One Goal

Lots of people are sharing big lists of goals and resolutions for the new year. When I think about the year ahead, I have just one simple goal. And it's this:

Make it through the year.

That's it. 

I have a feeling 2013 is going to be one of the hardest years of my life. And here is why: I've got to get through the last two thirds of a twin pregnancy, deliver said twins, and raise four kids under 5! (No wonder I'm exhausted - I've got two kids sapping my energy from the outside, and two sapping it from the inside!)

Now, reading that you might think I'm somewhat of a pessimist, but really, I'm usually pretty upbeat about the challenges I face and am pretty adaptable in many different situations. I just don't think I can face this year without being realistic about it! 

Of course there are some things I'm thinking about in order to get myself and our family through this year.

1. Keep Jesus central - there will obviously be times when I'm going to need supernatural strength, patience, love and endurance! Spending more time in God's word, and relying on His strength will be crucial this year.

2. Keep my body healthy - try not to eat too much junk food as my pregnancy continues. Be consistent with a low-stress stretching and exercise routine to prepare my body for labor and to help with a quick recovery.

3. Keep the kid's lives relatively normal as well as preparing them for the babies arrival. This includes things like getting potty training all done, moving Elena into a big girl bed and getting things ready for the twins. 

4. Keep my expectations realistic - I've got a pretty obvious priority this year, and that is my family. I'm not going to pressure myself into being "super-mom", we may not do tons of crafts, I probably won't plan or decorate for parties, or blog everyday. It's going to take time to transition into a family of six and I am going to have to WILL myself not to put undue expectations on myself. (I'm not very good at that - being somewhat of a perfectionist)

So am I dreading the year to come? No way! I'm excited about welcoming two new lives into the world, and I can't wait to see how our family grows together this year. Another mom blogger wrote about her goal for the year, her desire to just "be" - enjoying the simple things in life, watching her family grow and cherishing all the moments, both the good and the bad. And that is what I'm going to strive for this year. Just make it through the year and do what I can to be a faithful daughter of God, a supportive wife and the best mom I can be. 

Bring it on, 2013! 

PS. We hope to find out the gender of our twins at our next ultrasound in a few weeks. Got a guess as to what we're having? Take the poll at the top right of the screen! :) 

Back to School Goals

No more school for me, but that doesn't mean I can't set "back to school" goals. School means something different for me now as a mom; kid-free time. I'm not going to say "free" time because as every woman knows, there is no such thing as free time when you have a household to run! But it sure is easier to get those day-to-day chores done when you don't have two toddlers underfoot.

Now that my two kiddos are in nursery/pre-school every morning, I've had a few people comment "wow, what are you going to do with yourself without the kids?"

So, without further ado, here are some of my goals for this new season of life:

1. Get Smart - Back into Portuguese studying. I have a passable vocabulary, and can get around and read quite easily, but I have lot more to learn!

2. Get Fit - It's no surprise that this body needs a little work after two kiddos. We have a park down the road that has outdoor exercise equipment, and my goal is to get there twice a week.

3. Get Blogging - I love writing and designing and am hoping to overhaul my blog, give it a new look and write more.

4. Get Creative - I opened an Etsy shop a few months ago, but with an unexpected move I basically went on hiatus, so I want to get back to that and keep developing my designs.

5. Get organized - I am ashamed to say that we've been in our new house for almost two months and there are still boxes to unpack. I also want to stay on top of the household chores, laundry, cleaning, cooking, dishes, toys etc.

So you can see, there's a lot of stuff to fit into five mornings. Throw in a birthday party for my little sunshine (2 this month!) and a baby shower in September (for my sister-in-law), and I won't really have time to miss my kids!