A new year....a one-year-old....a purpose.

I would apologize for not writing in such a long time, but I've probably spoken in person with a majority of my (few) readers :) over the holiday season, and haven't had much time to write lately.

So, it's a new year.....Maggie turned one in January, and I can't believe how fast the year went by. I'm realizing more and more that time is something I need to be treasuring instead of wasting (which is what I am really good at doing). As much as I complain about the trials that being a mom can bring....I am loving my new role whole-heartedly, and I know I'll regret not savoring every moment more when my kids are older, and have no time for me :) Maggie had a wonderful first birthday, celebrated with her best baby friends and our close friends. She isn't walking yet, but she can stand on her own, and she walks with a push toy all around the house. She is such a joyous, happy child...I am sooooo very blessed to have her in my life. Her eyes are always full of light and love, and I can't begin to express how thankful I am that God has given this Gift to me. I know she will grow and change soooo much this next year....it'unbelievable when I am with a 2 year old, and I realize that Maggie will be doing the same things in less than a year! The human mind is quite remarkable...the way it absorbs and learns soooo much in the first 5 years of life---another reason why I am so thankful to be at home with her, to share these experiences with her, and teach her as much as I possibly can about the world around her, and how much she is loved by her family and God.

Purpose in the New Year....

I'm really trying to make a conscious effort to enjoy every day I have with my family, and to not view my roles as mother, wife, and homemaker as stifling my own personal interests, hobbies and passions in life. I've realized that I am standing in my own way when it comes to the aspects of my personal life that I either want to pursue or grow in. I choose how I spend my free time, and most of the time, it isn't on all the things "I wish I had time for". The truth is, I'll never have time for anything that I don't MAKE time for. These things include: prayer, knitting, crafting, journaling, reading, exercise, baking, organization around the home, etc. I am the QUEEN of excuses, and I've finally decided that blaming is getting me nowhere. I can be a mom, and knit, and have time to do my prayers and read spiritual books....I can make time for exercise--and it doesn't have to be at an expensive, fancy gym with cute workout outfits to wear when I go. I've decided to turn our office into my "workout room", which is nice because I can watch workout videos on Netflix, and do them in the privacy and convenience of my own home. I have a variety of videos in my "que" and I'm excited to mix it up throughout the week. I thought about joining a gym, because it would be nice to get away for an hour, but I realized I would have to pay someone to watch maggie while I went, and on top of gym membership fees, it would be more than we should pay for something I probably won't end up using enough.

So, the goal is to wake up early....a new concept for me (we'll see how it goes)...do my prayers, and do as much of a workout as I can before Maggie wakes up. As it stands now, Daniel and I let Maggie wake us up, and I nurse her in bed when she does, so I can "rest" more. I could easily get in an hour or 45 minutes of "me" time in the morning before she even wakes up. Lately, I rely on getting this "me" time late at night, when the house is quiet and Maggie is sleeping...but by then, I am pretty fried, and I tend to gravitate toward mindless activities....like watching movies or surfing the internet. These are things that aren't edifying...and I can go to bed earlier so that I can wake up to do things that are very edifying, and will jumpstart my day in the best ways possible---with prayer and exercise.

We'll see how this venture goes. I didn't get up this morning....but I did take maggie on a morning jog in her stroller, which was lovely...so hopefully I will do things like that on the days I fail to rise early. If anyone reading this is interested in doing something similar, or is already doing it...I'd love some accountability :)

well...maggie just woke up from a wonderfully long nap...so that's my cue to go! Hope you are all doing well!