It's a New Year

Happy New Year!  2014...Crazy!

We had a busy, busy 2013 and my hopes for 2014 is to slow down a little in the BIG events of our lives.  We renovated our home and had a baby in 2013...pretty sure nothing can top that craziness.  I look forward to so many things this coming year though!

In 2013, I started, very casually, homeschooling Zoe in preschool activities.  I enjoyed having activities planned ahead of time for us to do every day.  Keeping Zoe "entertained" had so many positives!  My house stayed cleaner, she was more behaved and we had less screen time.  I find when I don't plan ahead, TV becomes the focus so I can get some things around the house done.  Big Goal for this year is to plan our weeks so we can stay on task and not be so sedentary.  For me to accomplish this, it takes some action now.  I have a planner that I am going to take with me to see the current month and future months at one time, schedule appointments, have bill reminders, etc., but I am also going to keep a weekly planner on my desk to really plan out our days.  To accomplish this organization, I looked to my fav, Erin Condren, and ordered the Oh What A Week pad!  LOVE IT!  Every Sunday, I will sit down and take time to look at our week as a whole for activities for the family and dinners.

I am pretty sure our weeks will look pretty simpler with minor changes if we have doctor appointments or random playdates, etc. but it helps me so much SEEING it!

I am beyond excited that in addition to Zoe's weekly ballet class, I am going to be able to start Evan in a music class on Tuesdays!  My sweet Evan LOVES music and I am so excited to be able to do this with him.  We are going to be attending The Music Class at The North Georgia Dance & Music Factory.  I hope he loves it as much as I think he will!

One other thing that I am planning in addition to the kid's activities and dinners is my exercising.  I have been Jazzercising since last June and I seriously love it!  I think for anything to be successful, there has to be some sort of community.  I love the women I have met in addition to the awesome work out.  I look forward to seeing my Jazzercise friends every morning and that keeps me going.  I am not one of those women that the baby weight just falls off.  I delivered a 8 1/2lb baby and left the hospital 5lbs lighter...explain that to me!  And whoever said breastfeeding helps take the weight off faster must have been lucky because that is not the case with me.  Since coming home from the hospital, I have lost about 8lbs, no thanks to the holiday eating, and I cannot wait to have the rest gone...but that takes a lot of work for me and time...so I have to schedule it in and stick to it!

 Another goal for this year is to save up for a membership to join the Gwinnett County aquatic centers.  I love our county because we have amazing parks and really great facilities!  There are multiple aquatic centers in our area that have indoor and outdoor water parks and lap pools.  When you join one, you join them all!  There is an annual memberships that is ridiculously affordable and would be such a nice thing to have during the summer and for rainy day activities.  I grew up swimming year around on a team, so my kids being able to swim is a must but in order for them to learn...we have to go to the pool!  Can't wait to get them swimming and have a lot of fun at the same time.

We also have some fun things planned for this year in the travel department.  Zach is taking a golf trip with his friends from college and I am going to Fairhope for my annual girl's getaway!  Zach and I are so excited to have these weekends away to rejuvenate, relax and have some fun!  I am planning a trip with the kiddos to Alabama for a week in March to celebrate birthdays and see family and friends.  I hope in the Fall, we will be able to plan a long weekend away to the beach or mountain as a family.  A full week away in a hotel or condo just doesn't sound vacationy to me with 3 kids, one being in his first year.  Zach and I have come to the conclusion that long family vacations will happen one day...but not anytime soon.  Until that day comes, long weekends work for us!

A big event that is occurring this year is that Zoe will be starting school!  After much prayer, we have decided to send Zoe to St. John Bosco Academy!  I am so very excited for her and our family!  It is a wonderful school with a beautiful community.  It is a hybrid school, which means 3 days home and 2 at school.  Personally, I feel it is the best of both worlds and truly an answer to my prayers.  Zoe will start in August in Pre-K. 

I am excited for this year and all that it will bring for our family!