Holy cow. February really flew by for me (us). Even though it was the shortest month of the year, it was quite full. I traveled a ton for work and there was just a million things going on with me, Mike and the kids. Admittedly, I felt overwhelmed at times. And I didn't complete all my goals (reading and exercise), but compared to what I was doing February 2011, I did great things. I should be proud of myself. Heck, I am proud of myself. Here's a roundup of how my February went down:

  What reading/learning did I do this month? 

Books:

Number the Stars 

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl 

Home Front

Classes:

The Art of Poster Design 

One Little Word 2012

 

Podcasts:

Paperclipping Roundtable

The Digi Show

Stuff You Missed in History Class

What entertainment did I watch/listen to this month? 

Movies:

The Vow

My Week with Marilyn

Beginners

TV:

Parenthood

The Voice

The Super Bowl

The Oscars

Smash

What fun things did I do with my family and/or friends? 

We went to breakfast with Great Aunt Dorothy. We try and do this at least once a month, and in February Kelly and Corey joined all of us at Frogs Bakery.

Mike and I celebrate Valentine's Day on Feb.13th, since I had to leave for a business trip the morning of the 14th. We had a tasty, tasty dinner at Fleming's Steakhouse and then went to the movies. 

I went to Michigan on a business trip and was able to spend some time with my youngwsat brother (Chris) and his family. They moved to the Detroit area less than a year ago and I had yet to see their new home. In fact, I haven't seen them since May of 2009 (yikes). So, I was thrilled that business brought me to their backyard. I adore my nephews and it was tons of fun fun to spend time with them. 

What gifts did I give and/or receive? 

For Valentine's Day, I gave Mike some hiking boots. Not the most romantic gift, but he really, really wanted them ... so I guess it is romantic to know what your partner really wants and then get it for them, right. Shelby really wanted to help Mike pick out my V-Day gifts. I got some grey Converse, colored jeans and work out gear -- all stuff I wanted and needed. For the kids, I got them some treats (M&Ms) and Disney shirts (Minnie for her, Mickey for him).

What special or unusual purchases did I make? 

I booked out hotel rooms for our Spring Break trip. Woo hoo! Can't wait.

What illnesses or health concerns did I have? 

Got sick, stuffed up head and sore throat. Cooper had the same thing and a low grade fever. Shelby ended the month sick too ... though I think her sick day might have been related to something she ate that didn't agree with her. 

Another lymph node is acting up. More followups to be had. Migraines are back. New meds with the hope of making them more manageable.

The layouts I created for LOAD 212.

What were my accomplishments this month? 

Finished LOAD. Created at least one layout a day, sometimes more. Read three books, though my goal was four ... but better than last February, so it's counts as a win.

What were my disappointments this month? 

I got sick mid month and didn't get as much workout time as I'd like. I have to remind myself that even though I didn't do as much as I'd like on the workout front, I still did more than I was this time last year. I'm steadily making progress.

How did I do on my goals for the month? (Or any current short or long term goals) 

I participated in LOAD (Layout a Day), so my major goal for February was to create a layout a day. I did that and then some. I think I did more than 50 layouts in February.

I also managed to make my February mileage goal of 50 miles. I did 51 total and was logging miles right up to the last minute (the 29th).

Anything else noteworthy to include?

This was a sad month for us, as we had to put Cassius down. He's been with us for almost 8 years and he and Shelby grew up together. Not a day goes by that we don't think of him, but we're grateful he's not suffering any more.