Guys, we made it. We got through the hellish trek through time that was 2016—the pain, the heartache, the loss . . . the weight gain. As Jon and I sit here on the morning of January 1, 2017, watching an episode of Bill Nye the Science Guy that's talking about clogged arteries and bacon fat, we've decided to make a bucket list in the hopes of being happy and healthy in the new year.

The criteria: Our list includes a mix of health-related and non-health-related activities, as well as tasks that will be more easily accomplished than others, the latter being a couple of reaches that'll require more time and effort. We'll have twelve items, one for every month; however, we don't necessarily have to do one activity per month, but it would be nice!

The list:

  1. Have a whole cup of black coffee and like it.
  2. Skate on the canals of Ottawa (a holdover from our 2012 bucket list).
  3. Bench 200 pounds for Jon and 100 pounds for Ellie.
  4. Take Audrey to at least five new places (parks, beaches, etc.) over the course of the year.
  5. Run a destination race we've never run before, like the Adirondack Ragnar, Yellowstone Half Marathon, etc.
  6. Do one unassisted pull-up (not chin-up!)—this one is for both Jon and Ellie.
  7. Submit a home brew to a competition.
  8. Get a moderately priced road bike for Ellie; then ride around and explore together.
  9. Organize the room above the garage—should it be a craft room or a yoga studio?
  10. Volunteer for an organization or charity.
  11. Attend some yoga classes together.
  12. Visit a country we've never been to before (sorry, Canada—we still love you!).

As we leave 2016 behind, let's do that sappy thing and get real' excited for the new year ahead. So much potential! Endless possibilities! (Wait, isn't this how we felt about 2016 last January? Whatever.) The goal of this list is to keep us going for the whole year. And hey, hopefully we'll at least end up with some killer back muscles and a new bike.

Ruuuuth!Such a proud Puff.

If you have any bucket list items or new year's resolutions you'd like to share, be sure to comment!