2010 New Year's Goals

Appreciating More of the simple moments in daily life

A refined list of my New Year's goals:

1. Eat better (less sweets and red meats, more veggies and fish)

2. Drink less (caffeinated drinks and wine!)

3. Exercise more (I know blah, blah, blah, this is starting to sound like every one's list of resolutions every year!)

4. Do more yoga

5. Read 15-20 novels- Any suggestions?

6. Finish my THESIS!!

7. Implement more Montessori methods into the kid's at home learning/create a specific learning spot for them in the house and only use it for the above mentioned

8. S-L-O-W down (and enjoy more of the simple, smaller moments in every day life)

9. Get more sleep/rest

10. Be more forgiving with myself

11. Pay more attention to my food allergies/sensitivities

12. Finish and print both kid's FIRST year photo albums (yes, I am such a slacker!)

13. Get back to a cleaning/housework weekly schedule

14. Customize our at home daily routine/RHYTHM

15. Play with the dogs more

16. Simplify my gardening expectations (instead of planting 15 different kinds of seeds, and having mediocre results, narrow it down to 3-5 kinds and really do it well!)

17. Read the manual that came with our awesome camera (a year ago!) and start learning how to really USE the amazing documentary tool!

18. Take more pictures

19. Organize and delete unwanted digital photos at the end of each month

20. Begin work on 2010 annual family photo album, this January, not next December!

21. Direct more energy into a few solid friendships with people here, instead of trying to make a whole heap of new acquaintances.

22. More importantly, spend more time nurturing EXISTING friendships!

23. Send mail once a week to Nana

24. Post here more often- resume Today's Memories

25. Apply for, and write more online reviews

Okay, I think that is good for now...I want to stay realistic! I hope I can accomplish all of these goals, I'll do my best to let you know how I do!

2010 Promises

As the New Year fast approaches, I am beginning to focus my thoughts on the age old idea of New Year's Resolutions!

It's easy for me to want to fall into this frame of mind because of our family's current position. After having just moved into a new house, in a new state, and after the past year of Pete's crazy travel schedule and the ups and downs associated with it, I can honestly say that it feels good to want to focus on making positive changes.

I remember writing about all of the resolutions I wanted to make for 2009 and of course, as usual, I had great intentions (I usually always do!). But intentions are just that, intentions-not promises. And as 2010 comes into sight, I commit, and I promise to make the changes I seek.

I am starting by promising myself to dedicate a certain amount of time each week to reading, understanding and embedding into my daily life all that I learn from a book I received from my sister, Krista, The Simple Abundance Companion.

This book (really a workbook of sorts) focuses on learning to accept yourself for all that you are and strives to get you to take a good solid look at how your choosing to live your life. Are you filling your days with work, errands, volunteering, grocery shopping, tending to your children, but never to yourself?

I am promising myself a slower new year, a more accomplished new year, and a more fullfilled new year.

Where do your 2010 New Year resolutions begin?

Nate's Power Washer

Christmas To Us....

Making Cookies with friends

Unpacking the Christmas Spode China

Decorating our NEW house!


A little something in between here and there!



Spending time with visiting family

Smiles, smiles, and more smiles

Grandparent's visits via the computer w/ SKYPE

Seeing what Santa brought

The kids discovering filled stockings at the foot of their beds

Dogs freaking out over fast moving new cars

Spending family time playing with new toys


Being grateful for all that we have, all that we are and all that we can be!

Merry Christmas!

Getting Settled

We have been busy, busy, busy...unpacking, driving back and forth to preschool, Christmas decorating, shopping, painting rooms, and trying to eat well and get lots of sleep in between to help keep our bodies healthy and full of that good old energy!

Yesterday Pete and I spent about two hours flattening out all of the packing paper from the moving boxes, so that we could fit it all in the back of Pete's truck to bring to the recycling center...what a crazy insane amount of paper!

At least the kids had fun jumping in the pile...can you see Juliana in there somewhere?!

All else is well with us, I know I haven't been posting as often I usually do, and I hope you understand my absence and keep checking back whenever you can. Once things start to settle down and routine is re-established, I'll be back to my regular old blogging priorities!

Hope all is well with you and you are enjoying all that the holidays should represent!

Gratitude

In my efforts to focus on more of the positives in life, I want to share with you some of what I am grateful for today....

1. Two children who are finally getting over the flu!
2. A wonderful new house, with plenty of room for us to spread out
3. Cleared bathroom counter tops (I finally unpacked and semi-organized the master bath)
4. A new dishwasher
5. A dryer that works
6. A Christmas tree with lights (no ornaments yet)
7. Stockings hanging from the mantle
8. Having the opportunity to spend an hour by myself in reflection during yesterday's mass
9. Juliana walking happily into her preschool classroom today- instead of with tears!
10. Finally feeling a lot less exhausted after all of the last month's moving and hard work

Today's Memory:
Last night after getting into bed and saying prayers, Nate asked me, "where does God live, does he live in Heaven?"

"Yes, he does, but he also lives all around us too," I told him.

Nate reached his arm up into the air and said, but I don't feel him."

So, I said, well, you can feel his love all around you, can't you?"

"Yes! I can!" he said....

It was really awesome!

Twas The Night Before....

The Big Move!

Wow, tomorrow is coming fast, and soon, before we know it, the movers will be unloading all of our belongings off of the enormous truck and carrying them into our new home here in Birmingham, AL.




After a week spent painting multiple rooms and deep cleaning (I take this opportunity to remind each one of you to please clean your dishwashers annually!) I am actually getting really excited about our move into the new house! I have spent too much time feeling sad and disappointed and woe is me about this move, and really, I am done....I promise!


In our few weeks here in Birmingham, the city has welcomed us with strong, beautiful, and kind arms. What we've explored so far has been wonderful, and I look forward to the possibility of spending many more years (that's right, I said years) continuing that exploration!


So, all in all, it's not so bad, in fact, it's pretty good. Welcome to Birmingham, welcome to our life here, welcome to our new HOME.

See you on the flip side!

Little Helper

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was :

-An early morning trip to Savannah, GA to visit with my sisters, Kara, Krista, Michael, my dad, his wife Fawn, and my mom

-A chance to slow down amidst the transitioning...and be grateful for all that we have

-A day spent playing in downtown Savannah, going aboard a tall ship, and visiting a huge gingerbread village

-Getting creative with new gifts!


We closed on the new house a few days ago and have spent the last few days painting and repairing a few things...it feels good to be getting closer to the move in date next week! I am ready to unpack, decorate for Christmas and begin making our house a HOME....