Happy New Year!!

Here it is New Year’s Eve Day. One week ago it was snowing like crazy and today I’m wandering around without a jacket on. It was sunny and warm today. The mountains are still covered in snow but it’s fast melting on the ground.

I went to Phoenix on a convoy today. At the gate, the Specialist (that’s an enlisted military rank – E4) asked me if I was going to stay up until midnight tonight to celebrate. I said “absolutely – I’m a real party animal and stay up ‘till all hours of the night, especially on New Years.” OK that’s not what I really said and I’m sure someone out there who knows my “party habits” will say something about me being the life of the party – DeAnna!

Anyway, I told him since I didn’t have my wife to “party with” I didn’t have any reason to stay up. OK, I’ll confess, I have a hard time staying up much past 10 p.m. these days. I work so hard here that I’m totally drained by the end of the day and tonight will be no different. Therefore, I’ll call back in time and talk with my family while they celebrate the New Year. It will be almost midnight for them and noon for me. I think I can handle being awake at that time. Ha, ha.

But seriously though, I’m glad that 2007 is finally here. Now I can say that I’m coming home this year instead of next year. That has such a nice ring to it. Now I just have to get through the majority of 2007 for that to happen.

The New Year is always full of resolutions so I’ve made a few. I wish I could say that they’re earth shattering but alas they’re not. I want to lose 10 more pounds for a total loss since leaving home of 33 pounds. I’m not sure I can get there but so long as I quit eating all the wonderful treats everyone sent me for Chrismtas and keep going to the gym every day (oh by the way, once again, I’m alone in my trips to the gym (and that was true before a certain someone went home on leave) – I told you the false fervor would only last as long as it took to take pictures for certain blogs and get them posted), read my scriptures more dilligently, not do stupid things like I”m wont to do, pray more fervently, you know all the really important religious things that I should do but sometimes falter at.

Then there are the really important ones for when I get home. Get to work by 8:00 a.m. so that I can leave by 5:00 p.m. and get home to spend time with my family. Show an increased amount of love and attention to my wife and sons. Be a better father and husband, you know all those goals that are so important as well. I guess what it comes down to is I just want to be a better person than I am right now.

I know some of you will agree that that’s going to be an impossible task. Others of you think I’m perfect already. I won’t say which ones are right. Just know that I’m on a constant quest for perfection, I mean betterment (is that a word?).

Anyway, as the New Year fast approaches here in Afghanistan, my biggest goal is to come home alive, safe and with no additional holes in my body. My secod goal, of which I have no control over is that the rest of our Utah team comes home in the same condition.

May you all have a wonderful New Year. In 8 hours and 15 minutes, I’ll be able to say I’m coming home this year. Can’t wait!!