New Year, New Goals...New BABY

I thrive on goals.  I am constantly making lists, setting goals, and trying to make improvements in my life.  January 1st is the perfect opportunity to take a look a my life and see where I am excelling, where I am doing average, and where I need to make major improvements.  I love stepping back, re-evaluating whats important and then re-prioritizing and setting new goals.

This year I decided I think I want to home-school Lexi. It isn't because the schools and the world is too scary to send her into, although it is scary, I know that it is my responsibility to let Lexi's light of Christ shine to the world and show everyone what a good place the world could be.  We can't lock our kids in our homes or surround them by only good, LDS people.  We need to let them be missionaries and let the world see their true happiness.  They need to be tested in order to strengthen their testimonies and grow as a person.  The main reason I am home-schooling her is because I literally love her so much it hurts.  It makes me sick to my stomach thinking about sending her to school all day (even though it is 2 years out!!).  I would be lost without her.  I would miss her so much.  I also want to be able to travel and come and go as I please.  I want to be able to teach her the things I find most important and things that will constantly challenge her.  Most importantly, I want her to love to learn.  I think that by really focusing on things that interest her and teaching her in the way she learns best (hands on) that I can foster that love of learning.  

We are starting our home-school journey tomorrow with a preschool curriculum that I put together using bits and pieces of a few different ones.  I think I will really love it.  She is excited and so am I!!

2013 is going to be an amazing year for our family.  We will be blessed with one more sweet spirit in our home this Fall.  That's right!  I am pregnant.  Yes, it was planned.  Yes, Gauge and the baby will only be 19 months apart.  Yes, it will be challenging and hard and some days it will feel nearly impossible, but I am ready for it.  I love my children so much and I love my family so much.  For some reason I am feeling this sense of urgency to get all my children here.  I don't know if they are pressuring me from the other side or if it is just a feeling I'm having, but none-the-less when I prayed about the feeling there was no doubt in my mind that it was time to have another baby.  I couldn't be happier that it happened so quickly.  I am only 6 weeks along and haven't even been to the Dr. yet.  I go the 23.  

Just as I was feeling like I have so much to do and not enough time, plus finding out I was pregnant, I got a phone call.  The first counselor in the bishopric called to see if I would accept the calling of first counselor in the primary presidency.  I accepted right away.  I am soooo excited, but I am also so nervous.  Being in charge of so many sweet children is such a huge responsibility.  I feel like it is so important for me to help give these kiddos a good foundation and base of a testimony for them to grow and expand on.  My mind was set at ease today as I was set apart.  Heavenly father blessed me that I would have more time in my day, I would be able to feel inspirations in regards to the children, and that my marriage would benefit from my service to the Lord.  

I am constantly amazed at how Heavenly Father knows and loves each one of us so fully and so completely.  He always knows exactly what to say to put our minds at ease.  I love my Heavenly Father and I am grateful for the love he shows me each day.  I am grateful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and I am grateful for eternal families.  I am overwhelmed by the blessings Heavenly Father bestowed upon our family in 2012 and I look forward to seeing what he has in store for me and my family in the upcoming year.