You'll never achieve the goals you don't set.  I want to always be a goal-setter.  I fully believe that in order to get where you want to go, you have to have a map (aka steps/goals to get you there).  You don't set out on a journey and accidentally arrive at the desired location.  Setting goals closes the gap between where you are and where you want to be.  Who you are and who you want to become.  If we don't set goals, our minds become stagnant. 

Reading at Money Saving Mom has persuaded me to share my goals for this year.  So, if you are reading this, you've become my accountability.    I'll keep you posted during the year how it's coming along. 

Spiritual Goals

• Read through the Bible in a year using this plan. (I've read through it before using similar plans.  My goal is to read a different translation each time.  I'm on my third translation.)
• Give more.  (Plan to sponsor children in a Guatemala orphanage; Community Outreaches through our church, quarterly.)
• Pray more.  (Continue to meet with our ladies' prayer group, God's Girlz; Leading a Prayer Group at our church during our annual Awakening this month)
• Fast more.  (Awakening 2013)

Personal Goals 

• Run in a 5K race. (I'm currently doing Couch to 5K.  I'm on week 4.  Hoping to run first 5K in February.)
• Complete the Couch to 10K program.
• Lose 36 pounds (In 2012, I lost all my pregnancy weight plus 20 lbs.)
• Read 52 books/ebooks (I've chosen several books already.  Reading list forthcoming.)

Financial Goals

• Continue eliminating debt. (Very nearly debt free except mortgage!)
• Keep working on our six month emergency fund.

Family Goals

• The Chief wants to graduate college by July!  We are so thrilled to finally realize this dream for him to complete his bachelors degree!  It's a big goal though. He has quite a few classes to complete and a couple of huge projects. (Doing all I can to support him and cover him in prayer!)
• Mission trip for Katie.  (She and the Chief are planning to travel to the Guatemala orphanage we are going to be supporting financially.)
• Our four younger kids have never been to Disney.  (Planning to do at least a one day admission to Magic Kingdom.)

So here I go.  I've set my goals.  Going to break them down in bite-size pieces.  Going to follow through with those bite-size pieces and re-evaluate my progress each month.  Setting goals is the way to turn imaginations into memories!  Thanks for reading!   

We held our 2nd Annual "Mostly Unrehearsed Nativity" at Lighthouse Church (LHC).  The children, ages 4 to 10, assembled the Sunday before for a brief organizational meeting where we gave out costumes, read through the nativity story, assigned parts, and rehearsed Christmas Carols.  On Sunday, Dec 16, they acted out the story as it was narrated. 

It is spontaneous. 

It is precious.   

A wonderful Christmas memory.

I'm late coming to the party.  Love this survey from @WildWomanofTheWest. 

1. In 2012, my blog was mainly a place to

a. release my emotion
b. create
c. encourage the peoples
d. all of the above
e. other ________
f. I have a blog?

I hope it was a place to (C) encourage the peoples.  What do you think?  Any peoples encouraged in 2012?

2. My favorite blog post in 2012 and why.

5 Things I've Learned Since Becoming a Mom of 5 because I love being a mom.  I've always wanted five kids.  Always.  Even when I was a little girl. 

3. A blog I read that challenged the way I think.

The Other Woman by Tonya at 4 Little Ferguson's.  Tough stuff to live through, to write, and even to read.  They've given God their story and the glory for the healing He has done in their marriage.

4. A blog I wrote when I was at a fork in the road.

Agendas (Mine or His?)

5. My 2013 blog goal(s).

Why Do I Blog?

6. If my blog were a casserole, what kind would it be?

Pizza Casserole.  Cheesy and liked by my family. lol

Our New Year's Eve baby was soundly sleeping when we rang in the New Year. 

The Chief and I both agreed that as blessed as our last New Year's Eve was, we much preferred 2012 over 2011. 

The first birthday cake was thoroughly dissected, tasted, and enjoyed.

This month finds Josiah giving kisses and dancing.  His cuteness overwhelms me. lol

7.  Emrie turned 8!

8.  The Chief and I celebrated our 16th Anniversary and Gracie turned 11!

9.  The Chief celebrated his last thirty.

10.  I celebrated 36 and the Chief ran his first 5K!

11.  Then Katie ran her first 5K.

12.  We celebrated our first Christmas with five kids!

2013, here we come! 

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

Happy New Year! 

2012 was an awesome year for us!  We were abundantly blessed. 

It is important to look back and remember the good things God has done.  In honor of 2012, here are 12 things I'm thankful for (one from each month on my blog):

1.  Josiah's first year. (Story of his birth.)

Jan 1, 2012

Dec 31, 2012

2.  Our refurbished thrifted chalkboard table.  Still loving it.  Most days you will find our family of seven crowded around this little table instead of our big table.  

3.  In March, we renewed our commitment to bring our children up in the Lord.  We were honored to stand before God and promise to continue to raise our first four and now our newest (5th) child to love and serve God. 

4.  Judah turned 5 and Katie turned 14!

5.  The Chief and I led our first online small group.  Family Devotions for the Young and Restless. 

6.  My nephew graduated highschool.  We traveled to Virginia and had a blast!

to be continued...

Well folks, Christmas is done at our house!  We kicked it off with our own celebration and then made the six+ hours trek to my dad's for two celebrations, then to my mom's for another celebration, followed by a celebration at my brother-in-law's. 

We're home.  We have too much loot (aka, presents to grandchildren from grandparents!) and too many sweets (mom, mom-in-law, and stepmom sent all the homemade goodies with us). 

By any standards it was an epic Christmas!  It had all the right elements - time to reflect on Jesus' birth and celebrate by having communion, lots of squeezing on nieces and nephews, grandparent love, lots of squeezing on Josiah (who celebrated his very first Christmas), eating, movie-watching, laughing, talking, visiting with 20 year old nephew and his girlfriend on his Christmas birthday and hearing lots of special plans he has for the upcoming year (it's going to be a momentous year for sure!), napping (cold medicine was part of my Christmas diet, ugh), hanging with our favorite people, and more eating! 

Our first Christmas with five kids was extra-special.  Still shaking my head at all God's blessings. 

Some highlights to remember:

1.  Stopping in Charlotte to attend Elevation Christmas Service and replace the starter on our van.  A new bible (long story), tow truck (longer story), and a chunk of our emergency savings later we were back on the road to Virginia. 

2.  Captain America.

3.  Moving our luggage many times (sorry, Chief). 

4.  Coming home to a broken washing machine (sorry again, Chief). 

Despite any hiccups, Christmas 2012 was Merry and Bright! 

I hope yours was just as blessed and memorable! 

Let the un-decorating begin! 

Snowman on the door.

Roses still in bloom.

Christmas in the Lowcountry. 

I can barely talk above a whisper.  I lost my voice late Sunday night.  Not having a voice is challenging.  Way challenging.  

Tuesday morning the carpet in our hallway was strangely wet.  There are five kids in my house.  Statistics say, somebody spilled something.  A couple hours later it was wetter.  It was time to phone the Chief and launch a bigger investigation.  The culprit was a pinhole in the plumbing.  With the amount of water pressure coming into the house, that pinhole was a constant little spray.  Commence operation fix leak, restore water.  My handy husband (thank God for youtube and texts to my stepdad) spent all of his evening working hard to get water restored.  We live in the middle of nowhere.  The hardware store closed and the final fix couldn't be made until this morning when the store opened.  The Chief got our part and within minutes I could hear him saying, "Now we're cookin' with peanut oil!" (Phil - Duck Dynasty).

Josiah learned to jump.  Video evidence below.

Judah has started wearing glasses part-time.  The doctor expects him to outgrow his eye strain and not need the glasses later on.  In the mean time, we think he is pretty cute. 

Our nativity scene has added a few characters.  One is obvious.  The other additions are tiny and harder to spot.  See anything that doesn't belong? 

Preseason basketball practice got a little overcrowded.  Good thing it was time to start regular season practice.  Check out Gracie taking a foul shot (during preseason practice) below. 

Hoping the weekend finds us with dry carpets and restored voices! 

"But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield." (Ps 5:11-12)

(Thanks to the Chief for loaning me his iPad pics and video.)