A New Year, and New Beginnings

Everyone seems to blogging about resolutions and goals for the new year.  I can't remember the last itme I made any resolutions.  Probably when I realized that I don't stick to them so why bother.
But I do feel like the new year brings a chance for a new beginning.

One --- To spend more time reading my Bible.  One of the blogs I read, is suggesting in 90 days.  But that seems like quite a bit.  But then I'm also reminded of what my Sunday School teacher said a few Sundays ago.  She asked if we were reading a good novel about the same thickness as our Bible it wouldn't take us a year to read it.  Just a thought.  Not sure how fast I will read it.  My goal right now is just to read it more than I have in the past.

Two ---  I want to eat healthier.  I've lost weight in the pass by drinking water, and watching my sugar and bread intake and no fried foods.  For exercise I walked or either did the Biggest Loser 1 Workout.    It doesn't take any special foods, it's about portion control, and the way it is cooked.  My pitfall is I'm not a big fruit and vegetable eater, more of a meat and potato.  Definetly not one to eat salads of any kind.  I can still hear my Dad say when my Mom offered him a salad that he wasn't eating rabbit food.  My goal is to lose 10 lbs a month.  It's overwhelming when I look at the big picture so I'm focusing on smaller goals.  I also hope to share recipes that I find that I enjoy and are healthy.

Three  ---  I want to be a better wife and mother.  I have a bad habit of venting my problems to other family members and it leaves them with negative thoughts and feelings.  Also I'm reading the book by Elizabeth George  "A Wife After God's Own Heart", and I will be blogging once a week about it.

Four ---  I want to spend less time on the computer.  Makayla is at  school from 8:00 to 2:00, so no more than an hour of computer time in the evenings.    December was a blur with all the giveaways and trying to build my blog up.  I added followers but where are ya'll now that the giveaways are over.  Speaking of giveaways there is one coming up in the next week or so.  But that's the only one I know of for now.  I have worried about making my blog professional looking.  But came to the conclusion, that's not who I am.  I am what I am.  I received awards in December I haven't even taken the time to blog about.  Blogging to me is about friends and encouragement.  If I can encourage just one person through something I blog about or better yet lead someone to Christ that is priceless.  That is worth more to me than any amount of money I may or may not make one day blogging.

Five --- Last but not least exercise, in which it goes right along with the eating healthy.  It's one thing to watch the Biggest Loser every week.  But it's another to exercise, and not to be eating ice cream, or some other high calorie food while watching it.

Happy New Year!!!!

My prayer is that each and everyone of ya'll have a blessed New Year.  I can't wait to see what the new year has in store for all of us.  The prayers that will be answered.  The friendships that will grow stronger and new friendships to be made.  I'm not making any new years resolutions but I hope with God's grace to make some life changes.  More details of that in the coming days. 
Happy New Year my friends !!!!!!!!!

Last Random Dozen of 2009

1. Do you find it gross to share drinks with family? Friends?  Not necessarily share a drink.  If one of the kids ask for a sip I might have let them have it but remind them not to backwash. 

2. What have you learned this year? (You didn't see a question of that weight coming, did you? At least not for #2.)  That some people just seem too stubborn to change.  While others that you never thought could change, did through the grace of God.

3. When do you dismantle the Christmas decorations? We usually do it right after the New Year.  But what little I had out this year was taken down yesterday and all packed up ready to go in the attic until next year.


4. Something you wish to accomplish before the end of 2009 is: Just make it to the end of the year without going crazy will be wonderful.


5. How do you feel about winter (after Christmas)?   I'm not crazy about winter to begin with.  Even though I'm hot-natured I like cooler weather not cold.  In which that is what we have most of the time, but this week is just plain out cold.  So where is the snow?

6. Have you participated in after-Christmas sales? No.  It's worse after Christmas than after Thanksgiving.  There's nothing I need that badly to fight the crazy people for.

7. Do you have plans for New Year's Eve? Yes, we have church that night beginning at 9:00.

8. Is there anything special awaiting you in January?   Not sure its waiting on me.  But I do have two plans for the new year.  One, this weight is coming off, once and for all.  I have a daughter that's nine and a grandaughter less than a year old and they need me healthy.  The other is less stress, to try and stop worrying about things I can't change and leave them to God to change.

9. If your life this year was a movie, what category or genre would it be? (Romance, Comedy, Drama, Thriller, Suspense, Farcical, etc.) Drama, there is always something crazy going on around here. 

10. How much time per day do you spend blogging? Please do not lie. I will know.   Way too much, between posting, commenting, and reading.  Probably when the kids are in school, and I'm alone some days almost 6 hours.

11. Who runs your household?   We both do.

12. Share one hope/dream for 2010.  To see all of my family and friends, happy, healthy, and living for the Lord.

Thanks Linda for hosting this Meme this year.

Christmas 2009

Christmas has once again come and went.  I packed up all the decorations today and finally downloaded all the pictures.  Ours started the Saturday before Christmas when we traveled almost three hours to pick up Brianna and Kenneth my step-children, and then traveled another almost two hours to get to my father and step-mother-in-laws house.  After much eating it was time for the kids to open their gifts.

Makayla was so excited with her Project Runway Set.  It's a traditon there that when you turn 18 that's the last year you get a gift.  Therefore my step-mother-in-law makes a quilt for you.  This was Michael's year to get his.  He loves music, more specifically guitars.  Not many pictures, because everyone is opening their presents at one time.  It's one big whirlwind of paper and squeals.
This was Makayla Christmas morning opening her Wii.  She got so excited that when she hugged me so hard, I thought she was going to knock me down.   They were so excited that they almost forgot their stockings.

Then we were off to Megan, Denny's and Emily's.  Look who's already standing up for a few seconds on Christmas Day.  It won't be long now before she is taking her first steps, and then walking.

Caught Megan reading the manuel to her new camera.  Denny totaled surprised her with a new Nikon camera. 

This is my Mom.  We don't get many pictures of her because she hates for her picture to be taken.  Needless to say I had to sneak this one I'm sure she thought I was taking one, of one of the kids.  She would probably be devastated if she knew I put it on my blog.

Then Christmas afternoon we picked up Brianna and Kenneth and had Christmas all over again.

The following pictures were taken at my Mom's the day after Christmas.  I didn't get pictures of it because we were all so surprised.  But the journal jar that I gave her last year for Christmas.  As mentioned in an earlier blog, she has wrote her answers in books.  I have a second blog where I have been writing her answers because she gave me my book when she finished it.  But now each of my other four siblings also have one, her grandaughters have one, and even a sister-in-law that was once married to my oldest brother but has always remained a part of the family.  My book has been re-written because she said the more she has wrote the more she has remembered.  In which it has kept her memory sharp by doing this.  Also this year we did something we had never done at her house, we opened our gifts one at a time.  I think it was so much more fun that way.

Joy To The World

Merry Christmas to you and your families

The video of this one is absolutely awesome.  As ya'll know by now.  I love Christmas and Christmas songs. 

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