Happy New Year!!

   Wow! Its already 2013! I can't believe how fast 2012 went! 2012 was such an amazing year. It was a year of many exciting changes and adventures! Mark and I found out that we were expecting a baby, Mark finished up school and began his job as a manager at his Dad's construction company, I received my Financial Services and Advice certification, we went to Michigan on a Babymoon/2nd Anniversary get-a-way, we moved into my in-laws for the month of July, we moved into our newly renovated basement apartment in my sister's house in August, we welcomed PJ into our lives, and, to top it all off, we lived the year in Christ. I can't wait to see what 2013 has in store for us! 
   This post comes after a VERY busy holiday season. We had many family get-togethers, enjoyed our own little family time, had a Friday night wedding, and brought in the New Year with some very close friends. PJ and I were especially blessed this year because Mark was able to take the week of Christmas and New Years off. We got to spend a lot of time enjoying our little family. I always love the holidays so much. The fresh snow, the good food, the wonderful family time, and the reminder of Christ's love for us. I also always dread the end of the holidays...which was today. I woke up with the foreboding feeling that today was the day that Mark had to head back into work. I was not ready to be done with all the festivities! Even so, today ended up being a very good day...Mark kept in touch with me via bbm and I met up with my older sister (not the one I live with) in town to go for a walk with PJ and our dogs. A good day to welcome the year 2013 in and "normal life" back. 
   I am a dork for celebrating New Years. I get so excited and kind of sentimental. I love the idea of a "clean slate" (as my older sister put it so nicely today). The year seems so full of excitement and possibilities. I don't fully know what this year will bring and that excites me. I also feel like its such a good time to start making some changes in my life (yup...the old "new years resolutions"). I have made some resolutions in the past and I've been pretty good about keeping them. In 2011 I decided I needed to read more (its good for your brain!) so I resolved to read a "good" (award winning, etc) book per month. I accomplished this goal and I loved it! Not only did I get to go shopping once a month to buy a new book (incentive enough!) but I learned some new things and enjoyed being lost in a good novel. Last year I resolved to get a bit more 'crafty'. I had wanted to start and finish at least 6 projects over the course of the year. I didn't fully succeed but I was more crafty than I have ever been and I learned a couple new skills. I knit myself a beautiful (if I do say so myself) scarf and PJ's baptism blanket. I also tried my hand at scrapbooking. I am creating a scrapbook for PJ's first year. This is ongoing...but I love it! I also spent a wonderful day with a dear friend learning how to quilt and I was able to finish an entire quilt for PJ's nursery. Its not a difficult pattern...but I love it and it fits her nursery perfectly. Finally, I (sort of) helped my older sister refinish a chest of drawers for PJ's nursery to be used as her change table. My sister did most of the work...but I did a little! I want to try my hand at some more furniture restoring some time soon! It was a lot of fun and the finished project was beautiful!
    This year I made a couple of different resolutions. First, I am starting a '365 Days of Gratitude' journal. Every night before going to bed I am going to write down something that I am grateful for that day. I feel like lately I have been seeing more of the negative side of life and I want this to encourage me to see the positive and the many, many blessings that God has blessed me with. 

My Gratitude Journal!

   Another goal of mine is to keep trying my hand at being crafty. I want to continue scrapbooking PJ's first year. I also want to try my hand at making pillow covers (I have two ugly pillows in my storage room that I would love to cover and use in my living room), making curtains for PJ's room, and finishing up the decor in the nursery. 
   Thirdly, I aim to become more organized. I have implemented the 'bedtime 15' where every night before bed I spend 15 minutes tidying up my house. This might include finishing folding the laundry, wiping up the kitchen, cleaning up toys or doing a quick vacuum. I just love the idea of waking up to a tidy house and I think it makes my day go a lot more smoothly. I also want to fully organize my office space. I have a desk set up in my walk-in (that's right!) closet but right now that desk is just a collection space for junk. I want to organize it and keep it tidy so that I have a nice place to blog, scrapbook, do book-work  and study (I am taking a university course this semester). I always feel so much better when things are organized and in their correct space...hopefully this can be accomplished this year. Another big part of this goal is to stay living in our current home for longer than a year. Mark and I do not have a very good track record when it comes to calling one place home. We have lived in three apartments in under two years of marriage! The plan is to stay in this apartment until we purchase a house for ourselves...so a good two years at least. I think that calling someplace home for longer than a year will help me to feel more organized and settled. I can look around me and make plans instead of looking around me and packing everything up in my head (like I've been doing in the past).  
   Fourthly, I need to work on loosing those final Baby Pounds. Mark has moved my elliptical into our storage room and I aim to use it every day. I am in one of my best friend's weddings in May and I need to fit into my dress! I am so excited to be sharing in her special day and I think its a great incentive and deadline for me to get back into shape and start feeling like I have MY body back!  Also, this will allow me to be ready for soccer season!

So excited for this wonderful lady's wedding in May!

      Finally, I need to start focusing more on my daily walk and relationship with Christ. I want to start putting Him more at the center of my life and my decisions. I aim to open my Bible more (independently and with my hubby), pray continually, and sing praise as I carry out my daily work. 
   So there you have it! My 2013 goals. No matter what, I know that this year is going to be so much fun! I am going to get to spend it with the people I love most in the world. I am so excited to see how PJ grows and changes in this coming year. So far I have loved being a Momma...and I think this year will help me love it so much more! 
   Happy New Year and God's blessings!