Happy 2012!!!

One of my goals for 2012 is to blog EVERY SINGLE DAY! This has been my goal for several years and it has yet to happen. In fact, I'm about 6 months behind on last year! (I will be catching up throughout the year this year--so be looking for updates from 2011 mixed in!) I decided that I will have monthly goals this year instead of yearly ones. I think it will help me stick to what I am trying to do. Obviously, blogging each day will be a yearly goal but I will include it in my monthly goals. I want my children to be able to look back at this and have memories of their childhood! I want to be an encouragement to others! I want to share God's word with friends and strangers! I want to share things we do well and things we mess up on! I want to share recipes we love and recipes that will make life easier for other moms! I just want to be real and I want my kids to be able to look back and see how God taught our family (and their mom) lessons throughout their lifetime!

One thing I saw on a blog that I LOVED was a little book where you can write a thought a day down. I told Cass about it and it appeared in my stocking this year! It's a five year book that you can see here http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thought-a-day-peter-pauper/1102466301 where you write one thought a day for five years! I think it will be neat to look back over the years and read what is written down! I'm starting today...and I just might share my "thoughts" on my blog from time to time, too!

Today, we had french toast for breakfast...Cass took the two big boys to church (I stayed with Bates because he had a 104.8 fever last night)...and we had Brunswick Stew with cornbread for lunch! We ALL took a long nap this afternoon (which is RARE for Cass and me to do) and then all cooked dinner together! Pork Chops, Black-eyed peas, rice and salad (we struggle with the New Year's meal because most of us don't eat it!) We found out that the boys cars that Santa brought were defective so we took them back to Walmart tonight, too! We talked about what goals are and asked the boys what they wanted their goals to be. Calder's response, "Turkey". We asked what that meant and he said, "I want a pet turkey that I can learn to feed and take care of this year." (I am not so sure that he is going to be able to fulfill his goal!) Caden said he wants to be a family team and do laundry together and that he wants to be good at cleaning his room! I think his goals are great!

Some of my goals for January include:

-loose 5 lbs. this month

-go to sleep by 10 at least 5 nights a week this month (we stay up late EVERY night)

-read two books

-be more intentional in my discipline with the boys to use "Grace" (which is part of a book I'm reading right now)

-get back in a BIG groove of coupons and saving money (we do a good job with this but I'm talking serious savings like when we were in seminary!)

-do one random act of kindness each day for someone else

-blog EVERY day

-be intentional in my relationships with others

-read the Bible EVERY single day (it's easy to miss a day)

We are looking forward to a fun and exciting 2012 FULL of God's blessings - whatever those may look like! I hope that I take time to see each the many ways God blesses our family this year and don't get to busy or blinded and miss some!

Hope you had a great New Years!

(we lost our battery charger for our camera so until I get a new one, I'm going to be counting on Cass' phone for pictures!)