Happy (thoughts for a) New Year!

Ahh, who doesn't love a New Year and a fresh start! Though I'm a couple (ok, more than a couple!) days late, what can I say? Sometimes you just need a couple extra days to wrap your head around things. I can speak for the White household when I say we are VERY excited about the New Year and all of the great things it has to offer!

We don't have any "official" New Year's Resolutions (As Jeff says "New Year's Resolutions are for people that weren't awesome the year before" - don't know where he got that one from!) but I do have some "goals."

I figured if I put my goals in writing they were (slightly) more likely to happen. So, here goes:

1.) Fresh paint throughout house. It's in need of a refresher.

2.) Potentially putting house up on market to "test the waters" per se. (I will not get hopes up, I will not get hopes up!)

3.) I have made a decision not to continue the down-to-the day monthly updates on Avery's development. Her 18th month was my last "official" monthly update. Of course, this blog will still read as the White Family storybook. Trust me, you will all still get lots of Avery updates. She is our main source of entertainment, after all. Milestones and new developments will NOT go unnoticed. :)

4.) New couch. New rug. I'm updating this house. If we do choose to remain here for a while, then we're springing for some updates!

5.) Get on consistent exercise regimen. It happens, but it's very sporadic. I've gotta get on a routine!

6.) Jeff and I vow to see more live music concerts this year. And not just NKOTB/Backstreet Boys (anyone wanna go?) - like, real rock n' roll concerts. Yippee.

7.) Take graphic design course at local college. I've always wanted to do it, and never have. I may never do it. But it's good to put on this list. I need to challenge myself creatively.

8.) Buy new digital SLR camera and gets Jeff trained to use it. We both love photography and really have never put that passion to good use. It's a good side project and hobby. We will put our creative sides to good use this year! (And not just in making leftovers exciting the next day).

9.) Because many of the above goals mean spending $$$, we need to find some new ways to SAVE money. We are fairly thrifty (we HATE spending money), but I know we can cut some corners that we haven't in the past. We'll see how that goes. Instead I may just ponder the ways to MAKE more money so that I can earn the new "things" I want.

10.) This one is the most important one to me, and sometimes the VERY hardest. I want to find time to pray daily for the people I care most about - to actually make it a habit that sticks! Last year was a tough year for many of my friends and family members. People experiencing deaths in the family, sickness, unexpected pain and loss... and at times I felt helpless and didn't know how I could help. But in thinking about it, so many of these things (ALL of these things) are totally out of my/our control. The only thing I do have in my power to do is pray. So, with that said, I will pray. Every day. For the people I love and the things we do not have the power to control.

Some goals are fairly shallow, some are deep.

Some will happen, some will not.

But there they are, laid out in writing.

Heres to a New Year...

Cheers!