Happy New Year!!

Blogging has completely been a challenge to me this past year.  I am 11 days into 2010 and I am truly going to make an effort to start blogging again.  With that said I think the new year should start off with my resolutions for 2010.  This year I decided I didn't want to have a "list" of resolutions.  I do that every single year and nothing ever comes of it past the first two weeks of the year.  Life happens, children happen, work happens and then you just go back to doing what you know how to do.  This year truly is going to be different and I am counting on all of you to actually hold me to it!  I decided this year I am going to work on a different thing every month and at the end of the year I will be 12 times more a better person than I was last year.  I have thought long and hard on this and I truly believe that this is going to be a fantabulous journey of self awareness and self discovery.  I believe that my journey will be awesome and 2010 will be life changing for me.

This past year has really truly made me more aware of my faith and this past year I have truly redeveloped my friendship with the Man himself.  So with that being said, I have already been developing that relationship for some time, I just will continue that relationship the rest of my life.  And with that relationship with God, my 12 steps to a new and better me is why it will be glorious!!

So I am putting this out there right now.  I am showing everyone what I am working on in 2010.  Maybe you too will decide to have 12 things you would like to work on.  Let me know, I will be there with you.

January --  More dates with my hubby.  With four kids, this tends to be a little difficult and our time sometimes gets pushed aside.  Because without my relationship with him, nothing else falls into place.

February -- Become more aware of my health.  37 hit me hard.  37 kicked my hiney!!   My resolution won't be to look like Jennifer Aniston anymore.  My resolution is to actually be aware and to actually make an effort.  Make an effort to be happy with Nikki.  With this effort I will be able in April to actually run the half marathon I have committed myself to and run it without feeling like I am dying.  This will be good.

March -- Run my business smarter.  I picked March to do this because towards the end of March is when it starts getting crazy.  I have some plans up my sleeve and this year is the year I am going to put my business brain to good use.

April -- Family.  Every year we say we are going to have game night and every year it never happens.  We only end up getting together for the holidays or vacation to actually sit down and play games and laugh together.  I would love to do it twice a month, but I know with everyone's busy schedules it becomes so hard, so I will take once a month.  It will be a time to share stories, good food and some plain fun.  So if anyone knows of some good new games let me know!!

May -- Friends.  With four kids it becomes so hard to take time for yourself and spend it with friends.  I facebook, text and talk on the phone, but I don't actually spend valuable time with them.  I am going to change that this year.  You all are going to be sick of me.  :)

June -- Cook.  If you all know me, I am not the best cook around.  I can cook and I can sure make some mean homemade chicken and noodles, but I don't take the time to plan out meals and spend any time on them.  I am going to work on doing new things.  Trying new recipes.  We may be eating out a lot because it tastes so horrible but it will be fun!!

July -- Volunteer more.  I am already a member of Junior League and do things through that organization (which if you are not a member, you should look into joining.  It is a great experience!)  But I would actually like to volunteer in more aspects of my life.  Things that I can involve the girls in and do together.  I will have a lot of opportunities through Junior League, but if anyone knows of any other organizations that could use my help, let me know.

August -- Become more organized.  THIS IS A BIG ONE.  I saved it for more towards the middle because it just clogs my brain and seems just too big for me to think about earlier!  I am going to take a class.  I am going to actually work very hard on this.  August seems like a great time to do that.

September -- Pictures.  I have got to start printing pictures that I take.  I take thousands of pictures every year of just random life happenings and then I never print the pictures.  I am going to actually sit down and go through all my snapshots and start printing them.  I may start doing this earlier, but I am going to be a printing machine in September and it gives me time to save up!!

October -- Journal.  I get started and then get busy and stop.  I want to journal more.  I want to make an effort and have stacks of journals for when I am gone my girls can read and then pass on to their children.  I want them to know who I was because they have me showing them and expressing to them.  I love pictures, but I also love words.

November -- Play.  I need to play more.  I need to sit down and play barbies with my girls.  I need to play speed more with the older girls.  I need to go out and swing on the swing set and not think about what needs to be done inside the house or on the computer.  I just need to play.

December -- Listen more.  I have my times (like when Michael is telling me about his hunt for Bambi) that I listen but I am not really listening!!  I need to take more of an effort and listen to things.  I need to make an effort to listen more to the small stuff.

I hope everyone's new year is blessed and filled with love.