Happy New Year!

I can't believe 2008 is gone already! To celebrate the coming of 2009, (and because I'm once again woefully behind on blogging) I am again joining the NaBloPoMo challenge committing myself to post every day for the month of January. I really enjoyed it in November, and am excited to give it another go! The theme for January is CHANGE, and though blogging on theme is not required, and I certainly won't stay on topic for the full month, there certainly has been a lot of change for our family this year! Last year at this time, we were so anxiously awaiting Ana's file to be released from PGN. I remember waking up on New Years morning feeling in my heart that 2008 was the year we would bring another child into our family, but feeling so stressed out that we were still in PGN and facing the changes that were occurring in the Guatemalan adoption process. I can honestly say that at the time I wasn't sure Ana was going to come home, and it makes me tense up just to go back and read the posts from that time! I am continually in awe of where this year has taken us. Even after Ana came home, the way she has grown and changed not only physically but emotionally from the quiet little 8 month old we brought home to the rambunctious 18 month wreaking havoc on our house today, it's simply amazing. Really, I could go on and on about the changes the year has brought, but frankly, it would take far too much energy and I'll spare you the length for now. Let's look to the new year, shall we? In 2009, there are several things that I want to accomplish:

Get Healthier! This includes regular exercise and eating well, I'm not focusing on losing weight, only on gaining health!

Plant a garden. I've been wanting to do this since we moved in here. At our old house, we had a garden one year, and I've been aching to do it again. There's even a little plot out behind the house that I've prepped every year, but my perfectionism always gets the best of me and I never get to the point of actually planting. Well, this is the year! It may not be much, but you have to start somewhere, right?

Work on gifts for Christmas starting NOW! I am determined to enjoy Christmas Eve this year! This past Christmas was so hectic, and I really don't feel like I was able to enjoy it fully. I think with little Stevie starting right at the beginning of December, my world was thrown for a loop as far as getting out for shopping and such. I had really good intentions, and I wanted to do a lot of hand made things this year, but time just got away from me! Oh, and those Christmas cards? Yeah, still sitting in the drawer to go out (and I do still intend to send them!) Well, I'm starting now to work on gifts for next Christmas, my goal is to be finished by Thanksgiving! Hey crafting buddies, ready for a crafting date?

Use my crafting to help others. When I was searching for a doll pattern to make for Ana for Christmas, I found a pattern that a woman posted for charity use and it really got me thinking about what I could use my crafting to do. There are hundreds of knitting, crochet, and sewing projects that can benefit many different charities, and I'm committed to choose at least one this year to participate in.

I'm pretty sure there were a couple more, but my mind is mush at the moment and I really want to get this posted!

Oh, I forgot that I can now make a very important announcement that I've been holding onto for over a month now! One of the big changes to our family this year was the addition of my nephew. Well, 2009 holds the promise of yet another addition; my sister announced at Thanksgiving that she and her husband are expecting their first child, due August 2nd! How exciting is that?!