myWord ~ 2014

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With just a few more days of 2013, I am evaluating and planning for the new year. One thing that I have done in the past few years is to pick a “word” to focus on throughout the year.

The people over at OneWord365 state the concept as:

Forget New Year’s Resolutions. Scrap that long list of goals you won’t remember three weeks from now anyway.

Choose just one word.

One word that sums up who you want to be or how you want to live. One word that you can focus on every day, all year long.

It will take intentionality and commitment, but if you let it, your one word will shape not only your year, but also you. It will become the compass that directs your decisions and guides your steps.

Discover the big impact one word can make.

One word. 365 days. A changed life.

 

~ website

So far I have used the following words:

2011 & 2012 ~ LOVE

2013 ~ Moxie ~ Grace

Reflecting on 2013 I noticed a trend within myself… I was lacking in several of areas of priority. As I have been praying about what word to use for 2014, several popped into my head over the last few weeks. God has made me a pretty good multi-tasker but that has its downfalls at times. The stress I placed on myself at times had me unbalanced and as much as I hate to say it, my relationship with God suffered the most. I was always either too tired or thought I did not have the time. Boy was I wrong and I have seen the errors of my ways. My speedbuilding did not get off the ground even though my machine is sitting here ready to let my fingers fly.

My eyes are finally open wide and for 2014 I am ready to FOCUS:

On God

my husband & children

my home

my court reporting speedbuilding

  on photography.

If I want God to be at the center of my daughters lives I need to mirror that and let them see that He is front and center in mine. No more excuses for any of the five things I mentioned above, I need to just do it!

So here’s to a year full of God-centered FOCUS in 2014. I know that I can not do it without Him on my side and I am ready to let the blessing he has for me to flow.

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Do you have a Word that you will be focusing on in 2014? I would love to hear or read about it. I am linking this post up with the Schoolhouse Review Crew as well as with the OneWord365 team. Throughout the year I plan to blog on my progress so I hope that you stick around!

A look back at our year

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Today I am participating in the Year in Blogging review hosted by Tracy @ Work of Heart and Soul. It’s pretty simple and I hope you will join in on the fun too.

To participate, simply post the title or first sentence of your first blog post from each month. You can also add a favorite picture from each month {my pictures do not correspond with the blog titles}, even though it doesn’t necessarily go with that post.  I would love to see your year in review leave me a link in the comments.

~A Stable Beginning’s Year in Review~

January ~ Happy New Year

February ~ Missing his master

March ~  Dress up box treasures

April ~ Busch Gardens

May ~ I bought this

June ~ 2013-2014 Plan of Study

July ~ Happiness is…a cupcake

 

August ~ 1st day back

September ~ Edible cell

October ~ Something colorful

November ~ Fruit

December ~ Red

Thanks for taking the trip down memory lane with me.  We have had a truly blessed year! I encourage you to start your blog or to write more on your blog in 2014 so you too can look back at the end of the year. 

From the fullness of His grace

we have all received one blessing after another.

~John 1:16

Christmas traditions recap {lots of pictures}

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I wanted to quickly write about our Christmas Eve and Christmas day celebrations. This year was very special and relaxed because we stayed home and didn’t travel. Not that I don’t like traveling up North to visit friends and family, but sometimes it makes the few days leading up to Christmas quite hectic upon our return.

This year we were not as rushed as we anticipated the celebration of Christ’s birth {Montana made this picture in her art class at co-op}. Our family tradition includes going to see the Christmas lights on Dec. 23rd. This year we ventured back down to VA Beach to see the lights as we road down the boardwalk. Even though it was raining this year we still had a great time as a family!

Christmas Eve we go see the big man in red bright & early. This year we left later than our usual 8AM, and had to wait in line a bit. However, this mall Santa and elves always make it worth the wait.

Santa doesn’t play a huge part in our Christmas celebration, but the girls, young and old (even though they wont admit it), like to go and visit him. I love the photo op so it’s win-win for all. At Christmas I like to display all of our past years of Santa pictures to see how the girls have grown. Next year we will have 6 kiddo’s in the picture, fun!

After Santa pictures it is home to make cookies and decorate the gingerbread house. While Marie and I cut out and baked cookies, the younger girls decorated the gingerbread house.

 

This year the girls wanted a lot, 68 to be exact, of sugar cookies. I think they will rethink that next year as they all got tired of frosting and decorating with about 20 cookies left.

Now, normally we go to Christmas Eve services during the 3PM service, however, I slept through my alarm clock but not McKenzie spoon feeding me pretend baby food. So instead of rushing to get out the door we decided to just stay home this year. I will definitely plan better next year :)

Montana is always a willing model :)

For dinner we always either make or get Papa John’s pizza. Lately we have been making our own pizza’s which the girls enjoy because they shape the dough into creations. Plus, It’s cheaper on the wallet to make the dough and by all the fixings they like. Montana can’t handle too much red sauce so she gets to put on just the right amount for her belly on her pizza. This year Madison made me a snowman shaped pizza and I do not have a picture of it, bummer!

After dinner and chores it’s time to open Christmas Eve secret santa gifts and the yearly pj’s gift. This year because I was such a bargain shopper I was able to get the girls each 2 pair of pj’s for the price of 1. Score for me! The only thing is that I usually have them wear matching pj’s. Everyone was please with their pj’s but I think next year I will go back to coordinating pj’s :)

 Once everyone was fast asleep the Lt and I placed the girls gifts under the tree and Santa came and dropped off his one gift while everyone slept. Christmas morning the girls slept in until 630AM then the fun started as we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus and opened the gifts.

All those cookies the girls frosted become apart of what is a Christmas morning breakfast tradition of the 4 C’s. Cinnamon rolls, cookies, candy, and Clementine's.

McKenzie was the Christmas pickle winner this year! She was so excited to win!

The rest of the day we just hung out, relaxed, and watched Christmas movies. McKenzie ate so much candy she went into a sugar overload. She was good after we flushed her system with water :) The girls played with their toys, pretty much Lego’s all day while I talked to family and friends on the phone and FaceTime.

I pray that you and your family had a great Christmas filled with love and joy. It was a blessed year for us and I can’t wait to see what is in store for 2014!

Have a Blessed Christmas

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Tree ~ #FMSphotoaday

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This is one of the trees in our town.  It’s even prettier at night when it is lit.

Merry Christmas 2013

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Merry Christmas from our family to yours! We hope this letter finds all of our family and friends happy, healthy, and blessed by this Christmas season. Our family has had yet another amazing year in 2013 filled with exciting trips and equally exciting news!

Highlights of our year:

~ Expecting baby # 6 in June 2014

~ Madison found her missing cellphone (MIA for 13 months) – hooray!

~ 2 week Disney World Vacation

~ The Lt. bought a new truck

~ Marie got her driving permit – look out world!

~ Our Morkie puppies Mollie (8mo) and Maxwell (4mo) joined our family.

~ Montana learned to ride a two-wheeler

~ McKenzie learns to write her name and writes it everywhere

~ Mikayla competes as a Level 8 gymnast and LOVEs it!

~ Just spending time together and enjoying the family time as the Lt. heads back to sea duty in March 2014

We pray your family has a blessed holiday season and may your hearts be warm with the blessing of Christmas.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Joy is ~ #FMSphotoaday

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Joy is sending Christmas cards.

Our  cards are finally ready to go out to all our friends and family.

 

Merry CHRISTmas!!!

Green ~ #FMSphotoaday

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R is for ~ #FMSphotoaday

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My oldest, Raven, studying hard by the Christmas tree.

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This is the weather today ~ #FMSphotoaday

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Cold and rainy, however, I would much rather prefer cold and snowy!

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Wordfull Wednesday: Tiny ~ #FMSphotoaday

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I had an ultrasound today and got to see this tiny little one. It was worth the wait and commotion that went on in the waiting room at the hospital.

Baby Micah is looking good at 2.5 inches long from crown to rump and is really laid back in uterus with a strong 4 chambered heartbeat. I love that technology is so advanced now that we can get an early glimpse of this sweet little ones face.

My 20 week ultrasound is confirmed for January 27th at 10AM. We have to meet with the genetics counselor at 9AM, so that will be interesting trying to get my water intake in and holding it :)

Things should get quite interesting the preceding weekend since Mikayla has a gymnastics meet in NY City the 24-26th of January. I am praying that she competes on Saturday or early Sunday so we can get home. I am a little bummed that the girls will not be able to accompany us to this ultrasound because it is at the main hospital. However, my doctor’s office does a facial ultrasound between 28-30 weeks to check for cleft palate and they will be able to attend then.

I can’t wait until January 27th!!!

Silver ~ #FMSphotoaday

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McKenzie made this Christmas tree ornament with silver accents at co-op today.

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Where I Stand ~ #FMSphotoaday

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6 days a week I stand in this gym waiting and watching Mikayla and McKenzie on Mondays.

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Red ~ #FMSPHOTOADAY

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Red ~ #FMSphotoaday

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Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

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Level 8 gymnastics

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Mikayla’s Level 8 gymnastics season began this past Sunday, Nov. 24th. The atmosphere at this meet was very different than what we have experienced before. It was almost calming, but I will admit I was a nervous wreck for her while she competed each event.

{Coach and teammates}

My stomach was in knots at times and my irritable uterus, was quite irritable especially when I found out we did not have a copy of her floor music. All was saved by an awesome gym mom and friend who was able to email the piece while I was still driving. I owe her big time!

 

Mikayla’s  leo, a 6x-7, fit just right and the new liner made me more comfortable that she was not going to rip it in unmentionable places. Seriously, I had nightmares last season about her ripping it during a meet. She made it through and qualified for the STATE meet and a 3rd place podium placement on vault!

 

I have attached the video of her vault (the second pass as on the first pass she touched the mat with her hands on landing and it didn’t count for a score) below. If you would like to see her floor routine, check out this blogs Facebook page, as the video is too long to post here.

Way to go Mikayla, you are off to a great start!