Happy New Year!...recap and resolutions

the fam on Christmas Eve

It's 2012! I am the kind of person that on Jan. 1 I like to start fresh. Yes, start eating less junk and jump into a consistent new routine. Setting new goals and trying new things. I am a little behind this year since we have been celebrating Christmas a bit later with family. We really enjoyed the Christmas season this year. We had fun decorating our new home and putting up Christmas lights and starting new traditions. Will is at such a fun age for many crafts and activities. He now understands the Christmas story and enjoys learning about Jesus. We celebrated with family, went to a couple of Christmas Eve services and ate lots of food. :)

On Christmas morning

I got BIG Buzz!! (...and lots of other stuff) :)

Karlie just liked all the lights.

2011 has been a great year! We have lived in Des Moines now for just over a year and have really enjoyed being in familiar territory. It feels like home! Thad graduated in February and started his practice in Clive. We went to Custer State Park in South Dakota for a little summer trip with Thad's family. The most awesomest part of 2011 was the birth of our beautiful daughter Karlie. We were so blessed to have a natural birth in the comfort of our own home. It was awesome! Will turned 3 and we have been learning how to raise two kiddos instead of one. It's been a good and challenging year! :) What I have learned most this year is to check my perspective on a regular basis. While home with the kids I need to remember to ask myself; Do I see my children as the gifts they are? Do I see myself as the instrument that I was created to be? Do I see God as He is?...in control, powerful, loving. There definitely is much peace in that.

Like I said before, I am a goal setter. I am a list maker. I am a planner and always have to be doing. Last year I decided to make small monthly goals throughout the year instead of one big resolution for 2011 and I really enjoyed it. It was much more doable as well. Besides cutting out white sugar from my diet again starting next week, there are a few general ongoing goals I would like to be intentional about this year. I want to make sure my home is a place where creativity can flow. A place of peace, contentment and love. To daily be thankful and gentle. I know that each of these things start with in my own heart so they can then be shared with the rest of the family. That is my prayer for 2012. For a year of peace, contentment, gentleness, thankfulness, and His love. I am hoping to learn how to be this person. :)

What are your New Year's Resolutions?

P.S. Thad and I also may be having some sort of "get your abs in shape" contest, but we have not yet worked out the details. hehe :)

February Resolution: Get Sketching Again!

photo from the sketchbook project(I think would be fun to join next year!)

Well I did pretty good with my no sugar January resolution....fortunately with being pregnant I have wanted more salty foods so far and not so much sweet which has been so nice!! With an exception of a couple chocolates and some things I am sure was made with white sugar I actually made it through the month! The point was to get out of the mode of feeling like I needed something sweet everyday. I think it was successful! Unless it is my pregnant body just not wanting sugar, I think it helped break the bad habits and cravings. :)...and on the subject of diet I decided that I need to start being more aware of getting enough protein everyday and getting back on track with eating more greens and veggies now that I feel like I handle them. :) But that is a boring Feb. resolution, so I decided to challenge myself to doing a drawing everyday this month. I miss how much I used to use my sketchbook and maybe it would get my creative mind going again. :) oh the days in college when I used to live in that sketchbook. I put everything in there! After taking naps everyday and having no other free time lately I think this is a good way to jump start my second trimester which is quickly approaching in another week. Wahoo!...and so February begins. (one month closer to March, which is when the sunshine comes out more!!!)

Goals

photo by lululemon

Happy New Year!...yes, I am still alive. :) I know. I know. Time has seemed to slip away from me and some of you have emailed me wondering where I am. ha! sorry, life has seemed some what busy, interesting, upbeat, and much much more. We had a fabulous Christmas with our families and a super fun low key new years with a couple of our very bestest friends. It is hard to believe that a whole year has gone by already. It is kind of fun to peak over my post from New Years last year to see what goals I wanted to accomplish. I didn't really set any standards or specific goals, but just a few ideas that I wanted to be better about doing. I did so great in 2009! I set specific goals and checked in with myself through out the year to see how I was doing, but this year I kind of failed. Well not horribly...I did finally figure out a cloth diapering system, I have been lifting weights again, and I really took interest in adding more raw foods to my diet. In fact that was one of the things I was most interested in this year. Not only raw foods, but learning, researching, and spending time in food preparation. It feels so good on my body to eat well-simply stated. :) Although there are a few things I failed horribly on, cutting my cravings for sugar (that kind of came and went), and not eating after 8pm...that maybe happen like twice. oops.

A couple of things I did learn this past year was:

1-I heard a pastor say that what you think about all day is what you will become. I think about this quote quite often now; what am I filling my mind with? what is really important?

2- Parenting is like chasing a moving target. Each child is different and always changing, but that keeping a calm is key.

3-To set a routine and relax my standards. Who really cares if my house is perfect? I do have a 2 year old. :)

4-That I LOVE fresh onions and garlic sauteed with veggies and shoyu topped with sesame and pumpkin seeds. :)

5-That exercise every day is totally needed for thinking, energy, and health. How could I do without it?

6-To never bring Will anywhere if I am not carrying any snacks.

That's all I can think of for now. I am sure there is a whole lot more that will come up as I am reflecting, but now it's time to look forward. What should my goals be for 2011? There are a few main things I want to keep in mind daily that maybe I will write down so I can see everyday; to always be thankful, gentle, and content. Also to do a better job at organizing my life around knowing and loving God. But I was thinking that since I did such a bad job in 2010, that maybe I should set some small more specific short term goals that I am more active at remembering on a daily basis. I thought maybe about setting a new goal for each month and sticking to it. So for the month of January I cut out all white sugar. This is a simple goal for 31 days that I know is doable and will help me get out of holiday treat mode. :) What are your goals for 2011?

Happy New Year!...oh and click here for a few pics of our Christmas.

I am a Disciple of Jesus {Pep talk}

image by Mel B.

Below is a quoted letter that was written in the office of a young pastor in Zimbabwe, Africa following his martyrdom for his faith in Jesus. If this is not an encouraging pep talk for starting off the year rght, then I don't know what would be...

"I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have the holy spirit power. The die has cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made-I'm a disciple of his. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals. I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean in his presence, walk by patience, am uplifted by prayer and I labor with power. My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions are few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the enemy, pander at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till he comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till he stops me. And, when he comes for his own, he will have no problem recognizing me...my banner will be clear."

Happy New Year!...2009 recap.

Will and I on Christmas Day. :)

Happy New Year! I just realized we are almost a week into 2010 and I haven't posted my 2009 recap or 2010 goals! I am still unpacking and reorganizing around here...getting everything back to normal after traveling for many days. I never even opened the computer while we were gone! I needed a break from anything that would inspire me to make something. :) hehe, I feel so blessed to be part of such an inspiring community online, but I get so excited about everything I see that I want to do it all!...and we know that is not possible. humm...maybe that could be a new years resolution...to sort out my priorities and stick to doing a few things well, rather then trying to do it all resulting in not well...that's not a bad idea. :)

Tonight I peaked at my Goals for 2009 post from last year checking over to see if I stuck to my goals completely...

1- get a bible reading plan started: yep! well, it was not much of a plan...I started out reading the One-Year Bible and got to about the middle of march and was ready to start something else I guess. I found an old testament youth bible at a garage sale with wonderful illustrations and started reading a bit each day. I am almost done with it! I love it!...I think it is the illustrations that draws me in, and I learned about so many stories that I never knew about. I also did an awesome study on Matthew and other various small studies.

2-get my studio put together and get working: yep! I definitely got this one going! I am so pleased with all the wonderful feedback I have been getting from people about my store. It really started to take off around the holidays. I have really enjoyed doing so many new projects! My store is now open again. I will soon be in the process of changing the look of it a little, so be sure to check back in the next month or so.

3-make an indoor herb garden: Yep!...only basil and chives though. Maybe I will attempt more in 2010.

4-get in shape: humm...this I was not so productive with. At least not by my standards. I have been back down to my pre-pregnancy body weight for a while now and have been good about getting normal daily exercise, but I did not started actually lifting weights again to tone up until the last month or two.

5-simplify!: Yep!..it is an ongoing process around here. I am again in the process of going back through our corners and closets. :)

6-learn how to cook authentic Italian meals:...kinda. I cooked a few new Italian recipes farfalle con pesto di arugula being my favorite, but I cut out dairy from my diet early in the year and many Italian meals that I wanted to make included mozzarella.

7-start a scrapbook for Will: Have not even started it! haha. It is always one of those things in the back of my mind. I did start designing a blurb book of his first year that I have yet to finish. :)

8-Make it a handmade year!: This was a big one for me and I am so glad that I followed through with it. It sure was a challenge, but each gift that I gave in 2009 I put a lot of thought into. Most of the gifts I made myself, some of the gifts I bought off Etsy, and a couple last minute gifts I bought gift cards tucked inside a handmade card. But for the most part I never had to walk into a mall or target for a gift. This really forced me to try new things. I learned new crafts and techniques, how to have patience when not getting things done just right the first time, and I also became more comfortable using my new serger.

While looking back over this past year I realized that I have learned so much! But the biggest thing I can take away from 2009 is that I learned how important it is to just...be. Will has made me realize that life is not about getting things done, but about being together. Being still and observant to what God has planned for me on any given day. I am so much happier and content with my day when I just sit and play with Will, or relax and have a conversation with Thad. Seems kind of funny, but I actually feel like I am more productive this way rather then making my day about lists. Laundry can always wait. :) I would always set my goals too high for the day and could never get everything accomplished what I had planned, leaving me discontent and irritated by the time my husband gets home. I can say that this past year has made me really realize this, but I have not been very good about actually doing this. So, naturally it seemed appropriate to make this my new years resolution. To just...be! Be still. Be observant. Be open.

Now there are plenty of other little goals I would like to accomplish this year: curing my cravings, cutting out white sugar, not eating after 8:00 p.m., getting my muscles strong again, incorporating lots more raw meals into my week, always simplifying, start cloth diapering, be more intentional about community, not just read my bible but really study it more often...and there are probably lots more. If you visit my blog often you will probably be hearing all about these and more.

What is the one thing you have learned or took away from 2009?

Green Smoothie Update

I am loving this challenge! If anything it has really encouraged me to at least get more greens into my diet, and I have been feeling great! I wanted to share a few of my favorites concoctions that I have created lately...

1- Mixed Berry and Spinach: I add a couple big scoops of frozen mixed berries(raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, cherries), one large handful of baby spinach, and a enough water to blend. Viola! So simple, yummy, and makes a really pretty dark dark red color.

2-Green Lemonade: . Last year I starting using this recipe originally found on Rawkin' ,but also found at Happy Foody. I loved it! I change it up a bit, but this is my very favorite and I have been drinking it most days for the challenge. I might be cheating a bit because it is not a smoothie, I am juicing instead, but same concept. :) In my Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer I add 2 apples, 1 lemon, and a head of green leaf lettuce. YUM! It is really tart and refreshing. The apples sweeten it up a bit. Click here for originally recipe.

3-Pineapple Kale: I found this recipe on the Mothering website. Kale is one of the most nutritious vegetables you can eat, and unlike spinach it doesn't contain oxalic acid which prevents the body from absorbing calcium...especially good for nursing mamas. So it is a good change up. Here is the recipe...1/2 c. pineapple juice, 1/2 c. milk(I use rice milk), 1 chopped frozen banana, 2 medium-sized kale leaves. Blend it up!

Green Smoothie Challenge

I decided to join in on the Green Smoothie fun this year with Happy Foody. I was so excited this morning to get out my magic bullet and start blending! :) Starting today, august 17th thru september 17, is the Green Smoothie Challenge. One whole month of disciplining myself to make a nutritious smoothie each morning along with some other commitments. Ever since I cut out dairy from my diet I have been feeling sluggish trying to get enough calories and nutrients, and I definitely do not get enough greens in a day. So this was a perfect solution! The requirements are listed below to join in on the challenge. I actually added a few requirements of my own to jump start my day. Each morning I have my green smoothie along with a hard boiled egg and a carob- spirulina chunk for some energy. This morning I definitely felt a difference in my energy. So here are the requirements for the Green Smoothie Challenge...

• Drink at least 16 oz. of green smoothie per day (a quart would be even better!)
• Do some sort of activity every day. This could be an intense workout, or just dancing with your kids around the living room. It could be a 15 minute yoga session or a walk around the block.
• Add a green leafy salad to your lunch or supper (with light dressing…stay away from the creamier sauces).
• Stop drinking pop.
• Cut out all white sugar.

It's not too late to start. If it seems like too much of a commitment you could just do the smoothie...maybe not at breakfast, it might be easier in the evening. I will be changing up my smoothie recipe from day to day for some variety, and will share a few of my favorites along the way. Here is what I put in my smoothie today.

Power House Green Smoothie

• 1/2 a frozen banana
• 1/2 a pear
• 1/2 an orange
• 1 handful of baby spinach
• 1 tbsp. chia gel
• 1 tbsp. protein powder
• 1 tbsp. whole oats
• water

There are so many ways to make your smoothie delish...check out Happy Foody for more information and encouragement. Let the fun begin!

Farfalle con Pesto di Arugula

aka...farfalle with arugula pesto and tomatoes... :)

Today being the first thursday of the month is the recipe box swap over at Randi's blog, and the theme happened to be pasta...so being that one of my goals for the year, as seen on a previous post, was to learn to cook more authentic italian meals... I decided to cook this delicious meal. I got the recipe from a Williams-Sonoma Italian cookbook and it is super yummy, super easy and super fresh! In fact the only thing that is actually cooked is the noodles.

6 oz. arugula, tough stems removed

1/4 cup italian parsley leaves

1/4 cup walnuts

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup grated romano cheese, plus shaved cheese for garnish

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 lb. farfalle (bow tie pasta noodles)

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

In a food processor or blender combine arugula, parsley, walnuts, and garlic. Blend until finely chopped. Add the cheese, salt, and pepper. With the machine running gradually add the olive oil in a steady stream until smooth.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the farfalle and salt to taste and cook stirring frequently. Drain the pasta and place in large serving pasta bowl with the pesto. Toss well, and then add in halved cherry tomatoes and toss again. Garnish with grated cheese and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Gratitude Week- Day 5 " My Gratitude Journal"

One way to remember to give thanks everyday or to just focus on having a more positive outlook on life is to start writing in a gratitude journal. Set aside time everyday or once at the end of the week, whichever you prefer, and list 3-5 things you were thankful for that day. It could maybe be someone that did something nice for you, a simple object that made you happy, the weather, great decisions you have made, list of highlights, or maybe even the ways that God revealed himself to you that day. Pick a time of day when you can be consistant...before you go to bed is a great time so you can fall alseep thinking about the positive parts of your day. Those are all ideas, but this is something that obviously can be done any way. So get creative! Studies show that keeping a gratitude journal raises peoples satisfaction with life, improves health, increases energy, and promotes good sleep.

It seems like forgetfulness and lack of awareness are the reasons we are not grateful, so maybe recording what we are thankful for down on paper will help us to become more aware and to remember these simple important parts of our day. By writing in a journal we also have the option to look back on it weeks, months, or even years later and remember those things...or when you are having a bad day you can just open your journal and hopefuly it will help change your attitude. 

I decided to make my own journal so that it is a little bit more personal. You could just pick up any type of notebook at the store or if you are more of a computer person you could record your thoughts by, well you know creating a blog. :) Here is a picture of my journal I made with scraps of felt, drawing paper, string, and a scrap of one of my favorite fabrics.

You can find a tutorial on how to sew the binding of the book here. It is super simple; only taking about 10 minutes. It would even be a fun project for a child to do.

Here and here are also fun ideas to help get you started.

Happy Journaling!

Gratitude Week-Day 4 "Challenges"

"Life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to it."-Chuck Swindoll

How do we keep our minds tuned toward all that is good and beautiful and bright? There is so much we are missing out on...Here is a list of ideas/challenges that I have come up with, please feel free to comment on any other creative ideas you can think of.

1-Make decisions about how much TV you watch, what magazines you read, or the music you are listening to. Click here for a great TV turn off challenge. This post is old, she may be having a 3rd annual soon, but you could make up your own challenge too.

2-Put away negative thoughts. It is hard to stop certain thoughts from coming in our minds, but we do not have to dwell on them.

3- Memorize positive scripture; try the James Challenge over at Sara's blog.

4- Get yourself around positive people; quit participating in negative talk, gossip, etc.

5-Look at uplifting pictures...here is a great place to start...or here is a great photoblog.

6-Make a gratitude journal- stay tuned for tomorrow...:)

7-Put up post-it notes in places you will look often (bathroom mirrior, door to walk outside, etc.) filled with positive quotes/verses.

8-Use an alarm, maybe on your phone, or a computer memo to remind you to be grateful at that time each day.

9-You could try the 7 Days of Gratitude Challenge over at LifeCoachesBlog.com.

10-Write letters to friends or family to show them how much you appreciate them. Check out this gratitude wrap made by Amanda Blake Soule to store your stationary.

11-Think of 5 ways you are thankful for your spouse or friend before seeing them or having a conversation with them.

Being grateful in even the hard parts of life shows who is in control of my life. (God)

Gratitude Week-Day 2 " Don't Compare Yourself"

It is strange that as humans a lot of times we tend to compare others strengths with our weaknesses. How is that even fair? It is an incredible waste of energy! Then it is even worse...we seem to resent that person for how good they are at that one thing we are not good at. I personally have learned that if i try (and it can be hard when our minds are stubborn) to catch myself before I compare so I can think about all the things I am blessed with. Like...what are my strengths?...What unique spiritual gifts has God given me to shine with? ...and sometimes we have to be okay with not being perfect. (another struggle of mine) But for today's gratitude I want to focus on loving, respecting and honoring ourselves.

"If you keep focusing on everyone else’s journey, you’re going to stop paying quality attention to your own. What I mean by quality attention is attention free from jealousy, worry, envy, strife, etc., - just a calm, objective look at your own journey that can provide answers to help move you forward or to even determine what that journey should be in the first place."- Brian Kim

I love this quote! Don't think hierarchy; think journey.There have been way to many times in my life where I was so focused on what others thought about me and how "they" did things... that I forgot who I was, or how I wanted to live. We have to learn to think independantly and what is best for ourselves reguardless of what the rest of the world says. What is your motivation? Be grateful for who YOU are and what YOU bring to the table. 

Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. 

Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.

Galations 6:4 (the Messege)

Today I challenge you to make a list of all your spiritual gifts. All the qualities that God has given you specifically to help strengthen community. What special qualities do YOU have that others don't?...be thankful for who you are and live it out! Stop comparing and start living how you were designed to live. :)...make sure you click on the link below for lots more monday encouragement from this mama.

Making your Home Sing!

Positive Homemaking

There was an article in Family Circle Magazine that Nancie Carmody wrote about being positive and thankful. She wrote about how she was thankful that the alarm clock went off "because it means I'm alive!" and when her clothes fit snugly "because it means i have enough to eat" and when there was cooking, cleaning, and fixing "because it means I have a home" and when she was exhausted at the end of the day "...because it means I have been productive."

After reading this I realized that I have more blessings than I think, but sometimes I have tochose to be grateful in life's challenges. I am going to try to keep this in mind this week and see how much more exciting life can get! I am going to practice gratitude, learn to be content, laugh a lot, put away my negative thoughts, and adjust my focus on what the apostle Paul says...

"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things."

Each day next week I will be posting something about gratitude and a positive attitude. I feel if I continue this for a few days it will more likely become a bigger part of my life. So those that want to join me should visit me back here next week. I would love to hear what you are thankful for, what has been a blessing in your life, and how you have learned to be content.

For starters here is a list of 12 things I love about homemaking and being a mommy...

1. I can lay down and snuggle and giggle with Will anytime I want.

2. Yummy smells in the kitchen.

3. I get to keep learning how to make my home a special place...slowly decorating each room to     make them come alive.

4. Watering and watching my plants grow.

5. I get to wear my sweats as long as I want.

6. The humm of my sewing machine and that I get to make things with beautiful fabrics.

7. The warmth of the clothes when they get out of the dryer.

8. The smell of a freshly bathed baby.

9. The excitement of trying a new recipe and chopping colorful veggies.

10. Capturing everything during the day with my camera.

11. I can take full advantages of the seasons-getting outside during the day or enjoying a view         from the window.

12.I like serving for the Lord, and He called me to do this.

Have a lovely weekend, hope to hear from you next week.

to create, my passion

A few weeks ago I was reading my friend Maria's blog. She wrote a post about her passions and her goals in life. Then she ended with the question...

What are you passionate about? How can you start teaching those around you? What are you waiting for?

hummm...that made me think about my life and what I am doing with the gifts I have been given. After thinking long and hard about it I realized that there is something beautiful about awakening peoples creativity...and specifically kids. I think that is my passion! Everyone is creative, I just feel that sometimes it takes someone else to find that spark and lead them in the right direction.

Why create?...I believe that we are made in the image of God;the creator...so i create because it is a part of my nature to do so. 

I will first start with my family...as a mama I want to make it a priority as my children grow to help them find who they are in Christ, how they can contribute creatively to our world and also to introduce nature to them at a young age so they can see, feel, hear, taste, and appreciate what God has created. 

What I would like to do eventually (when Will is maybe at least a year old or so), is to teach private art lessons to kids of all ages. I went to the University of Northern Iowa and started studying art education until I realized that I did not want to teach in a classroom for various political reasons...so I switched to studio art with an emphasis in painting. I loved it, and I am super happy that I made that decision, but I still have that urge to teach, or to bring out the creativity in children. That is why I think private art lessons would be perfect. I have a ton of lessons that I kept from my classes in college and I am constantly collecting and creating new lessons and ideas for exploring. I do not have a detailed plan of how I can go about starting this for it is the very beginning process, but I will be posting my thoughts more often as it comes together.

Here are a few fabulous links to sites and projects I have been getting lots of ideas from. Most of them are for art exploring, but also some other activities for kids that some of you homeschooling moms might enjoy. 

-a super cute mobile for 

hanging treasured objects or outdoor finds.

and

-fun artistic trading cards from Wise Craft

-imaginechildhood

-great ideas to jump start imaginative play, and also offers stories and products to encourage exploration.

playful learning

-offers creative tutorials and lessons in reading, writing, math, social studies, science, well being, art, theatre, and even fun activities to get in touch with the seasons.

blissful kids

 -more fun projects for the elementary age child.

let's explore 

and kinderart 

are two more great sites for specifically digging into the creative side of fine arts.

A New Year!

Hello! It has been awhile...things got busy around the holidays, we traveled and now I am feeling like we are finally getting settled back to normal around here. Will had a wonderful first Christmas visiting all three families back in Des Moines, and also meeting his great grandparents in Kansas City. He is such a lucky guy, some people don't ever have grandparents, but this little guy not only has 3 sets of grandparents, but also has 3 sets of great grandparents and 2 sets of step-great-grandparents! Crazy! Fun, random fact of the day. :) As the new year has begun I have started to think about all the things I would like to accomplish, or get started on this year. Here is a short list so far...

1- Get a bible reading plan started. After having Will I never got back on track with this. As of the new year I started reading the One Year Bible. I have always wanted to do that, and I thought it would give me some direction for now. Any other ideas? I like doing shorter studies as well.

2-Get my studio finally put together and get working!!! I have so many creative ideas flowing in my head. I would like to start making and selling again. Since I have more time at home now, and now that Will is kinda starting to get on a schedule, it is my hope that this really takes off.

3-This spring I would like to attempt an indoor herb garden again. Last year I kind of failed at this, while moving and traveling so much. There was a lack of watering :)

4-Like many people this time of year...I want to get in shape! After being pregnant, it would definately make me feel good to tone up again.

5-Finish simplifying....that is kind of funny to say, because I feel like this is a never ending process, but i do want to make a point to get rid of whatever I do not use/wear so that someone who would use/wear it can.

6-Learn how to cook authentic italian meals. ( I have started with a few of my families recipes)

7-Start a scrapbook for Will's first year.

8-Try to make and give as many gifts handmade. This is a big challenge, but it is more meaningful and can sometimes save a little money. (It is also an excuse to not be at the mall as much)

Happy New Year everyone!!! What are your new years goals/challenges?...and for a little update, here are a few pictures from Christmas and New Years watching Iowa dominate in the Outback Bowl. :)

      My camera was really cold so the picture did not turn out very well, 

but the only one with the three of us on Will's first Christmas.

Christmas Flannels

Go Hawks!!