I have been given!

Learning to Shoot

So, I have a bucket list...well, not exactly a bucket list, but a mental list of things I would really like to experience in life. One of those things that I really wanted to experience was learning how to shoot a gun. I had never actually held a real gun until about 3 or 4 weeks ago at my friends' house. It was then decided that I was going to have to go shooting.

This past weekend was my outing :) We made a stop at the gun store first and Ann and Charlie got their anniversary gifts....Charlie got a new Walther P22 and Ann got a Walther PK380 with a laser sight. Then we went out to Charlie's parents' house to go shoot. Ann is fighting walking pneumonia right now so she was not going to be able to shoot with us. So, it ended up being Charlie, Chuck, Gramps (Wayne) and I shooting.

We walked back out to their area and grabbed some old 6x6 tiles and lined them up and started shooting. Of course, I had to shoot first. So, Charlie picked a gun, loaded it and showed me how to shoot and got me started. My first shot, I was so nervous and I was shaking. I could hear my heart beating in my ears. I aimed and pulled the trigger...the sound of the shot made me jump a bit. In fact, after a couple of hours of shooting, I still jumped a bit whenever I heard the gunshot.

I didn't think I was very good. But I was shooting down at 6x6 tiles...I had no idea that normally targets would be bigger, so for me to be hitting the targets was actually pretty good. I shot several different guns...a Ruger 9mm, Walther P22, Walther PK380 with laser sight, a 12-gauge shot gun with pistol grip, and a Smith & Wesson 22. My favorites were the Walther P22 and Walther PK380 with laser sight. After shooting for awhile, I got pretty comfortable with the guns.

I really enjoyed shooting more than I thought I would. I would love to go out and shoot again. I am thinking once I get more comfortable with it, I would like to own my own gun. Out of my two favorites, I enjoyed the Walther P22 the best! So, I definitely intend to head back out to Gramps' place and shoot again.

I was not the only one shooting though. I was with 3 men who shoot very well. Gramps was pretty awesome. Charlie was a great shot too! And Chuck was impressive. I had great teachers :) And I had a blast hanging out with the guys!! I felt like I was getting back to my country girl roots!!

So, what's next on my experience list...I don't know. But I do know that I do intend to live life to the fullest and experience all that it has to offer. I don't want to miss out on anything. Life is way too short to let other people tell you who you are and what you ought to do. So, for me, I am going to stop pleasing others and start enjoying life!