2013 in Review

I won't post ALL of my 2013 review, because I HAD A BABY! Every day there is a new and amazing thing going on in this household!  Here we go!!

- had a baby
-my sister had a baby 5.5 weeks after I had Adeline
- learning to be a housewife
-starting a new job at the church, learning and adjusting and finding my groove with it all.  I honestly feel like I am JUST- like this week- finding my stride and groove and starting to excel at my position with my church. I have never been happy with myself and my church work, I just knew I could do better with upkeep in the computer, and really putting my all into it.
-watching my niece part time
-watching my niece unexpectedly went to FULL TIME!!
- NOT watching my niece at all ( my sister opened her own daycare!)
- adjusting to being a mother and balancing it all
- I had roughly 60 photography sessions in 2013, that is awesome! Considering I didn't take any clients for a few months with having Adeline!

2013 was amazing. I became a mother! My niece was born! So many amazing things! This year has truly been a blessing! However it was a hard year for me... SO MUCH ADJUSTING.  I have not been the wife I envisioned I would be, or the domestic goddess I thought  I could be. I have been struggling to stay on top of laundry, and keep the floors mopped and swept. I struggle to provide a hot meal when it is needed to all of my family members (daughter, husband, dog, me) I have really just started feeling more on top of things and like I may be able to conquer the world soon! ( I am guessing when I get to that level another baby will happen and make me start all over again! haha)

here are my goals I made in the beginning for 2013

"(so these are probably a given, but I want to write them down)

- be the best Christian I can be

- be the best wife I can be

- be the best mother I can be

- learn to have more patience

-be better at household things

-save our family as much money as possible by doing things myself,learning things, such as gardening, making our own laundry soap, breastfeeding, etc.

-grow my photography business by double. 

-lose 60 lbs "

Honestly I read these.. .and laughed a little bit. I know exactly what I was thinking and expecting of myself... and I can tell you I was definitely expecting too much! But Something I have learned this year is to learn to not be so hard on myself. 

 here is my evaluation of my goals 

patience: I do believe i have made great strides in my patience! 

Household things: I have gotten better at them! But the challenge has been upped with adding a child, so you can't really tell I have improved! :)

Save money gardening, laundry soap, breastfeeding, etc: The saving money I have done pretty well at! 

Growing my photography business: I am actually really happy with my 2013 business! It has been great! 

lose 60 lbs (this is where I laughed): UMM DIDN'T HAPPEN!! AT ALL! haha! This doesn't surprise me. well it does a little because I THOUGHT FOR SURE I would be AT LEAST at pre baby weight.. but I guess losing weight is harder than I thought. :) 

I am no where near where I want to be, but thank God I am not where I used to be - Joyce Meyer.

COMING SOON 2014 GOALS!

To decorate.. or not.. That is the question

It is my daughters first Christmas and I am so not in the mood to decorate or prepare for Christmas- is that bad?!  I just am not feelin' it right now.  I couldn't wait to decorate for halloween, which is usually a holiday I could care less about. I desperately WANT to WANT to decorate!

I haven't bought or made a single present. I scour pinterest and am bored at all the Christmas things going on. What is wrong with me?!

This is my daughter's first Christmas! I should have EVERYTHING decorated in my house, lights galore, presents galore! homemade gifts!  Money is tight this year... maybe that is dampening my inner decorating goddess?  I don't know.. what's my deal!  I keep hoping that my inner decorating goddess will awaken and say "lets DECORATE!!" while throwing glitter everywhere.

 so far... no go.. BUT I did manage to get THE CUTEST picture of Adeline in front of the Christmas tree! (my moms Christmas tree...)

Adeline is 11 months old!

I can't believe we are a four weeks away from Adeline's first birthday! Time has gone by so fast! She is such a joy to be around. Her favorite thing right now is Porkchop. She squeals in delight when she sees him or hears him. In fact, she loves him so much I have to make sure he doesn't come down the hallway when I am putting her to bed, because she will want to chase him. She loves the chasing game. Most mornings while dad gets ready mommy and Adeline chase daddy around the house, she loves it. 

Every day at 8:20 she crawls into our bedroom and wakes up daddy and Porkchop. It is really so cute. 

She cruises around on her stroller and the base of the bassinet, but she doesn't walk unassisted yet, I think she could do it, but she is still unsure. In fact if she realizes she is standing by herself, she sits down. A few times she has stood for a few minutes without realizing she wasn't holding on. 

She says dada, and now mama! Mama is more "MMMMOOma" I love it! she says "dada" for everything, but I know in her world, she is saying all different things. 

She sleeps about 11 hours at night and generally 2-2.5 hours during the day. She keeps me guessing with her naps, sometimes she takes 1 and sometimes she takes 2. 

She loves danger. Anything dangerous, she gravitates for it.  

As I was loading the dishwasher, she climbed onto the dishwasher, and started pulling out the spoons (because of her love for danger, I only put spoons in there until it is ready to be started)