Happy New Years!!!

Lastnight was NYE!! And we celebrated by...being asleep by the time the ball dropped! LOL!!! We are SO exciting!! Let's face it, life with a toddler and baking Landon is exhausting, there are very few reasons good enough to keep me up to midnight. Staying up to watch movies with my 13 year old sister last week?? Definitely worth it... Staying up to ring in the New Year... nope...not good enough to me, lol! I know so many that are excited for 2013 because 2012 didn't treat them well. I'm sorry that they had rough years! We've been there. Thankfully 2012 was a pretty good year for our family. While it had its ups and downs it was more ups than downs this time. I'm thankful for the year we had, thankful for the blessings and lessons it taught and looking forward to the year ahead.

One of the things I expect to see a lot of today is everyone's New Year's Resolutions. I don't make them. Why? Because 90% of the time you just break them...so why make a resolution (or promise) that you won't keep?! It's just silly to me. But I do like to look ahead for the coming year and set goals. Because if I don't reach my goals its usually not because I didn't try...I may not have tried hard enough, but I'm pretty good about trying. So I've decided to set 5 personal goals for 2013.

1. To continue to work on my OCD behaviors. I've made HUGE leaps in the past few years. Those who know me will agree that in the past year or two I've made big changes with my ability to give up control and relax more. I worry less, and let far more just roll off my shoulders. I've learned through both life and faith that I cannot control my life. If the past four years haven't taught me that...well I would have missed a huge life lesson. We've had major things happen in the past four years but if I've learned anything from those things it's this... You cannot control everything, worrying about it does absolutely no good because what will be, will be. God is in control of my life, only He knows the plans He's set forth for me and He has a reason for everything that happens in our lives. While some of the things we've faced seemed devastating at the time, they each taught us something, and in hindsight...they were all for the best. That's a hard lesson for a type A personality like me to learn...it took a bit. But I hope I can continue to grow to have faith, to trust in God's plans for my life, and to worry less by doing so.

2. To cook more! LOL This seems to simple but I'm not a great cook. I guess I didn't spend enough time watching my Mother and Grandmothers cook as a kiddo. I remember spending a lot of time in the kitchen with them while they cooked but I don't remember paying attention to what they were actually doing. I want to feed my family better, feed myself better. I need to plan ahead to cook nutritious meals and provide ready to eat, easy, healthy snacks/breakfasts/work lunches for hubs. I'm going to start experimenting with some recipes and when I find things that work I'll stick to them. I want to make bulk items of some breakfast/snack foods that we like and freeze them for easy mornings. I for some reason am getting pickier about what we eat. Maybe because I'm feeding Emilie. I laugh at the nutritious meals I present her while I eat junk. I don't know WHY I don't feed myself as well as I do her...but it's on my list of things to fix. Wish me luck! This one will be hard!

3. To craft more. Ok, I craft a lot. But I keep it to myself for the most part. I have a few select friends and family that I routinely craft for. I see things and make it for myself or one of them and call it quits. I'd like to change that a bit. I'd like to make an effort to put some of my items out to the masses. I don't expect it to do much, but I have SEVERAL of my designer friends that have started "crafting" side businesses and they are all successful! I find myself green with envy when in reality I'm just as capable of doing that as they are...the difference is...I haven't! I want to work on some of my items. Hone them until they are great, and then try setting up an Etsy store. If they don't sell they don't sell, that isn't really the point. The point is knowing I tried. My goal is to have an Etsy store up by the end of the year and to have at least a few sales. We'll see. This one's tricky as this will be a busy year adjusting to a new baby in the house. Lots of changes, but I think its doable. I'm going to give it a good try!

4. I'm going to date my husband! LOL! I know...that sounds ridiculous. But we get caught up in the day to day parenting/working/life madness and I think it would be good for us. I'm going to take advantage of the generous people in my life who WANT to spend time with my child (soon children) and allow them to so that we can get some small breaks. Now as ridiculous as this sounds...it makes me sick to my stomach. I adore my daughter. To the point that I enjoy time with her so much, I don't like to share her. I also have some issues with anxiety and get nervous about leaving her. I want to work on that because it isn't healthy for any of us to not leave her some. And with another one coming...we'll need it even more.

5. I'm going to nurture my relationships better. I have gotten so busy in the day to day stuff that I've not talked to some people who are huge in my life in much too long!! There are people that I care about and love that I rarely talk to anymore...when we catch up its great...but I want to be involved in their lives, not constantly playing catch up! I need to make the time every day/week/month to check in with my friends and family members that I don't talk to regularly. I'm going to be a better friend, cousin, aunt, sister, ect. And I plan to get out of my homebody ways and come see some of you! LOL

So while I'm not making "resolutions" I have set several goals for myself and my family over the year ahead. It's a big year! We'll welcome a new member into our lives and home. I pray that we adjust to this HUGE change with grace and our lives will be richer for it. I HATE change. DO not handle change well...at all. (Unless it's to my house/decor/ect...that I love!) But I'm getting better. I'm working hard at embracing changes. I hope to look back on this blog post next New Years and say whooo hooo!! We did it!!

I hope you all have a wonderful New Years and a wonderful year ahead!!

Mommy Radar, Planning Ahead, & Good Eating

My Mommy radar is on alert. I hate when that happens...when you feel like something not quite right but there's nothing to pin it on?? Em's had the sneezes for about a week but otherwise has been just fine. The last several days we have to practically force feed her and she's got that "tired" look. I do NOT want a sick kiddo over Christmas this year, you may remember her last Christmas was marked with breathing treatments and severe croup...it was AWESOME! NOT! Hoping its just a phase and I'll have nothing to report in the coming days, but...I'll keep you posted!

Yesterday was my 20/21 week checkup for baby Landon and he was given his official delivery date!! I know its early for that, but when your having a big surgery apparently they like to get it on the books early. Landon will be delivered on April 9th, 2013. Cut time is supposed to be 7:30 a.m. (check-in time before 5...YUCK!) but I was warned they tend to run a bit behind at this O.R. We'll have my main doctor and then another OBGYN surgeon coming in to assist and "learn" about my surgery. I'm having a C-Hyst, it's not a common surgery so not many surgeons will do them, or have done them in their careers. Luckily my surgeon has done 15-20 in his career, the latest being just a year ago, so I'm confident in his abilities. The doctor coming in to assist has never seen one and wants to learn. I'm providing a good "teachable moment". Glad I can help out! LOL (P.S.- I have a past history that requires a hysterectomy, so it was the smartest alternative for my body to do it all in one surgery.) So after baby Landon is safely removed from his home of nine months, he and Daddy will go meet Grandma in recovery (or my next room, I don't know which yet) and wait for my hysterectomy to be finished. THEN I'll get to have some real bonding time with my baby boy. It will be a long morning for all of us, but I'm thankful we have a date in mind and can begin to mentally prepare ourselves. I don't care how prepared we are...my guess is Grandma is snuggling Landon and Daddy is pacing the halls/room nervously. We'll see if I'm right in just four short months!

Because I'm me...completely OCD (to the point of being CDO!), a planner to the core, and honestly just a little ridiculous...having this date sent me into a tailspin of planning chaos. Yesterday I had my calendar open and was virtually planning the next six months away. Realistically the next four months will fly by and if I don't start now I'll regret it in March. I don't want the stress and anxiety of that come March so I'm planning ahead now. As for the several months after the baby...well...I have no idea how long it will take to get my head on straight and return to a normal routine, so anything I can do ahead of time to reduce later stresses...yup...I'm doing! Which includes planning my two year olds' third birthday party-- 6 MONTHS EARLY?! WHAT?! I'm crazy right?! Nope...She'll turn three just 3 1/2 months after Landon arrives and we all know how those first few months go. So if I can plan it now while I have the time and am realistic about what I can manage, then all the better! So Emilie will be having a gymnastics party with 2-24 of her closest friends. They will provide the decorations, fun, goodie bags, and location...I just provide some cupcakes. UM YES!!!! Done and DONE!

I have to pat myself on the back a little. I've been trying to plan and cook for us a little better so we saved money and ate out less. Its not easy for me, I don't necessarily enjoy being in the kitchen cooking, but I've been making a valiant effort lately. Sunday we were busy!! We had lunch with friends after church, took a nap when Em did (it is the day of rest after all!), cleaned house all afternoon once she was up, and I still had dinner to serve. So I went for the easiest meal of all-- Spaghetti. Now let me preface this by saying that I HATE spaghetti. I hate it with a passion. It's boring and just not appealing to me. It probably stems from my childhood when I ate a lot of spaghetti because it was quick, easy, cheap, and fed us all. My brother and Dad love spaghetti so it was made often in our home. It was just never my thing. I've been trying the last few rounds to make little changes to my spaghetti (and I mean little...it must be easy or it isn't worth it to me) to make it edible. I finally did it! I made spaghetti that had even ME going for seconds, it was amazing!! Now this could be to blame on the little boy growing in my uterus because he tends to make me like his Daddies favorite foods in ways I never have, but I'm going to attribute it to my new way of cooking it. Same three ingredients, just in a slightly different order. I made the noodles and browned my meat, drained both, and then mixed them together before adding the sauce and letting it all simmer/cook (I let it really bubble a bit) for a while. The sauce plumped up the noodles and the flavor soaked into them. It was AWESOME! So simple- yet finally something I could enjoy! Hubs was happy...he LOVES spaghetti and I usually refuse to make it. I may add it back into the rotation now! Then Monday I made homemade sour cream chicken enchiladas. They are a recipe a friend and I worked up a few years ago and are still a family favorite in my house. SO simple - yet amazing! We cook and shred 4 chicken breasts. Throw it in a bowl with a can of drained rotel, a pile of shredded cheddar, and about half a container (the large one) of sour cream. Mix it together and spoon it into enchiladas. Then cover the enchiladas with more sour cream and shredded cheddar and bake. 30 min at 350degrees until the cheese is melted and they are heated through. SO simple! They feed 4 adults easily :) Just in case you plan to try it.

So I've basically written you a book without saying much at all. Think its time to sign off but since I promised you the true image of this sweet smile once I had it, here you go! I'm big on keeping promises ya'll!

PS-- The wall behind the buffet is painted, valances have been made, the bench seat is on its way to recovered...lots of pictures coming soon!!! I need a better camera!!