So this morning our pastor Todd inspired me to think through the next year and who I want to be/what I want it to look like. I get nervous to challenge myself because it's so easy for me to quit things when I get stressed/busy/tired/bored... But--I thought this might be a good way for me to share some thoughts and have my friends and family that read this encourage me to stick with it. Todd challenge me this morning with the question, "Will any of your commitments/resolutions have any impact 100 years from now?" (Something like that). I realize that some of these are not eternal, but I think most of them could be. Let me know what you think and please feel free to ask me how I'm doing in any of these areas.
By the grace of God, I want to:
Invite a family over for dinner at least once a month. We have people over a lot, but this would be an intentional, we want to get to know you better, type of thing. There are so many great people in our lives that we never spend time with--I want to pencil this in my calendar and make it happen.
Read the Bible with our kids each night. I'm not going to beat myself up if we miss a night here or there, but we've gotten out of the habit of this, and it's really important to us. We have so many evening things in our schedule, and it's so easy to just get the kids down as quickly as possible, but we're really missing such an important part of the day when we do this.
Have weekly "Family Night"--we started this last semester and had so much fun! The kids loved it. Any suggestions as to fun family activities in the winter would be so appreciated.
Pray for our missionary friends overseas and look for ways to encourage them. We have so many special friends giving their lives away in very difficult places, and I am horrible at remembering to pray for them. I'm trying to figure out some good reminders for myself--I may just have their names written in different parts of the house so I can pray for them as I go about my day. (on the dashboard of the van, by the kitchen sink, on our bathroom mirror, ...)
Remember the birthdays on my calendar and do something to tell them that I love them, even if it's just a phone call.
Take 2 dates each month with my honey. We got this great box of ideas for dates (ask me about it if you're interested), and both Rob and I are wanting to plan one date each month. If we can't find babysitters, we'll try to be creative and have a date at home.
Lose X pounds. I have a goal and want to work towards it. Robbie got me 2 massages for Christmas. Once I get to the halfway point, I get to use one of them, and once I get to my goal, I'll use the other. (This is my own idea, by the way--Rob knows better than to suggest such a thing!!!)
Exercise 3 times a week. This will be the hardest thing for me to do. I absolutely hate exercising. I hate sweating. I hate being sore. I can think of 1,000 things I'd rather do. Yet, I know that to be healthy, I need to be active. So...I'd love suggestions of what could be fun, cheap, doesn't take too much time, and gets the job done. My friend Jenny wants me to take up running and do a 10 k race with her and some other friends, but that just sounds horrendous. If anyone knows of any great exercise dvd, let me know. Otherwise, I'll probably stick to TaeBo or walking, neither of which I really like.
Connect with God first thing in the mornings. I am not a morning person, but my days get filled with other stuff and so often I don't really spend time learning more of His heart, reading in the Word, praying, committing my day to Him.
Dishes done before bed and kitchen counters cleared off. The counters are the real kicker--my bar top is almost always covered with school papers, craft projects, cookbooks, computer stuff, our camera and a million other things. It's the first thing I see when I walk into the great room, and it really bugs me. I would love to get a handle on our clutter and figure out how to stay on top of it.
Okay--that's it for now. I'm sure I'll think of others, but if I could really do these things, it'd be a pretty successful year.
Please pray for little Cora Paige McClenahan. On Thursday, Jan 22nd-Cora's parents (friends of ours from KSU Christian Challenge) took her in for what they thought was another ear infection and ended up finding out that she had a type of cancer called neuroblastoma. Please go here to stay updated on sweet Cora. She is undergoing chemo right now, and we're praying her body will respond to it.
Levi got some great L*go sets for his birthday. He worked on one set a bit last night and this morning, and let me tell you, he's in heaven! Great gift, Grandma! 
The coolest thing is the tilting bridge that surprises any intruders--look out! Crocodiles below! 
Oops! He'll feel that tomorrow!
So I got a sewing machine from my Grandma a few years ago, and lately I've had the urge to pull it out and create something. The kids got this cute teddy bear from a college student friend of theirs, and I thought he/she could use some clothes. After about 45 minutes, here's what he/she got. Levi thought they were amazing, but Sarah said the bear looks silly, and it's better with no clothes on. 
All we had was pink ribbon, so I proclaimed the bear a girl! The kids like the tiny pockets.
I had a slight problem with the crotch--let's just say they were a little too low rise for my taste, so I had to patch it up and make some adjustments. 
And last but not least, Levi got to make a pillow for the bear! He did a great job--he first tried to make it as a surprise for Sarah with his new stapler, but he thought the stuffing (that he pulled out of another stuffed animal w/out my knowledge) would come out through the spaces between the staples, so we worked together to create this. Next it's on to a tote for a little neighbor who requested one, and after that, the sky's the limit!
Sarah quote, "It's my lucky day! Because I got to play with my Easy Bake oven and Amy babysat me. I wished for that, and my wish came true!" (Imagine this in an extremely dreamy, sing songy, dramatic voice.) Sarah LOVES it when Caleb and Amy Jo come play with her--they went all out this time. I'm nominating them babysitters of the year. They brought cups to stack--notice Sarah concentrating and Jas looking super proud...
...a volcano to erupt. Jason must have felt at least 3 years old, getting to pour in the vinegar all by himself! (I doubt I'd let him do that, but I love it that he got to!)
Then they made this cool pasty mixture--can't remember what all was in it, but I think it was cornstarch and water and who knows what else. I actually played with it when I got home. It feels hard like a solid when you first touch it, then it begins to ooze, and it's just the most amazing thing. You gotta try it with your kids. I'll try to find the recipe for it. Scientist Levi must have been in heaven! 
They wondered what it would feel like to walk in it--I'm seeing a recurring theme of my kids being on top of counters/tables in this blog!) They did several other fun projects, and one of the best parts--it was all cleaned up by the time we got home! Oh, please come back and love up on my kiddos, Coltranes! They couldn't stop talking about their fun night!
Levi told me the other day that he wants to be home schooled next year. I'm pretty sure that he and I together 24 hrs a day, 365 days a year is NOT the best idea, but we've so enjoyed having him home this break! He's had a wonderful time having no schedule, staying up late, reading whenever he wants, listening to his books on cd, playing with friends,... It's been a great break, but I think this mom's thinking Monday sounds like a breather!
