A Joyful Life: December 2011

Saturday, December 31, 2011

New Year's Resolutions/ Goals

News Year's Resolutions/ Goals

I just got back from a new year's party and tucked my girls into bed. It is 9pm and I will definitely be sound asleep before the new year arrives. I am still wearing my garish 80's get-up, nasty hair spray and blue eyeshadow and I can hardly wait to have a hot shower and curl up with my journal. I can't help but become introspective on New Years Eve. I like to curl up and reflect on all the things that taken place over the past year, the highs as well as the lows, and plan for the new year. That being said, this is my list of goals for 2012......

1. Project 365. Last year I tried this and failed miserably. It was partially due to the fact that my camera died the third week in January and I didn't get a new one until the end of March. A week later I gave birth to my second child and completely fell off the wagon all together.

2. Loose 20 pounds by weighing my food and eating a specific amount of calories a day. Once I have achieved that I will start using weighs to build and define my muscles. I KNOW that it is possible I just have to be consistent and focus on what I want in the future rather than what I want in the moment.

3. Have a weekly meal plan so that I know what I am making each day and what I need to buy at the grocery store. I really don't like trying to figure out what to make for dinner at 4pm.

4. LIVE ON AN ACTUAL BUDGET. I have never yet succeeded at this time, but if we are going to buy a home and survive in one income we are going to have to learn how to.

5. Do whatever is necessary to get Claire to sleep through the night. My sleep deprived body has had enough.

The end. Goodnight and Happy New Years!!!!!!!!!!

Saturday, December 24, 2011

On the cusp of Christmas

Here I sit in my new flannel pyjamas, reminiscing about Christmas Eve as a child. For as long as I can remember, my parents would load us into a sled and pull us to United Church where we would attend a Christmas Eve service. It wasn't anything special, but I always loved singing the Christmas carols and eating the tasty snacks afterwards. The church was old and drafty and you could see the rafters through the unfinished ceiling. The basement where we had refreshments smelt like mold and old clothing, but we loved it nonetheless. When we had gotten home and had climbed out of our scratchy stockings, we got to open one present (which was always pajamas). I always like to take a long hot bath before I climbed into then. While my parents prepared the hot oil fondue, us children would lay underneath the Christmas tree and listen to Amy Grants Christmas album. We always concluded Christmas Eve with a much anticipated chocolate fondue. Hmmm it makes me all warm and fuzzy just thinking about it.

Our Christmas Eve was quite simple this year, for number of reasons, but it was still thoroughly enjoyable. We didn't have a fancy fondue since didn't have enough time to shop for the ingredients on our way home from the Lower mainland, but we did have garlic sausage, cheese, triscits (thanks to Earl and Charlotte), pickles and veggies. After dinner, Amelia had her bath. I gave her some shaving cream mixed with food coloring to keep her busy while I tidied up the house.

We all opened a present each, put on our new jammies and then took a family picture. We lit candles, sang a few Christmas carols and then read the girls the storey about Jesus's birth from a children's Bible. Once they were sound asleep I made myself some peppermint tea, ate almond roca and worked on my December daily album some more. I am a little behind, and I have run out of 4X6 photo paper, so it will remain undone until my next trip into town, (hopefully on boxing day since I love to stock up on clearance Christmas decor), but I promise I will share it with you on my blog soon. This is a picture of Amelia and I scrap booking during one of Claire's naps.