to blog or not to blog

...that's seriously the question.

I have this constant battle in my mind.  This battle to capture every waking moment of this life.  This beautiful, blessed life God has gifted me.  This life that I am to live to the fullest for His glory.

And then I have this side of me that says "take a break! For goodness sake, take a break!" (As if I have religiously blogged the past, oh, say two years.)

So I continue this pondering into the beginning of 2014.  I want to enjoy and soak in these days in a carefree, no strings attached, kinda way. I wish my mind would just let me leave those moments be and just take them for what they are.  Because as a blogger, as a writer at heart, I never live a moment of this life without thinking, oh I need to blog about this! Or I look at those moments as a "what can I share from this moment? what metaphor is there here? I gotta keep this captured. I surely have something to say and share about this."

So as we inch closer and closer to 2014, there are many things I am pondering.  I'm pondering for what I truly have a passion.  What He wants me to do with this season, these moments.  What I feel God has given me talents and equipped me to do better than other things:

-being organized
-being thrifty
-being a mommy
-being productive
-being efficient
-being creative
-writing
-encouraging
-studying God's word
-PR for our store
-budgeting
-loving and caring

And I have a list going in my journal of areas I want to improve on for our family's well-being over the next year:

-getting active as a family
-less social media (especially during sacred night time at home)
-saying no to the unnecessary and excess things, events and commitments
-packing Justin's lunches (so he doesn't have to grab things)
-meal planning/eating intentionally healthier as a family
-letting go of what I'm NOT doing

And that's where I'm leaving my thoughts right now.  Trying to figure out how all these goals work together and how God can best be glorified amidst this.  What does He want me to really tackle and what does He want me to push to the side so I'm not glorifying busyness, but I'm glorifying Him.

I'm listening to Him. I'm waiting upon Him.

The next steps are to be determined.  Praise the Lord for being a work in progress that is completed in His grace.

2013 Goals (First Half)

I've decided to set goals by month for 2013.  I'm pulling from areas where I really want us to work on as a family and I want to work on personally.

January-Read (at least) a verse a day

I've been slacking big time on my quiet time.  And God comes first.  Period.  Before everything needs to get in order, my personal time with God needs to get in order.  It helps me be a more patient, grace-filled person.  It makes me a better wife. A better mommy.  And just a more fulfilled person.

February-No eating out month

This is the are of our budget we struggle the most.  This won't count our once a week eating with my family since that's a tradition we tend to do with them weekly.  Hoping this will really help us save some money and be healthier as a family!

March-Blog every day month

I started this blog back in August of 2009 as a creative outlet for me. I have always had a passion for writing, so this blog has been that outlet for me and to hold myself accountable to actually write.  Since Adeline, it has become more of a way to document our family life.  It was such a blessing to have her monthly posts to print out and have at her first birthday.  So my goal is to get back into blogging more frequently for all those reason.

April- Track all our spending month

This is to help us with our budget and help us to get back on track with our Dave Ramsey money management. 

May- No computer/iPad/smart phones after 9:30 month

This one's for our marriage.  So we will actually spend the evenings after bedtime, when we are just hanging out on the couch, to communicate and connect! 

June- Pray together as a family every day month

I am such a believer in the power of prayer.  I think it's so valuable for families and couples to pray together.  I always pray with Adeline at bedtime, but we need to better about praying together as a family and a couple.

My hope is that these goals will start to filter into the rest of 2013 as we accomplish them monthly. Nothing too lofty. Totally doable. And very valuable to our family.

our 2012  New Years baby...

just close to 2 months...

oh the difference a year makes!

Happy New Year from our family to yours!!

a year in review

I cannot believe 2010 is almost over! I feel like it was just 2000.  It's crazy also, because in this past decade, a lot has happened.

2000--Graduated from Middle School
2004--Graduate from High School
2008--Graduated from college, got my first teaching job, bought our home, and got married!
2009--Adopted Boone

I mean really, the past decade has included all the big life changes that have happened in my 24 (almost 25) years on earth.  I'm so excited to see where God takes us in the next year...and even decade!

So let's recap the past year...

January
-Finally hung wedding pics in our bedroom
-Tutored for the first time
-Attended Winter Blitz with our church youth group to help out

February
-Took GRE
-Got super sick with the worst stomach virus of my life.  (This made Valentine's Day a little less enjoyable. Poor hubby.)
-hung wedding pics in living room

March
-Celebrated Boone's first "Gotcha Day" on March 5th (the day he was adopted)
-Celebrated my grandma's 80th birthday
-Celebrated my 24th birthday with dinner at Macaroni Grill with the family
-file cabinet makeover

April
-After much changes in our school, I found out my teaching assignment for this year would be 4th grade
-Helped lead a Middle School church retreat
-Hot water heater and AC went out in the same day

May
-accepted into masters program (Masters of Education with a Reading and Writing Endorsement)
-Derby party celebration
-Celebrated my grandpa's 87th birthday
-Took first masters class
-two year anniversary of closing on our house
-had AC repaired
-bought HE frontloaders after washer went out
-helped organize huge yard sale at our church to benefit our women and youth ministries

June
-celebrated the end of a my 2nd year of teaching
-visited Farmers Market regularly on Saturday mornings
-started our garden
-mini-makeover to office (including bookshelf makeover)
-hubby started a lawn care business on the side with his friend, Chad
-took more classes
-created DIY curtains for the living room
-road trip to Frisco and Paris, TX for Justin's best friend's wedding
-visited my first IKEA in Frisco, TX
-mission trip with our church youth group to Hartselle, Alabama

July
-started my Etsy shop
-celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary
-family vacation to Washington D.C.; also visited Baltimore, Maryland for the first time

August
-started the couch to 5k training program (sadly, didn't complete it all the way)
-got my classroom ready for the upcoming year
-celebrated the blog's one year birthday
-started my 3rd year of teaching

September
-created a little storage DIY for the kitchen
-started cutting Justin's hair at home
-hosted a Fall decor link-up on the blog
-started teaching the young adult Sunday School class at church

October
-visited the pumpkin patch
-spent Fall Break in Disney World!
-started Thursday Questions with hubby

November
-celebrated hubby's 25th birthday
-hubby got his first guitar as an early graduation/bday gift
-created my chalkboard ornaments
-started 30 for 30
-celebrated Thanksgiving with family


December
-hosted the 12 Days of Christmas link-up
-saw Christmas lights in the mega cavern
-first snow day of school year (3 the week before Christmas break)
-celebrated Boone's 2nd birthday
-Justin graduated with his bachelors
-celebrated my little brother's 21st bday
-of course...Christmas celebrations!

And just for fun....

2010 Top Posts:
1. Disney World--in just one post?!
2. deals and steals
3. decking the halls

2010 Top Referring Sites:
1. Page's Crazy Joy blog
2. Katie's The Burt Hive blog
3. Chelsie's ...love, Chelsie blog
(thanks ladies!)


2010 Top Visiting Countries:
1.  United States
2.  Canada
3.  Puerto Rico
4.  United Kingdom
5.  Russia
(how fun is that?!)

Happy New Year to you and yours! May 2011 be the best one yet...filled with God's abundant grace and blessings! I look forward to another year of posting and reading! Thanks for being such a special treasure in my life as a supporter and reader of this blog!