2011

Can you believe we are already a week into the new year? There are a few things this year that I can already look forward to. Our 10 YEAR anniversary, Christian turning 9 yrs old, Ashlee will be 7, I am going to have a niece this year. Already sounds exciting, right?

I have a 'Type A' personality, and love to plan things ahead of time so I'm prepared. Over the past few months though I'm really liking this "who knows what's going to happen, and let's just go with the flow" mentality.

I promised myself that I wouldn't start thinking about moving until the new year. I really just wanted to enjoy the holidays. Now that they are over with, I'm already making my lists and working on my projects. I found a PCS (permanent change of station) checklist on military.com that is so helpful. The checklist starts about 3 months away from your moving date, which for us would be March, crazy huh!? Rande is at a school right now in Ft. Benning and won't be home until February 18th. That means when he comes home, time to start the process.

While he's gone, I'm working on a few things that I meant to do while he was deployed and never got around to it. Ok, so I'm lying. These are things that I've been meaning to do for about 5 years. I'm really excited though about completing these tasks/projects - so I want to share them with you. Plus it will hold me accountable to actually get them done.

1. The kids' quilts
I saved several baby clothes that were my favorites from when the kids were babies. I also saved their favorite outfits from the past few years. Instead of keeping a bin full of clothes that just sits there, I'm going to cut a 4"x4" (or so) square from each outfit and make a blanket. I plan on taking a photo and writing a little something about the outfit and why I saved it and make a scrapbook too. There are a few outfits I'll save like the one they came home from the hospital in. I may even copy my friend Tiffany's idea and make a shadow box with their hospital momentos in.( ..hmmm.)

2. Kids' scrapbooks
Do you see a common theme here, "kids". I'm just tierd of looking at these bins. They take up space and no one can see all the precious things that are inside.
I'm taking my sister-in-laws sister's idea and putting the kids keepsakes in a 3 ring binder. Thanks for the idea Faith.

Those two projects will keep me busy until Rande comes home, along with going through the Mountain of papers I need to shred, and file....then prepare our taxes.

I had no resolution this year, but I guess you can say completing all my procrastinations from the past few years would be close to a resolution.

I hope 2011 is a great year for you as well. No matter the ups or downs it brings, just remember that God is by your side.