In 2015 I WILL...

I love the beginning of a New Year.  It always feels like the chalkboard has been wiped clean.  The perfect time for fresh starts.

The last few days I've been pondering over what my 2015 resolutions should be.  What do I want to change, accomplish, and apply to my life this year?

In 2015 I WILL...

• Blog More.  And this my friends is a good start...right?!  I blog for myself, because I enjoy it, it's therapeutic.  I was always the kid/teenager with a night stand drawer full of journals overflowing with my deepest thoughts, dreams, and desires.  So I guess this blog has become my adult version of keeping a diary, it's not nearly as private, but if my rambling can help or just entertain someone else than that's double the benefit. 
• Get In God's Word Daily.  I can notice a HUGE difference in myself when I make time each day to spend with God.  But I'm not always good about making time in my busy schedule to consistently pray, read my Bible, and do daily devotions.  This year I WILL do better. 
• Take Better Care of My Body.  I feed my body entirely too much nasty processed crap!  I vow to eat healthier.  Which will in turn help my clothes fit they way they are suppose to and the number on the scale to move in the right direction!
• Be More Patient with Taegan.  You see there is a beautiful, smart, little four year old girl who, on most days, runs our household! Brandon and I frequently look at each other, throw our hands in the air, and say "what do we do?" I'm not sure how it happened or when exactly it happened but she has taken over and we can't seem to get a good grip on the situation.  She's an angel in public (thankfully) but at home...the struggle is real!  There are moments when she listens the first time, shares with Silas, says "please" and "thank you," and not a single one of you would believe what I'm about the tell you.  But then... she pushes and hits Silas, takes things from him, talks back to us, screams, slams doors, and throws tantrums like I've never witnessed before.  Pray for us, as we try to work through this and be the gentle, loving, Godly parents we desire to be. 
• Reduce Our Debit.  Our strong point is NOT managing money, budgeting, or finance related.  Since moving into our dream home our debit has slowly (but steadily) climbed until we have reach this point, at which we must reverse the pattern.  So we are planning to work our booties off and cut up some credit cards.  We are off to a good start as I cut up the first one yesterday!
• Spend More Time Engaged with the Children.  I am so guilty of only being partially present.  I'm physically with the children a lot but I'm mentally with them far less.  Too often I'm preoccupied by my phone (aka social media) or some other distraction.  I promise to set my phone aside and spend more time on the floor playing with them, reading to them, and being engaged.  I am going to be working more hours than I normally do (refer to the previous bullet point for explanation) the next couple of months to help us get the "snowball" rolling in paying off our debit (any Glenn Beck fans out there?) so this is especially important.  Although I want to be with my children A LOT, the quality of our time together is even more important than the quantity. 
• Simplify and Organize More.  Because it reduces stress and makes me happier.  Anyone with children knows how quickly (especially right after Christmas) your house becomes cluttered and looks as if you have been robbed (and the robber couldn't find what he was looking for).  I am going to be diligent about periodically de-cluttering and minimizing the things we don't use or need. 
• Ride Our Horses More.  Because it's therapeutic, good exercise (for me and the horses), and I really enjoy it.  After you have children it is easy to only define yourself as a Mom but it is important to remember who you are, what you love and enjoy (other than your children).  It will make you happier and I want my children to know who I am aside from their mother.  Riding horses is a big part of that for me. 

I could probably continue to ramble but these are the BIG IMPORTANT changes I am committed to making in 2015.  You will undoubtedly hear more about each of these things in the coming months.