New Beginnings

I know it has been a REALLY long time since I have been on here. 2011 has not been too great of a year for my family, and I just haven't had the time to get on here or really the spirit to write. It is New Year's Eve, and I am actually making a New Year's Resolution List for this year. I have great hope for 2012, and anticipate many big great changes. Okay, my resolution list of hope for 2012...

1. Get Hayleigh potty trained and throw out the pacifiers- we are starting tomorrow on the potty training! I went out and bought her a pink potty last  week, and we are waiting on the 1st to start fresh from day 1. I think I have a special plan for the pacifiers this spring, thanks to insperation from one of my friends.

Hayleigh's new potty chair!!

doubles as a step stool too!

2. Get more organized- as always I think everything in the house is scattered all around. 2011 I made great progress getting our junk room and spare room cleaned out- stuff donated or thrown away. I think I ended up with probably 2 truck loads of stuff I finally let go of. We now have a very large play room for Hayleigh's toys, and Allen now has a den room- no more junk room/ storage room! The biggest problem I now have is storage- our under the stairway closet is packed to the door of Hayleigh's old clothes- yes, I kept them ALL, her baby toys, swings, etc that we can hopefully use for another baby girl someday, and clothes from Hayleigh's cousin that we will start getting to use in the next 2 years. I need to get more closet organizers, and organize the closets again for the 10th time. We made our stairway closet a pantry this year, since I was running out of room in the kitchen. The closet is right next to the bar, so it really is in the perfect place. I also finally rearranged our whole family room downstairs too this year- I had not moved the furniture any other way since we had moved into our house in Spring of 07'- much better now, and I don't know why I never thought of arranging it that way before!

Our family room facing the side that used to have the tv- everything got flip flopped

Our family room facing the side that had the couch and chairs- used to be very congested compared to now, we actually have room to play the kinnect now.

L

Hayleigh's play room- used to be our den/spare room

Hayleigh is all set up to entertain- dog crates in the back corner will be leaving the room tomorrow

Hayleigh's Chritmas tree

The play room facing the doorway

Hayleigh's new toy box- already full of toys

3. Update my blog, and get my pictures caught up on being developed, put in books, organized on the computer, and backed up. I also want to get our movies that we have been videoing with our new video camera we got right before Hayleigh's birthday made off onto DVDs. I need to learn how to do that. I am proud that I have kept up Hayleigh's baby book.

4. I get to start my psoriasis treatment on this coming Wednesday, January 3rd. I want to get my psoriasis under control, and the psoratic arthritis as well. There are a few things I have not been able to do because of pain in my hands from the arthritis.

5. I want to work on more projects this year- start crocheting, knitting, quilting, and wood working. I haven't been able to do most of that from the psoratic arthritis this year.

6. Spend more time doing activities with our family and friends. Go on VACATION this year. I get 3 weeks of vacation this year, and I am wanting to go with Allen and Hayleigh to Holiday World, the zoo in St Louis, the Magic House in St Louis, at least a weekend vacation just the three of us somewhere like Tennessee, or up North, and a weekend of just me and Allen- if I can stand to be away from Hayleigh for that much time. I want to start having a family movie night, and game night once a week, or every other week- movie night one week, game night the next- maybe even get a new game once a month for us all to play.

7. Get some projects done around the house. I am planning on taking the wall paper out of our upstairs bathroom, and painting it, and finish the wall in our entry that I will have to get scaffling to reach the ceiling to finish painting it over the stairway. We need to redo our front porch, put in some new landscaping in the front, and work on the yard a little bit this year. Shampoo the carpets at least 3 times through the year too.

8. Christmas shop throughout the whole year, and not the last 90 days... I am not doing this again- even though I say this every year.

9. Be more active outside with Hayleigh and, just try to get more in shape.

10. # 10 I want to keep to myself. I think that only a handfull of people even know anything about what the last thing is on my list. I really want to work on making our family and friend circle tighter together, and from what had happened this last year, I have really been questioning what to do about things. Our family circle has fallen apart in a few places, maybe for the best. This year I am focusing more on our family, and myself. I want to be a better person, so the last thing I want to accomplish can be more appreciated.

I know I probably will not get most of this list done, but, I have great hope and expectations for 2012, and if my feeling about this coming year is right, I know that the things that mean the most to me, I will get accomplished. I have great support from my close friends, family, and husband, and with that I can get anything I set my mind to done.