Fresh Start!

Happy New Year Everyone!

I get super pumped this time of year because I love fresh starts!

As a bonafide scatterbrained disorganized last-minute throw it together type of person in need of a more consistant quiet time and fewer pounds on the scale and less clutter in my house, I can't wait to try to do it all better in 2011!

Yes, if you read my blog from last year at this time you will probably find the same types of goals (except I gave myself a later starting date so I could have a baby!). But here I am again, starting over.

"Why Bother?" you may ask yourself. Perhaps you are one of the many people who go ahead and quit before they begin. You may think of some things that would be good to improve on but you know how these things go, you... like myself ... have had 30 or so years to learn that you are a mess and unlike me, you have decided to just accept it.

With each passing year instead of becoming more jaded, I become more hopeful for the future! When I look at my past I see failures, but I also see improvements. (very gradual ones in some cases) but still, any tiny step in the right direction is better than none.

So lets 'Press On' people!

This year my goals pretty much cover everything:

Daily and Weekly must haves:

Consistant Quiet Times

Consistant Family Devotions

Consistant Excercising

Maintain a Healthier Diet

Consistantly keeping a cleaning schedule

Making a point to encourage others

Some one-time goals:

Finish painting Micah's room

Potty Train Allie

Completely declutter and organize entire house (more on this later)

Teach Micah to read

Others to be named later...

Do you have a list? Do you have an action plan to make it happen? My main problem is daily stuff. Basically, the second I decide to do something every day, I avoid it like the plague. Am I the only one like that? The Rebel in me comes out in full force and starts tearing up those schedule sheets about a week into the year. I need to come up with a plan to psych her out and get those dailies done.

More on this later.

PS With my fresh start you may have noticed I have a fresh Blog title, Hopefully some more meaningful and heartfelt blog posts will come along soon to go with it.

Remember the Answered Prayers

Today I realized that God had answered my prayers in a specific area.

Sometimes we get so busy with day to say that we don't stop to remember. What was on my heart a year ago?

A year ago I was 8 months pregnant and the news was full of stories of the Swine Flu. I ws worried about it. Someone even emailed me an article that said that the fatality rate for pregnant women hospitalized with swine flu was 1 in 4. The news article went on to say that doctors were recommending pregnant women be vaccinated. The vaccine was only a few weeks old and untested. I was more afraid of what it might do to my unborn baby than getting the flu. But both were worrisome.

I prayed, I stayed home alot and I carried antibacterial soap to slather on grocery store buggies.

We made it till Noah was born, and then he ended up getting a rough start due to a mistake the hospital made. After a week in the NICU he was released with dire warnings. 'Flu season is about to begin', they said. Just beginning in January? Yikes.

So we prayed. (and stayed home a little longer)

It's been a year now. Noah will be eleven months old tommorrow! And our home has been a healthy one all this time. Sure we have had a few issues... an ear infection here and there, a case of the sniffles and some impetigo... but overall, until about a week ago we have had none of the stuff I had worried about.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to praise God for that answered prayer. Sure, we have spent this week with coughing and sneezing and sniffling... There's been fever and crying...I have been stayed up late with one child and gotten up early with another for several days now. But I won't complain. Our family has been truly blessed this year and with God's blessing maybe it will be another healthy year before our turn comes around again.

Hope you and yours are well!

Misty