Wow!! I can't believe today is a NEW YEAR!!

2014...I remember partying like it's 1999...

this year will have lots of things to celebrate for our family and I can't wait!

I don't want to wish the days away, I want to live them and take them in...

I don't want to miss a thing!  

Every year on this day I think of all the great things I want to accomplish...

not just in this year but in life.  I think we must take on manageable bites otherwise we choke.  

So I have developed a list of 14 things I want to accomplish in 2014,

some personal, some spiritual but they affect each area of life.  

1. Pray about everything!  

I really mean literally everything.  God calls us to pray and seek his guidance not just on the big things in life but everything.  In 2014,  I want to seek him more than I have before.  I want to go to him and ask for his guidance in all areas of my life.  

2. Study Scripture Daily.

I have been studying God's word regularly for a few years but I have never cracked open the Bible daily.  I feel that God is calling me to commit to him and studying his words so I can learn more about Him and about who he has called me to be.

3.  Tithe 1st, not last.

This probably fits in with some other things I have on my list but I think it needs to stand alone.  I like to budget on paper down to the last red cent I have (probably some kind of control issue) but I realized when I looked at my spreadsheet tithes were at the end not at the beginning.  I must refocus and re-prioritize because he provides us with all that we need and all that we have! 

4. Memorize 12 verses of Scripture

Last year I attempted to memorize 24 and for me that is just too many.  I need to let things sink in and ferment.  So I am going to pick a scripture a month to memorize and apply daily to my life.  

5. Organize my life.

I need to get things in line.  Complete my Home Management Binder, update my billing system, put a filing system in order at home and at my office.  Not to mention labeling!

6. Declutter Our House

This one has been a goal for years and this year I have decided to tackle it a new way.  It's a 12 step kind of program.  I have broken down our house into manageable areas and given myself a month to complete each one, that way I have longer to work on it plus it gives me time to redecorate if I would like.  Really it's sad because our whole house should be manageable (we only have 4 rooms + a bathroom) but any ways..Here's the plan

January- Bathroom

February- Hall Closet (the one with shelves)

March- Living Room

April- Laundry Room/Back Porch (they are one in the same ;)

May- Coat Closet

June- Boys Bedroom

July- Boys Clothes closet

August- Kitchen

September- Boys Toy Closet

October- Our Bedroom (this is the most dreaded one)

November- Our Closet

December- Garage 

7. Set a daily schedule and stick to it!! 

 In the last month my commitment to my daily schedule has gone out the window.  I mean really I don't get up at the same time each day, we don't eat dinner at the same time, and we just kind of fly by the seat of our pants...which makes us all a little scattered.  So with the new year comes a set schedule that our family will have. 

8. Pay off Debt!!!

As much of it as possible!  The goal is to by the end of the year to only have the basic monthly bills plus my student loans to pay.  

9. Put at least $1000 in our savings account for a rainy day fund

I realize that the suggestion is 3-6 months of your salary but this would be a huge accomplishment for us.  

10.  Put at least $200 extra into each of the boy's savings account.

Currently most of the money in the boy's accounts is from gifts they have received from family and friends.  I want to make a concentrated effort to increase their savings amounts.    Plus we plan to let Wyatt show some market animals this year and our goal is for him to place all the money he makes into his savings account.  I did quick math the other day and figured up if he sold 1 market hog, 1 market lamb, and 1 steer each year for the next 13 years he would add at least $15,000 to his savings account and that is very low estimates.  We have to teach the boys financial responsibility now or they will struggle learning it later in life.

11.  Do a family outing once a month.  

Meaning together all 4 of us do something fun.  I'm not going to say non-farm related but ideally it would be going camping, movie night, etc.  We need to make more of an effort as an entire family to enjoy our time together.  As a farm family sometimes that's going to mean checking cows together or going to a sale but those memories are just as important if not more than the ones that happen when you spend money.

12.  Exercise 3 times a week and include the boys as often as possible.  

I need to be more active for myself.  I need to get healthier and one way is just to move more.  Because I don't get to stay at home all day with the boys I have used that as an excuse not to exercise as often as I should.  I want to motivate them to get outside and move more.  So I want to exercise with them.  Whether it's walking Flat Rock or playing Wii Fit we are going to try and do it together so that we all can benefit.

13.  Go on a date night just William & I once a month

Since adding baby boy #2 I realized that William & I don't ever really spend any time together just the 2 of us.  I think it's important for us to nurture our relationship and let our boys see that we are important to each other.  We have fallen into the trap of putting our boys before our marriage and we need to stop.  So this year I want to schedule more us time.  

14.  Post 60 blog post, plus keep our social media sites updated.

That's 5 blog post a month... 1.25/week I always have these great ideas to blog more and usually start out strong but fall by the way side.  This year I want to do better.  But that goal must be manageable and not take away from other areas in our life.  I also want to be sure we are sharing more photos on our social media sites so that folks can get a better glimpse of our farm life.  

So there you have it my 14 goals for 2014.  Let's see how these work out over the next 12 months!  What are your goals for 2014??

Caci

2. Let go of the fear and anxiety that consumes parts of my day.  Pray more often and let God guide me.  

I feel like I definately made improvements in this area but still have a long way to go. 

3. Read through the ENTIRE Bible in one year.  

Yea, no this didn't happen not even by a long shot.  I would like to blame it on being a slow reader however its more because I am a slacker!

4. Spend more time focusing on my family.  

This was one goal that I feel like was completely successful!  I cut out some of my commitments prior to having baby boy #2 and this gave me time to focus on our family.  It also gave me time to really prioritize many things in life.  

5. Finally get my house, office, and life organized.  

Yea, another no.  We are still working towards this goal.  I did however get rid of 15 30 gallon trash bags of stuff this year.  However apparently it needs to be more like 150!!

6. To use my blog more effectively.  For me this means one posting more often.  Last year I posted 37 new post and gained followers however this year I want to do more.  I have a goal of 500 followers by 12/31/13, but to reach this goal I must give my followers content.  

Well I did post...3 more post than I did the previous year.  SO I guess I did provide a little more content than in the past.  However I don't have 500 followers on my blog but the between the blog, the blog's Facebook page and the farm's Facebook page we have 504 followers!!  I still need to work on getting on a blogging schedule that works well for me and my style.  We will see what the new year brings!

7. To advocate for agriculture more often and to be more vocal about issues affecting agriculture in our community.     

I feel like I have stepped up on this.  Talking with more folks locally and with my elected officials about agricultural issues.  I still need to work on blogging about them more. 

 

So it just hit me today that I missed my blog anniversary or blogaversary!

I started blogging in late June of 2009...you can check out my first post here

I definitely had a different view in the beginning of how this blog would work and all the features I would do.  But this blog is about our farm life, our faith, and our family.  As scattered as it sometimes seems this blog is the truest reflection of me as a wife, mom and person.  

Some weeks I'm obsessed with sewing and others I would prefer to be scrapping lots (please don't tell William).  My main goal of this blog has remained the same over the last 4 years...to share with you a glimpse into the life of a farm family...to let you know that we are some giant corporation or evil doers...we are just everyday people who find joy in hardwork and a different way of life than the majority of Americans.  

Here are a few pictures to show you why I missed the blogaversary!

Over the past month or so I have been following Wyatt around periodically

trying to help him learn his role around the farm.

He's too little for some jobs and too loud for others...

but here are a few of the things he has done to help out

 Waylon's new trick...sticking out his tongue 

 Waylon has been hanging around the dairy barn a good bit since I'm back at the office

I never realized how much and how often in a marriage you are ask not only for give-and-take
 and sometimes to submit.

Now growing up no one would've called me a submissive person. 

I bucked the rules at every chance I got. 

At every stop along the way I had questions
I wasn't going to go down without a fight.

 I was always what you would call
a spitfire,
a troublemaker, 

 one that was gonna blaze their own path in the world 

no one was gonna hold me down 

That's me on the right with Gumby...

funny how things change as you grow older and wiser 

how the right person in your life can change everything 

and is even more amazing how God works in your life 

even when you're fighting him as hard as you're fighting the rest of the world

That's me on the right at the 2001 National FFA Convention

in 2001 I graduated high school 

tomorrow marks 12 years since I walked across the football field  

and was able to turn the first of four tassels 

it was a bittersweet day for me

 I remember without a doubt it I focus was on my plan for my life

 I wasn't worried what anyone else had planned for me 

I knew where I wanted to go
I knew what my goals were

(I was so determined to get away my aunt got me a complete set of luggage for a graduation present)

what I didn't know was what God's plan was for me

fast-forward:
about 10 months later in my second semester of college 

I met this guy in my calculus class 

he was living down the hall for me,
that guy turned out to be my future husband 

I didn't know it then but on that day 11 years ago my life was changed.

God was working in my life in a way that I never could imagine 

God was using me to do things that I didn't even know about

Upon starting to date William things are to change shortly 

my focus was no longer so much I'm partying and hanging out with my friends 

I worked building a relationship with him 

it quickly became evident (to both he and I) that we were in this for long hall haul 

 3 years & 3 months after we started dating we were married

This is still my favorite picture from our wedding

The reason I started listening

Our family on Mother's Day 2013

So until next time...

Caci

This week's Wrangler Wednesday is dedicated to our first lil man...Wyatt.  He turns 5 tomorrow.  I can't believe that he is actually that old but he is.  So here are some of our favorite memories of the little man!

Picking out Christmas trees 2009

Easter 2011