Happy Saturday

Happy Saturday! 

Squeezed in a maternity session this morning, now I am snuggled up getting ready to edit some beautiful portraits while enjoying my sweats and fuzzy slippers and sipping on some hot cocoa. 

Life Lately

I have really been trying to keep up with life. Lately that had been building into my kids, creating some routine and consistency, housework, school, dinners and photography. I have been trying to take more snap shots because my kiddos are getting too big too fast!

Our life lately via Instagram

Chicken fajitas for dinner

My sweet babies on a laid back day at home!

Homemade applesauce and coffee! <3 cup="cup" my="my" owl="owl" p="p" tervis="tervis">

A much needed afternoon of peace and rest!

Thankful my big girl still likes to cuddle! Getting some bedtime cuddles while enjoying the Andy Griffith Show!

My creative girl & her snowman! 

Me: "why isn't there any black lines for the snowballs"

K: "because mommy, snow is white!" 

Playing some games for reading! We love IEW games!

This is how I spend my New Years Eve! I LOVED it!

Creating a Motherhood Mission Statement: Roles

I started by reading the blog posts I posted about here & this eBook

The first step is to identify your roles. This is my working draft:

 Anyone else written a mission statement for motherhood? What did yours look like? I would love to hear about your mission state or the many hats you wear. 

The next part of writing a mission statement is putting action statements to these words. Hoping to carve out some time this week to get that done!

2013 Goals

Yesterday was a day of getting organized and setting goals. It has been a long time since I have had a vision and direction. I realize that has caused me to lazy and complacent! Thankful that God has laid this conviction on my heart and motivated me to action!

The Bible says, "The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps." Proverbs 16:9

I am planning my way but asking the Lord to establish my steps! I thought I would share my goals here so that it is a constant source of reminder and a place to check them off.

2013 Goals (in no particular order)

Spiritual:

• Keeping up with Bible Eater Plan
• Pray Scripture over Justin, Kyla & Judah daily! 
• Keep up with our missions map & pray reguraly for missionaries on the field
• Intentionally build and maintain relationships
• Weekly encourage a sister in the faith via a letter, phone call, e-mail, or coffee date
• Plan a ladies event every month to encourage the ladies @ The Gathering

Personal/Homeschooling/Mothering:

• Write up priorities!
• Keep my priorities in order
• Stay on top of homeschooling and lesson planning
• Write a motherhood mission statement
• Plan & do 2 intentional activities with my kids individually per week
• Plan & do 1 intentional 'special' activity with each kiddo per month
• Plan for the week on Sunday afternoon/evenings
• Get away for a few hours to plan once a month
• At least 1 date night with Justin a month
• Stick to our budget, keep up with the budget
• Blog 2-3 times per week
• Read at a minimum of 20 books in 2013.
• Be in photos more often
• Edit & print personal photos
• Read rather than watch TV
• Plan 1 field trip per month
• Plan, plant & maintain 4 garden beds
• Make a mobile chicken coop
• Keep learning about and eating a whole foods diet
• Keep up with some sort of cleaning schedule

Family:

• Plan 2 specific, fun, intentional family nights per month
• Write a family mission statement

KGP Business Goals:

• Pay quarterly taxes
• Increase revenue by marketing
• Update wedding collections
• Create a mission statement
• Attend a conference
• Save for a new camera body
• Take a salary      

I am excited about keeping up with these goals, updating this list with links and seeing how the Lord establishes my steps in 2013!

Intentional Living

I am convinced intentional living only comes through planning. Neither being intentional or planning are strengths of mine. I have been convicted time and time again to be self disciplined. I think it begins with know what I am suppose to do every day. I am sure you are reading this and thinking, what do you mean you don't know what to do every day!! What I mean is focusing on what is most important, often I get sucked in with the unimportant and lost in the laundry.

No more! 

I am going to use my blog to craft out my mission statement and daily priorities. 

I am going to be loosely following these blog posts and eBook from Inspired to action.
Blog Post #1, Blog Post #2, & the eBook.

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
(Deuteronomy 6:5-9 ESV)

2013 | HOPE

A facebook friend shared a few days ago that she does not do New Years Resolutions, she chooses a word for the year! I like that and am adopting that idea. 

My word this year is HOPE!
 

"Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God." Romans 5:2

A few weeks ago I told Justin that for the first time in a long time I felt hopeful about the future.
 

2013:HOPE