LiebsteResolutioNewYearStuff

Well, it's that time of year.  And I guess I will do a post about it.  I am a little sad to see 2011 go, although I'm not sure why since I haven't really taken the time out yet to reflect on it yet. 

I am also a little excited for 2012.  My sister-in-law and I are running a 5k in January, which is the start of quite a few runs this year, including at least two half-marathons. So I guess that could be considered a resolution... I try not to make those, since I usually don't keep them.  In the last part of winter, my husband and I always participate in the Daniel Fast with our church's leadership, in preparation and prayer for the men's conference.  It has been so exciting over the years to see the increase in male leadership in our church.  That also kicks me and Jason into a higher gear aimed at eating healthier, which usually results in some pounds shed, which takes care of another resolution that I am not going to make.

Right now, I am sitting in Leilee's room on my laptop while her and Grady feed me tens of thousands of calories in plastic carbs.  They are making good use of her new kitchen.  When this is over, I am going to build Hagrid's house and help babysit Leilee's baby dolls.  I love a long break because I get to immerse myself in my kids' world.  Only, I wish I did that more... even if just for a few hours on a Saturday.  Which leads me to my next "very difficult" decision (I put  that in quotes because it really isn't that difficult when compared to truly difficult life decisions) for 2012 and another resolution that I am not going to make.

I really, really want the badge for January's NaBloPoMo, but I can't have it.  I love it.  A yellow background with a cute, old-fashioned typewriter.  I love the idea of writing about beginnings every day for a month.  But, I just can't.  Blogging everyday has not consumed me... if you couldn't tell by my many short and sweet posts over the last two months.  But it has sat in the back of my mind and interfered with other things I could have been thinking about.  I love the new friends I have found and the camaraderie of leaving nice comments for one another and giving and receiving of blogger awards. I don't intend to leave that all behind.  I just intend to take a month off.  Maybe that will be my new beginning. 

I need time to breathe and refocus.  Heaven knows I have plenty of other stuff going on.  I successfully crashed NaBloPoMo in November and completed December.  Now, my only role in my little blogging world will be to focus on writing good, solid posts and leaving wonderful, supportive comments to all the great bloggers I have found over the last two months.  I'll still be lurking on the January NaBloPoMo page to read what everyone else is writing!  Hopefully I will also finish the two book reviews that have been sitting in my work bag (haha), and use the time I would have been frantically emailing a post to my blog to spend building Legos and eating plastic spaghetti.  Or snuggling my husband, because I think he misses me a little too. 

Lastly, speaking of great bloggers.  Masked Mom gave me a Liebster Award a little while back. Isn't that great?  I smiled and was very happy, and then I was promptly sucked once again into the vortex of the holidays and lost track of time.  So here I am to do my amended version of the Liebster.  I am going to list five of my other new-found favorite blogs and hope that you check them out.  I will also hope that they stumble upon this one day and read about how great I think they are.  I have listed other blogs that I follow and love in these two other posts.  This one and this one.

So, here are a few more, and I think I may have broken some Liebster rules... they might have more than 200 followers...

1.  Denise at Life with Four Boys
2.  Tiffanie at Corner Blog
3.  Maggie at A Pair of Pink Shoes
4.  Sue at Praise and Coffee
5.  Jessica at Awakened Anew

They are amazing women, all with unique and intriguing stories and lives.  I am amazed by the resilience and faith found in some of their posts.  Check them out!

I think I have tied up all the loose ends, bowed out of NaBloPoMo January (sniff, sniff), and successfully not made a single resolution.  Now, I am going to make another cup of coffee, get the eggs cooling for yummy, deviled eggs for tonight's New Year's bash at a friend's house, and build that house!

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