Ringing it in!

So I know this means very little to most people in other parts of the country but this last week has been extremely cold for us. Highs are in the mid to high 30's with lows dipping into the 20's. The water table the kids were playing with in the comfortable heat 2 weeks ago now has a layer of ice about 2 inches thick.

So it would only make sense that our New Year's Eve celebration would include spending a large amount of time outside in the freezing cold. Of course that is because Joe is a not-so-closeted pyro and we got a new firepit for Christmas:

Smores anyone?

How about some chocolate fondue to finish off a fondue themed dinner?

Have you ever wondered why Joe is not in very many of the pictures I post? Did you conclude that either he is the one taking them, not there for the occasion or did you correctly guess that he HATES having his picture taken?

Thankfully he can be bribed on rare occasion:

The kids had a blast with the confetti poppers, tiaras and party blowers but man, when we had our faux countdown for them at 10:30 p.m., they were wiped out.

Then they got a second wind:

Earlier in the day, the kids smashed our gingerbread houses (a tradition we started last year) - the last vestiges of the holiday. For the kids, it is just good old fashioned fun to crush the houses to smithereens. For me, I think it is a little more symbolic - 2010 was fun, the holidays were great but now it is a new year. Let's move on with it.

And that is exactly what I am feeling. The winter break was great. We had tons of fun and time to relax and spend quality time together as a family and thankfully we were able to stay relatively illness-free, which is a major plus. Now it is time to get back into the routine and focus on new goals.

For the first time in a long time, I am actually making some New Year's resolutions, thanks in large part to my participation in the Move It 2011 challenge. Last year I committed to walking/running 500 miles and only made it to the half way point. This year I would really like to complete the 500 miles and am concurrently doing the time challenge to "move" 125 hours. This ensures that I do not feel my strength training is not contributing to my goals. It's not to late to sign up if anyone is interested in joining this great community of fitness-minded individuals.

So whether your 2010 was great and you are hoping for more of the same in 2011 or if you are looking for a fresh new start, I wish everyone health and happiness in the new year.