Word Up!

     Sometime in 2010, I read a book in which all the characters picked a word to focus on for the year.  I loved the idea so much that I chose a word in 2011.  My word last year was "better".  I do think that things in my life got better.  I did have ups and downs like we all do, but overall, I think that I came out of the year better than when it started.

     My word for 2012 is "Healthy".  I want to apply healthy to all aspects of my life in the coming year.  I have some specific goals in mind already.   I know that as the year progresses, I will find other ways to incorporate healthy into my life.  Most people think of healthy and only apply to the physical aspect of life.  I want to stretch my understanding of the word as much as possible in 2012.

      I want to start with the obvious...I want my family to be physically healthy this year.  Jim and I are both seeing a doctor to get physicals.  Delainey will get her checkup after her birthday.  I am serious this year about getting more physical activity in my life.  Whether is is a walk in the park or a dance party at home, I will in Delainey's words "move it, move it".


     I also want to eat healthy this year--less processed foods, more local foods.  That means cooking at home more often, shopping at the farmer's market when it is open, canning my own produce.  I have got a great source for local eggs, beef, and pork.  I need to find local chicken to eat next.  I watched Food Inc, last year and it really changed how I feel about buying meat and eggs at the grocery store.  I love the difference the local food!

     I have been reading and planning on ways to get our family's finances in a healthier place this year.  Budgets are not my favorite thing, but I am working on ways to help us stick to them.  That means I can't just go shopping because I want to.....I need to start going to the store with a list of what I need and stick to that list.  No more buying things that I don't need whenever I want.  A splurge is okay now and then, but I need to start sticking to my budget.

     My last big area to focus on health is my spiritual health.  I still haven't found a church in our new town yet.  I really miss my church from home.  Luckily, I am able to visit often, but a monthly visit is not enough.  I need to find a church home for my family to keep us all growing.  My church keeps me grounded and gives me support.  I know that I will find a place, but I am really going to make it a priority this year.

     Healthy....such a small word, but I know there are big plans for me wrapped up in that one word!

Letting Go.....

     Letting go of anything is so hard.  We all have things that we can't let go in our lives.  Some people hold onto stuff to long, letting it take over their lives.  Other people hold on to people and relationships that are  not healthy.  Dreams are something that we all hold, letting go of those is usually the hardest thing to do.

     I am not a hoarder.  I am usually able to let go of "stuff" pretty easily.  I do have some odd things, the stones that my grandma used when she made pickles, my stuffed Cookie Monster, Delainey's old baby clothes, but I try to keep it to a minimum.  I have moved so much in my life, that I hate packing.  The less I keep, the less I will eventually have to pack!

     I don't want to say that I let go of people, that just sounds wrong.  I feel that people come into our lives for a reason and they aren't always meant to be with you forever.  When relationships end, I truly do miss the person, but I understand that things do end.  Sometimes those people come back into your life later and it is a wonderful gift.  I try to learn from each relationship that I have and take those lessons and memories with me, even if I don't take the person.

     I have a harder time letting go of dreams.  I don't even like it when dreams change.  But sometimes, they need to change.  Life happens, budgets change, dreams have to change to fit that.  Changing or letting go of one dream can open the door for another dream.  I had a big dream for this summer, but plans have had to change.  I cried when I realized that it needed to change, but now, I see the other dreams that might become a reality instead.  The dream is still there, just postponed!

     What is the old saying..."If you love something, let it go.  If it comes back, it is yours.  If it doesn't, it never was."  Maybe that is how I need to look at letting go of things, especially dreams.  Sometimes, they will come back.  If it does, then it was meant to be, if not, then there is something better for me!

Happy New Year!!

     My family celebrated 2012 about 2 hours early and then we went to bed!!  Jim did wake me up at midnight to tell me Happy New Year's.  The neighbors and their guns woke him up!

     2011 was a year of big changes for me and my family.  We moved to a small town from the city.  It was a culture shock for us all, but I am happy to say that we are settling in nicely.  There are still some adjustments ahead, but I know that we will be just fine!

     Last year my word for the year was "better".  In many ways, I do think that things got better.  It wasn't perfect, but I wasn't reaching for perfection.  I am still not sure what my work will be for 2012.  I am not feeling organized yet for the new year, but it's here, so I am ready for what it brings.

     I don't like resolutions, because I never seem to keep them, but I do have some goals for the year.  I want to continue eating healthy and local as much as possible.  I want to include more physical activity for my family.  I want to get a financial plan in place for us as well.  Those are a lot of goals, but I plan on taking baby steps along the way.  Baby steps might be a good word......

     Happy 2012 to all!!

It's the weekend!!

     I am so excited that the weekend is finally here.  I don't have any "big" plans, but I look forward the the weekend all the time!

     I am usually off on Thursdays, but I worked this week.  Thursday is my day to do laundry, clean house, and just have some alone time.  I really missed my Thursday.  Thankfully, Jim has taken over and given me time off! Last night he sent me to bed at 8 pm.  I was out for the night!  He took over the evening!

     Tomorrow, Delainey and I are making gingerbread houses.  We bought a kit (yep, a kit for those of us who are lazy) that has five smaller houses. This is one of the traditions that she and I have together and we enjoy the mess that we make!

     We have to grocery shop tomorrow as well.  Like Old Mother Hubbard our cupboards are bare.  Hopefully we can get in and out quickly.....

     Christmas preparations are almost done.  I did a little more shopping today.  I still have some giftcards to buy and a book to get.  There is only a little more wrapping to do as well.  I haven't sent cards out yet because I am still waiting for our pictures to come back.  I am going to have to send them out soon, pictures or not.

     We are going to be childless for a few days.....school will be out, so Delainey will be spending some time with Mamaw and Papaw.  The house is always quiet when she is gone, but she needs time with her grandparents.

     Sunday we are going to try church again to see if Delainey will sit through a service.  I hope so, I miss not attending church every Sunday. Next Sunday we will be home, so we can worship with our church family.  I know that we will find a place to attend down here, but it just takes time! We have a Christmas party Sunday  evening.  I am sure that it will be a relaxing time for all of us!

Happy Weekend to all!!

Thanksgiving Leftovers

     This isn't about the yummy turkey sandwich kind of leftovers, I didn't have any of those this year.  I started the month of November with a daily Facebook posting about something that I am thankful for.  Then my computer decided to take a vacation for a few days.  When it came back home, I was out of the habit.  There are some important people that I didn't get to mention in my daily gratitude posting, so here are my "leftovers".

     I am very thankful for my family.  We don't always agree with each other, but we are always there for each other.  I have never had a "traditional" family, but it is mine.  My mom, my brother, and I were a team.  I grew up spending holidays with my aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins.  I miss those times of celebrating with my extended family.  I have wonderful inlaws who welcomed me into their family very easily.  When Jim and I married, I gained two sons.  Being a step-parent isn't always easy, but Shane and Dylan have always made it interesting!  Delainey is truly my miracle child.  She is so much like me, but she is also her own person.  She makes life fun!

     I am very thankful for my friends.  I have been so lucky with the friends that are part of my life.  There are days that they make me laugh out loud.  They cry with me, laugh with me, and support me in so many ways.  I have talked about my friends before, but they deserve an extra shout out here as well!

     I am thankful for my amazing husband.  Jim is my partner in life.  He knows when I need my space and when I need to be pushed.  He can make me laugh with just a look.  He is my best friend and I enjoy his company.  He is my safe space in the craziness of life.  He makes me smile!

     Most importantly, I am thankful for my Lord and Saviour, Jesus.  I know that I am so blessed in my life.  I have rough times, but the good outweigh the bad times.  The thanks and praise all go to God.  He makes all the things in my life better!

Christmas Traditions

     I  love, love, love Christmas!  I love sappy Christmas movies and old tv shows, musicals and Christmas songs.  I love decorating and shopping, wrapping presents and sending cards.  I love the scents and excitement of the season.  I love spending time with friends and family.  I love the traditions that come along with Christmas.

     Jim and I have worked to build traditions for our family.  Some of them we have planned, some have just happened.  Our first married Christmas, we bought a Waterford crystal ornament.  We buy one every year now.  It is a big decision for our family deciding which one will be on our tree.  This year, we have a crystal tree--I was out-voted, maybe next year I can get the shamrock.


     We also take one day to go shopping.  Jim and I start when the stores open and shop until we have to be home.  Some years we have a list, others we just shop.  Last week, we finished most of our shopping in one day. We spend the day together, have a lunch out and just enjoy the time with each other!  We window shop and people watch.  We reconnect with each other during this busy time of  year.

     Delainey has brought some new traditions to our family as well.  She loves to look at light displays, so we try to get out a couple of times in the evenings to see all the wonderful lights.  Last year her Sunday school class made paper chains with activities for the days leading up to Christmas.  It was so much fun that we did it again this year.  It keeps the "how many days until Christmas" in check.  We have spent time each year ringing bells for the Salvation Army as well.  Since I am a slacker,  I didn't get our plans made soon enough, but next year we will be ringing again!

     This year everyone is talking about their "Elf on the Shelf".  We don't have an elf, but we have Mary and Joesph making their way around our house to the manger in Bethlehem.  Part of Delainey's job is to find where they have gone each day.  Some days she has a hard time finding them, other days she sees them right away.  It is fun to decide where they will be each night!  They will end up in the nativity on Christmas eve and the baby Jesus will be there in the morning.

     Jim and I have had to blend our traditions together.  His family has always done gifts on Christmas eve, mine on Christmas morning.  We found our middle ground by celebrating with his parents and the boys on Christmas eve.  We then spend the Christmas day at our home where Santa has filled stockings and brought gifts to us.  It works for us and we get to spend the day relaxing and playing with our gifts.

     My favorite tradition is remembering what Christmas is really about.....

             "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour,
             which is Christ the Lord
             And this shall be a sign unto you; you will find the babe
             wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
                                                                           Luke 2:11-12

     Enjoy this Christmas season!

Slacker

     I am a slacker.  I have so many things that I want to do, but I just don't get them done.  I have thoughts in my head that I want to write about, but they don't get written down.  I have projects in various states of completion, but very few completed.  Christmas is coming up and I have a couple of projects that have to be finished.  One year, I didn't get Christmas cards finished until New Years.

     I see and hear so many people accomplish things, and I wonder how they do it.  I hear people talk about clean houses, laundry completed, and dishes washed, I promise that doesn't happen here.  I have one basket of clothes to fold, one to put away and the basket is full of dirty clothes again.  I see pictures of beautiful scrapbooks that people make.  Delainey is 5 and her scrapbooks are at least two years behind.

     My grandpa's birthday was November 5.  I wanted to write about him on his birthday, but I didn't get it done.  I will write it some day because my grandpa was such a wonderful man and so important to me in my life.  I watched "Food Inc" and read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.  I have spent so much time thinking about the food that I eat and feed my family.  I have wanted to write about it, but I just haven't sat down to do it.

     I have stuffed animals to operate on because they have been so well loved.  I have a quilt that my mother in law and her mother started.  I want to finish it and give it to Delainey.  I have started it, but since I am a slacker, it isn't done.  Delainey and I started to make an apron last spring.  It is almost done, I think it would only take thirty minutes to finish, but it isn't finished.

     I know that I am a slacker.  I get distracted easily.  I get sucked into facebook,  I watch to much tv....Bravo, Food Network, TLC, HGTV are my weaknesses.  I take naps instead of working on projects.

     I am a slacker, but I am trying to reform....