New Year.

I have a blog (or 2) I follow with great conversation or blog/journal prompts.  I debated between the 2 for this post.  One was 10 Things I WON'T Change in 2013.

I reallllly wanted to do that one.  I really wanted to stick with my anti-resolution tradition.  My annual resolution was to have no resolutions and I was great at keeping it.

But I opted for this prompt instead...

Looking back in the 2012 vault of your mind, how have you improved your life, character, spiritual well-being or health?

I can think of a few ways I have improved, but have a desire to seek changes for this year.  I almost feel 2012 was the fastest, most whirl wind year of my life. To recap: The final few weeks of 2011 ended with news of another move.  With in days of the start of '12 we were feet on the ground in Atlanta house hunting.  It was the first clue this move was going to be rocky.  The transition from job acceptance to "official" hotel residents of Atlanta was FAST.  Then there was the 3 months in a hotel.  One month living in the house BEFORE we actually owned it.  So, six months after job acceptance we were "settling" in.

My constant desire for answers, control & clear paths has eased & improved through our move of '12.  The two moves in two years has created in me a more relaxed, go-with-the-flow, ultimately more patient person.  I wish that means it has translated to mean more calm & not snappy when my little ones rally against me, but baby steps. The stress, the phone calls, the emails all gave me excuses & helped me justify my reaction or lack there of  to my kids' actions/behaviors. This leaves room for improvement for this year!

I've learned home is definitely where you make it.  Setting up, decorating and organizing yet another home can be therapeutic for someone like me. Yet, I also have little motivation because it seems we JUST did that.  So now that it is feeling like we have our bearings here, I want to jump on the ball this year and get some projects done to make this more our home. Stay tuned for Home Tour photos.

I have learned how very much we had grown to love our new little life in AZ.  I so deeply miss my friend there and waiver from longing for such a connection here to wanting to be a recluse in my home.  Our hearts ache each Sunday for our church in AZ.  A song on the radio or on my phone can transport me back to worship there.  I miss the messages that were delivered & our volunteer opportunities.  I pray we find connection here this year and God makes clear what that looks like.

My spiritual maturity and faith have probably  improved the most throughout our relocations. I'm not sure I ever would have had opportunities to practice displaying fruits of His spirit without such life changes. For that I am grateful.  Stress, distance from family & friends luckily forces a dependence on Him. Through trails and such solitude He becomes more clear to me.  I am looking to purchase a new Bible this week for more daily application & study.  I have a huge mongo study Bible.  I have two cute purse/compact sizes for on the go.  But looking for a good in between. I also want to do more with the boys.  They tend to lean toward dino books each.and.every.night.  Would like to get more bible stories read to them.

My health improved between May – Oct. of this past year. Back in May Matt & I started to make some life style changes in our eating and added some fitness to fight off the old age we were feeling. :)  I had managed to lose about 10lbs prior to my brothers Oct. wedding.  Time to shed the pop- AGAIN. I had quit pop which went from one almost daily in AZ to multiple a day during move stress. Well, time to get back on the wagon. I am determined to enter '14 healthier.  Not necessarily a number of lbs to lose.  Not a particular size of clothing I'm aiming for.  Just better choices.  Better health. More energy.  More comfortable with myself. I have specific ideas on how I do & don't want to reach this goal.  More on that another time.

I loved using this blog as a way for family to keep up on our adventures.  I have been so slacking I've probably lost any folks that used to follow along.  But I want to get back to blogging more.  To document our life and sharing is also therapeutic for me! :)

I'm in the middle of two books right now I want to finish.  Unglued is a book I'm reading as a study with a KS friend.  Excited to finish it and love what I've learned thus far.  I am almost done with Kisses With Katie.  Honestly I read the majority of it on our drive home from KS in Oct and had such distressing dreams in the days following I haven't picked it back up to finish.  Need to do that. Once those are done I have stacks and stacks of books I've bought that I need to read.  Even at a chapter a day I could get a book or more done a month. Unfortunately the best way for me to fall asleep is reading.  A few lines in and I'm drifty.  So, this one is probably my least likely to succeed at. :)

Since our arrival home from our KS Christmas trip I've been cleaning, organizing & purging as if it's spring cleaning.  I'm hoping this gives me a jump start at having things done so I can take time to enjoy doing some things I love to do like scrapbooking, sewing...and blogging.  I tend to suffer from a notion that I can't do those things until EVERYTHING is done around the house.  Obviously that line of thinking has me constantly chasing my tail and never doing those things I love.

Dates.  We have been so, so incredibly blessed to find such a sweet baby sitter here in GA.  With that I'd love to have a few more dates with the hubs.  A trip or getaway isn't in our budget and with no impending move providing another house hunting "couples getaway" a date night here or there will have to do! :)

So there's that.  Random.  Windy as usual.  Some improvements from last year and some I'd like to see improved by '14.  Time will tell....and I am a major procrastinator! ;)