Would you believe my children have been gone since 5pm yesterday evening? I’m sitting here in a quiet house with no children!!!! My sister Amanda and her husband are watching them for me. Yesterday evening with Rich, just the two of us, was amazing. We were a little sad when we shut the door behind the kids and watched them go off down the road with Uncle Jason, but we got over it and we watched football together! I enjoyed watching it, I normally don’t but last night it felt like a date and it was FUN. We ate chips and chili and just relaxed together.
This morning I have done some chores, but the best thing of all was was sitting and writing in my journal for the first time in ages. I sat and thought through my New Year’s resolutions and did some reading in my Bible and some other books. Amanda doesn’t plan on bringing the children home until this evening so the whole day is before me like a gift.
I thought I would sit and write out my thoughts here on my blog, for the New Year. I really wanted to think of “New Year’s resolutions” as a way to improve my life . . . .but with changes that would feel deep down good. Not necessarily because I HAVE to, but because I WANT to.
First of all. My motto for the year is to ENJOY LIFE. This really means a lot to me because happiness, in my opinion, has a lot to do with attitude. Even if you are a Christian, that doesn’t mean much (when it comes to enjoying life). Sad to say I’ve seen a lot of generally miserable-looking Christians which is strange because we really should be the happiest people on the face of the earth. The Lord is really pressing on my heart to ENJOY the life He has given me.
“A cheerful heart is good medicine.” Proverbs 17:22
(hot beverages in the wintertime make me happy)
“Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward.” Ecclesiastes 7:18
“From now on, I am going to grab the good times with both arms. I am going to walk outside and feel the sun on my face and learn to laugh, really laugh again. Most of all, I’m going to take the love that comes my way and hold on to it for dear life. Sometimes we don’t need new scenery, just new eyes.” ~ Dawn Miller
Here are some ways in which I can enjoy life more:
~LAUGH and SMILE a lot (if I forget “how”, watch the children and do what they do!)
~ BE LIGHTHEARTED (don’t take things so seriously, which I tend to do)
~REMEMBER that it’s all in the attitude
~QUIT COMPLAINING TO MY HUSBAND (for some reason, he’s the one I feel I am free to complain to!)
~Say and think “THANK YOU” a lot (an attitude of gratitude)
~QUIT ANALYZING THINGS SO MUCH — Instead of focusing on whether an aspect of life is “easy” or “hard”, just LIVE LIFE.
(the fourth corner of Seth’s blanket is done. Jacob embroidered this Dear Mushroom.)
(my Dear Mushroom salt and pepper shakers make me very happy)
Here are a few more of my resolutions:
Be a little more creative by making things and adding my own personal touches where ever I can. This will be fun for me, and challenging, because in order to be creative I need to know my likes and dislikes and feel comfortable enough to express them.
Beauty—Look for God’s beauty and do what I can to add some of my own to my life. To some extent I already do this, but it’s fun to be aware and be deliberate in relishing and adding beautiful things around me.
Health—focus on my own, and my family’s health by making sure we eat good food, and get plenty of fresh air and sunshine. Study up on the subject. Learn more.
God’s Word—one of my resolutions is to put Bible verses in every room. I also want to read the Bible with the expectation that it will amaze me. I look forward to his truths filling my heart with light and wonder.
OTHERS–I love to encourage so this year I want to encourage whoever God lays on my heart, in bold ways. For instance, I have been thinking about Rich’s Aunt Mildred for several days now. She has health issues and is basically a shut in. She sent us a nice Christmas card and today I want to sit down and write her back and perhaps find a little something (a candle?) to send along with the note, just to brighten her day. I firmly believe in letting the Holy Spirit guide me in my ministry to others….there is safety in that, as He will never give me too much to do or allow it to become a heartless duty instead of a love-act.
Random question: I love to read and I was hoping, if any of you know of books that will make me laugh and laugh, that you would please let me know the titles. Thank you!
Okay, that about wraps things up here. I did also want to ask you to pray for me and my family if you think of it. Rich is at work now, but has a flight to catch this afternoon, for a business trip and he won’t be back until Thursday.
I just wanted to ask you to pray for him as he tr
avels, and for me and the children while he is away. I already know God is blessing, and answering my needs, by the way Amanda and Jason have so generously provided a quiet day for me today.
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ICE HOCKEY PHOTOS—-Rich and the children are finally able to ice skate on the pond. Rich went out on Saturday, with the kids, to buy them hockey sticks. While he was doing that, I was able to get my hair cut (and yes, Rich does like it, by the way). They have been playing hockey and skating all weekend long.
Rich used his snow blower to clear the ice:
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And that’s all for this very long post. My mind is constantly on baby now, and getting ready for the big delivery day (he’s due 2/12). I’ll be updating my site when I can. 
Blessings to you and yours……
Love ~Shanda~
Good to be Home 
I love you a bunch…and wish I could sit down to a cup of cocoa with you. I like your “new year” focus. Hope you enjoy your day off.
Thanks for the lovely update and “new year” post There was so much encouragment for me in it, especially since my 2009 got off to a rough start. I, too, want to enjoy life more, and laugh and smile more. It was good to hear from another Christian woman who has the same goals.
You have such a beautiful family!! Enjoy your time today…and what a fabulous list of focus’s for the new year….I really like the one about putting the bible in every room. When is your due date??
What a great job Jacob did on the mushroom! Looks like everyone’s having a good time on the ice — I ice skated a lot when I was a kid — always had frozen feet!!
I admire your resolutions. Those are way better than the typical “lose weight” oriented ones we hear so much about. Part of the reason I refrain from making resolutions is because they seem so vain and meaningless. Yours have clearly been pondered well and I wish you all happiness this year.
What a great post! Happy New Year to you! I think I’m going to aim for some of those same things. 🙂 And, my mind is constantly on babies now as so many are coming in our life! I think of Seth often. I’m excited for him to arrive!!!
“QUIT ANALYZING THINGS SO MUCH — Instead of focusing on whether an aspect of life is “easy” or “hard”, just LIVE LIFE.”
I’m totally like that. I always keep thinking about how my life is hard or not as I imagined it would be etc etc. I know I need to stop doing that. It drains me of my energy and zest for life. Today I WILL and enjoy cleaning up my house and getting groceries and enjoy having my husband home even if he is on his laptop not talking to me while he is researching job offers (he wants to start his own business….which i know will take years of hard work and dedication on his part while i’m alone with the children). I can view all theses things as burdens or as blessings……..as an interesting life. I’m never bored…EVER. Kind of like I either view the glass as half empty (which i seem to do alot) or half full!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for this reminder
Great post and great resolutions! Good luck this year!
Great resolutions. Enjoy your quiet time. 🙂
Countdown to baby….!!!!!!!!! What a wonderful treat to have a day to yourself! Oh, and amen to not usually enjoying watching football, I am in the same boat 🙂 Although, watching the Steelers beat the Chargers was pretty fabulous seeing as how my best friend is a Bandwagon Chargers fan (we love to tease her)! Hope your days are filled with relaxation as you await the arrival of your new little man.
I’m happy for your alone time. I know alone time feels odd, because it doesn’t happen very often. I have made a scientific study of how much alone time I get when my children are here. I realized, I can’t sing a song completely through (all the verses) without being interrupted! It’s a way of life – MY life.Don’t analyze everything? Ewww! That’s what *I* need to work on, too!
I so love this post. I knew I would as soon as I saw the title! It made me smile to see how many of our resolutions run along the same lines; we tend to say the same things in such different ways. It’s what makes me treasure our friendship so.
I have to stop the complaining, too. That’s why I have to stop saying ‘I’m tired’ all the time to my husband. And after I get the downstairs painted, I want to stencil verses over the windows of each room. I thought I would get the wooden signs, but I can’t find them. Let me know if you find some.
Love ya! Enjoy your day!
A great, uplifting post. I especially liked the colorful snowsuits. 🙂
That is so nice that your sister took the kids & you can have some time to think & enjoy the quiet. I will pray for you & your family while your husband is away & hope his travels are safe. Those snow pictures are so good! We have yet to get a good snow:( Your resolutions are something I can also reflect on, I complain alot to my husband also, I need to be better at that:)
great post Shanda. Sometimes we can be so serious as mommies. It is good to look for that joy and happiness. I just read about a pastor that had cancer and started listening to the Bible…had it going 24/7 in his bedroom. He was told he had weeks to live, and it has now been something like 13 years. The word is so powerful. Good thought to put it everywhere in the house.
Let me know about any good funny joyful reads you know of. Seems we do not get that as adults. Have you read the Mitford series by Jan Karon? Great fiction, with many laughs, tears, deep thoughts, great characters. David picked them up and started reading because he heard me laugh, so the laughter is there. I like that the author shows real life situations and living them as a Christian.
Also, I recomend Pocketful of Pinecones by Karen Andreola. Not ness. funny. But so fitting as it is about a mom who homeschools and the nature around her. A series of journal entries. Set in 1930’s.
A children’s book series that David and I read out-loud when he was in grade school was The Melendy Quartet by Elizabeth Enright. Starts with “The Saturdays” which will introduce you to the family…but the following three books are best as they are set out in the country. “Four story mistake”, “Then there were Five”, and “Spiderweb for two”. Lots of laughter and joy as we read those out loud together.
The iceskating looks so beautiful and fun too. My husband remarked at all the baking you do… all those tummy’s must get hungry with all that good excercise. My boys used to play roller hockey a lot.
We thought that the posts might be spaced some with the new baby. We know that some journaling of little Seth and everyone will happen though…we always enjoy whatever you are able to do! Praying for you! Jenny
The ATTITUDE…thanks for that reminder.Wishing you the very best these last days before you have your little one in your arms instead of your tummy!HIS blessings to all.
I love all your resolutions! I’d also love to hear people’s book recs because I always love to laugh and I don’t do it enough!
If you visit http://www.nutritiondetectives.com there’s a program that your children can learn how to eat well. It’s a great program developed by Dr. Katz of Yale University Medical Center. I suspect your diet is already better than most, but I thought you might like to look at it. Maybe you could incorporate into your lessons. Many blessings to you and your family as you await the arrival of Seth.
Another wonderful post,Shanda! I pray I can enjoy life more in the coming years too.
So many of your resolutions are already the things I have admired about you from reading your blog! If I had to list reasons why I enjoy (and am inspired) from reading your blog, I would have to say it is your ability to notice and capture the little things of beauty in life and in your children (not only photos, but what you notice and how you write about it), your creativity (from your handwork, and baking to your writing style, to your photography, to your presentation of your pictures and use of fonts, and the creative activities you do with your children), your desire and efforts to be a good Christian and Mother, and your ability to seize and appreciate little moments with your children. You encourage your children and husband every day, and you encourage those of us reading your blog.It’s amazing how blind we can be to how others see us and our gifts….and a little sad….but I guess it’s always good to strive for improvement. Many prayers and hugs being sent to you, your hubby and your children.
An encouraging book and a good laugh at all the stories of her children is Lisa Welchel’s “Creative Correction,” if you haven’t already read it, I recently read it and it had me cracking up out loud laughing at the stories of her children!
Love the bright colored jackets ~ and guess why I like the song on your site ~
Enjoy life! Absolutely! Blessings, my dear!
@whateverstate – try this link http://www.rodandstaffbooks.com/list/Variety_Shoppe/ I ordered some of their laminated mottoes and posters (I found two versions of Ps. 23 in poster size for Caleb’s room and the boy’s “dorm” downstairs) and there are also those wooden plaques you talked about. I thought the prices were reasonable.
sometimes I feel like I am entitled to some complaining time to my husband…but it ends up in me and him just being frustrated with me always complaining…so I will work on the not complaining thing too…
Hope you enjoy your day.
first off, wonderfully cute new hair!! i think it looks spunky and fun. much like i imagine you to be. :)like your list of resolutions. good ones. especially about just enJOYing life! i read somewhere this quote that i thought would make a good quote for the year – – “Enjoy where you are, on the way to where you are going.” How often we miss the joy of NOW, because we’re too wrapped in what’s to come, or not come, or what happened, or didn’t. 🙂 🙂 how true, like you said, that so much of life is attitude ~ good reminder to be aware of mine! and speaking of enjoying.. enJOY that alone husband time you have! those are my absolute favorite times in the world. especially in the comfort and coziness of my own home = perfect!!can’t close w/out commenting on the hockey shots. i married a hockey player ya know, so feel a special smile break out whenever i see shots like this – it’s how he grew up. such wonderful memories for your kiddos – – and gee, they sure are cute kiddos too!! 🙂 {{big hug}} your way~ ps. your little seth is due a day before my birthday! maybe, maybe….. 🙂
I like your resolutions and the thought about attitude. It is so so true. Thanks for being there for me on my sad moment yesterday. The photo’s of your family are great. I love the last bunch. I hope that your aunt Mildred will be pleasantly surprised by your encouragment and thoughtfulness. How sweet of Amanda to take care of the kids for you. What a gift!
What a wonderful post!!What a beautiful family!My birthday is 2/11.Its an excellent day to be born, I am sure 2/12 would be pretty close too!xoxo, QE
Oh, also one of the funniest books EVER is called Babyhood by Paul Reiser (I think he’s a comedian, or maybe from the show Frasier??????) Anyhow, it’s a man’s interpretation on the whole baby thing-lol It really is hilarious–he does use a few choice words though, so you’d have to keep it out of the hands of the children. Nothing appaling though, just adult language here and there–:)
Wonderful post, Shan. Your “resolutions” are great- things I need to strive for in my own life. I need to smile and laugh more.
Hope you enjoyed your “day off”!! Praying for you this week… thanks for the reminder to ENJOY LIFE!! I love the idea to watch the children when we forget “how” to laugh and smile!! 🙂
I really enjoyed your post and reading some of your resolutions. Especially mentioning allowing the Holy Spirit to direct you in ministry, which i believe in (doing the same). A couple of books that I loved (and also my family) which we read allowed and were hilarious are, Owls in the Family ( a great read a loud for kids) and Cheaper by the Dozen (the original story). Wishing you all the best for the next few weeks, knowing God has his hand upon you and your family.
I love the song! Just think honey, Seth will be playing hockey with the fellas before you know it. I am SO glad for your allll of the good things you plan on doing this new year. ALL good! Praying for you today! M
I really enjoyed this post. What a great theme for the New Year. Your ice hockey pictures made me wistful. We haven’t been out to skate yet this winter and I am looking forward to doing so.
I’ve been enjoying the song you posted…I could image you whole family singing it with and to you!And how wonderous…a personal skating pond for the kids and a cute snow-blower dude for you!
I love the resolutions, I have a tradition of reading the resolutions I have written in every year past, I always write them out in my journal and this year I can’t find my journals!!! Over twenty years worth, I know I put them in a very safe place!
I like what Dawn Miller wrote about seeing with new eyes.
this was so nice to read so many years later! Still so relevant today!