This year...

With a new year starting it is normal to sit down and reflect on the previous years happenings. Reflecting is something that I don't often get to do. I am always too busy looking ahead.

Planning for the next day. Making sure to have the boys' lunches, clothes and backpacks ready for school. Making sure my lesson plans are done and everything is ready to go before my twenty-four 1st and 2nd graders come running in the door. Making sure that I have what I need ready for dinner that night.

Planning for the next week. Do I have a babysitter lined up for Bunco on Thursday? Did I turn in the daycare schedule for Owen? Am I ready for the next building committee meeting on Sunday after church?

Planning for the next month. Finding the Valentine's that I bought last year after Valentine's Day for 75% off. Looking ahead and trying to budget how much cash I need for groceries, gas, and other things.

Planning, planning, planning. I do a lot of it and I like to do it. But there comes a time when I need to stop planning and just sit and reflect on what has gone on before. Live in the moment and stop thinking of what is going to happen next.

Otherwise this happens. My sweet, happy, drooling little baby turns into a 5 year old.

Not that I don't like the 5 year old but I do really miss having a drooling baby around.

Overall 2010 was a good year for our family. A year where Mark and I made a lot of big decisions. We decided not to put Owen in kindergarten even though he turned 5 in July. His mom is still upset (I think) but we had our reasons.

I decided to switch schools and teach at McKay so that I could see Caleb every day. I love walking with him to school and talking to him about the things that happen in his day. I love knowing exactly what and who he is talking about. All his special things I get to participate in and even though it was very hard to leave my old school and students, it was definitely worth it.

With Dad's accident over the summer, Mark and I rededicated ourselves to making sure that our family knows every day how much we love and treasure them. Mark includes the boys in all his hobbies from hunting to gardening and he makes sure they know how much he loves them. My goal was to not worry so much about the house being clean and the laundry being done. I wanted to go for more bike rides and play in the mud and just be available to do what they boys want to do for a change. I often make them march to the beat of my drum and I would like to think that I have relaxed a bit more and given them a voice also.

Putting our house on the market was a huge decision for us. We like our house, we are happy in our house. It's where we brought our babies home, it's where we turned into the "do-it-yourselfers" and became Home Depot's best customers. But that little thought of "what if" danced around in our heads long enough to make us take the plunge and go after our dream of having a little bit of property of our own. A place where the boys can ride 4-wheelers and horses. Collect eggs from our own chickens and run and yell and hoop and holler and not disturb anyone but our cows.

The boys are in love with the idea of it. Caleb has drawn our garden containing some ledis, prpll ledis, appl's, cerits, cabig, ptedos and even some breb.

He even decided to help Mark and I out by planning our barn and pasture as well as the corn maze that he wants to have. He was even thoughtful enough to include two tractors - one with a mower attachment- for us to use in the field.

I am excited at what the Lord has in store for us this year - 2011 -  and I only hope that I am up to the task. I hope that I continue to treasure these two little boys that I call mine as well as appreciate my husband the way he deserves to be appreciated. I hope that I will place other's needs before my own and remember that I am only a steward of what the Lord gives me and not the owner. I hope for a lot of things but mostly I hope to appreciate all that I have and not take anything for granted.

That is my hope for you as well!

Welcome 2011 and all the surprises you have to bring!