New Year, New Goals

Now that you have read my reflections of this past year, I would like to include you in on some of my goals  for this year.  These are in no particular order and this list is incomplete, as I am sure I will think of new goals every day.

1.  Realize that life goes on without Mt. Dew.  Oh dear, I can't believe that I just wrote that, but it is something that is going to have to be learned this year. I want to be fit and healthy before I am thirty :). 

2.  And to help me out with the previous goal, I will be drinking lots of water - at least 32oz a day. Well, that's a lot for me - maybe not for the rest of you, but for me it is. If you have trouble drinking water, take a look at this.

3.  To do 1 craft with the kids per week.  I know, some of you do crafts every day and others only every once in a while. But I think that I can manage one a week. There are quite a few blogs that have great ideas and I will be adding them to my sidebar soon.Or you could just go to Gina's blog and look at her sidebar!

4.  To let the kids make one item in the kitchen per week.  I want them to be able to make roasted potatoes from start to finish with minimal hands-on help from me.  A different dish every week and I'll have 3 little chefs before you know it.

5. To be more organized and prepared.  If I want to do numbers 3 and 4 above successfully, then I am going to need to get organized - time and house! Here is a great idea just to get the ball rolling, and as I find more, I will post them. 

6.  To listen more and talk less. I know, that is kind of like an oxymoron after you read this whole long post. But hopefully these will be few and far between.

7.  To smile more.  Have you ever seen a picture taken where you were in the background (not the main focal point of the picture) and looked like life was just horrible?  Well I have, and it isn't a pretty sight.  I normally look like I could bite someone's head off. So I am going to try to change this....smile lines, here I come.

8.  Learn to sew.  The theme of my birthday this year was focused on sewing.  I received a rotary cutter, a clear quilt ruler, a cutting mat and a birthday cake with a picture of a needle, thread and quilt on it. I haven't always wanted to sew and have passed up many opportunities to learn (foolishness on my part)...but now that I have had a large brick thrown at me, I'm ready to roll, or should I say sew?

9.  Pray more.  It seems like during this past year I would find myself praying a lot....but mostly when I needed something, or was scared of what was to come.  I would like to set aside time everyday to pray and spend time with God.  I'm thinking a prayer journal would come in handy here.  I'm a list person and seem to do well when I have a list in front me, not to say that I'm just going to check off my prayer list so carelessly but to use it as a guide - so as not to get distracted. I think if I could write my prayers out that it just might help.

10.  To do 2 loads of laundry everyday - start to finish. I have no problems washing clothes or even folding them.  It's the "getting them out of the basket and into the drawers" part that I seem to have trouble with.

Well, that should do it for now.  This isn't a complete list, but it's a start. Hello 29!

On a side note - we need a good family picture with ALL of us in it at the same time. Maybe this will be goal number 11.

Blast from the Past

Okay, so maybe that title is a little miss-leading. More like "reflections of the past year." I know, New Year's was about 3 weeks ago, but my anniversary of living on this earth was just this past week. I was encouraged to reflect on all that I have learned and have been blessed with over this past year. I must say that I learned a lot and I learned that I have a LOT to learn.

So I am going to give you short glimpses of this past year through words and photos. And please note: the photos may or may not correspond with whatever thought I may be writing about.

1. Dogs will be dogs. In fact, even after you give a dog a bath, he still smells like a dog! We love our puppy, Courage, very much but that is just what he is - a puppy. He loves to chew on things, scratch things, and even rip things! I must say that over all, he is a good puppy and he brings lots of smiles to this family.

2. Tacos are our friend! This meal has been used at least once a week. It suits our entire family and we get lots of nutrition from it.

3. A moment I hope I never forget - the look on my children's faces the first time they saw the beach!

4. And because I don't want to re-number my list - this is a great moment too, the only picture I have of all of my kids together at the beach.  (Mark and Simeon are in the water, even though it is hard to see.)

5. Needles Schmeedles! I must thank God for giving me strength and my husband patience! I do believe that I can honestly say that I received more needles in me during my 28th year than I have had in my first through 27th years combined!

6. Music is just wonderful. Pandora is a great aid in listening to music around here.

7. Microfiber is flammable.

8. You don't actually oink when you get the swine flu - it's more like a moo.

9. Loving the snowman in Kentucky - that's right, I said Kentucky not WV, and you can't excommunicate me from the family :).

10. Always tip your tour guide well, especially after having a minor panic attack in the cave.

11. I love, love, love the country!

12. I now know the true meaning of nit picking - and I really don't want to know it again. But if this should happen again, I will definitely turn to mayonnaise as my shampoo!

13. Bakerella is a yummy website for special desserts!

14. Time with God is a necessity not an option.

15. I love my family and am very thankful for them.

Courage

Courage: That quality of mind which enables one to encounter danger and difficulties with firmness, or without fear, or fainting of heart; valor; boldness; resolution.

- Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary


I want to take a moment and introduce you to the newest member of our family: Courage, an Olde Victorian Bulldogge.

He is 2 1/2 months old and weighs 20 lbs.

Simeon took right to him. In fact, he has somewhat claimed him for his own. He wants to be the one to walk him, feed him, play with him, and train him. Simeon is very excited to have a dog - and I think the dog is very excited to have Simeon.

Abbi is adjusting well to Courage. When we first brought Courage home, Abbi was a little nervous around him. As long as she approached him, she was fine, but when Courage approached her (unannounced), then she was ready for him to go back to his home. Now she does wonderfully with him. One thing that helped was the fact that he loves shoes - once she realized that he has the same shoe fetish as she does, they became great friends. He comes to her unannounced and she reaches out to pet him very lovingly. She also always has to make sure she hugs and kisses him every night.

Abe... hmmm... Either Abe thinks he is a dog or Courage thinks he is a boy. They are both the same weight and approximately the same age (if you go by dog years). Those two are together all the time - best friends. I have found Abe sharing everything from his drink, his cheerios, to his blocks with Courage. Courage, in turn, shares his pillow and chew toys with Abraham.

Courage is a good dog. He is great with the kids and very gentle with them - he reads them very well. He's grown quite attached to them, to the point that he pouts and whines when the kids go to bed at night. He curls up next to the door and whimpers - it's pretty cute. And, much to Daddy and Mommy's pleasure, he is doing well in both obedience training and potty training :).

If you would like to read more about Courage's breed, go here.

"A righteous man cares for the life of his animal..."

- Proverbs 12:10a

Mother's Day

So I'm a little behind, ok, I'm a lot behind, but I just wanted to post a picture of Mother's Day before Father's Day got here!

"Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward."

-Psalm 127:3

The beach

A couple of weekends ago our family took a little "big" adventure. We introduced our kids to the beach, and oh what an introduction it was. That first moment of the children seeing the beach for the first time fit right in the list with watching your child take his first step or hear his first word. As we were driving to the beach, the kids asked tons of questions such as "Are there sharks in the water?" or "Will the crabs pinch us?"or "What if we get stung by a jellyfish?". They were beginning to get a little hesitant about this whole "beach thing." But one look at the ocean and it was love at first sight.

Simeon had no fear at all and would have stayed there all day if possible. He and Mark went out as far as allowed and battled the waves.

Abbi enjoyed looking at the water but was happier with the large sandbox at her disposal. She spent a little time in the water with Mark and then ventured out on her own, but as you can see once the water touched her...well, I'll just let the picture speak for itself.

Abe of course was just happy to be there. He loved the water and he loved the sand. What else could a boy ask for ( Maybe a dog? - that will be next)?

Favorite things

Just stopping in to say "hello" and show a couple of my children's favorite activities. Hopefully next time I will come and stay awhile. But for now, this is all.

Arrrgh, matey!

A horse and his boy.

Dressing up

He's not so sure about dressing up...

but this one loves it!