My Hopes for 2011

I don't make New Year's Resolutions.

That said, there are quite a few things I'm looking forward to doing/working on/achieving in 2011. I call them my "Hopes" for this year. Here is a short version for your enjoyment. 

I want to become a more patient and gentle Momma. I feel like I've really let this get out of control and I'm working really hard on becoming more patient with my kiddos and being more gentle with them. By gentle, I mean not so easily frustrated, not so easy to raise my voice, sweeter and calmer in the way I talk to them and especially when I discipline them. They deserve the very best from me and it is my hope this year that I can truly give them my best.

I want to become healthier. That looks like a silly sentence to me, but it is the best way I know to describe what I'm looking for. I spent the entire year of 2010 with my hormones being all wacky. I feel like they are getting back to "normal" now but I feel like I need to take some actions with my body to continue to make me feel better. So I'm going to start taking vitamin supplements (I've never been good about this before, but I know I need to start). I'm also going to stop drinking so many Dr. Peppers. In fact, I haven't had one in over a week! I really want to feel good (on the inside and about the way I look) so I can be a happy, healthy wife and Momma so I'm taking a few little steps to do that. 

I want to help my girls learn as much as they can this year. We are working on basic things right now such as alphabet and numbers, shapes and such. I'm trying to be creative in the way I teach them these things and I will welcome any tips! It brings me such joy to see them learn new things and I'm hoping to really get some things accomplished this year. 

I also want to teach my girls about serving others and being a blessing to someone else in whatever way you can. There are a few things I have planned for our family this year on this topic. I really want to see all of us putting others before ourselves and meeting others' needs in any way we can. 

Jared and I are hoping to take a real vacation this year. We will still take the girls to the lake with my dad for a week this summer. Right now we just feel like that is the best way for our family to have a vacation - there is no stress, no long trips; it is just a really fun, easy way for us to spend quality time together and be able to enjoy it. BUT, Jared and I really want to do something special to celebrate our birthdays this year (we both have a big one) so I'm hoping we are able to do that. 

I want to keep painting and I hope that people still want me to make things for them. I have some great ideas I'm working on and I can't wait to see how they turn out. I hope to be able to share some pictures of my "creations" soon. 

There is so much more, but I'll leave it at that for now. There are a lot of things I'm looking forward to this year. But at the end of the day, I'm as happy as can be to have my sweet husband and my precious babies to share my life with. So no matter what happens in the days and months to come, I'm beyond blessed to be where I am today and not a day goes by that I don't thank God for all that he has given me.