All (okay some) things new

I kinda hate New Years. I like New Years Eve and the excitement of watching the ball drop and counting down and getting a sweet kiss at midnight...then I'm like "oh. It's the new year" and so commences weeks of feeling bad that I DON'T have a New Years Resolution (I quit after about 100 consecutive years of stopping around Feb 1) and every piece of paperwork looking like a Kindergartner's every time I try to write the date. (I realized it wasn't that I'm THAT stupid...everybody seems to be having a hard time writing /10 on their dates. I figured it's because we've been writing /0_ for TEN YEARS! It's going to take a while to get used to writing a "1" after the slash. It still feels awkward for me. Riveting, I know.

So I said I don't make resolutions, and I am sticking to it, but there are a few NEW things I'm doing this year. For instance, I joined Curves which is HUGE for me. I HATE working out and would rather wake up skinny (oh, Lord, PLEASE!) but finally came to the sad realization that was never going to happen. I have known for quite a while I needed to do SOMETHING about my weight and just feeling better and it finally just got on my nerves enough to make me want to do something about it. I want to be healthy and just feel better about myself, but mostly, I want Abby and James to be proud of me. I don't want to be a fat mom. I want to be able to keep up with her and share clothes with her one day and NEVER want her to be embarrassed of me (beyond the normal adolescent embarrassing stuff...). And I want for James to be proud that I am his wife. I know he already is in a lot of ways but I want him to feel the same way I get to feel when I introduce him to someone new. I want to give that to him. So I'm Curving 3 days a week. This was week 1 and I have to say I'm pretty pleased with myself for making it. **pats herself on the back** (now, right this minute, you stop and say a prayer that I stick to this...I MEAN IT!)

Thank you.

Okay so the other thing I'm super excited about doing this year is an idea that my friend Robin had. I read the book Julie and Julia in its first release. Before it was packaged differently and before all the buzz about it and definitely before the movie. I loved it. (And I loved the subsequent movie.) It got Robin and I talking and we decided (I hope she's still in) that we will, Julie style, try ONE NEW recipe a month and blog about it. I figure it'll give me at least ONE blog post a month (which, as we all know would be an improvement. Sorry.) and it'll hopefully give me 12 new delish recipes in my back pocket. I am NOT going to try all Julia Child or french or even super difficult recipes. I just want to try 12 totally new ones and tell you about it. Side note: the January one should be interesting since James is doing a 21 day fast and is eating no meat, bread or sugar. Stay tuned.

I hope you each had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. I hope you are excited about 2010 and, like myself, are waiting with bated breath to see what the Lord has in store for each of us this year.

Please, all kidding aside, pray for James and I this year that we would desire more of the Lord than ever before and be faithful to ALL he has called us to... not a single prayer would be wasted on us.

Happy New Year Everyone...I mean, you know, like a couple weeks ago. I guess technically it's still a new year though, even if I'm a little late. I'll stop now.