It's Resolution Time!!!

It's that time again. Time for a fresh new start to another great year - 2012!!!

I always love the start of a new year. A chance to be better, a chance to change the things I don't like, and try fresh new ideas that I have been wanting to try but can't find time. Here is a list of my New Years Resolutions, or a better word Improvements.

1. Simplify Our Home
-Last year I spent a lot of time de-cluttering. I still have some de-cluttering to do but in order to better manage our home I need to simplify first. We moved into our present home about a year in a half ago and we downsized by 600 square feet. I love our smaller home and the advantage of having less space to clean and keep clean. But since living here I have realized that we have WAY too much stuff for this house. So time to get rid of the things that we REALLY don't need and maybe have only 10 towels instead of 30. Not sure how we got to 30 towels????

2. My Home Doesn't Have to Be Perfect
-I realized this past year I spend an enormous amount of time cleaning and re-cleaning over and over and over. I have to admit that having a clean and tidy home makes me happy. I like everything to have a place and be kept in that place. But this year taught me (no maybe the past 7 years) that it is humanly impossible for me to keep this house tidy and clean the way I would like it. I might have even discovered I am a little OCD, just a little though. My expectations of what is clean and tidy with 4 kids age six and under can't be the same as a home with no kids. I think I may never completely grasp this concept but hope to at least reduce my perfection expectations. My goal is to focus on the laundry, the dishes, and picking up as we go.

3. Spending More Quality Time With the Kids
-This past year I discovered just how quickly my kids are growing up. Having two in school and only two at home is a major change. I really enjoy my quality time with the younger two but miss Logan and Abi immensely. They are becoming children and not just my babies anymore. I miss their sweet faces and feel like I am not seeing them change and blossom as much as I wish I could. I tell Matthew all the time I can't imagine how hard it is to go to work and only see us all pretty much Saturday and Sunday. I know that before long they will be telling me to go away and leave them alone instead of asking me for hugs and extra snuggle time. This season in life is very challenging with so many young children but full of so many blessings and LOTS of fun. I am trying to soak it all up and remember everyday that one day I will look back and miss this stage of life so much. That's what all the older and wiser woman tell me.

4. Stop Trying To Be Perfect
-My goal for this new year is to try to stop being so perfect, or at least to our worlds standards: the PERFECT Mom, Wife, Friend, House Cleaner, Organizer, Volunteer, Prayer Warrior, and Exerciser. God doesn't call us to be perfect. He calls us to be the best we can be personally. All I can do is give it my best and know that God is proud of me. In the end, it is between me and God, right?

5. Prioritize
- Last but I think one of the most important for me is to learn how to better prioritize my life. Being a mother to 4 and a wife, it can be very difficult to keep up with everything. I have to learn that sometimes the laundry can't be finished, the dishes will not get done, and I may not have time to finish that last shelf I have been trying to organize because my sweet daughter needs me to play dolls with her. It is SO hard to stop in the middle of what I think at the time is important to say yes to something that I may not really want to do at that exact moment. But finding a balance and prioritizing what the most important things are and letting go of the things that can wait is what I need to do. I don't want to look back on life and wonder why I always put so much emphasis and time into things that aren't of lifelong importance.


These are my top 5 changes I hope to implement in my life in the year 2012. I am excited about what this year brings and all the new memories and blessings that are to come. I am so thankful for my life, my family, my friends, and God.

Our friend, Buddy

Buddy is our new friend this year during the Christmas season. I debated for a LONG time as to whether or not to get an Elf on The Shelf. Abi came home from school and talked about how they had an Elf at school. She shared with me how she was being extra good at school so Santa would put her on the "Nice" list. That's when I knew. This could be what I needed to keep the kids calmer and nicer to each other during the season. I sent Matthew to Target to make the purchase. He was reluctant, it is a little pricey, but he successfully brought home Buddy!!! We had just watched the movie Elf, so the kids and I picked out the name Buddy. I will have to say that he was worth EVERY penny. The kids LOVE him. They wake up every morning running and screaming as they search the house for Buddy. I simply say, "Don't do that, Buddy will tell Santa" or "If you treat your sister like that you will not be on the "Nice" list". And YES it works!!! No, it is not the answer to a perfect home and no it doesn't replace my role as disciplinarian, but it is a temporary fix for my sanity for a few weeks. And it is fun!!! This is what the kids found this morning. They were ECSTATIC to say the least.

Cards for the Kids Teachers

Got this idea from Pinterest. Love it. Hand made cards for all the kids teachers and I already had all the supplies.

Need to Vent

I have learned that when I am frustrated about something it is best for me to to write about it. Don't judge me or think "she has no reason to complain". I think everyone no matter what their circumstances have a right to vent and complain sometimes. Just not all the time.

I feel like I have no control over my house. I will spend and entire day cleaning and by the next afternoon it is destroyed again. The laundry is never done, more like always a month behind. The dishwasher is always full with 2 loads waiting to be washed. I wake up everyday feeling like I am repeating the day before. Groundhog Day? I have tried implementing a schedule: Monday laundry, Tuesday mop, Wednesday more laundry and vacuum, etc. etc. but it doesn't help. I find myself getting even more stressed because if I don't accomplish the daily LIST, I beat myself up.

I try so hard to just let things go and not worry so much about things being clean. I have gotten better and I do not feel like things have to be perfect. How can it with four kids age six and under? But I have a slight problem. I LIKE things to be organized and tidy. I feel a sense of accomplishment and success if my house looks clean. Why??? Who knows. No one sees it but us. And I am very blessed to have a husband that could care less what the house looks like. I use to think I was OCD. But I finally discovered that isn't possible because I am a slob!!! (shhhhh, don't tell anyone.) You would think that since I am messy, I wouldn't be bothered by the un-organization and clutter. But it drives me NUTS.

Everyday I pray to God to help me embrace the mess and focus on the kids. It is so hard to do. I have to force myself to stop all the chores and long list of to do's and spend quality time with the kids. I know it is a balance and truly an art for a stay at home mother, but I have yet to master it. I pray one day I will or God will answer my prayers and I will learn to LOVE the messes. And as every older wise woman tells me, enjoy them while their young. It will be the best time of your life. Now if only I can believe that and live it!!!

Christas Cookie Fun

Even though my list of "to do's" is ten thousand miles long I decided to worry about that tomorrow and enjoy a fun day of cookie making. Even daddy helped. We had a blast!!! And the kids decorated almost all the cooking by themselves and no finger licking.

FB vs. Blogging

I have never been good about keeping up with a blog but always seem to find myself on FB. I began asking myself why this was and if I felt like it was positive for MY life. I think FB can be a great way to stay connected with friends and see lots of pictures of people and their kids and I LOVE that. I however do feel that FB can be a negative outlet. I have found myself getting my feelings hurt, lied to, ridiculed, and have even lost friendships because of it. I feel that on FB you only see the "perfect" lives of others and sometimes even find myself wishing for what others have. I find myself comparing my life to others and questioning my life: my motherhood, how clean my house is, wishing I could go on that vacation, wondering why I didn't get invited to that party, are my meals healthy like her meals are, etc....... I have come to realize that this is very unhealthy for my life. I decided that blogging would be better for me personally. I love sharing my stories and my thoughts and of course pictures, so why can't I just do it on a blog. So here goes. Hope you enjoy what you read!!!

The Little Things That Touch the Heart

Last night I made my long overdue late night grocery run. I do not like going grocery shopping with the kids so I wait and go after everyone is asleep. It's a late night but it beats the arguing that goes on between the kids and me over buying something. It doesn't matter what it is or even if they know what it is I hear the phrase "can I buy that" at least 500 times.

So anyway, at the end of my grocery night out I spotted a very young couple, probably 16, shopping for wedding rings. My first thought was, "Wow their young. Wonder if their mother and father know what they are thinking about doing." I continued observing them for a few more seconds when the couple turned around to walk away and I saw her 7 month bump. I immediately wanted to run over to her, throw my arms around her and say thank you for choosing life. I stopped my feet from moving and decided that I might just freak them out a little if I did. The joy that I feel when I see a young teen mom who has decided that it is more important to give her baby life than it is to go to her prom or to play one more year of basketball or even to impress her friends is overwhelming. It makes me so proud to know that there are good young people out there. I imagine that fear that she must have had when she saw that positive pregnancy test and the tears that must have poured down her checks. Her feelings of what will my mother think, or my dad, or what will my friends do? Will I be hated, will I be called a slut, will God hate me, or wonder what my boyfriend will do - run or hold me? What about the pressure that others will give her about whether or not she should keep the baby or choose to kill it. Her friends may have even offered to take her to do it - you know, the abortion that PP will give to anyone of any age. Or maybe she was blessed and had great friends that supported her, loved her, and told her that everything was going to be ok. Oh how I wanted to just hug her again and tell her how amazing she is and that what she is doing is so hard, but the greatest blessing she will ever receive.

I had no idea when I went to the grocery store last night that I would have my heart touched in such an empowering way. I may have been having a tough week but to see that young girls 7 month bump and to hear her "yes" was all I needed to smile and cry joy. Thank you God for such small blessings that touch me in so many big ways.

And The Journey Begins

I have decided to start a personal blog. I will be sharing a wide range of thoughts, info, opinions, and maybe even complain every now and then. I am here to be an honest woman, mother, and wife and share my journey, my real journey.

Why the name? Well, I feel like every day I am learning something new. Sometimes small things, sometimes very important things. But I am always learning. Life for me is a lot of trial and error. From trying to raise 4 very small children to simply going to the bathroom in a public restroom while wearing a baby in the sling, holding my purse, and NOT ever touching the seat - Yes this is possible. But no matter how great the day is or how hard it might be, it is always full of blessings.