Focus.

New Year's Resolutions have never been my thing.

I rarely keep one, and when I do I often feel miserable. I enjoy exercising, but when it becomes a daily requirement the fun and excitement of it dissipates quickly. Dieting has also been a concept that I rarely master. I feel as though I eat in moderation, but the need to steer myself away from certain foods or to completely go cold-turkey on a food group makes me crave those items even more.

Instead of setting a resolution that I know I will never keep I've decided to gear my attention towards one word to pave my way for 2012.

This year my source of inspiration is the word focus. It really is a personality flaw that I am trying to overcome. While I believe that I am highly motivated my lack of focus often steers me away from actually achieving simple daily tasks as well as long-term goals.

I love the word focus because I feel that it is pertinent to every aspect of my life.

I plan on being a more focused mother that stops using movies as a way to entertain my child, and I plan to spend more time developing his talents and knowledge base.  

I want to be a more focused wife that tries to see my husband's frustrations not as a backlash against me, but as a need for love, understanding, and reassurance.

I want to be a more focused blogger that doesn't sporadically disappear for a week, but as a reliable everyday blogger with regularly featured posts (to be discussed later...).

I also want to become more focused with a budget. I am not great at couponing or saving every penny, but I do want to be better at balancing my checkbook regularly and knowing exactly how much I am spending. I have often caught myself buying things out of want rather then necessity and I want to begin to consciously think about what I am purchasing.

Minimalism is a great thing.  

This year I also want to focus more on developing my personal talents. Since entering the realm of motherhood many of the things I use to enjoy have been replaced with mother/wife duties. I love where I am at this stage in my life, but I feel that sometimes I loose myself within the day-to-day tasks of helping others.  I truly believe that to be happy everyone needs to have at least one outlet that helps build their talents and skills, rather then always catoring to the needs of others'.

I also want to be more focused at writing letters. I've never been a great letter writer, but I want to become one. The age of email is amazing and creates a convenience that makes letters a thing of the past.  My Grandma also said the most precious gifts she ever received were simple hand-written letters of kindness because they are a true act of sacrifice--they require time, attention, and love.

I want to focus on reading the written word rather then getting me daily entertainment from a television. I love the feeling of being enlightened by a great book, I love the challenge and discourse that takes place when talking about what the author meant and how the reader perceived the story. Books provide a simple pleasure that is not easily found in many other things.

Finally, I want to focus on becoming as knowledgeable as possible about natural birth. When Brecken was born there was a small part of motherhood that I never had the chance to experience. I was sedated, drugged, induced, and medicated to the point that the experience was an emotionless blur.  I never had the chance to be in tune with my body to understand a contraction and the change a woman experiences when giving birth. I never experienced the physical pain and joy that comes with the birth of a child.

I felt as though I was displaced  and out of touch with my own body. This time around, I want to be able to read my body, feel the emotions of childbirth and experience the overwhelming happiness of holding a newborn baby.

I'm asking a lot, right?

;)

I am so excited to welcome in this new year-- to begin re-focusing my life, to prepare for the birth of another child, and to welcome this new chapter with open arms.

What are your New Year's Resolutions? Do you keep them? Do you not? What are you most looking forward in the year to come?

Thanks for stopping in and I hope you have a great night!

Christmas 2011

This year's Christmas was full of a lot of "firsts".

Maybe it was because Punk actually played with his presents (halle-freakin'-lujah), or maybe it was because it was my first time being pregnant during Christmas.

Whatever it may have been it felt nice.

There was lots of food--it's no exaggeration when I say my Mom makes enough treats that she ends up putting them in five gallon buckets--multiple five gallon buckets.

True story, the lady has this need to cook in bulk.

Loveyoubunches Mom, but your food is making me get some saucy hips.

;)

Christmas was also full of a lot of naps, gingerbread making masterpieces, my parents dressing up as Mr. and Mrs. Claus, presents adorned in Justin Bieber wrapping paper (for real), and a very 80s-tastic Obermeyer Snowsuit.

It's an epic snowsuit that only Kambrie could "fit" into--we had to squish her chest into it (TMI?)....don't kill me for telling everyone Kam...

Seriously, Christmas you should come around more often. Once a year just isn't enough.

Hope your Christmas was merry too!

New Year's Printable

  

Want to make your own New Year's Eve printable? Here you go.

 download here

 download here

 download here

 download here

download here

For the 2011 New Year's printable I mixed things up a bit, you can check it out here.

20/40

Merry Christmas friends!

I spent the entire weekend without opening up my laptop or typing away on my phone.

That's big news around here.

I was also at my parent's house too so when you are use to wi-fi and then have to resort to dial-up the world becomes a very sloooow place.

;)

I hope you all had a fantastic and enjoyable weekend and I can't wait to post pictures of ours soon.

Hope your day is going well.

A Sweet Treat

I've had a hard time in years past figuring out what to give as neighbor gifts.

This year I found a cute idea at a Holiday Show and I decided to replicate it over and over and over again.

You will need: spoons, Wiltons melting chocolates, and marshmallows.

Dip each spoon in the melted chocolate, pop a marshallow on top then let it dry.

Once dry, dip the entire spoon in chocolate, cover in sprinkles, and wrap in celaphane bags. 

We delivered each goodie bag with a Christmas card, but if I would have been more on top of things this year I would have delivered them with hot cocoa packets and mugs.  

Your neighbors. friends. co-workers. teachers. kids. husbands (and you) will love them.

promise.

19/40

Bridget from Tales of Me and the Husband chronicled her pregnancy through a series of pictures and letters to her little Parker.

I loved the idea--so I am going to use it too. She's a real genius.

Thanks bunches!

knocked up.

 True story.

Hunk got all suave one day and WA-BAM! Baby on the way.

Note to all you ladies out there: stay away from suave husbands.

;)

We would have announced the big small arrival sooner, but we wanted to make sure we covered all our bases and told friends, family, co-workers, bosses, our cashiers, the mailman, and the garbage man first.

joking...

This pregnancy has been such a relief and I can't believe how great I feel. After Brecken's pregnancy and my ectopic pregnancy the thought of having another baby again made me sick/scared/terrified/exhausted.

Initially, I was sick during the first trimester and had the usual signs--nausea, cravings, amazing sense of smell, sore chest, and being tired 24/7.

Now, I am great. I still have energy to play with Punk and other then the occasional flitter in my stomach and the need to go to bed at 8,  I have been been able to maintain a regular schedule.

And aren't you lucky because you only have to wait two weeks until we find out if our bundle of joy will be blue or pink.

We'll  find out. I don't have the self-control to not know. And when the baby kicks my bladder in the middle of the night and makes me pee my own pants in bed and I want to be able to yell at he/she in gender-correct names.

Punk doesn't really understand the baby thing yet.

I imagine if he was older this would have been his initial reaction.

;)

I'll point to my stomach and say "baby" and then he'll point at himself and say "Good Boo Boo."

We'll need to work on it....

Either way, I think he will be a great big brother. He loves to sit on babies (another habit we will have to kick in the butt). 

Can you read his shirt? 

My sister made it for his birthday (it's how we announced the new arrival to the fam)

It reads: 

Only Child

Big Brother

This year's favorites...

Need some help "Santa?"

 Here are few ideas....

;)

1. Weekly Planner

2. Sunglasses

3.  Zip Cuff Boots

4. Rug

5. Best Lip Gloss. Ever.

6. Chocolate Truffles

7. Farmers Market Baskets

8. MacBook Air

9. Lens

10. Camera Bag

11. Shirt

12. Pillow

13. Wire Basket

the hunt

After the first tree turned out to be a bust (literally). We went on the Christmas tree hunt again.

We were forced to do the unthinkable.

We bought a tree.

Blasphemy, I know.

We live in Montana and can't scrape up a Montana Christmas Tree.

But this one is probably from China anyway.

joking.

no, really.

But time is limited, the days are short, and December is here and we needed a tree like I need some freaking caffeine.  

Home Depot and Lowe's were pitted against each other, and while we scanned both meager selections Lowe's ended up winning the battle.

Better luck next time Home of the Depot.

It was our first for a lot of reasons:

First "bought" tree
First time we had options. Like? no. This one? never. That one? heck no. Over there? Sure. I am freezing..

First tree we didn't have to drag through the snow for what seemed like miles.

First tree that was "bagged and tagged" for us.

First tree that actually resembled a Christmas Tree.

First tree that needed it branches pushed down due to the torpedo shrink wrap.  

Even though it sits in the corner still undecorated because that's how we roll, it is radiating this smell that makes it feel like Christmas every time I walk into the house.

Project Tree Decorating will begin tonight.

Stay tuned for the deets on this epic event...

Some days.

Some days I wish I had a little girl.

Pink. Ruffles. Bow ties. Curly Hair. Accessories. Frills. Glam. Soft whites. Dainty Feet.

But then I remember that while I may not have a girl I have a boy that is o.k. with satisfying his Momma's girl cravings--until his Dad demands that I remove all clips from his hair.

;)

In other great news. Happy December!

I am a little late welcoming in the new month--but we didn't fail in celebrating it!

Hunk cut down a tree (kinda), we went to a Bozeman Christmas Stroll, witnessed the Bobcats win a playoff game, watched an amazing Christmas Devotional by the church, and pulled out all the lights and glitter.

My camera would have also participated if I knew where my battery charger was at....blasted.

We are also on the hunt for (another) Christmas tree tonight. When Hunk cut down the first one it was so cold (-14) that day that as he was dragging it back to the truck the limbs started to snap off.

Charlie Brown is usually the style we go for every year, but I decided that I wanted something a little more perfect (with all branches attached) this year.

So we are going to attempt the Christmas Tree Hunt again tonight. Wish us luck!