It's a New Year...

This month, my adorable boy turns 1. I can't believe how the last year has flown! It has been a year full of learning new things (for me, the mommy, probably even more than for my Levi!), and looking forward to another new year! (that's my son, Levi, with my grandparents, who have been married 56 years! This was taken while visiting my family in Texas during Christmas)

In the fall, I way over-committed to some things personally, at my church, and in my community. I didn't give myself any wiggle room, and most weeks I was completely burnt out. I had little room for the basics in life like house-cleaning, hanging out with my husband consistently, or spontaneously playing with my precious boy! So I finished up my commitments in December, and decided to re-prioritize for January. This morning at church, the sermon talked about how we should take "New Year's" resolutions seriously, and to be honest, this is one of the worst times to make a commitment to change something in our life... we all just got done with 6-8 weeks of running around, visiting everyone, getting sick, eating way too much, etc... Why are we surprised when we give up our resolutions after only a few weeks? So I think this year I'm going to think and pray about it and wait until Easter or so. :-)

However, the last 6 months have shown me some basic no-brainer things I need & want to change in my life:

- Take time to enjoy my son more! These days are truly priceless and can't be replaced.

- As I learn more about motherhood and being a "ma-ma", I should give myself a learning curve!

- Meal plan more regularly so we can eat healthier food that helps us stay more physically & mentally balanced.

- Set aside time more often to slow down with my husband. He is my best friend and companion in this crazy life adventure!

- Figure out a reasonable way to have consistent time with God. I let the little life things consume me!

So that's why I'm shifting my focus from outside my home to inside my home... As I  begin to balance these things better, I can add outside things again one-by-one. This blog, "Saving With A Smile", is my one "outside" commitment, because I can do it from inside my home! And to be honest, it's a lot of fun!