2013 Year in Review

Yes, I know this is Jean's blog, but she hasn't updated it in over three years, so I figured I'd initiate a hostile (yet, friendly) takeover; mostly because I wanted to post a journal-like entry summarizing a few points about 2013, and none of my other blogs were the right venue for such a personal post.

So, without further ado or apology, here is my 2013 roundup of thoughts (bad news first):


THINGS THAT WERE REALLY CHALLENGING TO ME:

1) From September 2012 until February 2013, I was unemployed. That was really tough. But I never lost faith, and now I'm working at the best company ever, with the best boss ever, in the best working environment ever.

2) In January, a visit to my parents in Oregon revealed the extent to which my mother's condition had deteriorated. Later in the summer, when she stayed with us for six weeks, it became painfully more evident. When Dad decided they would NOT move here to Utah, it was a tough blow, because I know we could do a lot to help them if they lived closer, and Seth would greatly benefit from having his grandparents near. After some initial bitterness, I finally had to come to terms with it and accept it - along with accepting that everything will work out for the best, as I had done all I could do.

3) Although I lost a ton of weight during a healthy living contest in the early spring, I quickly gained it all back, and then some. A lot. By year's end, I reached record high weight for me. I therefore enter 2014 with a serious commitment to reclaim my health and fitness. This will not be a "get thin quick" scheme, though; I will take my time and do it right so the weight stays off and the good habits become a part of my life.

4) Another year has passed without hitting the big time in the fiction world. My writing career basically floated along with no real progress for most of the year. I kept my goal to post a blog post a week at my fiction site, but I wrote almost nothing, until November came along, and I took the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) challenge - and succeeded in producing more than 50,000 words of new fiction in only 30 days. Doing so meant the completion of a draft of a novel I'm working on via a collaboration, the completion of a novella sequel to AssassinWare, and the completion of another short novella. Then, in December, I finally published a new novel - the first thing I'd published in a year, and a project that had been nagging at me for over four years.

5) Despite my dear wife taking a part time job at the end of the summer, we have not made significant strides in reducing our debt. I know it will take some time to make all the budgeting work, but I really look forward to buckling down and making the sacrifices necessary to get on top of this money hole. At least we now have a specific plan, that means being debt-free (except for the house) by February 2018. If we stick to the plan.


THINGS THAT BROUGHT SATISFACTION TO ME:

1) Although I was unemployed from September 2012 to February 2013, I had the great blessing of getting hired by the best company ever, with the best boss ever, and the best work environment ever. Losing my job the previous fall turned out to be the best thing that could have happened.

2) Despite my discovery of the poor mental and physical condition of my mother, the whole experience helped me to gain some peace regarding the spiritual future of my parents. After many, many years of concern, I finally know that it will all be alright.

3) Thanks to some awesome deals I got on equipment from the old gym at work, I have been able to put together a great home workout room. I got it finished in December. It includes a really nice elliptical, my bike on a mount, a Total Gym 1000, dumb bell pairs in 5-40 lbs, a fan, and a TV on the wall with a Roku. Got everything super-cheap. Now there is no excuse, and 2014 will be the year of fitness!

4) Although my book sales for 2013 were pretty paltry - especially the last several months - I did release a new novel, JOSEPH OF NAZARETH, and the sales on that have been pretty good so far. It was a huge relief to finally get that one done, as I had been prompted to write it in November 2009. I never take that long to do a writing project, so it really weighed on me for all that time -especially since I felt I was on an errand from the Lord. Thanks to my successful NaNoWriMo, I got back on the writing horse after what had been a long hiatus. I now look forward to a prolific 2014, with at least five new fiction products planned for release this year. I am once again a writer (because writers write). Now, if I can just get one of my books to score a nice seven-figure movie deal...


5) Debt stinks, but I believe we now have a good system in place, and if we can just stick to our goals and not spend too much - that is, make the necessary sacrifices - we should be able to get as much as 30% of the way out of debt (though I am hoping beyond hope for 40%, through some miracle). I believe that achieving that goal this year will help produce a stronger character for me and my family.

6) It's not an accomplishment or anything, but I really did get a lot of satisfaction out of re-watching LOST this fall. I watched the whole series in a matter of only two months (mostly on the train during my commute). I very much enjoyed analyzing it while I watched.

7) I found some GREAT music this year. Some of my new favorites include Madrugada (and Sivert Hoyem solo), and Chameleon. Also very much enjoyed Doctor Who. I don't watch much on the tube, but what I like, I really like. I didn't read very many books this year (scarcely more than a dozen), but the most interesting was probably Democracy in America, Volume 1, by Alexis deToqueville. I recommend it.

8) One of the very best things about 2013 was that while I was unemployed, I got to teach Seth (he homeschooled for the second half of second grade). Loved that time with him, exploring knowledge together. Didn't care much for the stupid Common Core materials, but loved reading Wikipedia with Seth and going off on autodidactic tangents with my little knowledge-sponge of a boy. That time together, forced by unemployment, was a great blessing. But the best thing about 2013 was that I got to baptize that sweet little guy.


MY COMPLETELY UNREALISTIC WISH LIST FOR 2014:

Note: these are wishes, not goals. While some of them may overlap with my goals and plans, much of this is completely out of my control, and thus does not work as a goal...

1) We get pregnant and Jean successfully carries to term, expanding our family to two children (or three, if it's twins). Seth gets that sibling he's always longed for, and I get to expand my capacity to love.

2) One of my books (most likely CANCELED) catches the interest of some big wigs in Hollywood and they offer me a ton of money for movie rights.

3) Because of #2, we get completely out of debt. I also quit the day job and write fiction full time.

4) I lose 50-60 lbs and keep it off.

5) I honestly can't think of anything else I could wish for.

I'll do whatever I can to make those dreams come true, and leave the rest up to God.
Well, glad I got all that off my chest. Thanks for reading.

Happy New Year! What were your favorite and least favorite parts of 2013? What do you want out of 2014?

The best part of ANY year: my family.

A Little Catch Up!

Oh my! So much has happened since I last posted!

We have moved to a new house about an hour north of our old house. We love our new neighborhood and friends. It is a bigger and newer home but with less room for storage so we have been working to find creative ways to store all our stuff!

Seth turned 5 and has started school and LOVES IT! He really enjoys reading and drawing and coloring but he especially enjoys playing with his friends - aaand he still loves Thomas the Tank Engine. Seth also played soccer this season but we're not sure it's his game as he is afraid of the ball...and of groups of kids.

Michael has started a freelance writing business called Word Wizardry...since he IS the word wizard...and has a few regular clients. He is still working on his fiction career too! He is also very happy with his new job at 3form writing in the marketing department. He also works with the youth in church.

Jean is still selling Scentsy and serves as secretary in the Relief Society. She has also joined the the community choir - the first practice, she was giddy over singing Christmas music with the choir! Jean has recently started on a life change for her health. She has started working out and even RAN (something Jean really, really, really dislikes) and plans to RUN again! She prefers to lift weights but is hoping to learn to love cardio...and life without sugar...and pizza...

As I'm sure you can tell, we keep very busy! I would like to say I will be posting again soon but, who knows?

For My Mom and Mom-in-Law

You ladies probably don't know it but I am very thankful to you. I am thankful for your example and for your strength. I have learned much from you, cleaning and cooking from my mom and kindness and enjoyment from my mom-in-law. I have learned love from you both. Thank you for being who you are. Thank you for being so good to me. And thank you for loving Seth and Michael so well.

Love,
Jeanie

Silly Family Fun

Great Orators of the Century

Seth gave his first talk in Primary on Sunday, February 1st. He was all dressed up in his argyle sweater and white shirt and tie - very dashing. We practiced his talk with him on Saturday and tried to practice with him on Sunday but he wasn't very receptive...

...Before I continue with this story, I must tell you how much Seth loves to talk into the microphone. When I was the Primary Chorister (up until last July), Seth and Michael would come to the Primary room to meet me after church and Seth would go straight to the podium and start talking into the microphone. Sometimes he prayed, usually he spoke and one time he gave a very long speech about the meaning of life or something. Like the great church orator he is, he always ends with "name of Jesus Christ, Amen." Now that I'm in Relief Society, he still goes to the podium but there is no step stool...

...So, we tried to explain to him what he would be doing but he wasn't grasping it and was having a hard time practicing. Anyway, we got him to Primary and sat him in his special "talk" chair (which he thought was very cool) and waited for his turn. We got up to the podium and, at first, he was whispering like mommy (why he won't do that in Sacrament Meeting, we have not yet figured out) so I told him to speak into the mic - right about that time, they actually turned on the mic and his voice got really loud...then he was into it! He did a fabulous job, he said his words clearly and, apparently, some of the practice sunk in because he remembered parts of the talk all on his own! When he finished his talk, he yelled to Michael, who was sitting in the back of the room, "I did it, Daddy!"

My Hubby

So, the other day I was telling Michael some of my woes and, well, I'll let the following speak for the rest...

There once was a beautiful woman named Jean.
(Take a look in the mirror, you'll see who I mean.)
She got kinda down, feelin' all outta sorts
So her husband gave her a wee kick in the shorts

He said, "Hey there my sweetie, wazza madda wid U?"
She said, "Got so much to accomplish, but nothing to do!"
He said, "That makes no sense, are you sick in the head?"
She said, "You're really not helping - I'm going to bed."

Well, her husband (let's call him Michael the Grand)
Was perplexed and befuddled and knew not where to stand
So he wrote up a poem he hoped would inspire
And sent it via email, to his only desire.

And it went a little something like this:

Jeanie, Jeanie, you're too awesome
To lay there sad and playin' possum
Gotta jump up and go go go
'Cause you'll be happier, I know

The journey of a thousand mile
Starts with step one, so put on a smile
Perhaps if we get up at dawn
And go downstairs, get a workout on

We'll have more energy and spunk
And ditch the blues and all that junk
And feel like we can take on life
With confidence as sharp as a knife

We can take procrastination
Replace it with strong motivation
If this power-poem fails to thrill
I think that we could get some pills ;)

But either way the time is now
To make a change - I'll tell you how
Use agency to make the choice
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice

No matter what I love you tons
So chop-chop girl, get off those buns!
And know that I am by your side
To overcome the blues inside.

Now, I may not be the best drill sergeant around
Nor am I a psychiatrist - but my advice is still sound
And most of all, I hope that you know
I love you so much - yes, I love you so!

Whenever you need me, my ear is all yours
And my shoulder, my knee, my pancreas, and pores
But in the end, it is you who must make the first move
Though I'll be right there beside you adding funk to your groove

My rhymes are degrading - my apologies
But there's one more word play that I'd like to squeeze
And that's this: I am sorry you are feeling this way
But I hope this little ditty has brightened your day.

Time Flies!

Time sure flies when you're not doing anything except recovering from the Holidays! Our Christmas was AWESOME! Seth was so much fun. He got a train table and wanted to play with it but he wanted to open gifts too so he'd open a gift, see what it was and then go straight back to his train table - as much as he liked everything else, nothing was as cool as that train table (thank you, Grandpa)! After a while, he totally got into opening gifts and wanted to open everyone's gifts, including the gift we bought for a baby of some friends! By bedtime, we thought he'd forgotten about that gift still sitting under the tree but just as we were ready to turn the lights out, he yelled "WAIT!" then RAN down the hall, grabbed the gift and asked if we could "call the baby" so he could open her gift for her (because earlier we had opened gifts from Michael's parents but he had to wait to open them until we could call Basi and Granddad).

Anyway, Seth played and played and played with his train table. We hardly heard a peep from him all day, except when he was ready to open another gift! We also had the sister missionaries who are serving in our area over for Christmas dinner. They are so cute! And Seth LOVED them! It was a wonderful time and we were thankful to have their lovely spirits in our home. We were also very blessed to have had such a nice Christmas.