Happy New Year!

My sister and I just got back from driving across country to Vegas. We drove there and back!

Christmas was nice. We just did a "Secret Santa" this year and spent more money on the nephew. Each of us spent around $100 and it prevented all of us scrambling around trying to get gift cards to places that we don't really want anyway. We all get one or two things that we want. This year, I got a Visa gift card. LOL!

Then we packed up the van and headed out to Mt. Charleston. There was a snow advisory and we needed snow tires or 4x4. We risked it. We headed up the mountain to the hotel and that's where the snow really began. We ate at the hotel restaurant the first night. The food was really good, but the service was really slow.

My brother in law got his car stuck in the snow and we had to help push him out. He was yelling at my sister who had never driven in the snow before. So, I went around and calmly explained to her what to do. He apologized to her later. After all that action, I hung out in the hotel lobby and read a book for school. I'm really looking forward to starting that book soon. While I was in the hotel lobby reading, the nephew and other family members went to Le.e Ca.nyon to snowboard. The nephew learned how to snowboard in about an hour! We ate at the Mt. Charleston Lod.ge the second night. That was also the day of weddings! We saw one at the hotel, at the lodge, and then for our game... we had about 4 or 5 mentions of weddings. Very interesting.

We also went to Pri.mm to stay at a hotel for a penny! Mom booked it and the nephew, mom, sister and I all went. While my other sister stayed home to clean and get ready for the party. It was really a let down. The roller coaster wasn't working and then when we finally get over there to play some arcade games, they turn off at 8pm! We had just bought some quarters, too! Poor guy only got to play a few games before we had to turn around and go back to our hotel room. I played video poker right after that and got a 4 of a kind. And then managed to loose it all. I only played $10. So it was probably 45 minutes of entertainment.

Then, New Year's eve was not eventful, we all stayed up til about midnight, even the little guy, and then kissed. After everyone went to bed, I checked email and played around online for a bit. I noticed that my mom was still up and we ended up chatting for about 2 hours. Before we knew it, the time was 4am! We had better get to bed, the nephew's party is tomorrow at 2 and then my sister and I have to drive back home!

The nephew's party was held at Skyman.ia. It's a trampoline place with a whole bunch of trampolines put together. We had so much fun and I even relearned how to do a flip on the tramp! I'm definitely going back and my sister is going to go 2 times a week for aerobics.

I decided on several races that I'm going to particpate in this year.

1. He.nderson Library 5K- February 27. (Booked my flight, haven't paid the registration fee)
2. St. Louis Go! 5K- April 18. (Hopefully my friend and I can do this one together)
3. Chi.cago Mar.athon- October 11. (I'll be running this with another friend)
4. Phil.adelphia Half Mar.athon- November 22. (I'll be running this and staying in Philly with my sister)

I think 4 races is enough and I'll just keep running through the year, making it my goal to run consistently for 30 minutes at first. So, my first goal is to run 30 minutes for the Library 5K!