2013 Goals

I am one of those crazy people who actually love January. No I don't love the frigid cold or snow, but I love the simplicity that a new year brings. I love the holidays, time spent with family in celebration. I also love decorating for Christmas, buying presents for family, baking goodies, and enjoying Christmas music. However I also love packing up the decorations too. Crazy I know :)

I hate clutter and frankly by the end of December my home feels really cluttered with all the decorations, not to mention all the loot my children received from grandparents. So January brings a since of peace back to my home as everything is packed up and I can once enjoy a simpler home. I would like to say clutter free but I am coming to terms with the fact that my little ones have stuff, lots of stuff- brightly colored, noisy, mis-matched toys, books, blankets, baby chairs, etc.

In fact yesterday afternoon my living room was a MESS, Silas had managed to dump his book basket and decided to pull out all of toys from his toy shelf (we are working on putting back things before getting something new out), and Amelia's toys were also scattered around the floor, no thanks for Silas too! But in the midst of the mess, which normally would drive me crazy, I sat nursing one and cuddling with the other. I wouldn't trade in all their "stuff" for anything in the world! I am one blessed mama.

Another thing that the new year brings is the chance to draft out a list of goals that I want to accomplish and work on. I did this for the first time last year, and despite raising a toddler, pregnancy, and the birth of my daughter, I actually accomplished a lot of what I set out to do.

A few highlights from my 2012 goals are:

• read the Bible in a year with the ESV reading plan- I have always wanted to do this but have never been very disciplined, but I made it a huge priority this past year!
• read over 70 books- no small task with two little ones, but I really prioritized how I spent my time to accomplish this,
• integrated more whole foods into our diet while trying to limit processed foods and sugar- as much of a pain it was to be diagnosed with gestational diabetes, it completely changed the way I eat and view food now
• spent time reading to Silas everyday which wasn't hard because Silas loves his books, in fact he rarely plays with his toys but always wants to have books read to him- he is definitely the son of one book loving mom!
• continued to grow more in love with Brett through our time spent together. Something about watching him play rough with Silas, then tenderly cuddle with Amelia completely melts my heart!

This year I was pretty intentional with my goal setting. Here is a list of my goals for 2013.

Spiritual

·         Read and study the Bible daily
·         Keep a prayer journal
·         Focus on gratitude by daily listing at least 2 things in a gratitude journal

Marriage

·         pray for Brett everyday
·         Go on at least one date a month
·         Plan a weekend getaway once nursing is complete in the fall
·         Pray and read the Bible together every night
·         Show Brett acts of love and respect

Parenting/Motherhood

·         Pray for Silas and Amelia everyday
·         Read aloud from children's Bible everyday
·         Pray with/model prayer with Silas and Amelia everyday
·      Read aloud stories everyday
·         Create a Motherhood Mission Statement
·         Potty train Silas- this is a big one, fingers crossed- it would be lovely not to have 2 in diapers!
·         Write keepsake letters to children at least twice this year

Home Keeping

·         Make home a peaceful haven and clutter free
·         Cook real, whole foods eliminating processed foods and sugar
·         Eliminate toxic cleaners and replace with homemade, frugal, and green cleaners
·         Plan and plant a garden

Personal Health and Well being

·         Work off baby weight
·         Introduce and maintain a simple and natural beauty routine- I have been doing the No-poo hair care and washing my face with oil for the past several months and I love how my hair and face look and feel. There are other things I want to get rid off and replace with a more natural solution.
·         Look into natural, homemade health remedies

Personal

·         Read at least 6 books a month
·         Stay up to date on photos and memory books for Silas, Amelia and the family
·         Cut back TV viewing and Internet browsing
·         Create a minimalist wardrobe

Ministry/Relationships

·         Look out for opportunities to serve in my church or community
·         Being more diligent at preserving friendships, both local and long distance
·         Continue to be a part of my weekly Bible study and monthly book club at church
·         Pray for and seek out local friendships
·         Work on loving and communicating better with some difficult family members

Financial

·         Continue to tithe to our church and support our current missionaries and ministries
·         Aim to help supplement our income by subbing at least four times a month
 ·       Stay home more to not spend money