2013

It's 2013!!!! I haven't been so excited for a year since 2006 (went to Europe, got married, graduated from college!) and I was giddy with excitement when the clock struck midnight two nights ago!

This is going to be a huge year for our family and I'm SO ready for it. We have 2 weeks left of winter break and then Aaron will go straight until July 26th. One of the things he's most excited about is not getting treated like a 20 year old anymore :)

We'll possibly move this year which excites and frightens me all at once. It's always such an interesting process to buy/sell a house but we've stretched our house to the limit with 5 of us in here (plus 6 fish) :) so we're going to need something bigger sooner than later. We'll move wherever the best job opportunity is and our goal is to own some land so that will be a huge factor in where we end up as well.

I haven't thought much about New Year's Resolutions this year but I know I have some in the back of my head that need to get written out to try to make them happen. One is getting back to pre-pre pregnancy weight (meaning, before Tristen since I've lost all the weight from Aubrey....Wahoo!). I really want to get back into running/playing a sport/exercising in some way. We'll see what that looks like with 2 kids and a busy husband but it's a goal of mine :)

Another is to be more of a Mary than a Martha....meaning, spend less time in my house trying to keep it clean and more time investing in people and just BEING with them.  Knowing we might move from this community makes this hard because it will be harder to leave but our pastor encouraged us a few weeks back to never stop investing....no matter how little time you're at a place. It was the motivation I needed :)

Last one is slightly an oxymoron. I want to have fewer goals :) Last year I wrote out a gigantic list of every project imaginable that I wanted to get done throughout the year. In October I started feeling like a failure because I hadn't gotten to most of them. My kids will care less if they have a scrapbook chronicling every detail of their first year, they will care less if they have perfectly handcrafted toys......I need time to myself when my kids are sleeping at night and I've been realizing that. I just can't be a good mom without a little alone/refreshing time. Projects can wait. I need to slim my goals down to 3-4 and have projects for times when I am bored and don't know what to do with myself. Pinterest needs to be on the backburner in the next year :)

Well, that was easy.....I guess I wrote out my "resolutions"....Oh, wait, two more. I still want to look for beauty in the world and use my camera as a way to capture it. It helps me see the beauty in the world and not all the corruption/junk. Also, I want to become a better cook. Ever since a Nutrition class that Aaron took, we've been loving trying new recipes/concotions and I want to do more with him. It has become our date night since we can't get out of the house much these days :)

To end, here are a few pics from our Willey Christmas that happened a few days back. OH, and it's Aubrey's 6 month "b-day" today! Can you believe she's 6 months already!?!? I can't either! She got her first tooth over Christmas and started solids last week as well. Time flies when you're having fun :)

Trying to get a picture with the two of them in their Christmas outfits :)

 

Opening up presents at Grandpa and Grandma Willey's

 

Evie with her new sweater from Tristen and Aubrey

Aaron has a new hobby....his shotgun. So, he's all set now to get into hunting with a vest and shotgun shells. :)

 

All my gifts fit perfecty into my new purse that just might double as a diaper bag so I won't need to carry both now :)

 

Guess which one is having a baby boy in 4 weeks!?! :)

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from us!

Here's to a year of exciting things to come!