11 in 11 (plus pics from our photo session)

Most of you know that 2010 was to say the least a challenging year for our family. If things like getting gray hair, wrinkles showing up on your face, gaining weight, your house being out of order, priorities getting out of whack, and just treading water to survive your days characterize stress, our family would be the poster children this past year! We are turning the corner in 2011 though and have several ways that we want things to be different. We hope to restore order and purpose within our family in 2011 and I have a few things that we are committing to this year. Will we achieve them all 100%, likely no. However, we are striving toward these things.
Feel free to ask at any time how these ambitions are going. I welcome the accountability!

1. Rise and Read- My Bible reading this past year has been hit or miss. I have heavily relied upon the scripture fed to me from those around me. I am so grateful for the precious friends who have upheld me in this season, but it's time for early morning Bible reading to return to being a part of my schedule. Reading God's word on my own positively impacts so much of my day; I am excited for this routine to be restored.

2. Teaching Domesticity- It is my hope to raise godly women in Elizabeth and Elaine, and part of that is to teach them how to take care of a home. Many of the everyday chores around our house have been pushed aside in the past months, and I feel like I have been a poor teacher of housekeeping for my girls. Not only do I hope to restore a clean and organized home, but to bring my girls along with me and teach them skills that will hopefully assist them as wives and mothers one day.

3. 1 on 1s- We are excited to have special monthly one on one nights where Justin will take Elizabeth and I will take Elaine and then flip flop the following month. As our girls get older, I am realizing more and more how important one on one time is for them. I see many families where parents attempt to have serious conversations with their kids when they are older and it fails miserably, because one on one time when the kids are young isn't a priority. It is my hope that by beginning this tradition when the girls are young we will not only create some great memories but will also prevent the awkwardness of one on ones when they are older.

4. Project Restoration- We have a great deal of furniture in our home that has been given to us. It has been a huge blessing and very functional, but I am excited to redo several pieces with Justin and my mother in law's assistance. Justin has already begun by staining our bedside tables to match our bedroom furniture. I hope to transform an old coffee table into a bench for our entry way that will house baskets beneath it for storage. The kitchen table, a storage unit for games, a trunk for blankets, and living room end tables are all in the mix as well! I'm looking forward to learning lots in this process.

5. World Focus- While reading John Piper's Don't Waste Your Life, I was made aware of how little our world has become. This is especially true for my girls; as far as they are concerned, the world is CityView Church, Butterfly Way, Southlake Christian Preschool, Kaufman, and South Fort Worth. I hope to expand all of our horizons by praying weekly for a country where persecution is high and the spread of the Gospel is limited. I am really looking forward to this addition to our lives and hope to learn about each country along the way as well!

6. Project Organization- Justin and I have never been the most organized people, but the past 12 months have just amplified that in our home. Our house, while small, actually has awesome storage space. However, we need some serious reorganization to best utilize our space. From the garage to the linen closet to the bathroom cabinets, the time has some to conquer these messes. I have visions of labeled baskets and tidy shelves.

7. Redemption- I cannot tell you how much I have anticipated going through Redemption at CityView! If you don't know what it is, Redemption is a gospel centered walk through the Exodus to identify sin and strongholds in your life and to understand and apply the redemption available through Jesus. Justin went through the material with the pastors about a year ago, and now I am excited about getting my turn to walk through it with a group of CityView ladies.

8. Take Care of Me- I am really bad at this one! When I am overwhelmed with my own circumstances, I turn to busying myself with taking care of those around me, throwing myself into ministry, and typically neglecting me. I would have said a year ago that these behaviors were me being selfless and just doing what I love to do. While I do really enjoy serving, busyness is my coping mechanism. This year, I hope to take the time to get the THREE massages for which I have gift certificates and have never taken advantage of, use my face creams, put my makeup on before I leave the house (not at stop lights!), use the girls' rest time to sew, craft, or do something else fun. I know that these things make me a better mommy and honor Justin.

9. Helpmate- While in survival mode, I haven't been the best helpmate. I have been trying so hard to stay afloat that looking for ways to go above and beyond to love, encourage, and esteem my husband has been on the back burner. I love and respect Justin so very much, and I am proud of his new endeavor with NewCoast Media. It is my deep desire to be the best possible helpmate for him in the coming year!

10. Spontaneous Fun- Watching Lizzie and Lainie laugh and have fun has been a breath of fresh air for us in 2010. Exhaustion and preoccupied minds prevented Justin and me from joining in or initiating most of these events. I am hoping for lots more crazy fun and silly moments in 2011 where the girls remember Mommy and Daddy having fun right alongside them! (We started off with a bang tonight with a dance party to the Footloose Pandora station!)

11. Follow Through- I am the queen of good intentions! I have so many spectacular ideas that flow through my mind in a day; I hope that I can be intentional with my words and deeds this year and follow through on those that most magnify Jesus and edify those around me. This list of hopes goes out the window if there is any way to better point to Jesus! Holy Spirit lead me!

Enjoy the Pics!!







THANK YOU Shari Henson for taking these awesome pics of our family! As you can tell, Lizzie LOVED the camera while Lainie wasn't quite sure, but we had a great time together. Shari ROCKS!!!