Goals for 2013

I have things I need and want to do. They are not really resolutions, just things I want to do and for some reason I am not finding the time to do them. This year I hope to make time for the things that I want to do. The things I want to do are important to me and mostly revolve around my faith, my family, my friends, and capturing memories. A few things are also habits I have been working on for a few years as well...

1. Start or Complete {and print} our digital scrapbooks: I have several digital scrapbooks in the work, but I cannot commit to printing them yet. For some reason I do not know how I want to have the layouts. I have Heidi's first year, but then I want to do yearly. Do I just do a "first year" for Heidi and then do family ones? Do I do one for Heidi each year {and the new baby when he arrives} and a family one? I just don't know. Family ones I know I would do Jan-Dec., but for the kids do I do birthday to birthday? I have been thinking way too much about this...
2. Send Cards: I used to send cards all of the time to everyone. I loved it! I love sending cards and remembering people on their birthdays, anniversaries, and other events in life. I stopped doing this around the time I lost Hudson. It was joy that I lost and I could not pick up the pieces to do anything joyful again. It was hard enough to function as a "joyful person" on the outside in public much less add sending cards as well. I don't just want to send cards, but I want to take the time to make them.
3. Blog Consistently: I love to blog. I love to write {even though I ramble and am not the best writer} and I love to document our family's life. Being a person who likes to remain quiet the internet is where I can really be me. In person I am usually shy {unless of course you know me really well and I feel comfortable enough to let my guard down} but on my blog or in social media I can do more of "me". I want to make sure to take the time for blogging at least once a week.
4. Use our Video Camera: I want to video more of what is going on, not just pictures.
5. Continue Growing in my Faith: I feel like the past few years I have really grown and matured in my faith. Bible studies, church, tithing, family life, everything...it is all just growing and maturing into a woman of God. It seems like my life is headed in the right direction. Not that it was ever not in the right direction, but looking back on the past I seemed to be more of at a standstill rather than moving forward and growing. I want to continue this path and continue to discipline myself even more to grow. Things like having an actual quiet time and reading my Bible daily, not waiting until the last minute to look over my Bible study homework, reading more books, giving more of myself to the community....I could go on....but, basically growing more in a direction for God :)
6. Read: I love reading. There is nothing better than curling up to a good book and just losing yourself in it. I used to read all the time. In fact I used to get in trouble when I was younger because I would stay up so late reading. I would wait until everyone was asleep, grab my book, and sit on the toilet and read. I asked for suggestions from my friends on Facebook and I have a great list to start! I figure with all of the doctors appointments I have coming up and waiting for Heidi at dance I should be able to get in a couple a month.
7. De-Clutter: This is something I have been working on for quite some time. It is getting better, much better {especially with the nesting} and I want to continue along this path. This includes becoming more organized and having a place for everything as well as putting everything in its place. I do not want to add a ton of baskets laying around to store things, but I want to get rid of things and make life a little more simple as well as organize. What is strange {and its not too strange because my sister and I discussed this and she is the exact same way} is that I am the most disorganized OCD control-freak. Seems like an oxi-moron, but that is the only way I can think to describe myself. I am a perfectionist. So, I save everything that I want to "do something with" until I can figure out the most perfect way to do whatever it is I want to do. Because of the saving I have piles of junk everywhere - shoved in drawers, hidden in closets or boxes....it is bad, but it is getting better!
8. RAKs: I want to include more random acts of kindness in my life. Not only for strangers, but for my friends and family too. I include gift giving in this as well. I love to buy gifts for people and even if it is a small gift card to some place it would make me feel good. I don't expect anything back, but I just really want to make more of an effort to do more for others.
9. Date Night: John and I tried to start this on February, but that was the first and last of our monthly date nights. Hopefully this year we can get back on that and on track. We had all these great plans to go to a place we had never been before and all sorts of fun things, but it never happened.
10. Healthier Me: Continue on the path to a healthier self. Eating, working out, etc - I want to life a healthy life style. I do not want to do this for myself, but also as an example to Heidi. John has already begun to work on his health and hopefully I am doing an okay job while pregnant, but once baby #3 is here I intend to lose the weight quickly!
11. Projects: Work on projects that are on my pintrest account. So many things, so many crafts...I have no idea where to even begin. Well, I do, but it depend on a few other future plans we have going on :)

I am sure there are more, but right now I cannot think of anymore. This post has been floating in my head for a few weeks, but of course when I have the chance to sit and write them out I might have missed one or two...