Arena Five: Happy 2010!

Friday, January 1, 2010

Happy 2010!

I've been so preoccupied with the surgery and recovery that I nearly forgot that we just entered a new year. My butt was in bed by 9:30 last night so I didn't watch the ball drop, which is something I enjoy doing every year. I was awake enough in the wee hours of the morning to mutter, "Happy New Year" to Evan when he came back to bed after tending to one of the boys. It's definitely been a rough start to 2010, but I'm optimistic about what this year has in store for us. If you're interested in my musings on 2009, see my post "Auld Lang Syne." I just re-read it the other day and was very pleased with how many of the things I wrote about were actually accomplished.

My hopes for 2010:

Our Family

I look forward to all those "firsts" with Micah. First time rolling over, first foods, first tooth, first words, first steps. I remember all these things being so thrilling with Isaiah, but you blink and they're gone. It's so cool to be able to experience them again.

Evan figures he'll be traveling to China at least twice a year from now on. That's in addition to the other sporadic business trips he takes around the U.S. I'm starting to get more used to these trips, so I hope in 2010 I can handle them better.

Going back to work! As soon as school starts again (and I am all healed and better), I will be back on the substitute teacher list for Sauk Prairie. I'm pumped about getting back into the classroom.

Potty Training! Isaiah's started showing interest in his potty and he got some cool big boy undies for Christmas, so potty training will be the next big step for him. I'm not going to rush him by any means, but I'm hoping he is completely out of diapers by the time he turns 3.

Our House

Evan hopes to get the built-in bookcase built and installed in the basement before too long. We also need to get rid of the fridge down there and start installing some shelving and storage in the scraproom (I mean, OFFICE).

The roof. Our roof is in dire need of being replaced. This one scares me because I know how much it costs to replace a roof and we don't have anywhere near that kind of money. I know God will provide.

New floor in the bathroom. I absolutely hate seeing those nasty yellowish stains underneath the bathmats. This will be a rather inexpensive fix - just going to use the trusty peel 'n stick variety of tiles. I hope to have this little project done this winter.

Evan really wants to tackle some landscaping projects and some repairs on the outside of the house this year also. We're hoping to plant at least one more tree (maybe two!), fix our front porch, repaint the trim, and get the back porch repainted. He has some much more ambitious goals for the outside as far as landscaping, but we will have to save the larger projects for another year.

What about Evan and me?

I absolutely WILL lose some weight this year. This problem with my gallbladder and the surgery has been a real wake-up call for me. I don't plan on going on a "diet," but I am committed to making better choices. I will not soon forget the excruciating pain the wrong foods caused me over the past couple weeks. That's all the motivation I need!

I want to be a more active mom. Isaiah will soon be old enough to start doing little craft projects and other creative activities. I need to learn how to do this will my son. I am really going to try not to fall back on watching a movie so often.

Evan and I need to make date nights a priority. They don't need to be expensive or elaborate, but we need to make sure that we have some kid-free couple time at least once a month.

We are this close to paying off our Accord (only one payment to go!). When we don't have the car payment anymore, I hope to rebuild our savings account that we had to leech from while I've been off work and to pay off some of our credit card debt. The next step after that will be to start setting aside money for a down payment on the minivan I am determined to buy sometime down the road.