You say you want a resolution? Well, you know, we all wanna change... a lot.

But I'm easily overwhelmed so I'm going to stick to just two things this year.

I realize my goals for 2012 are basic, decidedly common and ridiculously cliché.

Oh well.

First...

Oh , gosh, I can barely say it.

I want to...

eat better.

Healthier.

Smarter.

Ugh. I know. Give me a break, right??

Whenever I say I want to eat better I get one of two reactions. I know this because it's something I've said a lot.

Reaction #1: But you don't need to lose weight.

Thank you very much; my doctor agrees with you.

I would love to lose a few pounds, of course; it's eight days after Christmas. But my goal is to eat better.

Reaction #2: Oh good; here's what else you need to do to lose weight.

Thank you very much; I'll take this into consideration when deciding whether or not to dodge you in the aisles of Target.*

Forgive me. I'm going to spell this out.

I.W.A.N.T.T.O.E.A.T.B.E.T.T.E.R.

OK. so new year.

Fewer cupcakes for breakfast. More fresh fruits for snacks.

Fewer Cheeze-its.** More fresh vegetables.

Fewer everyday indulgences. More a-treat-is-a-treat.

More fueling my body wisely for long runs.

But always Diet Coke.***

I'm going to accomplish this by keeping my grocery shopping trips consistent each week. I also want to do a better job planning healthy dinners in advance. Both the inconsistent grocery shopping and the unplanned dinners leave us with not enough fresh options on hand and send us running out for quick fixes a little too often. Also we're eating the same boring food all the time. So boring.

OK, my second goal:

My stake has a goal for every person to read the Book of Mormon in 2012. Meaning Garett and I read it ourselves AND to or with our children. Doable... but a little daunting all the same. And yet... a little exhilarating too. I am excited about this one. I'm excited for my testimony to grow and strengthen. I'm excited to see things I've never seen in the text before. I'm excited to share those things with my children.

That's all I have to say about that one.

(I don't have as many issues with the Book of Mormon as I do with food****.)

So, there you go. I'll let you know how it goes.

What are you resolutionizing this year?



*The answer is yes.

**I love you!

***I'll never leave you.

****One more story about food, issues with food, weight and being Christmas chubby. I saw my doctor last week. I asked him about being, well, just so darn Christmas chubby. How bad is this habit I have of gaining weight every single year? Well, he said (basically) that even with a layer of Christmas fat, I am still at a healthy weight for my height; my cholesterol is good; my blood pressure is good; I'll lose the extra pounds as I train for my next half marathon; gaining weight at Christmas shows him that I had a good holiday and it's actually a sign of having a good quality of life. Dude! I will be using this justification for holiday cookies every year until I kick it.

*****My new thing for 2012: Nouns as verbs. I also like "diatribing". Use it. We could make it a thing.