Goals for 2011

I often start out the year with this refreshing feeling. Goals not met the year before are often easier to let go or they can be renewed with some gumption put behind them, (f they are worth achieving that is.) Last year we had a little boy turn one. I graduated college and we survived (and are still surviving) the on-slaught of emotions and worries a parent with cancer can bring. Even so, we still managed to make many memories and enjoy many great times together. We also accomplished a few goals along the way. Like remodeling our breezeway and creating a play and family space for Owen in our backyard. All that being said…I’ve decided on a few things I’d like to do this year.

Take a photography class (I am very excited b/c I have one scheduled on the 22nd with Steff and I can’t wait! I know we’ll both have lots to post about this!)

Take a cooking class

Go on more dates with Jer – even if it’s a Thursday night.
Start back to church on Sunday mornings. I’ve been struggling for lots of reasons in this area of my life, but I want to find my way back.

Read…a lot more. Make time for this…even if it means skipping a house chore on a Friday once in awhile.

Make a reading list and post it here. Start using that list to post reviews when I’m done!

Get better at meal planning and revamp my menu! I found a cool online tool I will share once I figure out if and how it's gonna work for me!

Be the most thoughtful person I can be. Whether it’s a hello email, or making a meal for someone after a surgery or buying someone’s order in the drive through line behind me. Just put myself out there and share kindness with everyone!!

Get back to my scrapbooks! I made a few purchases for some organizational tools I found in an Archivers flyer. First I’m going to work on my pictures. Then I’m going to work on my list of pages to complete. Finally, I’m going to get them in order. My ultimate goal is to have a single location for my photos, paper and other page ideas that I can come back to each time I sit down with my things. I’d also like to post the organization process and my successes and lessons learned here for those who might be interested!

Plant a garden in the spring. A big one…with lots of fun vegetables, fruits and flowers for cutting. Also plant an herb garden in our small raised bed garden from last year!

Find fun things to do with Owen and our friends and family and do them! For example…take Owen back to the Botanical Gardens, the Butterfly House and show him the fountains downtown St. Louis at the Sculpture Park. Also take that nature hike Jer and I have been saying we’re going to take at the Nature Institute by our house!  (I have the grand plan to make a chart and list all the places we want to go with Owen this year and post it on his bulletin board.  I'm hoping it'll serve as a reminder to put fun things on the calendar and also help us track when we did things!  When I get it posted, I'll blog about it!)

Institute Library nights one evening a week – As another Owen related goal, I’d like to start taking Owen more regularly to the Library. It’s a habit I’ve mentioned wanting to do several times, but haven’t gotten quite right. Our mall has a great children’s area and I wouldn’t mind finding some new authors to enjoy…and maybe some fun shows on DVD too! (as mentioned in the goal above, I'd like to make a similar chart to track the books and authors we read, as we check them out...maybe include some stickers and stars that Owen could help me put on as a way to help him be involved in the charting process!)
Visit Alton’s Farmer’s Market this spring and look into the Alton Amphitheatre to see if we can find a fun show to go to this summer!

Bottom line? Enjoy enjoy enjoy this life I’ve been given. Do not let the things I cannot control change what’s in my heart or dampen my spirit.

I think this is more than enough for one year and hope this gives me great blogging material and wonderful motivation to make 2011 the best year possible!!