8 1/2 Hours!

Finley ready for Grandma Jan's Birthday Lunch

On Monday, when it was cold... my snow bear couldn't stay awake!

Just a pretty picture!

I just wanted to post some new pictures of Finley and brag that she slept 8 1/2 hours last night!!!!!  Of course, being a new mom, I have no idea if I should've let her sleep that long without a feeding! =)

Resolutions

Here we are already five days into the new year and I'm still trying to decide what I want to accomplish, what I want to do, what I want to perfect,  who I want to BECOME!  There is so much that I want to accomplish in 2009 that I'm afraid if I don't make it quite simple, I will become so overwhelmed that I do nothing....

Last year, my resolution was to not take things so personally.  And though I've made some strives in this area, I still have some work to do...  Maybe I ought to make it my Life Resolution instead of trying to kick the habit in just one year!  

This year, I've decided to use the verse Galatians 1:10 "For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ." as my guide.  I'm going to memorize it, meditate on it, post it on my mirror, in my car, etc.  I've always struggled with being a people pleaser.  I want people to like me, I want to make them feel understood, I want their approval, but at what risk, am I taking?  Have I really been living to please others over pleasing my Heavenly Father?  I want to please others only as it is pleasing to God and therefore, I must step way out of my comfort zone and realize that not everyone is going to like me, not everyone is going to want to hear the TRUTH, but if my goal is to live a life that is truly pleasing to Christ than I must seek His favor first.  So this is my goal.... to become less of a people pleaser and much more of a God pleaser!  I want to be a bondservant of Christ!

My other goals for this year are a little more trivial:

• To complete one craft project a month
  
• To read one book a month and alternate topics between fun and frivolous, parenting, and spiritual growth

This is where I would have ended my post had it not been for reading Traci's Motivate Me Monday post.  Here is an excerpt: I want to strive this year to be intentional in the things that I do. I want to be present, rather then distracted. I want to enjoy, rather then watch. I want to trust, rather then worry. I want to make the memories, rather then fuss over the mess. I want to be intentional in parenting my children, rather then just getting through the day; I want to mold them and teach them about our Father, rather then passing them off. I want to learn more and more about my First Love, rather then just merely attend a Sunday service. I want my life to represent my words, the words I say and the words I type here. I don’t want to preach it unless my character is truly reflecting it, or attempting to anyway. I want to water relationships and serve others. But I can only do any of that with planning and prayer and following through. I don’t want to walk through life just riding the waves as they come. I want to create the waves; rather I want to be open to allowing HIM to create waves in me.

So now I have a new resolution to add to my list because this one encompasses the ones above and more... I want to be intentional.  

Lord, please help me to be INTENTIONAL in 2009.  Amen.

Our New Baby

Devin and I bought a new laptop (our current one is DYING!) with our Christmas money.  I jokingly referred to it as my new baby... it was funny until I realized that this new baby cost us more than having Finley did!  Now I'm a bit sick to my stomach....