A New Decade

Crazy. With the turn of the year, it has been almost a decade--A DECADE!!!--since I graduated from college. I just can't believe it. So, to usher in the new decade, I have some new goals for my year. Resolutions, maybe. Hopes, dreams, desires, yes.

1. Take more pictures. Of us, of the kids. Oh, and also print off some of those pictures and not just let them sit in digital purgatory.

2. Go on more dates with Eli, or at least set aside a "date night" that will be screen-free (i.e., no phones, no computers, no televisions).

3. Stick to the budget; pay off our credit cards; pay down our other debt. We're down to credit cards, Eli's student loans, and our mortgage. I sure would like to end this year with only student loans and the mortgage.

4. Get a household management routine in place, even if it's not perfect. This would include housework, yard work, laundry, cooking, etc. This will start/continue with FLY Lady (http://www.flylady.net/).

5. Minimize. Get rid of my piles, my junk, and anything that I don't just LOVE. I think I'm going to try to use the 52 missions from GetOrganizedWizard.com.

6. Pray for my family, by name, daily. (Attributed originally to AAH's resolutions--what a great challenge.) Pray more, pray often, pray with my husband and children at times other than meals. Use my Power of a Praying Parent prayer calendar.

7. Run. Or do SOMETHING for exercise. I miss running, but it requires kid-free time and motivation. I don't have much of either.

8. Read more, craft more, bake more, have more intellectual/creative pursuits in general. I need the outlet.

9. Get my junk together at work. I love my job. I need to make sure I keep it.

10. Spend more time with friends. Friends are important. It's too easy to get caught up in the tedium of being a working wife/mother. I could (and do) fill my days doing things for others, but I need a place where I can just be me, however boring I'm turning out to be, haha, and can relax and shoot the proverbial breeze with the girls (or have some of those creative pursuits mentioned in #8).

So that's the plan for the year. We'll see how it goes!

Next time, I'll tell you about our holiday travel adventures. Mwahahahaha.

Cheers.