2011

The next week is going to be insanely busy -- so I'm making my New Year Resolution post now --- while I have a minute to breathe. :)

2010 has been good to us. We spent the year surrounded by amazing people & stumbling into remarkable circumstances. Before I tell you all about the goals I have for 2011 it seems appropriate to make note of all the things I am thankful for in 2010.

Before I begin, I'd like to note: The "thankful list" is something I saw posted on a friend's Facebook page. Annie Campbell is both thorough and elequent in her list & I have stolen it (with permission from her!) to share with all of you. Many of the items on the list I left exactly as I found them .... they were perfect just as they were! & I modified some of it to fit my life & I encourage each of you to do the same!

1. My my savior, Jesus Christ. And for the faith I feel in my heart every single day.

2. I feel so fortunate to be in love with my best friend. I couldn't ask for a better partner than the one I have in Josh.  He is the one person I can trust wholeheartedly ... in any situation ... without any doubt. I know he loves me unconditionally & makes every decision with the best interest of our little family at heart. We've come a long way over the last 5 years & somehow I still wake up every morning to find myself more in love with him than I was the day before. That's an amazing feeling.

3. I am grateful to have had another year our sweet boy, Isaac.  He's a tender hearted little boy with a nack for finding mischief. It's a totally endearing combination. His smile melts my heart & his laugh is music to my ears. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to raise him as my son.

4.  For my freedom, and along with that, for our military.

5. For love! God's greatest command, I am thankful for being loved and for sharing that with others! There is always more love to share. Love multiplies!

6. For my health, as well as my husband's and my child(ren)'s.

7. For family. Be that extended family, or friends who have become family, I am so very thankful!

8. For this beautiful vast earth, complete with air to breath, water to drink, & food for our nourishment. This is one that goes unnoticed when we take for granted the basic human needs. Sometimes don't we focus so much on what we WANT that we forget the fact that He provides everything we NEED?!?

9. For a roof over our head and a warm home.

10. For a mind capable of thinking, for a body capable of doing. Let us never take for granted the ability to reason and the ability to walk, run, jump...some will not ever experience these things & I do not take them for granted!

11. For the struggles I've endured. Yep, unfortunately, they've made me...Me. And I wouldn't know what I HAVE unless I was aware of what I DON'T have.

12. For our animals. Frankie, Jezzabelle, the late Leo Dog, and our new friend, Oliver. They make every day so much sweeter just by being our furry little children.

13. And lastly...but not ABSOLUTELY NOT LEAST, for awareness. Life is short, this we all know. Someday I'll have all the opportunity in the world to sleep, to do "my own thing", to come and go as I please, and I'll be heart broken because my babies are grown! I cherish every single moment, every single request to "Rock-a-bye me, momma!" , every single slurpy kiss, every wink, every moment with a sleeping child in my arms. God is so good! Never will I waste a minute waiting for these babies to grow up so that I can "matter" and so that I can do "something important" or to be significant to others. I've got a purpose, found my passion, and ultimately, love the life He has given me!
(Annie, thank you for being such a positive force & outright inspiration to all of us who are lucky enough to know you. <3  )

Moving forward to 2011 ...

It's hard to imagine being blessed any more than we are already. However, if our baby girl is a foreshadowing of  what the year has in store, then I know that 2011 will bring great things for the residents of 130 Lower Luther Road. As the future unfolds for us, here are some things I have made a priority for myself in the upcoming year:

1. Make peace with the people who are missing from our lives.  Whether they are missing because of a falling out or simply missing because life has gotten busy for one (or both!) of us. There are a handful of faces who I dearly miss from our regular cast of characters in this sit-com called My Life. One person at a time, I'm going to bring them back into our world.

2. Project 52: Write one snail mail letter every week. Text messages, email, IM, Facebook, Twitter, FourSquare, blogs, message boards. They are the way of the world today & I love what technology has to offer. However, there is something beautiful about the way you feel when you get a hand written letter in the mail. I want to give that feeling away 52 times this year.

3. Build my children a corn box.  Not a sand box. A corn box. I saw one at The Corn Maize this year & fell in love with it. So did Isaac. We played in it for an hour. I'd give anything for another hour like that one. So build it, I will! :)

4. Learn to sew.  Blankies and baby clothes and sundresses. I want to make them all!

5. Grow a vegetable garden. I always start one ... and lose interest by the 4th of July. This year I WILL HARVEST A CROP!

6. Read at least one "for fun" book each month. Because, why not?

7. I will find 100 things that make me silly with joy. (Like playing with my kids in a corn box!)

8.  I will learn 365 things about other people.  Getting to know people is one of the greatest things about life. Whether its continuing to get to know my family or meeting new people ... every night when I go to bed I want to have at least one new piece of getting-to-know-you type information about someone in my world.

Maybe I'll come up with more. Maybe I won't. Either way, I'm totally excited for 2011 to get here.

Happy Wednesday, ya'll.

xo -nic