Write Your Vision

How's your 2012 starting out? Mine...I won't complain, but it could have been better. We rang in the New Year with these little ones! THAT was a great start to 2012!
They were here 4 nights and left on New Years Day. It was a wonderful time with those babies, and I treasure every minute. When they left, it was so quiet, I almost couldn't stand it! All that was left was this....I left it there for most of the day....just wasn't ready to let them go.
I still had children at home though, and let me tell ya, the drama started! The first few days of 2012 had me reeling. My daughter dodged a huge missile...I am not even sure she realizes it, but someday the Lord will show her just how blessed she was in that first week of 2012!In the meantime, I am thankful that God gave me the wisdom, even in a way I never expected, to make the right choices for my family. It hurts my pride to say, had I just listened to my husband in the first place...but you know I have to figure it out on my own sometimes. I am blessed to have a husband who gets that about me.
And all the while, this smile and that twinkle in his eye, reminded me of what being a mother is all about....hard choices, but also great rewards! (I got a hug from my daughter too...eventually)
I can't share photos of the kids and not mention the girls....they continue to love each other and play and cause all kinds of their own drama...but it is fun drama! I sure love these girlies!
(the small one wears the big one out!)

So it is the new year, and even thought the first few days of mine were rough going, it does not mean my 2012 is without promise! I spent the week between Christmas and New Year like I do every year.... I wrote my vision for the coming year. Back in the early 90's, my Pastor, (Pastor Mike, from my church in McHenry) did a New Years teaching on writing the vision...see Habakkuk 2. Ever since, I have been writing my vision for the coming year. He taught me how to use specific categories....since then, I have designed these around my own life, and have come up with the following.....many of these are the ones he gave us to use in an outline (Gosh, he is a gifted teacher! I sure miss him!)

1) Spiritual and Innerdevelopment, 2)Family/Relationship, 3) Personal Development, 4)Ministry, 5) Physical and Health, 6) Homeschool, 7) Marriage, 8) Homemaking, 9) Material, 10) Reading, 11) Home Improvement, 12) Blogging, and last but never least QUILTING! Quilting get's it's own page!

I have to say that most of the time I meet my goals with a 70% success, though last year was more of a failure....good-bye 2011!!!! Now all those categories may look overwhelming....you can choose ONE and go with that! Just set at least 3 goals for the coming year for yourself! Write the vision....it will be worth it! The other part of that verse says to make it plain on tablets...your tablet can be your computer, your phone, or like me...use an old fashioned piece of lead and some paper!!! I have used a piece of poster board and cut out pictures in the past....making a goal poster is a fun way to write the vision! I keep my goals in the back of my binder so I can see them....the third part of this is "so you can see them and run with them" (my own paraphrase)I put the categories as a heading and then make more detailed goals underneath...just 1-3 goals per heading, though a couple of categories got more this year. For example, under Homemaking Goals, I have listed, Organize each room, Use binder schedule daily, Use my monthly cleaning schedule.....Also, along with using the binder schedule, I am using a daily PODA....
Now, what happens when you get off track for any reason? I had a horrible cold yesterday...I am much better today thanks to Zicam...but I did NOTHING yesterday, which was scheduled to be a big cleaning day! Well I did make my bed and had to run the errands on the list, but other than that I laid around or hand quilted the day and evening away! This morning I read this wonderful post. Today, I am NOT returning to yesterday's list, but continuing on with today's jobs. Yesterday's list will get another chance next Wednesday!

Some other detailed goals under the heading of Physical/Heath are to continue the WW meetings every week, increase my activity (there is also a detailed plan for that...you can not be too vague), and to make 2012 a completely meat-free year. Under Home Improvement, I have listed paint the bedroom, and tear down wallpaper in kitchen...both of these were carried over from last year, and that's ok. It just gives them more of a priority this year! Quilting goals??? those deserve a post of their own, but you know what is number 1 on that list, right?!
Now go write your vision!!!! Make it plain on tablets, so that you can see it and run with it. Here is to a productive 2012!!!

Back To Binder Basics

"Most of all, someone has taken the trouble to make things nice. To fluff up the pillows, fill a vase with flowers, put down freshly laundered throw rugs,or set a pot of potpourri to simmer. These little grace notes of sight and scent do more to make a home feel gracious and expansive than all the expensive furniture in the world."

I read this quote on Copperswife last June, and it has stuck with me! (you can read it here) Sadly, it just stuck in my mind, and I didn't implement it. 2011 has been "The Year of the Sloth" around here, and my home has suffered the most. I have spent the year working very hard at not working! My 2011 goals are left 90% unmet. That is insane....it should be the other way around. Well, this year I am turning it around! My Home Management Binder is pulled back out, reworked a bit to fit my current schedules, and within a short couple of months, my home will back to ship shape!!!

I even made that quote my front page.

I started today, right where the book says to begin....I didn't get my entire house in order BEFORE I started...I just dove right in as if I had been following it all along. I used a daily sheet and crossed off my tasks as they were finished.

A little bit of deep cleaning was added. A couple of kitchen cupboards were cleaned out, but my scheduled focus cleaning will start after the New Year.

It is one of main goals for 2012...to get my house back in order!

Speaking of order, I LOVE that feeling when all the Christmas stuff comes down and things get put back into place. I always change a few things in the process....I am itching for some new placemats for the kitchen table. These look just a tad "Old Lady". I will look for just the perfect ones in the next couple of shopping trips.

The tree came down today and Sassy supervised from her spot on the couch.

Cammy found Zachary's Merry-Go-Round amusing!!! She climbed in and out of it, batting at the sides as it went around! She is fully recovered from her bout with the tummy bug.

She is growing by leaps and bounds and LOVES Kyle. She will curl up with him and purr herself to sleep. She does not do that with most people.The grand kids are here for the week. Such sweeties, and I enjoy every minute with them! It is close to bed time, so I am off to tuck them in. I will be back with more on my 2012 Goals, and I am sure some TJ and Emerson pictures!!

Goodbye 2010

I can't say I am sorry to see the end of 2010. It began rough and ended the same way, with much heartache in between. I am sorry to say that Bud and Rachel will not be staying married. Their divorce should be final in just a couple of weeks, and though it is heartbreaking to see a family end, I can not allow it to cause the suffering it did last year this time. On to a new year....2011. What will it hold? It will hold whatever I allow it to....good or bad. I plan many good things this coming year. I pulled out my journal and began to write my 2011 goals.
I make 1-3 goals in several different areas of my life.....10 to be exact.
I won't share them all with you but I will touch on a couple. This quote, which a friend shared on facebook, is key in my 2011 Spiritual Goals:
"To escape the error of salvation by works we have fallen into the opposite error of salvation without obedience." - A. W. Tozer
I plan to read through the Torah (though I am a total "grace" believer, I have never given any attention to God's law....time I look at it deeply). Also, I am seeking His direction in other areas of obedience in my own personal life...nothing salvation based....more obedient based. In my Personal Development section I plan to work on my problem of "worry". I am a total worry-wart. That HAS to change. I have a plan on how to do this.
I am setting a goal to do "something" with my soap and candles in 2011. Sweetheart invested a great deal of money into my candle business a few years ago, and I was not a good steward of his investment. I have the never changing goal of weight loss and clean eating. My quilting goals are massive, though I am motivated to complete each and every one of them...those will be listed on my sidebar very soon. One of my homemaking goals is to stock my new full sized freezer (my Christmas gift) and pantries. We received a 1/2 a beef, and I am planning to use the money saved to stock up on things when they are on sale. This is something new for me, who was raised to not look at prices and shop several times a week. I also plan to do a big shop twice a month and just grab milk, and perishables on the off weeks. Exciting goals for me....what goals have you set?

Once the sailboat quilt was done, my hoop was empty....GASP! I never did give the table runner for a grab gift. I could not bring myself to machine quilt it. I felt I would just ruin it. It is now in the hoop.I am also working on the next phase of the BIG project. I will be able to talk about it very soon. For now, you will just know this next phase consists of 1,018 pieces of yellow.Our Christmas was nice. I was not in the "mood" at all. It was not a happy time here as it was our first holiday without Rachel. The grandkids came Christmas day and have been here most days ever since. They are staying with their Daddy til Sunday...it was "his week". He had to work Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, so they have spent those nights here. I have sure enjoyed every minute with them! Here is a pic of TJ opening his quilt. He did LOVE it! He kept saying, "It was for me????!!!"Sassy enjoyed her first Christmas....officially her 2nd, but she was only 4 weeks old last Christmas. She loved the boxes!!!And found a quiet place to sleep when the house was full.Christmas Eve, my entire family came for dinner. I treasure those times of family. Here is a picture of my mom, my aunt, my sister, and me.This is what matters....love.

I will end this post, and this year, by sharing a couple of prayer requests. Please pray for my mother's cousin, Elsie. Her daughter died in her sleep last night. She was 47. Elsie is heartbroken and this is her second daughter to pass away in just a couple of years. Also, my Uncle Laddie is in the hospital. Please pray a fast and full recovery for him.

Time for me to go put my sweet Emerson nigh-nigh.
May the new year bring you abundant blessings!!!!

50 Is Nifty

Turning 50 has happened and I am still feeling like I am 49. I plan to go with that!!!!

Yesterday I had lunch out with my mom. She and my Aunt Robin gave me a new camera, which I immediately messed up. Wrong settings cause a grainy look, so these pics show my inability at camera use. I have fixed the problem, but not in time to show these pictures. I also got a gorgeous outfit...a denim skirt and a soft lavender sweater. I am hoping it goes well with my new hair color....strawberry blond. I plan to try that today. It may turn out Bozo orange, but I am brave enough to go for it.
When I came home yesterday, Sweetheart had made me a cake and decorated the house with his 50th birthday banners he had hoarded away on the sly ;) My birthday dinner was wonderful....made by Sweetheart and cleaned up by Charlotte! We watched The Karate Kid (the new one) and enjoyed the evening!
I am truly blessed. I will say, as I posted on my facebook status this morning, that I am thankful, not that I was born, but that I am BORN AGAIN. I have goals for my "50's". I never thought I would be in this place at this age, but here I am. My 40's changed everything. In my 50's my nest will become empty (again) and everything will change as drastically as it did over the last decade. I am challenged in my spirit to make it the best 10 years yet!!!!