New Years goals

I know its a week late, however I do not like to make goals lightly and I have prayerfully considered each one before I decided to list them for everyone to read.  I don't like to think I am making resolutions because I don't feel as if I am resolving anything in my life but i would like to think I am making a list of things I need to accomplish.  Its probably all the same thing but I like to call it goals.  Hahaha!  Anyway on the the goals...

1. I am joining my friend in the 1st half of this 2 year bible reading plan.

2. I am also joining this said friend in a bible verse memorizing plan.  I am looking forward to this one!  My 1st verse of 2 this month is Matthew 16:26. 

3. Continue to work hard and help my work at home business grow.  I really love making bows, headbands, tutu's, etc. and it really helps bring in income so that I am able to stay at home with our 2 blessings and raise them in a loving, safe, Christian household.

4. With much prayerful consideration Don and I have a one goal we feel we are ready for.  We would like to add to the Small family.  We have always wanted 3 or 4 children.  We have prayed and talked about it and we feel like another child would be a good addition to our family.  We want our children close together but not to close together, and at this point there would be over 4 years between Ashlynn and the possibility of #3 and 2.5 maybe even 3 years between Everett and #3.  So we would like to add to our family and we feel we are ready and excited for things to come.  We (well I suppose I mean me) also aim to make the next baby a natural birth which after being in labor with Everett for hours and hours before the C-Section with no relief I know I can do it.  If I set my mind to it I know I can do it and it is something VERY important to both of us.  (and no we are NOT expecting)

5. I need to be more dedicated to going to the gym.  I am good about it for a while and then I let it drop off.  A good 2 hr workout really gives me the energy needed to keep up with everything we are involved in. 

6.  Spend more time with my husband and help our relationship as husband and wife grow.  We are taking part in 365 day Love Dare we actually started this last year and never stuck with it so we are determined this year to follow through with this.  It give us biblical devotions to do each night plus a weekly challenge to complete for each other.  The plus side is that we spend quality time with each other as well.  We need to really dedicate 1 night a month totally child free for a date.  That is important that we have 1 on 1 time with each other.  In order to be good for our kids we need to be good in our relationship.

7.  Something else I am taking part in a goal I am determined to accomplished this year is the Project 365.

8. I want to spend more family time, even if that means we have to give up other activities because its most important to Don and I to raise our kids knowing they are important in our lives.  So we want to take trips with them, do free activities on the weekends, or even stay at home.  It is important to us that our children know that next to our relationship with God and our relationship with each other they are the most IMPORTANT relationship in our lives. This also includes day trips for me and the kids.  I stay at home with them and there are a lot of activities including free ones available to us!!!

9.  ok so this might be a resolution but its one we need to work on big time...BE ON TIME!!!  I am always late late late. 

10.  Cook from scratch more, over the past 2 years we have been working on a more natural life and parenting style.  We have made steps in living more green, parenting naturally, and now I want to really work on cooking more naturally/organically.  I think making things from scratch vs. using boxed food is a good step in that direction.  We already buy more organic foods and are moving away from packaged/processed foods.  However, we need a lot of work in this area.  We will never completely move away from can,packaged, processed foods, but its my goal to be more conscience of what I am feeding the family.  Plus I love to cook and bake!

These are important goals for our family and we cannot wait to see what 2011 holds for us.