The Original Because of Love

Happy New Years everyone! I hope that you had a wonderful end to 2007! I did! Josh and I went on one last date night on New Years Eve! We had a fabulous time. Mom and Dad came to watch Alyse and a very generous friend gave us a gift so that we could go out and enjoy our evening. We went out to dinner and then saw a movie. After that we stopped by to see my sister at her New Years celebration and then we went to the Cheesecake Factory for some dessert. We made it home at 11:55pm. Just in time to grab some glasses and the sparkling grape juice! (I love sparkling grape juice!)

Josh had to work on Tuesday and I took down the all the Christmas decorations and cleaned, so everything is back to normal.

I did make some goals for 2008 (Not resolutions because no one really keeps those!) Here are the top 5:

• Lose weight (I know, I know. Everyone says that and you are probably tired of me talking about my weight, but bear with me!) I have been working on the weight thing and it is slowly coming off. (I have lost 15 lbs, and I am down one size! That means that I am half way to my original lose the baby weight goal. Go me!) I am going to stick with what I have been doing and add a little more exercise (that is really the goal within the goal) and we will just see what happens.
• Limit the Diet Coke and drink more water. I really love my Diet Coke, but so many people tell me that I shouldn't drink so much. I am going to try and see what happens. Plus, I am hoping that this will help with the weight goal.
• Have some more Jesus in my life. I just got a new Beth Moore Bible Study (David) that I am excited about reading. I also have printed off a new Bible Reading Plan that I am going to read from The Message. (It puts a little twist on the Bible in a year plan!)
• Love on my husband more. I really have been enjoying these date nights and extra time that I have got to spend with Josh. We use to be inseparable, but since he is working so much, I have missed our time together. I want to focus more on being in love with my husband - not just loving him. Does that make sense? I want to do things like write him love notes, go on dates, and share more time together. One day I was talking to Holly and she told me that when Pastor is around that they try to turn off the computer, phones, and all other distractions. I really respect that, and I am going to try my best to do that too! Josh is gone enough that when he is here, I feel like he deserves my full attention.
• Shopping Wisdom! I feel like since I have been home the last couple of months that I have gone into a spending overdrive. I hate it! I sit around the house and think about things that we "need" in every room. Or, I go to a store and see all these cute things that I just know would look perfect in this room, or Alyse has to have. After I buy things, I feel guilty. I think of Josh driving around in his police car or standing and working over time just so I can spend $20 on another Christmas decoration. Then I have to remind myself that we really need to spend more wisely because we are living on almost half the income as we use to since I stopped working, and now we have an extra person in our family. Josh never complains about my spending or need for instant gratification, but I know that it can add extra stress and work to his life. So, I am going to really work on the "Do we really need it?" rule and try to have more wisdom and patience!

So there they are - my goals for 2008. Wish me luck!