Goals for our little white house family ~

Every new year, I love to make goals.  Now, I’m not calling these resolutions.  I’m not resolving to change a whole lot. {smile}  But I do love to have some goals before me.  For some reason, goals keep me focused and help me to order my thoughts & steps a bit more.  (Being a Type A personality, I think that it’s in my blood to love lists. And lists of goals…that’s even better!) And why do I do it for the new year?  I don’t know…just seems like a nice, shiny, clean slate of a new year needs some nice, shiny, new goals to start it off!  {smile}

And now on to the goals.  Some of these goals will be kind of deep and some will be a bit on the fluffy side.  It seems like life is a little more interesting with a little of both!

This year, I will strive:

1.  To foster relationships in my life by being a giver.  

These relationships are my relationships with God, my husband, my children, my family, my friends, my church family, my neighbors, etc…  I want to be more of a giver in my relationships.  I want to give more praise to God.  I want to give Him more of my time.  I need to give more of my respect to my husband.  I want to give more gentleness to my children.  For my family and friends…and even neighbors, I want to open up my home and share with them hospitality.  To the random person on the street, I want to give of myself in a way that causes me to step out of my comfort zone.  This year, I  hope to let down my walls and open up my heart.  And I want to do it with a pure heart: not as someone wanting praise or pats on the back.  I want to do it to bring glory to my God.

2.   To take better care of myself.

It is no secret that this is a big year for me.  It is the year of my 40th birthday!  All ready, I am seeing what growing older and not taking care of oneself does to this human shell.  This year, I will lose this weight.  I will eat better.  I will exercise more.  I will go to bed earlier.  In return, I hope to add years to my life so that I can enjoy  a healthy, energetic life with these children who call me “mom”.  (And Lord willing, live a long life with my best friend & husband David as we enjoy grandchildren.)

 3.  To organize our home school and lead my children to a love of learning.

I hope to write more about this on our homeschool blog.

4.  To spend more time doing things that I enjoy.

That sounded really selfish, didn’t it?  Here’s what I mean.  It is very easy for me to burnout because I have a tendency to be a workaholic.  I work hard to keep our house clean, educate the kids, etc and then I get a bit burned out.  This year, I am going to purpose to set aside time to do things that I like to do.  Ok, that didn’t sound right.  I do like to clean my house {sort of} and I love to teach but I sometimes neglect those things that I do just because I love to do them (not because others depend on it to be done such as cleaning, et al).  I’m talking about things like sewing, reading, or crocheting.  I’d like to say that I’ll do those things every week but it will probably be more like a once a month thing. 

5. To learn more about chickens.

Here comes one of those fluffy goals!  We have wanted to move to a farm for a while.  But we will be here in the city for a while longer.  I have dreams of building this really cute chicken coop and having a few here on our little lot soon.  I know, some of my family think that I’m crazy. 

6.  To paint and decorate the rooms of our children.

It has been about a year now since we rearranged our small house to give our children separate rooms.  I’m really excited to get started painting and making their rooms special places for them.

7.  To organize our home better.  

Each month, I am trying to focus on doing something new to help our busy home run a little better.  This month, I am focusing on cooking meals ahead and putting them into the freezer.  Lately, I have been having a hard time getting the meals ready in a timely fashion after a busy day of home school and extracurricular activities.  I’m also choosing one area a month to declutter.  This month, the lucky area is the main bathroom linen closet. 

8.  To relax and play more with my children.

Remember when I said that I was a workaholic?  I am learning that my days go better if I relax and go with the flow that my children create instead of worrying over that to-do list.  And here I am making a new to-do list!  {smile}

9.  To bring more music back into our home.

Recently, I have taken on more responsibilities at church in the music ministry area.  I had forgotten how much I love music.  My life has been much more joyful since I’ve added more music to it.  My children love music too.  I have children who want to take guitar lessons and some who want to take piano.  My mom is giving us her piano if I can find a place to put it in our little home.  I even have some who want to take drum lessons.  I don’t think I’m ready for that just yet.  {wink}  Who knows?  Maybe we’ll have a Little White House Family Band one day!

10.  To stay focused on the task before me and follow the path that God has laid out for me.

It is so easy for me to waiver.  I am weak.  Just this week, I was questioning decisions in my life that I know are decisions God has put into place.  This year, I am praying that I will stay focused and keep my feet set firmly on the path before me.

Well, that was long!  And no pictures either!  Thank you if you read this whole thing.  God bless you!  Adriane