Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year Everyone!!!

2011 marks an important year for me. It's the Year of Bettering Myself. Well, actually it's the year of a LOT of things for me. But I think the main theme is to better myself.

And I mean that in so many different ways! I want to explore my hobbies and interests and maybe find new ones! I want to get better at the things I already do. I want to kick my PPD hard in the ass and say goodbye. My anxiety will likely never be resolved but I'll just worry about that another day (pun, ha ha ha?). While becoming a mother has gifted me so many wonderful things, I've also felt like I've lost so much of myself. Like when I became a Mom, the person I used to be exploded into a million billion tiny pieces... and I didn't know where to begin to find them and pick them up and put them back where they belong. When I blog, or write, or take pictures, or bake & cook, get out of the house ~ I feel like I find these little pieces of myself. When I am able to take my guitar out of the case and play, I can hear that girl singing (the one who made her friends hide behind a couch while she played because she couldn't bear for anyone to watch her while she did it, LOL... I love my old friends). I haven't painted in years, but I know if I picked up a paintbrush I'd be lost for hours. Hours upon hours.

Other things I'm doing in 2011 to "better myself"? Here are my "resolutions":

BABY CLOTHES. I'm not sure how much I've talked about Baby Clothes online but I know all my friends are aware that we have LOADS and LOADS and LOADS (and more loads) of baby clothes. Loads. Seriously. I'll be dedicating a few posts (and plenty of pictures) next year to the Baby Clothes Catastrophe and what I'm doing to fix it. Sometimes I feel like I am going to be eaten alive by baby clothes. Therefore, my main resolution for 2011 is:

NO BUYING BABY CLOTHES IN 2011. NONE.

Unless someone grows 10 inches or we need new socks (which we generally do need by the time June rolls around). We have a good amount of 3T clothing and enough 4T to get us through next December (that is unless someone grows, which they won't). My 3 year olds are still fitting into some 18 and 24 month clothing, I'm just not super concerned that they're gonna have some crazy growth spurt. :) This is mainly clutter/sanity related but also financially related. I can't bear to throw away much of the girls' old clothing. Part of me would like to make quilts out of them. I don't know if my sewing skills are up to that. Maybe by the end of 2011, I will have become a better seamstress? Anyways, so no more buying baby clothes. I'm saving the few (hahahaha. few, who am I kidding!) bucks and put that money into something else? I really want to paint our main room and the trim on our windows & door. By not spending money on baby clothes (that we probably don't need) I can more easily influence my husband to spend money fixing up the house! I will mention that I AM a little bummed I didn't get out of the house after Christmas (because of the flu) to go last-time shopping for basic stuff at super sales. Oooo well, 2011 started early for baby clothes & me! :)

BLOG. I want to blog. Every week. Haha. No, I want to blog every day. I won't do it every day but I want to do it more than weekly. I had so much fun this year when I participated in Photo Challenges. I really had no idea I enjoyed photography so much ~ I kind of think I need to boost of ideas and support from the whole blog community. I like you guys, you're nice. Anyways, so I want to blog more, get better at blogging, etc. I want to make a watermark (which I've been trying to do for a while) and make a button for myself and figure out my signature (and remember to use it at the end of my posts, lol - of course I started using one and then totally forgot I was gonna do that!) Anyways, I want to keep up on this blog because I do a good job at keeping up on reading other people's blogs that I figure at the very least I really do need to keep up on my own, too. It's only fair. :) And more fun, too. :)

PHOTOSHOP. Photoshop. I want to become good friends with you in 2011. I do. We just haven't had a lot of time to spend together and I know that becoming your good friend will require time alone with you. And I'm okay with that. Maybe I'll do a class this new year and learn a bunch of new stuff!

COUPONS. I actually do a pretty good job at clipping coupons. I really started it in 2010 and enjoyed saving money. I want to do more coupon clipping in 2011 and save more money! Bring it, Sunday Papers!!! :)

GENEOLOGY. I started a few days ago (and was astounded by all the information I happened to find on one line of the family) researching my husband's side of the family. I'm adopted so I never had this information about my own family history. I do count the adoptive family ancestors as MY family ~ but I think it IS important also to know "blood" wise where you "came from". I'm sure people understand what I'm saying. I'm really excited that I'll be able to give my daughters this information and I hope they will want it. Geneology is something that has always fascinated me ~ I don't doubt this has something to do with my being adopted. Which brings me to my next resolution.

MEET MY BIRTHFAMILY. (I do intend to post separately on this topic at some point, but the writer in me went crazy and wrote a lot just now sorry.) Well, my dad's side at least. My mom is not interested. (Well, I shouldn't say that. She loves me more than anything in the whole world and I know that her lack of interest isn't such at all. I know, because I know the type of person that I am, that it's just too hard. And I get it.... blah, I really need to stop letting this make me cry every time I say it. Geez.) Anyways, my dad's side are the ones that found me. His parents were looking for me back in... 2002/3? And I joined this Internet group in hopes of finding information on where/how/etc to look so that when I was ready I'd be prepared to do what needed to get done to find them. So the night I joined the group, I searched the archives for what they called me at birth and birthdate and hospital. Of course, as the Lord would have it, there was one single post. And in that post was plenty of information but it was no doubt to me that it was me in that description. I was that baby they were talking about. Yes, we STILL haven't met yet. We're going to though, this year. I'm really excited. My dad & I are very alike (I look like him!) but we don't talk much. I think he's nervous to call me and I feel the same way. I can't help but think I bring up bad old feelings, right? Anyways, My Nana (my dad's mom) loves me so much; after my adoption she sent letters with pictures to the courthouse and all those were filed away in case I went looking for them. The letters are so special to me. I never ever stopped wondering about "my people" and to know that she cared so much all those years... it's just so very special. She sends packages all the time to us now with things ranging from videos, to decorations, to coupons and post it notes. Sometimes I wonder if she just goes through her house trying to find the most random things to send to me. Everything she sends is a treasure in my eyes. Other than my children, there is nothing more important to me in this house than the things she sent to me. Anyways, here I go crying again. (Sidenote, I took a pregnancy test this morning just to rule out why I figured I've been seriously easy to cry lately ~ like a balloon next to a sharp pin, just bursting into tears left & right lately.) So yeah, Meet the BirthFam.

BUILD THINGS. I want to build things. The previous owners of our house left a bunch of wood in the basement. Since we moved in, I have felt a need to take the wood and make things of it. Then a month or two ago, I found this website. Prayers. Answered. Ideas. Aplenty! I'm starting with a bookcase for the kids. And then I reeeeeeeeally want to build an entryway storage bench coat hanger thing.

COOKBOOK. I'm organizing a Cookbook. It'll involve YOU, too. Curious yet? It's not really what you're thinking. Stick around and I'll give you more information when I have the plans a little more set in pen than in pencil. :)

Hopefully I have not bored you with my resolution list. Hopefully I will be able to complete these tasks, or at least stick to them for the year! Ha! What are your resolutions? Do you make them? I don't usually but I need a change. Or I'm gonna lose my mind. :)

Happy New Year Everyone!

May this be your BEST year yet!