February 2013

I was so happy when February came along. January was such a cold, dark, hard month for me, that I couldn't help but be optimistic that February would be better. It was still pretty chilly but it was definitely an improvement over the first month of the year. Here's a brief overview of my month:

* Had breakfast-for-dinner at our house with Sarah and her husband and Joy and her boyfriend (now her fiance!). The food was great and the company was even better! It's always wonderful to hang out with my friends.

* Super Bowl! I didn't really care who won and had reasons to cheer against both teams, but I enjoyed the second half of the game, the delicious food, and the people with whom I watched the game.

* Visit w/my dad, stepmom, and little sister. We shopped and went to a fabulous hockey game and had a great time chatting with each other.

* Visit w/my mom. She offered to babysit my nephew for my brother and SIL for their anniversary her first night with us, then we were joined by them the next day for just hanging out. It was relaxing and fun.

* Went to church three weeks in a row! Twice with family.

* Actually felt the sun shine on my face a few times this month, as opposed to no times in January (except while in TX).

* Passed both tests I took during the month, despite studying for them and taking them while suffering from a horrible cold.

* Lost a few pounds. Of the 12 I gained the last couple months of 2012, I've lost 6 of those since January 1.

* Booked a trip to Montreal and Quebec City! We even splurged and are staying at some swanky hotels while we're there. I can't wait to be back in Montreal - it is very dear to my heart. And, I never made it to Quebec City while I was in the area, so it will be really neat to finally go there. Oh, and we're traveling from Montreal to Quebec City and back again by TRAIN! So excited!

* Started cooking again. Last semester, I was so busy doing homework and Steve was newly retired, so he started doing the lion's share of the cooking. I missed it, though it was super helpful and sweet of him to do it for me. He still cooks the odd meal here and there, like last night, but mostly I cook for us again. I'm so happy that I have the time to do it this semester. It's a much-needed creative outlet for me.

* Started re-reading the Hannah Swensen murder mystery series by Joanne Fluke. They're silly, easy books but with several recipes throughout the book that make my mouth water. They're comfort books.

* Baking cookies. Inspired by the aforementioned books, I've started baking cookies again and am going to choose different cookie recipes from the books to try each time I mix up new dough. The first batch made so much that I baked half at the time and then a pan whenever we run out of cookies. It's lasted us 3 weeks so far with a little more dough still in the freezer! I may only need to make dough once or twice a month for cookes all month long. Woohoo!

Even though February was a big improvement over January, I'm still glad for March. I have high hopes for more sunshine, warmer temperatures, and maybe a few buds popping up by the end of the month. I know there will still be cold days, but I know that winter isn't going to last forever. Spring will come!