twenty twelve

I love it. I love it. I love it!  NEW beginnings… not necessarily new resolutions, just new beginnings.  I love how everyone yesterday said goodbye to the old… and are ready to anticipate the new.  New hopes.  New dreams.  New plans.

First things first.  I slept in… ahhhhhhh hello sleep!  Then I got up ate a healthy breakfast and cleaned my room.  Opened the windows (yes, I live in Spring, Texas and today it feels like “spring” ).   While I was cleaning I found a favorite book of mine that a friend had given me.  The AWE-Manac ~ A Daily Dose of Wonder by Jill Badonsky.  I read it daily a few years back when she gave it to me, and plan to re-read it again this year.  Here’s my secret… shhhhh! I keep it in the bathroom, since that’s the first place I start every morning!!!  lol… I figure as I “release” what I don’t need, I’ll refill with this inspirational daily dose…  shhh.  It works though.  Every morning, I find my little book and take a few minutes to direct my day.  I know many others finish their day with their devotions, but sometimes I just fall in bed at night, and that’s that.

So what is one thing that Twenty Twelve holds for me???  The one thing I know for sure is that twenty twelve will be the year of the Fabulous Four.  My kids will be turning FIFTEEN!!! and THIRTEEN!!! This year!!! What?????  How????  Well, sadly that’s what kids do… they grow up…  The funny thing is that as a Mom I excitedly anticipated the time to come when they were old enough to stay home alone, so Robert and I could enJOY a night out.  Or for them to get old enough to be able to make plans with their friends.  Or for them to get to a point where they wanted to go out and hang with other nice kids.  AND…. that time is here.  They are busy, healthy, loving, fun kids.  They have GREAT friends.  They are active in sports, band, school and church.  They enJOY time to themselves, they enJOY being home alone when Robert and I head out for some couple time.  They have such fun hanging out with their friends.  Now that’s fabulous, right??? Wellllll, sniff. sniff. what I found is that although that is all well and good, you know what?  I miss them.  I miss the FOUR of us doing our thing together.

This past fall I felt like we hardly had any weekends with the FOUR of us all home at one time.  Madi and her high school band events, Jack and his middle school sports events, Robert and his work, and me and my stuff.  That’s a lot of going and a lot of directions.  So I decided a couple of weeks ago, that we HAVE got to be intentional to put our family back on the priority list.  I notice that during the humdrum of everyday life, my kids (like all kids) love/hate each other.  Sometimes the everyday chaos just seems to get in the way.

When we get out of the house though, get away from the t.v., computer, xbox, cell phones, ipods… magic happens!  Frisbees fly, smiles erupt, teamwork appears and laughter and JOY abound!  Yep, I found the secret ~ unplug and escape.  The Fabulous Four shines!  Conversation happens, Connection happens, Love happens.

So, this year, you can find my favorite four out and about regularly!  Yep, that’s the one thing I know for sure.  I am putting Family back on the to-do list!  And you know what?  I think this will make a great-full year!!!  How about you?  What will be on your priority list this year?  It all begins with intention… what is your intention?