Chad and Kinnett got married in a nursery, which turned out to be beautiful. It was decorated for Christmas and with all the natural surroundings it could not have been prettier. New Year’s morning we had a rehearsal for the big event.
Stay tuned for the big event.
After a two day stay in Richmond, we set off to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Mother Nature treated us to a beautiful new layer of snow that made the already gorgeous scenery that much more spectacular. It was perfect: enough to cover the ground, but not enough to hinder the roads.
We stayed at the Retreat Center, a house built by one of James’ relatives designed to host Lutheran camps and retreats. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it turned to be perfect. Our entire family was able to stay in one place. There was a huge common room in which we kept a roaring fire blazing the whole time and a large kitchen that we could all sit and enjoy each other’s company. This was the ideal set up for the children. I can’t imagine how this trip would have been with the four us in one hotel room.
That night we enjoyed a feast at Chad and Kinnett’s and began the wedding festivities. James and I didn’t make it until midnight as we thought it would be prudent to get two little flower girls into bed that night. They did stay out until 10:30 and had a blast.
I made the mistake last year of making myself accountable for my resolutions by posting them. I suppose in all fairness I need to report how I did.
1) Exercise - I am going to exercise three mornings a week. Last year I had the excuse of pregnancy half the year and the lack of sleep for the second half. No excuses this year. I've never been one to hop out of bed in the mornings, but I have determined that mornings are going to be my only chance of success. Three mornings a week, I am going to get up before the girls and exercise. I realistically feel that this is one I can stick to. I sure made that one sound easy, didn’t I? I lasted about four months and then started with a bad knee pain. That was all it took to get out of the habit. Early mornings also don’t work best for me to exercise. I just like my sleep too much and know that I need the sleep more than the exercise to handle a full day with little ones. I must revamp this one this year.
2) Fingernails - Okay, so I'll add this one even though I've already broken it today. For as long as I can remember, I have made a resolution to stop biting my fingernails. Some years in the past, I have had some success, but it's just one of those nasty habits I think I'm stuck with. I'm not too optimistic on keeping this one. Hey, at least I was realistic. My nails are all chewed up. Maybe one day…
3) Bible study - I am going to engage in a personal Bible study. I have spent A LOT of time this year involved in church activities - meetings, planning, and way too much to add here. Although, I have been very involved in church, I feel that I haven't been as involved with God. I have grown tremendously in faith this year and bonded more with my church family than I thought possible. Although, it has been a hard year for our church, we have grown in so many ways. I would like to take this year to quietly grow with God, and I plan to do this through personal Bible study. I'm going to start with a study I started but never finished: The Frazzled Female (sounds about right). Well, I didn’t do the Frazzled Female (although I am glad to be reminded of it – I might pick it back up), but I did do an amazing Beth Moore study. I hope to be able to participate in another one this year.
4) Play time - Many of us have said before that motherhood equals guilt. You feel guilty if you spend too much time with your children because you are spoiling them. You feel guilty if you spend too little time with your children because you are neglecting them. No matter what we do, we feel guilty that we could be doing it better. I am going to set aside some time (to be determined) several times a week to devote strictly to my children. Don't get me wrong, I spend most all my time with them, but I find myself doing endless other things while with them. If we are in the playroom, I start rearranging. If we are in Lily's room, I put away clothes or books. If we are downstairs, I check e-mail, make phone calls. Anyway, you get the picture. I'm going to take some time (it doesn't take much) to devote to them - no chores, no phone, and no distractions. I feel that I was able to accomplish this goal, although this is a hard time of year to report on this. With the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I did find my children watching a little too much TV. However, I don’t think they have been deprived of too much attention. I am also excited to find that they are starting to play with one another, and I know this will only increase this year. Hopefully, they will be getting some much needed attention from each other instead of just from James and me.
5) Budget - James and I, along with the rest of America, are implementing a strict budget for the next six months. In some ways, a budget will make things much simpler. I don't have to feel guilty about buying things, because we just aren't going to buy things. I think the hardest category for us to meet will be eating out. We eat out quite a lot, and decided to really cut back on this. Should be interesting. If you have any good (and cheap) recipes, send them my way. ACCOMPLISHED! I am happy to report this goal was achieved. With the help of coupons and increased discipline, we were able to maintain a tight budget this year.
And we’re off. Thus begins our trip to Virginia to celebrate Aunt Nette and Chad’s wedding. We stayed two nights in Richmond with the Michaliks and then headed up to the Valley for a wonderful weekend full of family, friends, and love. Stay tuned for details. I first have to sort through the 300 pictures I took.
We actually had to wake the children this year on Christmas morning. I am sure this will not be the case in future years. It didn’t take too much, though, to get Lily out of bed. She was very excited to see what Santa had in store for her. Christmas is wonderful to experience through the eyes of a child.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY JESUS
