- ice-ice, baby.
- jared surprised me with these beauties when he went grocery shopping.
- this sleepy puppy LOVES to cuddle in bed with us.
- this was such a productive month thanks to my powersheets!
MOMENTS + HAPPENINGS
// we hosted a few game nights with friends.
// wichita was supposed to get hit with a big ice storm. it wasn't quite as drastic as predicted, but it made for some pretty photos + extra cuddles with jared.
// we bought an SUV - because isn't that what you do when you become a mom? haha :)
// i felt the baby kick for the first time this month! i cannot function when i feel those little movements. i just sit there and hold my stomach and marvel that there's actually a baby - one part, me + one part, jared + 100% a child of the Most High - growing in my womb.
// corporate prayer at the end of the month. i used to feel a little awkward at first due to lack of knowledge. it's just another thing i love about my church. i always tell jared that meeting him wasn't the only thing God had in mind- He also wanted me to experience true worship + faith + preaching. and that's what i get at the ark.
// i survived january. i survived w-2s + 1099s + quarterly/yearly reports. #bookkeeperprobs
LESSONS + REALIZATIONS
:: i mentioned in this blog post that jared is switching to a different shift. well, instead of happening this month, it's been pushed back several months. what a relief! he will still eventually go to second shift, but we don't really know when. i'm praising the Lord no matter what happens though. i needed this situation to happen so that i could see how much i was trying to live this life my way instead of relying on the Lord. as i was driving home from work one day, "king of the world" came on the radio. what a perfect song for this experience.
:: i didn't realize how much stuff i accumulated over the years until i had to move it all 200+ miles. it opened my eyes to my spending habits while i was single. i lived with my parents, so i had minimal bills compared to most. i would go on shopping sprees a couple times a month and constantly open my mailbox to another item i ordered off the internet. in hindsight, i was trying to fill a void that only the Lord could satisfy. this is why i chose little by little for 2017. i watched minimalism on netflix this month, and it only confirmed what has been stirring deep in my heart. it's time to get rid of the junk.
:: i will never be too old for chocolate milk.
:: i am so thankful for the friends/co-workers in my life. as i start to research all the baby things, it's clear that i have no idea what kind of stroller/crib/car seat/etc. is best. this experience is so foreign to me. i am grateful that there are so many women who can give advice [that i want!] and guide me along in this process.
:: keeping a running to-do list at work seemed daunting at first, but now i cannot function without one!
:: i grabbed an extra bible i had laying around the house to keep in my desk at work. each day, i take 5-10 minutes to read some scripture - usually from a short devotional. what a difference this has made in my day. though i'm not surprised at all. God's Word is life-giving and never returns void.
:: i now use eye makeup remover every night after i shower - even if there's just a little bit of eye makeup that i can wipe off with a towel. i am weirdly fascinated by getting the last little bit of makeup that didn't come off in the shower. i use this remover by merle norman, but only because it was free.
JANUARY GOALS
- finish working thru the powersheets prep. done! the goals i have set for myself this year are good goals, but i feel like i set too many. it was like my mind felt the need to fill up all ten spaces with goals, but my life doesn't necessarily need ten goals. i plan to tweak some things a bit next month. maybe break down daily/weekly/monthly goals a little more in depth or condense the number of goals. i didn't keep up with my powersheets like i wanted to in 2016, and i really believe in this process. so i made a point to look at them each week this month, and it made all the difference!
- little by little. as i mentioned earlier, this is my phrase for twenty-seventeen. it applies to every area of my life. this month, little by little was geared toward taking steps to de-clutter our home. i've found that sorting/cleaning/purging smaller areas -little by little- is far better for me than going room by room. for example: one saturday, i cleaned out a drawer of pens + pencils, a box of random things, and another drawer full of stationery + stickers + such. some things i just tossed; others i took to work and shared with my co-workers. this process isn't about getting rid of everything we own. it's just clearing the excess.
- get my hair cut + highlighted. no more white trash roots! :)
- take a few hours to reflect on january + fill out powersheets for february. this is a goal i will have every month. i discovered that taking a little bit of time each month to look back on progress and make improvements has increased my motivation- whether it pertains to home tending or self-care or work.
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