Living Purposefully

I tried to explain how I'm feeling this morning to my boy...overwhelmed, a little, hopeful, a lot...there are so many things I need and want to do like, yesterday. As you can see in the background of the picture, it's still Christmas around here, but my sweet boy surprised me yesterday by going to storage and bringing home the tubs, etc. to pack it all up and take it back. We had planned to work on that yesterday after nap, but lunch went late so naps were late and then we had dinner plans...typical Sunday. :) So, that's carried over into this week. I have a work project due today at noon that I need to be working on more than I need to be blogging, but I was sitting here at the table working and itwas driving me nuts that I had a project in progress on the table, so I finished it. Finished what? This...it's a horrible picture, but you get the idea.

Each year when we pack up Christmas, it's such a breath of fresh air to have a clutter-free home again. I love the fake snow and trees and decorations everywhere--but in January, it's a relief to see clean surfaces again! The dining room table seems to suffer the most from bare-itis, and I decided to make a centerpiece that will remind us of the habits we want to work on in 2011. I started with my favorite glass vase and then just started putting in objects that would serve as a visual reminder. There are not objects for some things, but that's okay...it wasn't meant to be a time-consuming project. :)

Here's what's on my mind for 2011:

study God's word + live God's word + be an example to our children + get to church! + take a second, clean it up + love much, laugh often + show up! + listen more, talk less + keep in touch + read more + say thanks + eat clean + plan ahead + practice gratitude + get out and play! + finish what we start + be present + use time purposefully + eliminate debt + unplug + u$e ca$h + move more

I might translate this into a family mission statement/subway art picture here soon...we'll see.  I got that idea from Kim Bartholomew this summer and I've been wanting to put one together since.  Maybe this is the year!  :)

So that's where I am this morning...at the table working while my poor kids happily watch TV.  It's time to work on that habit, as well, but not this morning.  Kayci goes back to school tomorrow and I need to figure out which day I'm going in to Houston...it's time to get purposeful and make the most of my work time this semester.  That brings me back to the question of what to do with Noble...but not today.  Today, one thing at a time.  Next up:  finish my Region 4 task before the noon deadline.  Then, at 12:30 it's family picnic time.  Then nap time and WalMart for pullups and other necessities, then family time and dinner time and bedtime...that's my day.  Somewhere in there I hope to get the majority of this Christmas stuff into the appropriate tubs and put the shower curtain back up (it's our winter one right now, and I'm tired of it--I miss my cowboys!)...

OH!  This is ironic, but here it is:  I picked up the "Mary Heart in a Martha World" book last week, and I have finished the first two chapters.  It definitely speaks to me, although you can tell from the post above I'm stubbornly holding on to my "busyness."  Sigh.  I've wanted to read it for quite a while, as I am so much like my busy friend Martha.  Maybe I need to move that to the top of my habits list:  more Mary, less MARTHA!   Starting tomorrow...  :D