My New Year's List

It is that time again; can you believe it? We are about to embark on yet another year and I, like many people, like to think of it as a fresh slate. So here is my list so far of things I hope to accomplish in 2013:

Link

1) My mom read a wonderful book called One Perfect Word, and in it the author talks about the wonderful lessons that can be learned when you focus on one word for an entire year. The author talks about praying what your word should be for the coming year, and choosing it with care, then every day of the next year, focus on it. I am still deciding what my word should be, but I decided to focus on one of the fruits of the spirit. I am now praying between Love and Gentleness. Don't worry, I intend to show both in the next year, but those are both words that I really feel I need some work in.

If you could pick one word to work on next year, what would it be?

2) Get my debt under $20,000. I originally hoped to get that number much lower, but now that I am only working part-time, our plan has to be alightly adjusted. I'll be giving my debt update in the coming weeks.

3) Become a mother. I know, I know, I can't exactly plan for this to happen, but I can hope, right? If we are unable to have a child on our own in the coming year, my husband and I will begin praying about adoption.

4) Move. Again. I am actually excited about this move, as our new place will be convenient and have a better lay-out.

5) Get out of pain and back in shape. My back pain from my weird episode last year at this time has kept me from the active lifestyle I usually lead. I am in physical therapy now, so I'm praying 2013 will be a pain-free year where I can get back to activities I love.

6) TRAVEL! I have been itching to travel for a while now. I haven't stepped a foot out of the country since I landed back in it from Turkey in 2008. My husband and I have been saving little bits over the last 2 year (we wanted to get our debt down first), and this year we are going to take a trip to Poland (to visit my husband's Grandparents), Finland (to visit my friends and family from when I was an exchange student), and hopefully Brazil (to visit my friends and family from when I was an exchange student, and to visit my little stepsister who will be doing an exchange there in 2013).Whether Brazil happens depends on how frugal I can manage to be, so I'm going to be punching pennies (even more than usual!) in the coming year.

Last time I was in Finland back in 2005

7) Go to our first marriage conference. We will be going to the Moody marriage conference in January, and I'm very excited for it. Any marriage can always be improved.

8) Finish the Bible. I have been reading 2 chapters per day for over a year now, and I am hoping that I will be finished in 2013.... only to start all over again!

9) Learn to knit. I can crochet like a champ, but I have no idea how to knit. I already bought the Groupon for the online class at Etsy.com.

10) Celebrate: 2 years of marriage, 26 years of life for me, 27 years of life for my husband