BRRRRRRRR!!!!!

OK, two posts in one day - crazy I know, especially since I don't really have too much to say except - IT IS COLD!!!! Hattie went back to school today and I had to put my poor Sweet girl on the bus in the 6 DEGREES, snot freezing, barely light out, COLD morning weather!!! Last year they called "cold days" because there wasn't enough snow to use up all of the snow days, I think this morning was cause for a cold day!!!
So, here is the new layout and I think I will keep this one for a while, at first I thought it was a bit too brown, but it is growing on me and fits with my New Year post. PLUS, my Bloggy friend Kate likes it and helped me to tweak it up a bit (except I still can not make the switch putting the posts on the other side of the pictures, about me and counter stuff!!) so I am really liking it now. Let me know what ya think!!!
One more thing - I am still looking for pictures to show ya, but the other day I put my sweet baby Sophie in an outfit that was one of my faves on Hattie. Sophie is 3 months old, Hattie came to us at 9 months.... hmmm, guess that means that she was at LEAST 9 months old - and I ma thinking that she got the outfit for Christmas which would make her 10 months old - when she wore it. Meaning that Sophie is BIG!!! Now, I know that she will thin out when she starts crawling and stuff, but she won't get shorter!!!! I am so sad to be putting the tiny clothes away - but am so loving the stages she is in. She laughs, coos, responds to our voices and touch and is getting so much fun to interact with. She tries to have conversations with us and it is so fun to see her grow! Just can't believe she is growing so FAST!!!
And, one more thing - ow much does it stink that the most popular name for girls in '07 is Sophia?!?!? I did the research, it was pretty far down on EVERY list! Apparently it jumped quite a few spots this year to take over the number one spot. Now, I named Hattie with a name I had picked in high school and was so happy because it doesn't even appear on any list, meaning there won't be 20 girls in her class with the same name!!! Of course this also means that nobody says it right. But c'mon, Hattie isn't that hard is it?! We get Haley, Hadley, Mattie, Happy, Hate-y (sounding like the other name for Hell!!!) and my personal favorite ha-tie (emphasis on the tie!!!)! But poor Sophie will always and forever be Sophie B., or some other variation that distinguishes her from the other million and 1 Sophies in her class. i am so sorry Sophie lee - Mommy tried!!! Stupid research that apparently is NOT kept up to date after all!!!
OK, tirade over, I feel better now. I guess they can call her Pretty Stinking Amazing Sophie - cause you KNOW that she will be the prettiest, smartest and most wonderful of all of the other Sophies out there!!!!!

New Year ... New Beginnings!

The new year always brings thoughts about what we can change or make new .... as if WE could make anything new!!! At church on Sunday both pastor Mike and Mr. Brolan (who was leading worship) talked about New Years Resolutions. Pastor Mike went through a list of resolutions from the past few years - each year trying to lose a few more pounds ('cause instead of losing pounds they were actually GAINED!!!) etc... Mr. Brolan went online to look at the most popular resolutions and noted that they are mostly about losing weight (duh!!), getting a new job, in shape or a new "thing" - house, car etc... - but that knowing JESUS better was nowhere on the list!
Resolution - by definition - is to dedicate oneself to something. RESOLVE to be a better person, get in shape, make more money, and so on. What better to resolve yourself to that knowing God?! He created you, knows you better than anyone else and LOVES you more than anyone else! Can't the one who created your body help you to know it and care for it? Can't the giver of all gifts show you how to better use yours? Can't the Creator of the earth and life show you how to enjoy it more? Can't the giver of life make yours better? YES!!! Yes to all of these questions! Now, I am the first to say that I need to lose a few pounds and a few bad habits, but I think the very first thing that I will resolve myself to this new year is to know Jesus better and to devote more of me to God! If I can do that the rest will happen, I just know it will!!! So, here is to quiet times with God - I WILL find time to make time for HIM. Here is to looking for strength from HIM when I want to do something unhealthy. Here is to giving my temple back to HIM and letting HIM show me how to care for it. Here is to giving my FAMILY back to HIM and letting Him show me how to best take care of THEM! Here is to FILLING my prayer journal and not leaving it to gather dust by mid January and feeling guilty for the rest of the year because I am "too busy" to write things down. Here is to letting the creator of the universe get a little creative in my life - I give it all back to Him!!
SO, if you are reading this, I hereby charge you to hold me accountable and help me stay on track. I also CHALLENGE you to go deep and look inside yourself. We all can do better - after all if we were perfect we would already be in Heaven!!!
Happy New Year my sweet fRamily - let's make it a good one!!!!!