Wide Open Spaces.

Happy New Year, Happy 2012 to you! I'm so excited about his New Year I can't even stand it. I feel that with the start of this new year, my whole year is somewhat mapped out already but there are a few things personally that have me motivated and feeling more intentional in my every day than ever before.

Here are a few of the things I'm most excited about in 2012:

Jordan and me, Christmas 2011 

I'm a mom. And I'm finally getting around to really feeling like a mom. I quit my job last November and trying to find balance in my new career as a stay at home mom during the holidays was crazy impossible. I have a true butt kicking friend who reminded me of the FlyLady who I'd had on my show years ago and has me really excited about household goals and organization. So that is on the top of my list of things I'm most thrilled about this year - getting organized. She says "Your bad habits didn't happen overnight and getting your house / life back in shape won't either."I want more than anything to compartmentalize and differentiate my time and focus on Jordan, DK and household responsibilities. Free my life of clutter.

Andrew and Arwyn

 My baby brother is getting married. He's marrying a dear friend of mine too, someone who's been part of our family for YEARS. They are right now off working on a yacht together in the Caribbean and plan to get married in April of this year. I have a feeling this is going to be one of the most unique and unconventional weddings of all time :)

I chose a few words to focus on this year as somewhat resolutions and one of those is GIVE. Working at KSBJ I felt like we had ample opportunity in front of us as staff to give of ourselves and finances in creative ways all the time but now what I'm not there anymore, I feel the need to continue to implement this in our home, to be mindful of more and more ways to give of our time, money and love.

Our pastor Chris Seay has a new book coming out January 15th called "A Place at the Table - 40 Days of Solidarity with the Poor" and it's all about taking on the simple diet of a region in the world that often goes without much food at all to help change your perspective on the things we have, the ways we live as a "food comatose" culture, on a "journey of self-examination, discipline, and renewed focus on Jesus".  DK has been shooting / editing all the video elements for this project so the message has already been wafting through our home and has made quite an impact. You should really check it out and do it yourself, with your family, with co-workers or even just a couple friends. Here's where to find more. 

I used to get in trouble for reading too much. My mom would find me hiding in my closet when chores were needing to be done because I just couldn't. put. the.book.down. But I'm not that way anymore and I don't know what happened. Maybe it was college and all the forced reading? Nah. Either way, I've been so inspired this last year by my brother David and my friend Stacey who are both ALWAYS reading something new and have tons to discuss about it. That really put some fire under my rear. So that's what I'm excited about for this year, especially with Jordan. We just started on Black Beauty together, one of my all time favorites.

Michael and Emily on the day he proposed, 11/1/11

And later this year, another wedding in our family! Michael, DK's brother has asked Emily, his longtime girlfriend to marry him. DK is the best man and I was asked to stand with Emily! Jordan also has her first flower girl gig, so we need to get working on this whole walking ordeal, haha. What's also incredible is that the other flower girl and 2 ring bearers are the kids of Ben who is DK's lifelong friend (and stood in our wedding) and Sarah who just happens to be Emily's sister. The wedding is in August and is going to be a grand affair! I cannot wait.

Stacey, Lindsey and me, October 2011

 I'm excited about this year also because of the things happening in my best girlfriend's lives. My girl Lindsey is pregnant with baby Moses and she's due early March. I CANNOT WAIT TO MEET THIS BABY BOY. My two strong and beautiful friends Amanda and also Stacey have both risen from a difficult year behind them and I know there are some fantastic promises in store for them this year. I know it, I know it. My sweet sister Kim has a year full of Amelia, her new home, new artwork and travels on the horizon. Becky just moved far away to Indy and has a whole new world to explore and settle into this year. Tiffany also just moved to a new location within San Francisco and I feel like her art and work is going to explode this year, she's so talented.

Jordan is crying now, I have to go :)

Peace out.