New Beginnings

As we usher in the new year, it is time to celebrate our accomplishments from the previous year, but more importantly, it's time to look ahead to what new adventures 2013 has in store for us!

Nationally, 2012 saw both moments of  great accomplishment and joy as well as moments of grave sorrow. We watched with pride the events of the 2012 London Olympic games. We witnessed Facebook 'go public'. We voted in the 2012 presidential election and (like it or not) re-elected President Barrack Obama to office. And, we held our breath with anticipation as the Mayan calendar predicted the end of the world on December 21st. We also watched in horror as the events of  the Colorado theater massacre and the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary unfolded before our very eyes. (My thoughts and prayers go out to those babies who senselessly lost their lives as well as their families who must somehow find a way to go on without them.)

Personally, 2012 also gave way to moments of great accomplishment as well as moments of grave sorrow. I (finally) made the commitment to lose weight (35 lbs!!) and get fit once and for all. My husband, John, and I  joyfully celebrated 3 years of a successful marriage. John accepted a new job opportunity. I declined a new job opportunity. My oldest son, Riley, challenged himself by playing TACKLE football for the first time and by learning to play the recorder. My stepson, Khegan, advanced from the k-4 elementary school building to the intermediate school, where he earned straight A's on his first-ever 'big kid' report card. Both of the 'big boys' got sMart phoNes for Christmas (Oh my!)! And, my baby, Micah, developed in to the sweetest, fastest, ornery-est, little chatterbox you can imagine! He is such a tremendous blessing to our family. 

Amidst the happiness of 2012, my family also experienced sorrow following the miscarriage I experienced in April. It was a tough time, but we have faith that God has a master plan for us and that our baby is looking down on us from heaven.

Now, as we embark on a new year, it is a time to look beyond the accomplishments and sorrows of 2012 and focus on New Beginnings!

This year I plan on giving this blogging thing another try AND training for a half marathon.  

Although these may sound like lofty goals, they really go hand in hand. As a busy, working mothers, we need OUTLETS for our stress. We need INTERESTS & hobbies outside of our jobs and our kids. Running is my stress outlet. Blogging is both an interest and a hobby (albeit an old interest and hobby that I had, up until now, given up). And, get this - I can BLoG about ruNnInG!!!! 

Coming soon... check out my half marathon training page.  

Other things I am looking forward to in 2013... paying off the last bit of our credit card debt (can I get a WOOT, WOOT?!), the start (and hopefully completion) of several household maintenance projects, potty training the little man  (maybe), #4 wedding anniversary, continued fitness and weight loss, watching my sons grow into little men, and possibly even a (much-needed) family VACATION!

As I look ahead to my hopes, dreams, and goals for 2013, I - like many others - face doubts in my own abilities. Will I be able to keep up with all the work my goals entail? Will I be able to achieve my goals? What unforeseen circumstances could contribute to my failure? Will I fail? Or, maybe, just maybe, will I taste the sweet taste of success?

What are you looking forward to in 2013? Please drop me a comment and let me know what New Beginnings are in store for you.

Giving this Blogging Thing Another Try...

It's been 2 years since my last blog post... but I've decided to give this blogging thing another try. I've really missed blogging over the last couple of years and I've really missed the new bloggy friends I had met through   blogging, but mainly through Twitter. (Although, I am not quite ready to go back to Twitter yet, but that is probably a whole other post.) 

Why come back to this blog, you ask? Why now? 

Well, honestly, I've thought about returning to this blog several times over the last few years, but I would always get scared and back out. 

Why was I scared, you ask?

Because blogging and tweeting was becoming a little bit of an obsession for me and I no longer knew if I was doing it for the right reasons. I was staying up late writing posts. I had made a "1 post a day" rule for myself. I was tweeting like a mad lady. I felt guilty if I didn't read everyone else's (my friends, followers, and twitter buddies) blog posts daily - it seemed they were all reading my blog fairly regularly so I wanted to reciprocate. Plus reading blogs is almost as fun as writing blog posts! 

But, also, I was eager to expand my blog. And excited about the possibility of earning extra money by advertising and attracting sponsors for my blog. Don't get me wrong - advertising and sponsors are awesome resources for bloggers and what could be more awesome than earning a little extra money doing something you love to do? 

The danger, as I quickly learned, was that instead of blogging because I wanted to blog, I found myself blogging because I had to blog ... in an effort to create and build and expand my brand. And that, my dear friends, was like having a second full time job! It was EXHAUSTING!! Always thinking about what to post for the day, constantly tweeting, constantly promoting ... pumping out post after post, day after day. And, the contests and giveaways! So many contests and reviews and giveaways. The responsibility of it all weighed heavy on me. It makes my heart pound just thinking about the pressure I had put upon myself! 

There I was trying to juggle a full time job, husband, house, 2 active boys, and the demands of pregnancy all while trying to keep up with this blog. It was too much. I just couldn't do it. So... 

I quit.

Actually I "took a break" but as the days turned into weeks, I couldn't brink myself to come back to this blog. I felt embarrassed that I gave up. But I also felt relief from the stress of it all. I had gotten in over my head. I tried to do too much, too soon.

And, I lost the enjoyment of blogging.

Now, after a little over 2 years, I am ready to come back to blogging. SLOWLY. Without the pressure to blog every day. Or even every week. Without the pressure to tweet and promote the blog. This time, I am blogging for ME! And, of course anyone who needs a little support and encouragement once in awhile as we  continue along in this crazy, hectic, AMAZING little journey called motherhood... 

Random Rantings and a Day Off!

It's been a week since I last blogged. I guess I am still a bloggy slacker... BUT I do have A LOT of excuses. *wink, wink*

1. Being pregnant is exhuasting.
2. Morning sickness
3. Second and third graders have a lot of homework.
4. My husband's "busy season" has begun.
5. Flag football every Thursday.
6. Our weekends have been jammed-packed!

Ok, well that's only six excuses, but they are all legitimate! =)

Next topic.

I've been having the crazy, vivid pregnancy dreams lately. Last night I dreamt I was a doctor and then delivered my own baby! Two nights ago I dreamt John & I bought a house with my stepson's mother and fiance and I kept getting stuck doing all the dishes.

I wonder what those dreams mean? If you analyze dreams, by all means let me know what these crazy dreams mean!

Next topic.

Have you ever had a close family member that totally crossed a line? I won't go into details, but a couple of weeks ago I had a close family member make some statements that truly offended my husband and me. I haven't talked to her since. Although she apologized to my husband she has not apologized to me. Maybe she doesn't realize how hurtful her statements were?

I'm sure over time I will just get over it. But this particular family member gets away with making hurtful remarks like that to various family members quite often and I am just tired of walking on eggshells around her. She's one of those people who can dish it, but can't take it. How do you handle situations like that? I'm not a very confrontational person unless I really have to be...

I have the day off today!!

Today is Columbus Day and one of the perks of being a state employee is having Columbus Day off. The reason this is so awesome is b/c the kiddos have school! That's right - I'm home and the kiddos are not here today! But it's not a totally free day for me. I do want to get some major cleaning done today - or at least some moderate cleaning...

I need to at least vacuum, but I really should run the carpet steam cleaner too... I need to straighten up the kitchen, but I really should do the hardwood floors and the stainless steel... I need to do some light dusting, but I really should do some heavy dusting...

What I really want to do? Nap. Nap and watch A Baby Story.

It's not quite noon and I have until three before the kiddos get home so I better get busy!