Welcome to the New Year!

So, how was your New Year holiday?  Have you already made new resolutions for this year?  Special plans?  Revised your bucket list?

I like to take some time after Christmas to think of the upcoming year.  No need to rush into anything I’ll just end up putting off because I feel to busy.  We’re working on a little family to-do list for the year.  So far we have:

1. Have a picnic at Grandma and Grandpa’s backyard. (Cowboy)
2. Go to the big playground by the little beach across the bridge. (Ladybug)
3. Go to the movie theater. (Ladybug)
4. Watch the dragon movie. (Speedracer, of course)

I asked Mr. Fix-It and his #1 was to paint the house.  Yep, every room in our house needs to be painted, repainted, or finish being painted from 2010. So…

…That was pretty much the start and finish of our list. I’m not committing to more than that in one year. Because in the meantime, life goes on around here.

And it keeps us pretty busy on a day to day basis.

We’ll be painting in between feeding, watering, scrubbing, mowing, building, growing, weeding, seeding, shearing, and weaning…

…With a little reading, writing, counting, cutting, glueing, sewing, sweeping, moping, folding, cooking, and baking on the side.

And somewhere through all that there needs to be some sorting and purging, some saving and investing, some learning and stretching, and lots and lots of praying.

One thing I have to admit. I’m not a fan of the idea of “starting fresh” for the New Year. I hate to waste the pain and struggle and love and laughter and all that…growing…over the last year to start “fresh” or leave the past behind and begin anew. I want to climb the next mountain, not face the same one over and over again. I want to take everything that might be baggage from the year before and turn it into fuel for the race this year. I guess that sort of explains why I don’t rush into any resolutions.  It takes a while to sort out a whole year.

May we all face the next year with the courage of conviction.

The faith of children.

The wisdom of our past.

And God’s vision for our future.