Resolution update 8 months in

Oops a little late on this one...I forgot in the midst of back to school and all...

•charity knitting: I didn't do much knitting at all this month actually. Did a few small things for Christmas, but nothing for charity so to speak.
•reading: finished up The Odyssey. Definitely not going on my list of faves, but glad I read it. I then turned to re-reading Harry Potter and read books 1-4.

•devos: working through Paul's letters. Lost some consistency when Xav got sick and the daily schedule changed. Trying to get back into it and hoping that I will keep it up while working.

•weightloss and fitness: I try to go for at least one walk and/or bike ride each day. I hope to still take some afternoon walks after I get home from work.

•family: of course I am doing well with this one! I love the time I get to spend with Mase and Xav this summer :-) Hopefully the school year doesnt cause too much stress.

Resolution update 7 months in

After more than half the year, I am pleased to say that my resolutions are holding on strong!

• charity knitting: I did A LOT of this this month: 2 sets of hat and mittens; 3 squares for knit-a-square (see earlier post); and 4 bookmarks that resemble House Scarves from Harry Potter for a JK Rowling reading charity.
• reading: read book 4 of Percy Jackson series and started The Odyssey (Homer). It is a bit slow going, but good for me to step out of my regular choices
• devos: working through Paul's letters. Pretty consistent.
• weightloss and fitness: I am down past my goal (but still not to where I was before Xav); I try to go for at least one walk and/or bike ride each day. Sometimes more than one of each!
• family: of course I am doing well with this one! I love the time I get to spend with Mase and Xav this summer :-)

Charity Knitting

I was told about a charity called Knit A Square that you can knit or crochet 8 inch squares to make blankets for children orphaned by AIDS in South Africa. I couldn't resist making a few.

Resolution Update 6 months in

Here we go. Half way through 2010, I'm keeping up with my resolutions:

• Charity knitting: made two sets of hat and mittens fro ArtPrize Charity project through Clever Ewe
• Devos: had a little slump adjusting to the summer schedule from the work schedule, but back into it and going through Paul's letters
• Weightloss & fitness: still have a few extra pounds, but fit into all my old clothes now. I am loving going for walks and bike rides with Xavy this summer. I try to get out every afternoon unless it's way to hot for us to be comfortable.
• Reading: Read Catching Fire by S. Collins (2nd of the Hunger Games series), books 2 and 3 of the Percy Jackson series and Eclipse (although that doesn't actually fit the resolution because it was a re-read before seeing the movie)
• Family time: loving the extra time that I have with Xav and my more relaxed evenings with Mase. For the 4th, we hosted a party for some friends and family and that was fabulous as well!

Resolution update 5 months in to 2010

• charity knitting: fail. Didn't get anything done for charity this month. I hope to get back to that this month.
• devos: pass. Finished working my way through Proverbs. Moving on to Galatians - 2 Thes. I hit a good routine during the last month or so at school and I hope that I can get a good routine going at home this summer.
• reading: pass. Read Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult (didn't really like it. ok didn't like it at all). Read Hunger Games by S. Collins. (loved it. reading the sequel now).
• fitness: pass. Still losing a bit of weight (down to my goal - 12 more to get to where I was, but I am fine if I stay here). Enjoying walks with Xav. Hoping to get out on the bike with him this summer.
• enjoying family: Of course!!! I am thrilled about summer being here so that I have all day every day with my precious baby boy :-)

Resolution update - 4 months

Oops April changed to May and I totally forgot about writing!

• Reading:  I read Simon's Night and Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. I LOVED Percy Jackson and am excited to see the movie and read the rest of the books.
• Charity knitting: I made another set of the Artprize mittens and hat.
• Devos: I have done great with this one this month. I am working my way through Proverbs with the 17:18 series (see an earlier blog post for more into on how it works)
• Family time: Not only have I been able to enjoy time with Mase and Xav, but this month I got to go to Florida and spend time with Mom, Dad, sisters, a brother-in-law and some nephews, and some aunts, uncles and cousins!
• Exercise: The lbs are still coming off slowly - only a few more to goal weight! I have been biking and walking with Xav and Mase in the evenings :-)

Resolution update three months in...

• charity knitting - I made a hat and mittens set for a large scale charity project for next year's ArtPrize through my local yarn store.
• devos - I found the perfect time to do them (when I have nothing else to distract me!) and have been doing them for the past week :-) [working through Proverbs}
• weight loss and fitness - I fit into my skinny jeans today! I still have another 10 lbs to get to my goal (20 to get back to where I was) but I am still making progress and now with the nice weather I can walk and go out for rides on my new Cannondale
• reading - I read Freakonomics (educational and easy read) and Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult (very good as all of hers are)
• enjoying family time - how could I not enjoy the time I have with Xav?!?!? He's changing everyday so I am trying to take it all in. Mase and I love to just sit with him and listen to his stories :-)

Resolution update - 2 months in

At the end of the second month of 2010:

• charity knitting: I made some items for the NPC tuition assistance auction as well as another item for the NPC spring play
• book reading: I finished East of Eden (loved it) and just started Freakonomics
• exercise/weight loss: the pounds are coming off very slowly, but I have lost a few more this month. The bigger deal is that as I write this I am in my old jeans!!! I haven't been working out as much lately because I don't really have too much time with being back at work, but I am going to a Zumba class once a week.
• devos: still pretty much a fail. I am doing a little better while back at school because I lead class devos from time to time, but still am struggling with making personal devos a priority
• family time: still loving every minute I have with Mase and Xav. (I think I even value the time that I have with Xav more now that it is not as much - I can't take it for granted any more)

Resolution update - one month in

Well here we are one month in to 2010. By now or within the next two weeks most people will have given up on their resolutions so here's how I'm doing:

• knitting for charity: Pass - I made a few baby hats for my friend Amy's YoungLives group for pregnant teens and a hat for the Tuition Assistance Auction at NPC. This month I plan to make at least one more item for the auction.
• getting rid of the baby fat: Neutral - I have done some sort of exercise 5 days a week. I have enjoyed doing videos from Exercise TV that are free on demand with AT&T U-Verse. I particularly enjoy Bootyliscious Buns 1 and 2, Incredible Abs 2, and 6 Round Slim Down. I say this is neutral because I have only lost 5 lbs this month and still am a long way from fitting back into regular jeans, but I can tell that I have gained a lot of strength and endurance because I can do the workouts a lot better. I am planning on joining a Zumba Dance class this month.
• Read one new book: Pass - I read Godric by Fredrich Buechner and am about half way in to East of Eden by Steinbeck. I plan to read Freakonomics next.
• Devotions: Fail - I have done no better here. I just haven't made it a priority. Unfortunately this is probably the most important of all my resolutions and I have done the worst with it...
• Family time: Pass - I love the time I have been able to spend with Xav before going back to work. Also, Mason and I have been blessed to take several date nights because X has grandparents that beg to babysit!

So, there it is. Hopefully next month will be even better!

Resolutions take two

I forgot one:

• charity work. - Like so many I often feel that I don't have the time or money to give to charity work. (Although, let's face it, usually we actually do and just don't want to.) However, something I can do and enjoy doing is knitting. When I delivered X, the nurse put an adorable hand knit hat on his head. When I asked her where it came from, she said that a group of ladies makes them for the hospital. I thought, "I can do that!" So I have already made 5 little baby hats. It occured to me last night, though, that a friend of mine runs a program called YoungLives for pregnant teens and young women. Most of these girls are going at it alone, so to speak, with little to no support from family. I decided that they may enjoy these hats more. So my resolution is to continue knitting for charity this year.

New Years Resolutions 2010

OK so I guess this is a few days late, but it's amazing how much time that kid takes! Last year my olnly resolution was to learn to knit and I definitely kept that. Hopefully this year I will do as well with them. Here are my resolutions/goals for 2010:

• get rid of the baby fat! - This is the first time in my life that I have ever made a resolution about fitness or weight loss. I have been blessed with a great metabolism so have never really had to think about my weight before. This year though, I have some extra pounds to shed. Also, I want to not only lose the weight, but also get in shape. Perhaps working toward a 5K or something, but I'm not going so far as to make that an actual resolution!
• do better with devotions. - OK so it won't actually be too hard to do better with devotions because last year I was really bad at it. I did awesome for about a month before Xavier came along, but now again since I've had him, I have fallen out of the habit again. That's really what it needs to become I guess, a habit. I want to work towards devotions being a part of my daily ritual.
• read one book I've never read before each month. - Fiction, nonfiction, religious, anything! One new book a month.
• enjoy my time with my husband and my baby. - You never get time back so I want to make sure that I use mine wisely. I want to enjoy the time that I have with Mason and Xavier because X will never be a baby again, and as they say, they grow up so fast!

Well now they're in writing and out there for everyone to see, so hopefully I'll be accountable to them! :-)