What a title, huh?? I feel very cliche writing a post on the last day of the year about what happened over the past 12 months and what I plan on doing with the next 12. I promise this will not be a month-by-month summary of what we did, kids' milestones, etc. (No, that is reserved for the other website I haven't updated in forever. Maybe that should fall under the "what I plan to do better next year" section...)
I sit here now, on the last day of what has been an extremely crazy year. Really good coffee with my favorite creamer next to me. Brandon is at work. All kids are still sleeping and hopefully stay that way for a while because they need it. With the exception of the Today Show at super low volume in the background (as not to wake those precious sleeping angels) it is SO QUIET in my house and it is glorious. So this has given me some time and a clear head to actually sit and reflect.
Over the past year I have watched all three of my children grow so much and become seemingly different people than they were at this time last year. This was my first full year home with them and I have never regretted this decision for a second. I love picking them up from school instead of putting them on a bus to daycare. I love helping with homework and fixing after school snacks. I love taking my little man to story hour at the library every Monday morning. I think this decision has been so wonderful for all of us and I am so grateful that I have this opportunity. I never thought I would want it and I never thought I would take it if it was offered, but man am I glad I did! This is definitely one of those times I am perfectly OK with being proven wrong.
Over the past year I have witnessed the power of prayer like nothing I have ever seen. We have had too many family members and close friends go through struggles of all kinds and every time there was a vast group of prayer warriors that stepped up and carried them through. It is amazing what just one person praying can do, but put a whole group of us together and let it spread? Unbelievable. Miraculous. Not only have I seen the wonderful things that result from prayer, but my faith and my relationship with God have grown as well. And we all know that can bring nothing but good!
We, too, have weathered some storms this year. I am very thankful that (in the grand scheme of things) they have been relatively minor. But struggles nonetheless and they have taken some work to overcome. It hasn't always been easy and it hasn't always been fast, but we have worked hard and continue to work hard. Some battles have been won and the light at the end of the tunnel is very bright for others. Determination will get us there and determination will keep us going toward our ultimate goal.
I feel like my goals for 2013 are the same generic goals everybody has - Be more organized. Simplify life. Exercise more. Be a better mom and wife. Maybe they are generic, but they are still worthwile resolutions and I plan on working hard on each of them. And overall I plan on just enjoying life more. Taking time to step away from the craziness to do things I want, whether it be reading a book or playing legos with my kids or just going to bed early.
I am excited for what these next 12 months have in store. To quote one of my favorite movie lines: "Life moves fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
Monday, December 31, 2012
Friday, December 21, 2012
Christmas Is Cancelled
It is currently 1:26 AM. I stayed awake to get some work done. I have accomplished such a small amount I don't even think it qualifies as work. I know I will regret it when the sun comes up and little people start calling my name, but I just can't get settled tonight and force myself to bed. The fact that I am REALLY behind on work is weighing heavily on my mind, but every time I try to get some done all the other stuff that is weighing REALLY, REALLY heavily on my mind gets in the way.
This week I turned into the The Grinch. I reached a point in the holiday season where I was just DONE. Done with it all - the shopping, the planning, the errands, the organizing... all of it. I feel like the season has lost its spirit and in the midst of the craziness my family has lost sight of what Christmas is really all about. Certainly through no fault of their own, but it has just happened. And I feel we are at a point of no return. We just need to suck it up and grin and bare it through the end of the year and vow to do better next time.
And next time... WE WILL.
Brandon and I always make a point to get the kids involved in buying gifts for those less fortunate than us. We want them to know just how blessed we are and that everybody does not have what we have. We also try to involve prayers and religious activities around the house. Of course the kids are exposed to this everyday at school and church and Sunday School, but we want to extend beyond that so they remember what is most important about this time of year. Of course the commercialism and materialism creep in - my kids have been making and revising Christmas lists for a month. You just can't escape it. But we try very hard not to over-indulge them.
But everybody else... This time next week my kids are going to be swimming in so much STUFF they won't even know what they have. And I will have bought gifts for so many people, quite a few I am certain won't even realize I gave them anything. I found myself looking over my list of people to buy for earlier this week and so extremely frustrated because I just didn't want to do it. I don't want to buy Christmas gifts for people who barely know me. I don't want to drive all over town, to 5 different stores, trying to find the perfect gift for somebody I barely know. If I don't know you well enough to come up with a reasonable idea as to what you might enjoy, doesn't that say something? I am tired of buying just for the sake of buying, on both ends of the equation.
As I re-read that paragraph I realize it sounds a bit selfish and that is not my intent. Well, maybe it is a little... Is it selfish to want to spend my pre-Christmas evenings curled up on the couch with my children watching the Christmas shows we DVR'd? (No time - too busy shopping.) Is it selfish to want to finish getting my Christmas decorations and Christmas dishes out? (No room - too much stuff everywhere.) Is it selfish to want to do away with just about everything at this point and attempt to simplify this holiday?
Right now I will have to muster through and live for the hours on Christmas morning when the five of us are sitting in the middle of the living room floor in our PJs. And I will live for that next year as well, along with the hours I will spend cuddled up with my little ones every evening before. I vow not to waste precious time standing in line, driving around in bad weather, or stressing over doing things that I really don't want to do and things that don't need to be done. And I have a feeling it will be the most beautiful, glorious Christmas this home has ever witnessed.
This week I turned into the The Grinch. I reached a point in the holiday season where I was just DONE. Done with it all - the shopping, the planning, the errands, the organizing... all of it. I feel like the season has lost its spirit and in the midst of the craziness my family has lost sight of what Christmas is really all about. Certainly through no fault of their own, but it has just happened. And I feel we are at a point of no return. We just need to suck it up and grin and bare it through the end of the year and vow to do better next time.
And next time... WE WILL.
Brandon and I always make a point to get the kids involved in buying gifts for those less fortunate than us. We want them to know just how blessed we are and that everybody does not have what we have. We also try to involve prayers and religious activities around the house. Of course the kids are exposed to this everyday at school and church and Sunday School, but we want to extend beyond that so they remember what is most important about this time of year. Of course the commercialism and materialism creep in - my kids have been making and revising Christmas lists for a month. You just can't escape it. But we try very hard not to over-indulge them.
But everybody else... This time next week my kids are going to be swimming in so much STUFF they won't even know what they have. And I will have bought gifts for so many people, quite a few I am certain won't even realize I gave them anything. I found myself looking over my list of people to buy for earlier this week and so extremely frustrated because I just didn't want to do it. I don't want to buy Christmas gifts for people who barely know me. I don't want to drive all over town, to 5 different stores, trying to find the perfect gift for somebody I barely know. If I don't know you well enough to come up with a reasonable idea as to what you might enjoy, doesn't that say something? I am tired of buying just for the sake of buying, on both ends of the equation.
As I re-read that paragraph I realize it sounds a bit selfish and that is not my intent. Well, maybe it is a little... Is it selfish to want to spend my pre-Christmas evenings curled up on the couch with my children watching the Christmas shows we DVR'd? (No time - too busy shopping.) Is it selfish to want to finish getting my Christmas decorations and Christmas dishes out? (No room - too much stuff everywhere.) Is it selfish to want to do away with just about everything at this point and attempt to simplify this holiday?
Right now I will have to muster through and live for the hours on Christmas morning when the five of us are sitting in the middle of the living room floor in our PJs. And I will live for that next year as well, along with the hours I will spend cuddled up with my little ones every evening before. I vow not to waste precious time standing in line, driving around in bad weather, or stressing over doing things that I really don't want to do and things that don't need to be done. And I have a feeling it will be the most beautiful, glorious Christmas this home has ever witnessed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)