Five-Minute Friday: Home

March 8, 2013 by · 8 Comments

Today I’m linking up with Lisa-Jo at The Gypsy Mama for Five-Minute Friday.

Join me!

The rules: Write for five minutes. No editing, revising, overthinking, or backtracking. Just write.

Today’s Topic: Home

Home.

The word has taken on such a different meaning for me in the past, almost-three, years.

I used to think it was a place…this two-story, blue beauty on the corner of Wisconsin and Charles, nestled into what I think is possibly the best neighborhood in the world.

Surrounded by neighbors who have become friends and friends who have become family, this place is our home.

front_lowres
I smile every time I remember the moment…the time we walked through the door for the first time. We just looked at each other, and we knew. This was it.

Home.

And we have been blessed to plant our roots deep and give our daughter a place to call home…and give ourselves that place, too.

But as I look at our lives…though young, we’ve seen a lot. We’ve experienced the temporary of home and the unknown of the journey…and though it’s always nice to have a place, it isn’t a building that makes a home.

It’s people and love…those that surround us each day and love us despite the ugly and imperfect, those who choose to be part of our lives and hearts.

They are what makes a home.

Oh, I love my blue house, number 127.

But my home is just that because of the love I’ve been blessed with.

Almost by accident last fall, I stumbled onto a quote, one now painted (well, it was a rub-on if we’re being technical ;)) on our living room wall.

Life takes you to unexpected places; Love brings you home.

Always. And we are home. It’s good.

Five Minute Friday

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, family, Five Minute Friday, friends, just life, where I am

Thursday Night and No Place to Go…

March 7, 2013 by · 5 Comments

Well, now that it’s almost 10 p.m. There were plenty of places to be today. :)

It’s been a long time since we’ve just had a virtual chat.

So, while I finish my dinner (yep, it was a praise-team-practice, eat-dinner-late night) we can talk about food and life and potty training and the snow…just maybe not all at once. 😉

So, first up. Dinner. (‘Cause I like to eat…don’t we all?!) I have proved my theory that you can take the girl out of Asia, but you can’t take the Asia out of the girl. My choice for dinner was leftover pizza or leftover sweet and sour chicken. I totally went for the chicken…and not because of the chicken.

It was the rice.

Totally the rice.

I love rice.

We ate it at least five times a week in Indonesia, and I’m actually quite amazed I don’t detest the stuff. In fact, I still crave it. Weird, I know. (But true fact…we only eat it about once a month.)

And moving on to my girl…oh, how I love her.

But I’d be not completely telling you the truth if I said I loved potty training her. It’s just not going as great as I thought it would be by now. I’m really trying to celebrate every success, and truthfully, she’s closer than she was a month ago. I will take even a millimeter of progress at this moment.

But I’ll also take some prayers should you feel led to say them for us. 😉

I’m am thankful, though, that despite the potty training drama in the house, we have a thousand other reasons to smile through our days. :)

I just can’t believe how much she’s growing up and changing and turning into such the wonderful little person. I adore her. :)

Her imagination and vocabulary are just exploding. Yesterday I was working on something in the kitchen and overheard her having her princesses act out a scene from one of her favorite movies. She even had the words right…she amazes me.

She’s a puzzle maniac. The girl puts 24 piece puzzles together already…in fact, she stunned me the other day when she took a brand new one out of the box and snapped it together without even looking at the picture. Gotta be honest here…I’m not sure I could have done it that fast.

And snow with a toddler? Has been way too much fun…this coming from a girl who doesn’t exactly love winter. (Though I don’t hate it…I would just rather be warm. :)) On Tuesday, we got a lot of snow, and she came outside with me while I shoveled the driveway. She was fascinated with the piles of snow on either side and created her own “slide”…I wish I had a taken a picture. Too cute. :)

Last week we also built our first snowman with Tobin, and a few days later, Mae and I went out and turned our snowman into a tropical snowprincess…complete with an Indonesian sarong…thanks to some inspiration from our dear friend. :)

Tell me this isn’t completely adorable?

We had fun…and I love the memories we’re making.

Sometimes I struggle with being the stay-at-home-mom who’s home a lot…I don’t have a lot of things vying for my attention that are outside the house. And while I stay busy with my girl and writing, sometimes it’s a little too easy to feel like I’m not making a difference.

And then I remind myself that she’s going to Preschool in five months. Well, pending potty training success.

Somebody pinch me because it doesn’t seem possible.

The truth is that I’m so blessed to be home with her during these years, and though there are difficult days, I truly love my job and wouldn’t change a thing. And I need to soak up every second.

And because it’s getting late and my Diet Coke is almost gone and I’m also a little sniff-sniff because my girlie is growing up too fast, maybe I should say good night for now.

:)

Thanks for stopping by, friends. And Happy Almost-Friday!

Sig

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, family, just life, Maelie, where I am, writing

Five-Minute Friday: What Mama Did

February 22, 2013 by · 14 Comments

Today I’m linking up with Lisa-Jo at The Gypsy Mama for Five-Minute Friday.

Join me!

The rules: Write for five minutes. No editing, revising, overthinking, or backtracking. Just write.

Today’s Topic: What Mama Did

It’s a day I have waited for…and dreaded at the same time.

That day when I cross the line, officially, from child to adult. No, not my eighteenth birthday, but I rang that in a few weeks ago.

I’m leaving for college.

It’s time to go…time to get out of here, or more like high speed it out of here on I-35 in my awesome ’85 Olds.

And I know I don’t do goodbye well…or see ya later…or even hello, but what the future holds for me is bright. I just know it.

And I leave behind the place that started me…and the people who were the pieces of that beginning, too.

She was one of my biggest influences, my mom…and life turned out much differently than any of us had ever planned. Circumstances were unfair, the consequences of decisions affected us to the core, and when I packed my bags on that sweltering August day, we knew that I was leaving as a much different person than I had been before they ended.

Her and my daddy.

And my last two years there, it was just me and her. She was strong and did what she had to do, but the situation changed us all forever.

And now I’m me…not the same as I was, but still pieces of it.

Sometimes stumbling, faltering…and I learn again to rest in His grace and remember that there is always a brand new day coming where His new mercies abound.

Almost seventeen years later, I think about the new journey that day began.

I kiss my husband.

I love on my daughter.

I thank God for the many, many blessings He has so graciously given.

Included in those blessings, are those pieces from my beginning. My daddy. My mama.

And now, I continue on in her shoes.

And I hope that, one day, when my daughter is asked to reflect, she will write of me with thankfulness and love for all we shared.

Five Minute Friday

Sig

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, family, Five Minute Friday, Maelie, marriage, remembering, Tobin, where I am

More of the Still

February 21, 2013 by · 5 Comments

It has been one of those seasons…over and over, there have been reminders from Him.

Sometimes quiet whispers, sometimes not-so-quiet, and a few in-my-face. 😉

For some reason, God keeps bringing this verse into my life…literally. I can’t even count the number of times it’s come up on the radio, in sermons, in reading…in the past few weeks.

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Exodus 14:14 (NIV)

At first it was a little weird to me that this verse, one that spent most of my life hidden away in the sometimes-elusive Old Testament, has now become such a precious promise to me…but I’m so amazed at all that He’s teaching me through these twelve words.

So it’s probably not news to most of you that I’m an open person…and I’m well aware of the amount of heart-spill that happens on these pages. It may surprise you, though, that I do have a filter, though it’s not always in the proper place while I’m doing that heart-spill. 😉

I have struggled with this for a long time…and, combined with my sheer love of words and talking and sharing, I’ve almost exhausted myself.

And probably shared too much.

So this verse is more than a promise to me from God…it’s also a challenge.

You see, friends, He is fighting for me. He’s fighting for all of us…and He’s fighting for the good.

Always the good.

He just asks that we be still…and that involves so much more than physical stillness, which I believe is an important part of choosing to sit and be, too.

It’s learning to have a quiet heart…one that can be silent enough that when He speaks…I can actually listen. I have to admit that I’m not so good at that. Some people are internal processors, and I am anything but…I always feel the need to talk and share and bounce my thoughts off of those closest to me.

Right now, He’s asking one thing of this heart…

To be still.

And what He’s asking of me means a lot of things.

Rest. (I need to stop my literal burning of the midnight oil. My new goal is in bed by 11, up at 6:30. Yes, seven-ish hours. Ambitious, I know…honestly I’ll be happy with seven good hours, but that extra 30 minutes would sure be nice.) 😉

Quiet. I have got to learn the art of thought before words, of consideration before expressing. It’s not my strength, and I think I have gotten better, but there’s room for improvement. :)

Less Words. This place is going to be quieter for a few weeks. I have to admit to you that it just about kills me to only visit here a few times a week…as in three, maybe four. (No more.) Tuesdays, Fridays, and another day in there. And it’s not permanent…but for a season, I need to step back.

Not walk away…just distance myself a bit. For lots of reasons.

For one thing, my rough draft is getting so close…and while I don’t want to force the words out, it does feel as if it’s coming more easily, and I’m SO excited to see this dream continue to grow.

More importantly, my daughter is growing up WAY. TOO. FAST. She is at the most amazing age…and we are truly having the best days together. I want to soak up each and every one completely. :)

As I’ve gotten busier during the past two months, I’ve noticed a decrease in the time I spend encouraging others. I want to intentionally make time for coffee or a chat, for writing a note or having a text conversation, and even for prayer. Relationships are huge part of my life.

Which brings me to my hubby. Since beginning his new job, it feels like we see much less of each other…and I want to be able to give him quality time together…not time that is spent distracted by what I feel needs to be written.

I also want to really focus on filling at this point.

As a writer, I often feel like I spend so much time pouring…and it’s time to fill up.

I’m blessed. Through connections and some amazing women in my life, both in-real-life and online, I’m part of two different studies and have three incredible books to read, books that are speaking Truth to me in ways that are so needed and such blessings.

I love how He knows and meets me exactly where I need to be met…without me even asking.

So please be patient with me for the next few weeks, friends. There won’t be new thoughts every day…though I will still be here at least a few times a week…but I’m not going to push it. Just take the opportunity if it’s there and I can. :)

I want you to know that you truly bless me just by being here, reading my words, and allowing me to share part of my heart with you.

Please pray that during this time of stillness I will really learn to be still.

Thanks so much…love you all!

Sig

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, encouragement, family, friends, God-Sized Dreams, Maelie, marriage, Tobin, what I'm learning, where I am, writing

My God-Sized Dream: Less…

February 12, 2013 by · 20 Comments

Hi, my name is Mel.

And I write. Like, a lot.

I pour out my feelings in this space not-quite-but-mostly every day, and my huge dream is to finish writing and publish a book of my Indo-stories.

I’m also mommy to the most amazingly wonderful and talkative little girl. (Think as chatty as her mama. ;))

So, in essence, there are an extra-lot of words all over my days. :)

When Holley shared with us what she’d like us to think about and apply this week, I almost laughed at my initial response.

In fact, most likely I did. (Laugh at myself, not my sweet friend. ;))

Choose what you will decrease in your life so that your God-sized dream can increase.

Friends, I almost think you might laugh, too.

Because, though the dream of writing a book is inching closer and closer to reality, what I chose to decrease?

Writing.

I know it sounds like an almost-too-easy answer.

But it makes sense to me…and maybe some of you can relate, too.

I am first and foremost a follower of my Father. Then comes wife, mommy, friend. All things that will remain, no matter where life takes me, priorities.

And after that, a mix of writer-runner-creator-singer/musician…things that fuel my passion for life.

But mixed up in the writing hat is the fact that I not only am somewhat-furiously writing a book, I’m also trying to blog 5-6 times a week.

Writing is how I process the extraordinary and the everyday…whether or not I have anything important to say. (I rhymed…love. That quote totally belongs on Pinterest.) :)

But last week I had a moment.

On Wednesday, I hit a social-media-overload wall fueled by too much blog reading and commenting, and too many status updates, tweets, and dessert-pins. Can’t blame a girl for loving dessert, though. 😉

I actually buried my head in my hands and then closed my laptop for several hours and just sat on the floor and played with my daughter, forbidding myself from opening that computer. And as Mae and I put puzzles together and rolled out play-doh, took her princesses on a field trip to the Little People farm, and giggled at life in general…I thought

about how I’ve got to find some kind of balance with writing…to write with purpose and not because I feel like I have to.

I started by somewhat-unplugging for the weekend. (No blogging or commenting Saturday and Sunday and keeping other forms of social media to a minimum.) It helped that we were out of town, but it was a good time to consider direction.

I love this space and plan to continue here. But I also need to learn to give myself permission to miss a day or two (or four) in a row without feeling as though I’ve failed somehow. My new goal is no more than five days a week but at least three. (And if I don’t do three…extending lots of grace to myself. ;))

I also need more focused, spaced-out, intentional book-writing time. (I can’t write with the same intensity and productivity on consecutive days.) I typically take Wednesday nights from 6-10 for that, but guess what? Ash Wednesday is tomorrow. So I’ll need to find another time during Lent where I can sit, uninterrupted, and just let the words spill. My goal is to find two of those times each week…spaced out enough that I don’t feel like I’m forcing the words. (And if one or both of those don’t happen in a week…more grace.)

It’s not a race…it’s obedience. He’s got the timing figured out already…I just need to daily walk out what He’s called me to do.

To read more amazing things God is teaching a group of dreamers, click on the link below. We’re linking up every Tuesday and would love to have you join us!

God-Sized Dreams

Sig

Filed Under: barefoot, being mommy, blessings, encouragement, family, friends, God-Sized Dreams, Indonesia, just life, Maelie, what I'm learning, where I am, writing

Unplugging

February 7, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

Hey, friends!

Pardon the short and sweet post tonight.

We had a busy day, lotsa snow, and I worked my muscles a little (or a lot!) by shoveling. Don’t laugh at me…I kinda love to shovel. :)

Though I’m gonna be feelin’ it tomorrow!

Maelie and I are heading to Iowa in the morning, and…miracle of miracles…I am actually mostly done packing for us. (And, most likely, we will wait until later morning or early afternoon to leave…depending on the roads and weather.)

I’m also going to be “unplugging” for the weekend.

I use that term very loosely…I may, in fact, still write my Five-Minute Friday, but for the actual weekend, I’ll be taking a break to clear my head and spend some time with family and friends…I’m especially looking forward to seeing my two best friends…I don’t see them often enough.

But I’ll be back on Monday…AND on Tuesday to tell you about some things God has been showing me when it comes to dreaming. Things that, even a few days ago, I’d been blind to. Things that I think He’s going to use, and I’m excited. 😀 Are you curious yet?

You should be. 😉 

Really looking forward to sharing more with you all. And if I’m not here tomorrow, happy weekend! Thanks for being here, friends. :)

Sig

Filed Under: family, friends, God-Sized Dreams, just life, where I am, writing

Currently…

February 3, 2013 by · 3 Comments

Been awhile since I’ve done this one. And it’s a good way to wind down on a Sunday night. :)

Current Reads: Just finished Unglued (Lysa Teurkeurst)…we read that one for Mom’s Bible Study. It was so, so good…I recommend it to just about anyone. Just about finished with A Year of Biblical Womanhood (Rachel Held Evans) which has been a fun and challenging read. Also almost finished with The Do-What-You-Can Plan (Holley Gerth) and so excited to dive into her new book, You’re Made for a God-Sized Dream! (Planning to start it tomorrow!)

Current Playlist: I actually just made a new favorites/running playlist a few days ago. Even splurged and bought a few new favorite songs on iTunes. This one is definitely toward the top of the list…I even hold my own little karaoke session in the car whenever it’s on. :)

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: These. Found on Pinterest, of course. 😉 I decided that even if we didn’t have plans for the Super Bowl, we could still eat something yummy. Oh, my.

Current Colors: Gray and mustard yellow, green, cream, black. Lovin’ a lot of colors right now.

Current Fetish: Leg warmers and tall boots…two things I love about being cold and am desperately trying to wear as often as possible. :)

Current Food: See above. Though we went out for some pretty amazing buffalo chicken pizza here last night. Gotta be a winner when you combine two of my favorites.

Current Drink: Water. Though thinking about making some coffee. Yes, I’m boring. 😉

Current Wishlist: Nothing, really. I’m boring? A new laptop, but that will have to wait. Still got a few miles left in this new-to-me one. 😉

Current Needs: Peace…and more trust in my Father through some uncertainties that seem to be looming on the horizon. He is Good.

Current Triumph: A pretty fantastic week (minus a few isolated incidents) with my daughter. Less and less temper tantrums, less and less mama-frustration…lots more happy memories and bonding moments. She is my sunshine. :)

Current Bane-of-my-Existence: Rude drivers who don’t obey merge signs. (Not that I’ve had a recent experience with that or anything. ;))

Current Celebrity Crush: Well, there’s this pretty cool guy. And he’s married to a girl who could maybe be a published author in the near future. And that would make him a celebrity, right? Yeah, I’ve got a crush on him. 😉

Current Indulgence: Too much coffee. I blame it on the creamer…always the creamer. And that sinful, buttery dessert I may have mentioned a few times already.

Current Mood: Subdued with a bit of guilt. I should be trying to add a chapter or two to the rough draft tonight. (Though there is definitely still time since I don’t really care about the game. ;))

Current #1 Blessing: One? Really? My little family. My sweet friends. My Father and His love for me.

Current Slang or Saying: Oy; Oh, goodness; Really?!

Current Outfit: Hoodie, jeans, and my favorite slipper boots.

Current Link: I always hate this one. I’ve got a bunch of new faves on the sidebar of my blog…feel free to check ’em out! :)

Current Photo: Tonight you get me and my sweet boy, Andre. Love him. :)

Happy almost-Monday, friends! Hope your weekend was a good one.

Sig

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, dogs, family, friends, just life, Maelie, music, reading, Tobin, where I am

Post-Weekend Chatter

January 28, 2013 by · 5 Comments

Weekends have been kind of quiet lately…and I almost didn’t write today.

There’s nothing crazy or too-interesting happening in life (well, other than the random ice storm that showed up yesterday and has since made a slushy, sloppy, swimming pool in our yard) but maybe that’s not a bad thing.

Whatever it is, my heart has been pretty silent the last few days. That in particular seems slightly out of character, but it is what it is. :)

I’ve been trying to put more focused energy into writing my book, and the draft is getting there, one story at a time. I have to admit that some of the stories are making this book more and more painful to write.

I started with the easy stuff. I don’t cry over things like remembering the time I ate a baby octopus in one bite or the first time I tried durian. Those things bring happy smiles…though, along with them, perhaps a slight gag reflex. 😉

It’s the stories of painful-chiseling, pride-crushing, and relationship-breaking that make me cry. Says the girl who sobbed all over her keyboard at Starbucks last Wednesday night. Twice.

I’ve got a lot of stories that will make you laugh, but there are a few that will make you cry, too. And as I’m pounding them out one by one, it’s coming together. I am so, so close to the halfway point, which symbolizes a lot for me. It means I’m actually writing a book.

Wowza. :)

I’ve been going through Holley Gerth’s The Do-What-You-Can Plan: 21 Days to Making Any Area of Your Life Better, and I’m following one of her awesome suggestions. (Actually, I’m following quite a few of them, but I especially liked this one.) 😉

A reward for reaching a goal.

See? See Mel’s reward? Do you SEE????

Of course you do. 😉

This is my Mel-gets-to-use-this-when-she-gets-to-the-halfway-point purse! :) (Special thanks to my dad for the Christmas money. ;)) The deal to myself is that this purse hangs where I can see it, but I have to reach the halfway point in my draft before I’m allowed to put anything in it and use it.

I kind of want to point out the incredible self-control I am currently demonstrating… 😉

The halfway point for me is 26 chapters/short stories AND 25,000 words. I’m close in the chapters department but behind with the word count, so I have some tweaking to do.

But on to other things because I’m really supposed to save my book-talking for Tuesdays. :)

The other exciting thing in our lives (though you will not finding me jumping for joy over it) is that we are potty training. Again.

But as of late Monday morning, it is going far better than any other attempt.

I am motivated.

She hates having her diaper changed, and truth-be-told…I am growing to hate changing them.

She is preregistered for PK-3 for August…I know! We won’t dwell on this one or I may sob (again) all over the keyboard. (Prerequisite: Must. Be. Potty. Trained.) And? It would be lovely if she could attend VBS in June…which she will love and for which she must, again, be potty trained.

My biggest motivation is, perhaps, that she is almost too big for her size 5 diapers. While I’m already tired of buying them, I’m even less excited about the fact that for a box of size 6…you get 30ish less diapers for the same price.

Hence…we are hard-core potty training for a few mornings this week. (And stuck at home until Thursday morning, should any of you like to bless me with your presence to provide some much-needed socialization. :))

The bright side to my Monday (besides the extra large bag of M&M’s used as Maelie’s reward…of which I’ve eaten far more than she has…) is that I get to hang with this girl.

I adore her. Insanely.

Even on potty training days. :)

Happy Monday, all! Hugs. :)

Sig

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, family, just life, Maelie, where I am, writing

Just a Diet Pepsi Chat…

January 10, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

Hi there, friends.

Just a sit-down-with-a-Diet-Pepsi and chat-with-you-all kind of night. :)

First off, I want to say thank you to all of you.

Your encouragement and comments in the past weeks (especially Tuesday) since I’ve started sharing more about my God-Sized Dream have knocked my socks off. Well, figuratively. It’s far too cold for even me to be running around barefoot. 😉

I have to admit that as I continue to write and share my heart, this whole book-writing thing gets scarier and scarier. There’s so much that needs to happen…and so much that I’m admittedly uneasy and nervous about. Extra reasons for me to grasp more tightly to my Father’s hand, huh? He’s got it. :)

But I want to keep most of my dream-sharing for Tuesdays…so I’ll save my most recent thoughts until then. :)

It has been quite the week in the Schroeder house.

Hubby is wrapping up his job tomorrow…the one he’s been working since we moved here in July 2010.

It’s very surreal for both of us…sad, yes, but there is so much hope for the future, and we’re extremely grateful for that. With his new job, I’ll be able to stay home with Mae and write…with the non-pressure to make some money if I would like. I’ll just get to be with my girl, work on my writing, spend time with friends and at at my church…that makes me really, really happy. :)

Like, REALLY, REALLY HAPPY!!!!

And I’m happy for him, too…this job is a blessing in so many ways, and we’re excited for this new step. :)

It’s also been a hard week.

I’ve hesitated sharing this…and I’m going to leave most of the details out here. Really…if you want to find out more, I’m sure it won’t be that difficult, but I want to respect the people involved.

There’s been so much heartache and sadness for friends from the church we left behind in Minnesota, who I’ve known for several years and Tobin has known most of his life. They are going through something incredibly heart-wrenching and devastating…their son was charged yesterday with killing his wife on Sunday.

It’s the kind of situation that makes me sick…both physically and in my heart.

Sick for the family and friends of this beautiful woman and mother.

Sick for the little boy she left behind.

Sick for his family and friends…not only are they left with so many unanswered questions and wonderings, but they’ve also lost a daughter-in-law, sister, and friend whom they loved, too.

I just ache for them…to the point where I’m not sure I can even put it into words.

Will you pray for this family? I know they need and would appreciate your prayers so much. I’ve been asking God to just hold them tightly and reaffirm His unconditional love for them in amazing ways. I just cry for them…they must be hurting so much.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”

Lamentations 3:22-23

What a beautiful thing that, as children of God, we can claim this promise.

So thankful for that tonight…thank you for praying. Love to you all.

P.S. This song has been playing over and over in my head over the past two days. I love it and the Truth found in it. Have a listen. :)

Sig

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, encouragement, family, friends, God-Sized Dreams, just life, Maelie, music, prayer, where I am, writing

Those 12

December 31, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

This post should probably be otherwise titled, That Post When I Reflect Too Much.

However, I want you to actually read it. 😉

Exactly 364 days ago, I set some goals, which you can read here. (Or you can just scroll down, too.)

Time to see how I did! (And to look forward to all that 2013 holds…which I very much hope includes some brown and tan paint over some purple walls. Do I get bonus points for choosing the colors at least?)

Spoiler…oops. Sorry about that. 😉

Here we go!

1. Start…and finish…the canvas painting for Maelie’s room. Check. No drama here. I just painted it one Sunday afternoon, hung it on her wall that night, and that was that. :)

2. Redecorate our front living room. (The purple needs to go! Soon.) Well, friends, the purple still needs to go. We actually bought the paint in October, but between life and more life, the living room is still an unfortunate shade of purple.

3. Start an Etsy store so I can sell my jewelry. Ok, so I’m not selling jewelry. But selling hats on Etsy counts, right? 😉 

4. Take some kind of lessons…guitar, voice, djembe…still deciding, but leaning toward djembe. I went with guitar and started in April. It’s good…am learning a lot and even played a real bar chord, though it wasn’t pretty. :) 

5. Complete a marathon. (Edit…1/2 marathon.) Didn’t happen. Though a half marathon is on the list for this May, and then we’ll see. I don’t have any plans to run a full marathon yet…to be honest, though I love running, four hours straight of running does not really sound even remotely enjoyable. I think I need my marathon-running friends to give me a little push here. :)

6. Run a 5k in less than 30 minutes. This actually happened several times during the year, which was a boost. I broke 30 for the first time in May and am now running my regular 5k around 28:00 flat, give or take. My fastest clocked one was around 27:15…factor in a few stops for cars that don’t yield to pedestrians (or runners). I’ll take it. :) Would still love to hit the 26’s…we’ll see. :)

7. Continue blogging at least three times a week once January 24th has passed. Yep, got that one covered. :)

8. (Re)Learn how to sew and make a bag out of some of my Indonesian batik I still have. Nope. I thought about pulling out the sewing machine several times but never actually did it. I love to teach myself new things, but sewing scares me.

9. Finish the rough draft of my book, Lessons From Indo: On Life, Love, and Squatty Potties, and submit it to at least one publisher. Am late on this one, but the plan is to be done by May. Extremely grateful for the chance to be part of the God-Sized Dream Team…these women are such an encouragement as I navigate something that is really new. It’s one thing to write a blog…it’s a completely foreign place to write a book. Really praying it will happen in 2013!

10. Continue developing discipline in my life by spending time in God’s Word each day…whether two minutes or two hours. This one could be a post all on it’s own. I’m not sure why I even set this goal because for me, it was unattainable. Don’t misunderstand me…I love my Father and His Word. But, honestly, I didn’t read the Bible every day. I don’t know if that makes me a bad Christian or just an honest one. Maybe I’ll hash this one out more later. :)

11. Guest write for another blog at least once. (The Patch doesn’t count.) I didn’t pursue this one like I should have…I found myself most content just writing at my own place and linking up other places, which provided some new bloggy friends. To me, that’s worth it. :) But I do have a guest post coming out next month on (in)courage…not sure of the date but will let you all know when it’s up! This one, in particular, was really a blessing because one of the editors wrote and asked me if they could use something I’d written. I must be doing something right. Thank you, God. :)

12. Go on an actual vacation with Tobin (and no Mae) to celebrate our 10th. We stomped our feet (well, not really) through Marbella, Spain; Tangier, Morocco; and Paris, France. It was a crazy adventure, as all trips we take together seem to be. We missed Maelie, but it was good time to spend together, and we had a really memorable time. Spain gave us our time to relax, Morocco was an insanely crazy adventure that left me dying to go back and explore more, and Paris was a dream come true, complete with bread. (We even kissed under the Eiffel Tower!) 

It was a wonderful 2012, though not everything turned out as I had first pictured. In many ways, it was better.

Here’s to a wonderful 2013!

Blessings to each of you, and thanks for being part of my barefoot journey!

God is so Good.

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Filed Under: adventures, blessings, family, goals, just life, Maelie, remembering, running, Tobin, travel, what I'm learning, where I am, writing
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