Ann Guthrie

complete two more semesters toward my graduate degree.  OK, so I know that this one is sort of a given, but it will be difficult and I plan to do it, so why can’t I make it a resolution?

run consistently.  I enjoy running too much and it makes me feel too good for me not to do it regularly.  I’m even going to define consistently as 3-5 times per week.  Even with my busy class schedule in spring semester, I can run in between classes 3 times per week.

run the inaugural Seattle Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon on June 27th.  This one is pretty self-explanatory, but I’ll elaborate a little bit anyway.  I ran the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon on June 1st, 2008.  It was awesome and if my experience is anywhere near as incredible next June in Seattle, it will be worth it.

begin regularly attending one church here in Seattle.  Finding a church is very daunting to Chris and I.  We need to resign ourselves to the process and just do it.  We can’t be a Christian island.  We’ve tried and it doesn’t work.

join a weekly bible study.  Same idea as the church one.  Chris and I need more regular fellowship with other believers.  The church is a start and hopefully from there we will find a small group/bible study that will work for us (together or separately).

eat more healthfully.  I don’t know exactly what this is going to look like for us or I would be more specific.  Chris and I are going to try cutting out gluten for a month as I suspect that one or both of us has a wheat allergy.  Whether or not that is the case, I would also like to try eating only organic and whole foods, but this may have to be a gradual change.  I have switched us to only organic, grass fed meat and dairy.  I am very strict about the meat, but Chris still complains about the high cost of organic cheese and so I sometimes give in and buy Tillamook (at least they don’t pump their cow full of hormones, just antibiotics, ugh)  Check out www.westonaprice.org for some of the info on nutrition that I have been reading.  Maybe sometime I will write a post that chronicles some of my exploration of nutrition and its importance to our health.  Anyway, I digress.

make 3-5 homecooked meals per week (hopefully with lots of leftovers for lunches!).  Chris and I have found that our bodies do not respond well to frozen pizza, canned soup, and restaurant food.  We will feel much better, eat more healthfully (that sounds familiar), and save money if we make a commitment to homecooked meals.

pray with my husband every night before bed.  We started doing this last year and it has been so impactful and uplifting.  It is such a small committment that makes such a positive difference in our lives and on our relationship.

drink at least 64 oz. of water each day. Period.

wear less makeup.  I hate makeup, especially foundation, with a loathsome, passionate hate.  I have dreamed of being that girl who puts on chapstick and mascara and walks out the door.  Unfortunately, I have mild-moderate acne and makeup feels like a necessary evil.  This year my goal is to finally achieve clear (or at least somewhat clear) skin and free myself from the prison that is makeup.

visit a new place in Seattle with my husband at least once per month.  Chris and I moved to Seattle in June of last year and we are still shamefully clueless about how to get around up here.  Who knows how long we will live here.  Only God I guess.  It could be for a couple more years or it could be for the rest of our lives and either way I want to embrace it and enjoy it.

try yoga. I have poor posture, a side effect from being a student all of my life.  Yoga can help with that.  Can’t hurt to try.  Plus I got a yoga mat for Christmas.  Thanks mom!

write down my thoughts.  My vision is that this blog will help me with that.  I have never journaled, but have long known that I probably should.  God has worked in my life in amazing ways and I feel like I should write down what he has done.  I don’t consider myself a writer (c’mon my undergrad degree was math), but I really enjoy looking back at the few things that I have written down and remembering thoughts, feelings and experiences from my past.