Bring it on, 2014!

2013 is over already?!?!?  Craziness, right there!  Seriously, time goes faster with every added year.  I can't believe it's been about 4 years since Jarrod was asked to come here to Arkansas.  Time can slow down now!  

This year had a lot of memories - visits with my family (including a surprise one from Megan and Kyle!), saying goodbye to all baby related items (no more crib or diapers), a big promotion for me (hello, Sr. Team Manager!), earning a trip to Cancun (hello, Cancun!!), visiting Dallas (first roadtrip in the van), saying goodbye to some of our most favorite people in the whole world (miss you, Amy!), meeting some amazing new friends (hey, other Amy, haha!), Gavin turned 5 (already?!?!), Riley turned 2 (what???), LOTS of sicknesses (stay away this year please), Gavin started kindergarten (and is doing SO well!), Gavin learned to read (making us proud), Riley developed a love of singing and all things princess (mostly Ariel and Cinderella), we became foster pet parents for Emma and Olivia (who knew I'd ever take care of a cat, right?), Jarrod and I still love each other more than ever after 7 years of marriage (and 17 years together!)....  See?  Filled with memories!

I know some people don't do or believe in resolutions, but I really enjoy making them.  It gives me an excuse to focus on things I want to do to be better, and for me, they're just goals.  Goal setting is huge for me...when I write a goal down, I'm more likely to work to make it happen.

My big ones this year:
1. Become a healthier person and role model for my kids - I want to eat 'cleaner' and workout more to be more physically fit.  Getting this started right away will also help me feel better about being bikini ready for our Cancun trip!

2. Spend less on our grocery budget - this one is going to be tough because after making that resolution, I started a 30 Day Health/Fitness challenge and went shopping for some recommended foods and spent a fortune!  So....not sure how this will work out.  But, I'm still going to try.  That means more price matching, more couponing and stockpiling of things I can get cheap, and more time with Jarrod talking about the budget.  If he does grocery shopping, our grocery bills always end up higher.

3. Be a gentler mom and raise my voice less.  I hate to admit it, but the yelling has increased around here thanks to constant bickering and fighting with the kids.  But, as soon as I raise my voice, I regret it and I don't want my kids to grow up thinking of me as a 'yeller.'  So this one is going to be big for me...and I WILL stick to it.

4. Call/text/FaceTime the people I love the most more often, including all the friends I miss so much!  We have awesome technology that let's me stay connected with them since we live so far away but I need to take advantage of it more.


On top of some resolutions, I love to make a 'bucket list' if you will.  I started with my 30 Things to Do While I'm 30 list and there's something really rewarding about crossing things off the list.  So, here's my list this year...14 things to do in 2014!

1. Road trip to Kansas City

2. Read 6+ books

3. Earn the consistency bonus every quarter with my business

4. Learn yoga

5. Run a 5K

6. Make DVDs of my Flip/iPhone videos
7. Overhaul my craft closet

8. Sew something for myself to wear

9. Promote to Team Mentor by the end of 2014
10. Redecorate the playroom

11. Paint something on canvas 
12. Create and implement an allowance system for Gavin
13. Have family photos taken
14. Surprise the kids with a trip somewhere