Happy New Year!

Happy, happy New Year!!!!!!

I hope that you and your family had a wonderful night last night.  We stayed home.  We were invited to one party by a friend from church but it was "adults only".  Our options were to
 1) make our teenage sons stay with the babies while we went to the adult party
 2) hire a babysitter that Abby knows and that was available (yeah, right) OR
 3) stay home.
 We stayed home.  Norman had to work the next day anyway so it would have been an early night whether we went out or not.  We watched a Nicholas Cage movie we hadn't seen yet (Stolen) and had homemade lasagna with garlic bread for supper.  Lee went to Anna's.  Greg had Anna's brother Brock here.  It was a good night.  I'm thankful for another year and looking forward to another one.

So, it is that time of year when we get to make grand plans for the future.  In the past, I would make great goals and have lofty expectations of myself and those around me.  I'm not doing that this year.  Instead, I'm making a list of things that I hope I or our family can do this year and that will be what I use as my guide.  Kinda like a bucket list, but a little less morbid :)

**Read books ((I have to add that I read, a lot, to the kids.  But reading has kinda fallen by the wayside for me.  I am changing that this year.  I will try to keep my sidebar updated with the things I am reading and maybe will review a few also))
**Walk more ((As in exercise))
**Knit - specifically learn to read lace charts and do a fair isle type project
**Plan 2 day-cations with my dh ((1 for our anniversary and 1 just because))
**Plan some kind of trip or excursion with all the kids ((probably over summer break but even then will be very difficult))
**Make quilts for all the kids
**Plan my Christmas gift list by August ((It take a while to make stuff))
**Watch less TV (especially for the littles, which takes creative planning on my part))

I think that's it.  Abby will be 3 this spring and I realized over the last couple of months that I was more "free" to do things without her attached to me 24/7....although I still consider her a clingy 2 year old.  I'm sad that she doesn't "need" me all the time but also grateful that now I can mainly do my bible study without her crying or spend time knitting without interruption.  I don't mind the interruptions but it was almost impossible to do anything that required concentration because she was so clingy.  Its getting better.  I'm looking forward to the next stage.

I'm also hoping to do better at menu planning and careful grocery shopping.  This economy stinks and I've got to do all I can to help our family without being away from my family :)

I think that's all.  I look forward to blogging again this year and hope you look forward to this glimpse into our lives.  Have a great day!