New Years Goals

Every year for, well I'd have to look back at my journals but I'd guess 10 years at least I make a list of new years "goals". I am very set on them being goals with the knowledge that they may or may not get accomplished but I would like to have some sort of direction for the year. As the years have gone on I think this helps give me a direction in life. Also, if I have not already shared this tidbit about myself I am a serial journaler and love reminiscing and looking back on the past and analyzing it for the good, bad and in between.

In 2014 my goals were as follows (in this order): have a healthy pregnancy & baby (my side note states this more of a prayer than goal, as I believe, the control in this situation is not entirely of your own [not the trying part but the actually getting and maintaining part, as I learned in 2013]), learn to drive stick shift (Nope, did not happen), show my hubby more love (probably dependent on the day), go West for a trip (check, went to Seattle in the spring), make more recipe cards (barely did even a few), decorate living room (yes ma'am, even did a gallery wall), enjoy my sweet (and wild) child more, and send more letters, read 10 books, waste less money, start 529 fund for Hpants.
See...

My goals for 2015 were quite a bit fewer and well... you judge for yourself:
Give more positive feedback to people
Devotions
Don't take myself so seriously
Move back to TN (If you spoke to me at all in late 2014 or early 2015 you know I was serious about this one)
and one last one that said something similar to #1
I was in a rough place when these were written. Some where between the arctic,a degree of postpartum something or another and moving hell.

I guess my point is I don't think resolutions is the right term for what to expect of yourself when a day makes the last digit change in the year. Change takes time and its not an over night process for most of us. I think it is great to evaluate your past year and think "self, what can I do to make this year a little better, for myself and/or others?" (depending on your current life circumstance). Go from there, maybe you jot down 1 or 27 points as goals. I think writing them down somewhere helps me because I can go back and look as the year goes on and think "Now what did I want to do this year?" or I can go back 4 years later and say "What the heck, why have I not done that yet? Better get started now."

So Cheers to you and 2016 and I gotta go learn to drive my hubby's car!
Sara

SAHM mom here. Thankful for this time at home

Its not the most glamorous but its the best dang job I've ever had. Most days I spend quite a bit of time cleaning, cooking, picking up, shopping, running errands and even resting and right now it’s the perfect “job”.

    My top 5 things I love about being a SAHM

#1: I don’t have to ask someone how my child's day went. H1 goes to preschool which I am SO thankful for because his energy level is hard to keep up with, but he can tell me how his day went. I’m thankful I don’t have to wonder “Why is she grumpy today?” or “Did he really nap for 2 hours?” or “Where did that bump come from?”

#2: When my kiddo picks up a cold or illness I get to nurse her back to health in the comfort of our home and there is no question of school today or do I need to call work?

#3: I enjoy getting things done while H2 is napping and having that “me” time, again only possible because H1 is in school some days.

#4 I drink my coffee in a regular mug. No travel mug (most days) for this mama

#5 The pace of life is slower. I am so thankful I don’t need to rush from here to there and there to here and back again every day.

When Jay was in grad school, we were living in Pittsburgh and newly weds. We had no kids yet, none on the way and I was working full time. I remember thinking and probably saying out loud “I could NEVER (with a capital N) stay at home with kids. I would be so BORED”. Well I should know better because several years prior I said “I would never date someone I work with”. Guess where Jay and I met? At work. Not the normal work scenario but I think God has a sense of humor and both of these circumstances make me smile.

H1 was born when I was in school so I consider that working full time (kind of) and then I worked part time when he turned 2 until 3. Then H1 was born and I stayed home with no side work her first year and recently went back to work 8 hours a week. I love my job and am super thankful that there are part time opportunities without compromising my position. But I still consider myself a SAHM because well frankly I am mostly at home.

I know SAH is not for everyone and I know full time work is not for everyone and I think we should not judge what mamas choose because its such a personal and complex decision. It tends to make moms feel guilty no matter what they choose. Embrace your choice and if you’re not happy or your family life is suffering try a little change if you can and you may be surprised at the relief. In a few years I’ll probably be writing a “Top 5 things I love about working full time J”

Family. Holidays. Food. Thanksgiving. Christmas. Excitement.
Fast forward 20 years and I get a bit bummed about the holidays.

Holidays. Overbooked. Shopping. Excitement. Stress. Confusion. Family.

I never had what you would call a "big family" get together in my youth.
My dad is one of 5, my mom is one of 3, so you would think there is potential for large family get-togethers but I only have 4 cousins and 2 of the 4 live in FL and the 2 in ohio are both dudes and not my age or not around much. So, thanksgiving was my brothers and I (and a lot of "old people" [my younger self talking here], oh yay, just like any other day just with more food.

My grandparents homes are than 2 miles apart so for Thanksgiving we would usually go to both grandparents or an Aunt and grandparents home.

Now looking back I don't quite get why we didn't just all get together for one big get-together, which still wouldn't have been "that big", maybe 15 people.  I guess the most likely reason is no one has a large enough dining room? Half of us would eat in the living room at each home because they both have pretty tiny dining rooms/ eat-in kitchens. Or maybe no one thought of that? Who knows...

I just always longed for a big family holiday get-together. I am so thankful now that I married a man with a large extended family (bonus!), makes for super fun holidays and lots of people and yummy food....

But makes me a little bummed for my own family as it has become even more fragmented than it used to be with my parents eating with only my brother and sister in-law and my Grandma Stout living in a nursing home and my other grandmother eating with my Aunt.

I hope my kids, as they don't have any cousins here in OH at this point don't have the same hum ho attitude about Thanksgiving. We will continue to see & enjoy the BIG Sizemore side of the family for the larger holiday get togethers & enjoy a little more laid back version on the holidays at the Stouts. I feel like this post is a bit of a bummer but I think its important to realize that not everyone has big FUN family hooplas that they look forward to each November or December. If you have a friend that seems a little "eh.." about the holidays invite them to yours! We LOVED having friends over in TN for some of our holidays meals!

I am thankful for the family I have and the health we have and don't mean to downplay our blessings.
As I talked with one of Holden's teachers this morning she said "oh we only have 7 families coming for Thanksgiving this year, normally its 12 or so". I just think thats so awesome! Families near and far coming together, cousins exchanging stories and recipes from the year. It only happens 3-4 times a year y'all, embrace it! & don't take it for granted.

Meal planner here

Tuesday I planned to make stuffed peppers as you may see on the board. I began doing a menu board when I had the little dude (H1) and I was in grad school. I needed a plan for dinner or else I would get super stressed about what to make as the evening approached. The menu board also helped with grocery shopping. We would usually take a look at the Publix ad (shout out to Pulix, the best grocery store ever!), see what meats and veggies were on sale and then I planned our meals from what we purchased that week.

(Kind of hard to see but Sunday: Gourmet Grilled Cheese,  Monday: Mexican, Tuesday: Stuffed Green Peppers, Wednesday: Pasta, Thursday: Fish & Green Beans and Rice, Friday: Pizza & Salad. Detail is lacking this week because I'm just starting this up again after a year plus off)

I feel like this worked better when I had one kiddo. Now I attempt to go through with my plan and some times it happens and well… some times it doesn’t.

Like Tuesday, plan: stuffed green peppers.

Reality: breakfast sausage, salad, steamed veggies for H2, Ritz crackers, hand full of shredded cheese on the kids plates and thank goodness Jay works somewhere that has a great cafeteria because he brought home a side of Quinoa salad.

My hope is to get a protein, dairy, grain and veggie on their plate each night, they consume fruit on and off all day so I don’t worry about that as much at dinnertime

Give yourself a little grace. I think its important to have a meal that is balanced and gets myself and my family the nutrients we need to be healthy but some days that may come in a to go container and other days some random compilation things in my fridge or freezer.

 PS. As I’m typing this ground beef is browning for Tuesday’s stuffed pepper (its Thursday).

I'm using this recipe from Allrecipes.com stuffed green peppers

H2 is constantly at my feet while I cook dinner. H1 used to be the same way! I think the smell draws them in. 

Heres a just added pepper pic, not baked with cheese yet but you get the gist. 

I like diversity so I went green, yellow, orange and red stuffed pepper :) 

Today seems quite appropriate for my first blog post. Exactly one year ago to date we finished packing our things, at least the belongings we thought we "needed" for the next few months and I, with my 3 month old, and my husband with our 3 year old made the trek from TN to OH.

As I drove in my car (actually a borrowed car from my in-laws) and my hubby in his there were thoughts swirling in my head. Was this a good idea? Did I forget the coffee maker? How was it going to work living with my parents again? Would our house sell quickly? Did I want our house to sell quickly? Where would I stop to nurse my daughter?
The questions were random. Some about the future and some about the present.
Then we crossed from KY to OH and the snow began to swirl just like my confusion and fears. The questions turned to statement. This was probably a bad idea. What the (insert curse word here) was I thinking! Oh crap.

November 15th will always hold a serious spot in my heart and mind. A big life change, definitely the hardest yet (and I say yet because from my experience so far life is as unpredictable as the weather in this crazy state of Ohio.)

I'll elaborate more on this journey, I'm sure, but the point of this post is to say that one year later, we made it. We are not miserable. I am happily typing away in the sunroom off the back of our house. OUR HOUSE, not my parents living room or our friends house or the rental (all of which we lived this past year). We are truly blessed beyond measure and I look forward to sharing some stories, and encouragement!
Thanks,
Sara