Time Flies…

And without even realizing it, days add up and mesh together in a big blur and it’s April. Then it’s July. Then it’s December and you’re reviewing the year that just passed.  It’s funny how the year begins slowly and with so much promise. But it seems that all too soon the everyday schedule has once again regained control and the days slip by one at a time without realizing how fast they are moving. I’m so terribly awful about controlling life one week at a time instead of stepping back to look at the whole picture.  While I think there is some good to approaching each day as they come along…you can’t only view life that way! 

I wrote this post over 2 Decembers ago.  And it’s funny how many of my goals did not end up getting accomplished. It’s actually a huge failure on my part, both completing the goals and the following through of posting something about them.  There are some reasons why a few didn’t work here and there. But wow. I thought it was funny that I stumbled onto this post as I was contemplating this year and what I wanted to do with it...and also what I wanted to say about last year.

So what did coming across this do for me??  It made me want to picture 2012 as a whole…instead of setting myself up for failure off the get go.  No more stating that I will do certain things on a weekly basis or monthly basis or whatever.  There are some things oh like bills and grocery shopping...that mostly need done on a weekly basis.  But this space is where I log our memories. And I want 2012 to be chuck full of wonderful ones for our little amazing family! So no more weekly anything when it comes to our planning or memory making! I've learned first hand that life happens around whatever you think you have planned! Weekly library trips are great until someone is sick…or Dad is stuck at work late or we get invited to dinner with family or friends.  So the short version of what I'm saying is....that if I change the goal to say…Go to the library more…then even just going once a month is ok and not failing my goals!  And it's something fun to try out with the boys!  So the plan for this year is to change the way I’m viewing what I want to accomplish. More like guidlines or general brainstorming about fun things to do with our time over the next 300 and something days we have left!  

Here’s what I want 2012 to look like, if I have any say in the matter. By the season and/or family member but in no particular order of importance:

Winter 2012
Find some fun things to do with the boys on Friday afternoons (look up fun craft ideas for Owen, see about PlayPals for Cooper, maybe sign up Owen for a kids gymnastics or swimming class)

Potty Train with Owen

Take Owen sledding (if it snows enough anyway!  We have the snow suit…we just need the snow!)

Get him prepped for Pre-school

Celebrate Isabel turning 1 year old!! (Which we did here...and though Owen and I missed her party because he was sick, we were there in spirit!!)

Spring/Summer 2012

Celebrate Owen turning 3

Take Owen for a photo shoot - scheduled!

Help my hubby prepare for his PE, be his cheerleader and make our trip to Columbia fun - April

Spend the summer enjoying ourselves…swimming, BBQing, playing in the yard

Plant a Garden
Plant wild flowers in our backyard and hang some butterfly houses
Get better about buying bird seed...Owen loves helping feed the birds!
Hang humming bird feeders
Take Owen riding on his tricycle - lots!

Celebrate our newest niece or nephews birth!!  Congrats Jackie and Paul!!!!

Take Cooper for 1 Year photo shoot - scheduled!

Celebrate Cooper’s 1^st Birthday - space is scheduled!!

Get ice cream at the local ice cream place...the one that's only open in the summer months and makes homemade waffle cones!

Fall 2012

Celebrate Jer turning 30…do something neat

Celebrate 7 years of marriage 

Celebrate Peyton turning 1 year old!
Go to the Balloon Glow in Forest Park
Try to make it to Boo and the Zoo

For the boys

Take them on a for real train ride to Springfield or St. Louis
Visit Kirckwood Train Station

Take the boys to the Linley farm in Wisconsin for a camping trip
Visit the library more often and find some new books

Go to the Botanical Gardens

Go to the Zoo

Go to the Magic House

Take a hike through the Nature Institute and pack a picnic lunch

For myself

Steal my nieces away from their Mommas and do something fun with each of them!!

Blog more Thankful Thursdays –  use my phone to help me keep track as the weeks go on

Blog more in general…try some new things…post more pictures…

Save some money - budget, coupon clip, shop around.
Buy a sewing machine...and make some of the stuff I pinned on Pinterest...starting with these
Do a Pinterest craft and blog about it - try to do more than one!
Get more organized!

Go on more dates with my hubby - two scheduled for Feb already!

Take a couples-cooking class at Dierbergs with Jer

Re-organize my digitial photo files
Scrapbook with my bestie lots more

Revamp my scrapbook spaceFinish Owen’s baby book that includes his entire first year – over half way there.

Work on getting Cooper’s book up to speed

Do more Target runs with my bestie

Drink more wine...with my bestie!

Write more letters to my pen pal
Send more cards
Pray
Try Pilates or Yoga on DVD

Perfect my meal planning methods and try new meal ideas!

Read a couple new books (start with Hunger Games...7 chapters in...try to blog about it!)

Not take everything so seriously...I mean life is too short right!?!

And there you have it.  Just some general directions for me to head in 2012...I think it's gonna be a great year!