Little People with Big Dreams...

God is good.

It has been a rough week, and today I am super thankful for an email full of pictures of God's amazing works. 

Four kids with a giant dream... and hundreds of people... some that love us and some that don't know us from Adam... come together for the good of mankind. 

Remember way back to Christmas when the generous hearts of people from all over the United States raised $8,029.33 to help a little village in Kenya?!?!?  

And beyond helping the village on the other side of the world, y'all bought funky socks... like tons of them! And with the generous WE HELP TWO we provided 550 pair of warm socks that were distributed all over the state of Maryland, Washington DC, Missouri, and a few states in between for people in need over the winter time. And not only that... but 174 pair of fun funky socks for kids in the hospital!

And with those amazing funds you provided a Solar well pump for fresh flowing water for that little village in Kenya. Not only did you do that, but there was so much money raised beyond the goal that they purchased beds, and mattresses, and lots of goats and chickens for the community!

Do you remember that? 

Well if you don't... or you needed the reminder that through all the hard things, and the not fun things, and the "feel like I'm failing" things going on in your life... there are still little people with big dreams, and an AMAZING God that can make what seems impossible a reality.

I am so, so thankful to all of you... hundreds of you... tons of whom I don't even know, that contributed to this. It restores my hope in the human race and reminds me there are lots of amazing, beautiful hearts are there doing great things for the people of this world.

But you know what else I feel... blessed. Parenting is hard... some days it is really, REALLY hard. I worry and stress if we are doing it right. Are we teaching and focusing on the right things? Are they getting what we are teaching? And I know I mess up... a lot... but I am thankful for these amazing kids that God has blessed me with that have big hearts and the desire to make the world a better place. 

Thank you... all of you. 

How to Have a Guilt-free Summer, in my (not so professional) Opinion

We are moms. This comes with a lot of guilt. Some of it false guilt, some of it legit... but I'm here to tell you how to enjoy your summer with your children guilt-free. Are you ready?

First.. my credentials:
I am a mom of 4 children, two boys and two girls, ages 7-12 with a (SURPRISE) baby on the way. I mess up ALL the time! I have major mom fails on a daily basis. Some seasons of life I fail with one child more than the others... sometimes I just all around drop the ball. Some times my mom fails are simple, superficial ones that make me feel guilty but don't do major long term damage. Some times I make HUGE mom fails that crush the spirit of my child that I have to ask both my child and the Lord for forgiveness. I am a human that is trying to do the best I can, but royally screw it up some of the time. I have no professional background or degree in parenting. Take everything I say with a grain of salt... this is my opinion, not the Bible of Parenting (though I might throw some Bible in... because that's how I roll ;) ).

So now that you know me... if you dare to keep reading... here it is... STOP IT! STOP letting other people tell you how to have the "Best Summer of Your Life". STOP letting other moms or articles on how to be a good mom make you feel guilty. STOP letting what other people say, do, and view your Facebook feed effect what you will do and how you do it! It is that simple (and simple does not mean always easy). Do what you want to do and stop worrying about what other mom's think.

In the last week I have read 7 articles on how to have a great summer with my kids. They range anywhere from let your kids eat tons of unhealthy food, have as much screen time as they want, and just plan nothing... to Educational ways to incorporate math, science, and reading into your summer activities... to Making Memorable experiences by giving them the Best Vacation Ever ... to 101 things to put on your Summer Bucket List!  There are so many people telling me how to have a "great" summer... how am I supposed to know what to do? Which route to choose? How do I incorporate them all so that my kids are well rounded and other moms won't silently (or not so silently) judge me? If I only get 17 likes on my activity when I post it to my Facebook page instead of the normal 123... does this mean other moms think I'm not doing it right? GAH!!!

Here is what I have to say... we are all so very different! Every mom parents her children in different ways. That does not mean some are doing it right and some are doing it wrong... it means we are different... and that is ok- it is fantastic actually! What works for you may not work for another mom, and that does not mean a Single. Dang. Thing.

Colossians 3:23 says this, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters."  My work that I have chosen is to be a mom. As long as I am doing it with love, and purpose, and for the Lord... that is all that matters.  "Human masters" when referring to this mommin' thing... those would be the people that you (and I) are trying to impress. The only one that really matters? The Lord. We will mess up, we are human. That is why I am thankful I am doing my work for the Lord, who is forgiving and shows me grace and mercy as I walk through these uncharted waters of parenting.

Don't let others rob you of your joy.

Here is something you should know about me... I am a mom that LOVES to throw birthday parties (or parties of any kind). I like to throw over the top, themed out, food goes with decor, games/activities are thought out, details are important to me parties. I truly LOVE to do it. It makes my heart happy to see everything come together, everything coordinating, I put time and attention into the details of it... I just really REALLY love doing it!
 I spent about a 3 year period feeling really guilty about doing this for my kids... this thing that I LOVED... because there were so many articles coming out saying that moms that threw those kinds of parties aren't doing it for their kids, they were only doing it to impress other moms. "Stop trying to impress other people, all kids really want is cake... you are throwing parties for the wrong reason and your kids don't care."  It would really hurt my feelings when people would call me Pinterest Party mom, or say things like, "trying to make a jealous with another huge party?". I let other people steal my joy. The thing I LOVED doing the most for my kids was stolen from me because I let some article tell me I was doing it for the wrong reason.
Do I think there are probably people that do it for the wrong reason... you betcha! Do I think there is probably some truth to those articles and it was a relief for the mom that really was trying to impress other people to be able to just let it go... I guarantee it! But...  I let my friends make me feel guilty because of their comments. I wasn't doing it for the wrong reason... I truly loved doing it... and I let someone else steal that joy from me.
Does this mean I think a party that is just a cake is a flop? Heck no! It means that mom is different than me. I don't judge a mom on how much she loves her kid by what type of birthday party she throws. She may not love the details or the planning... and that is ok... it's more than ok, she shouldn't be doing it if she is doing it for the wrong reason. She should do what she loves, and not let anyone steal that from her.

Here is my point... have a good summer. Do what works for you to make you have an enjoyable summer.

If it is FUN to create a Summer Bucket List- do it!

If it is FUN to incorporate learning experience and educational ties into everything you do- do it!

If it is FUN to take an unforgettable vacation-do it!

If it is FUN to have no schedule, TV on all the time, drink kool-aide and eat twinkies all summer-do it!

Don't let another mom's very different summer make you feel like you are failing. And don't judge or make passive aggressive comments (and/or vague Facebook posts) when she does it different than you. Don't let some article you read steal your joy in parenting. We are all moms. We are all different. This season of young children will be over before you know it... embrace it and make it your own!

Mommin' ain't easy gals! We are all in this together... but it doesn't mean we all have to do it the same way! Love your kids the best way you can and forget the rest!

Have a GREAT summer!

Sock Update and Other Stuff...

So... y'all are rock stars!

My heart is so overwhelmed with the outpouring of support for this project!  The kids had a goal to sell 150 packages of socks by Thanksgiving... as of Friday, we are at 256!!! 

That is $2,304 toward the goal and 256 pair of thermal socks for the homeless headed to our home as we speak!!! 

 I just can not even... I am a big weepy mess at God's goodness and the kindness and generosity of people! When I get updates on the socks of people that order, I don't know what makes me more excited... seeing people from all different seasons of my life and the outpouring of support to make this dream a reality, or when I see complete strangers ordering? It is just so amazing!

So keep sharing!!! We will go all the way to December 2nd. And keep those sock selfies coming in! We LOVE seeing them! And I have a project in the works with all the photos coming in. :)

No clue what I'm talking about? ... Go HERE for the fundraising post, or HERE to go to directly to the page to order and don't forget to put KRIETE PUMP PROJECT in the organization you wish to support  at checkout so we get the credit.

Click on OUR STORY  to learn the story behind all the sock madness!

In other sock news... we kicked off a school wide event on Friday! That's right! We have our entire elementary school jumping on this sock selling bandwagon. It is opening some amazing doors I never dreamed possible. Our kids have a platform to share their story! In the process all these little kiddos get to learn about how a solar pump works, why they need it in our village in Kenya, they learn about the homeless population here in Southern Maryland, and the math of how all this works! So even if they don't sell socks, I hope and pray their eyes are opened something bigger than themselves these next few weeks!

We are tracking where all the socks are coming from! The kids have a goal of 10 states by Thanksgiving and we are up to 7 as of Friday! So keep them coming in!

Even though it feels like my entire life is rotating around socks and projects for the pump... we do have other things going on in our lives. :)

El and I went on a field trip and they went bird watching. It was super cool and fun and she was the first to spot a bald eagle... Very cool!

And if that wasn't cool enough, Eric and I went on a date to pick up a load of manure for the garden (be jealous ladies). On the way we passed a field and saw not 1, 2, 3, or even 4... but 13 BALD EAGLES!!! It was one of the coolest things I have ever seen! We pulled over and just sat and watched them in all their glory for awhile.

Kids got hired out to do an actual manual labor job for the pump! Picked up tons of branches and sticks for about 2 hours on Saturday before the weather turned bad. It was good for them and I am super thankful for the opportunity!

This kid is rocking my world! I am not going to lie... I was SO nervous about middle school! So far, Brayden is kicking middle school's butt! He is doing well academically, rocking it out in Run Club (the kid runs 6 miles twice a week. What?!?!) And he was selected to play in the All County Honor Band!  He is just such a joy! I could not be prouder!

We cranked out some Operation Christmas Child boxes this weekend! The kids had a super fun time picking out what to put in their boxes... and I managed to not go completely crazy in the shopping process!
 

So things are crazy and overwhelming and wonderful! I am so thankful for this hard crazy life and these beautiful, amazing 4 little people God has given me to raise.

Thank you so much for all your support and joining us on the journey! 

Socks for the Season

We are SUPER DUPER excited to be partnering with We Help Two for our first big fundraiser! Socks for the Season is the campaign and we are pumped to be participating! This is something you can do no matter where you live!

Here is how it works...

You order a package of super cute cozy pairs of socks (you get three pair!!!). They have men, women, boys, and girls sizes. We get 60% of the profit for the Pump Project AND they will send us a pair of warm socks to donate to a local homeless shelter! 60%!!! Free pair to donate!!! That's it! It's that easy and that AMAZING!

Our family has ordered the socks... we love them! They are super cute! They would make excellent stocking stuffers, gift exchange, cute wear around the house, wear them out, donate to a local hospital.... the possiblities are unlimited!!!

You can order online by going HERE... 

Just put "Kriete Pump Project" when it asks Name of Organization you are Helping and we will get $9 for ever package you purchase! $9!!!! That is amazing! The socks will be shipped straight to you, and super quick (2 day shipping)!

If you are not familiar with our story and our mission for Christmas... Here is a link to Our Story on the well and Pump Project!

I am so incredibly excited about this! Fun socks that you can enjoy or give as a gift AND money for the Pump Project AND a pair of warm socks we get to donate to a local person in need! It is just the most perfect thing I could possibly think of to raise funds! We are helping locally and globally! 

If you want to purchase locally, you can order through me and I will put in a big order every week and have them shipped here. :)

You can order from now until December 3! Once you order online your socks are shipped to you then, you won't have to wait until the end of the campaign! So if you need them for a holiday gift exchange at the begining of December, no prob... they will be to you!

So order socks for yourself, your kids, your cousins, your grandma, your neighbor, your sports team, a stranger, to donate!!! We don't care who you order these super cute socks for, we just want you to order them! And share this story with your friends, because we want them to order socks too! You don't have to know us to help the cause!

So to recap... Order cute socks, Help the Pump Project, supply warm socks for a local homeless person, feel awesome! It's that easy!

I can't wait to see how God works through these socks! Thanks for joining us on the journey!

Our Story...

So these amazing kids have taken a lot of you along for the ride, but just in case you don't know... here is their story...

Several years back, my husband and I decided that we needed to scale back on Christmas. We celebrate with Santa in this house, but we wanted to make Christmas about giving rather than receiving. So we decided that Santa would bring 3 gifts to our kids on Christmas morning, and our gift to our children was to give them $50 each that they have to spend on someone else.

The first year we did it, it was really more fun for us to watch than them I think. :) We got the Samaritan's Purse catalog and they spent the longest time looking through deciding what to do with their money. Did they want to buy chickens, or goats, or school supplies, or medical supplies, or combine their money and buy something bigger like a donkey? It did this momma's heart good to watch them spend hours looking through to decide what to give others. I think all in all that year we ended up with mosquito nets, chickens, school supplies for 50 children, and a goat. Not too shabby for $200.

The next year when they were looking through the catalog in October, Brayden (8 years old at the time) was reading each section. He was very thoughtfully reading the description of what each thing would provide, and trying to make the best choice he could with his $50. He said, "I think we should supply clean water for Christmas." I told him, that he didn't have enough for the hand held water pumps. They would clean water for 1 household for up to 3 months. But it was $250. I told him he would have to convince his brother and sisters to combine their money, and then they would have to try to raise $50. He said, "No Mom, for a whole village. I want clean water for the whole village." I kind of laughed and said, "well buddy, that is $10,000. I don't have $10,000. We only have $200." He looked at me with the most sincere and serious face and said, "well... we have to try."

That is where the idea was born. I could not turn him down. I knew it was a long shot, but I wanted him to know we did everything possible. I wanted him to know God could do BIG things. So scared to death, we let the kids write a letter to friends and family.

Delivering cookies in 2013

So Little!

Cookie Delievery

We spent the next 2 months doing so many little odds and ins chores for generous people. The kids were 3, 5, 7, and 8... so we were a tad limited on what we could do. But people came up with some crazy awesome things for these little people and we did it! Sorting Legos, picking up sticks and pinecones, decorating Christmas trees, feeding farm animals, addressing Christmas cards, making Christmas cards... if people thought of it, we tried to do it! We baked about 9 million cookies for cookie exchanges and Christmas parties. The kids went through all their toys and started selling them. They gave their birthday and Christmas money to the cause.  A local paper picked up the story, and MOPS international picked up the story. We had all kinds of people sending money in that were far away, but wanted to help us reach our goal! Any where from $2 to a $2,000 donation came in. It was unbelievable and humbling.

Sorted all these Legos

As we got into December we learned that Christian Relief Fund (another amazing organization) had an anonymous donor that would be willing to match whatever we raised! We were so excited!
All in all the kids ended up reaching the goal and building the well! It was such an AMAZING lesson for my children God can do ANYTHING!

February of 2014 when the well was dug, they sent us pictures and it was the amazing awesome feeling all over again!

Every now and then we check in to see how things are going in the village where the well was built. Last year around Christmas we got this message:

"Chemurgui Well has given amazing help to the community here; in fact, this is the busiest well in that location.  Because of this particular well, we have planted a church here and the community has been touched. This is the place we have built our Bible school: Victory Christian Training Institute.  In fact, it became favorable for the training because there is plenty of water there, thanks to the donor. The Bible School students use the water from here; the church uses the water from here; the community uses the water from here; the children likewise.
Because of the busy use of the well, the cry of the community is to help them put a solar and a submersible pump and tank on it so it can increase its flow in the community. Water can be pumped by the solar pump and run everywhere. The school is also working on horticulture, once water can run to the farm. I don't know if the donor is comfortable to help with this number one need. However there are other several small needs, such as goats and cows to help the area."

At the time, we had only been in Maryland for a little over a year. I felt a little nudge from the Holy Spirit telling me to pursue this and I said, "Nope. We aren't established, we don't have the network or know the area like we did in Missouri. We can't do it." And that is where I left it.

So a few months back we went through a sermon series about being Heroic. And on particular sermon talked about doing hard things that you don't think you can do, and that was heroic. And at the end of the lesson the pastor said, "Is there anything that God is asking you to do that you haven't done yet?" And then God said... "the well." Dang it! I hate it when He does that!

Current pic of the kiddos

So that day, I emailed my contact through Christian Relief Fund, and sure enough the village is STILL in need of that solar pump! So I brought it up with the kids... here is what they need, this is what it will do... what do you think? They were a 100% on board and making lists of ways to raise the money and how we can help!

Men from the local college and children from the village at our well!

So that's the story that leads us to now. So the question is... how can you help? First of all we want to say... we are open to ideas! The kids have some things in mind of things they can do (and it is important to Eric and me they have to do something) and we have a pretty exciting fundraiser that will be launched tomorrow... but here is what they have come up with:

Local People
We can do manual labor! These kiddos are hard workers and would love to do whatever jobs you can think of! Ideas they have:
-Rake leaves
-Inside Chores (bathrooms, windows, matching socks)
-Outside Chores (feeding farm animals, hauling wood, pulling weeds)
-Feeding and walking pets if you are out of town (Brayden is really hoping somebody needs care for a pet snake)
-Baked Goods- if you need them for a holiday or birthday party... let us know! If there is interest we will get a price list.

All People
-Make Christmas Cards
-Address Christmas Cards
-Participate in Fundraisers
-Help us Spread the word

We will be Selling
-Pasta Sauce
-Salsa
-Toys
-Other handmade items

Most Important of all- Please Pray!

We know that this is not us. When God told me a year ago to do this and I said, "Nope. I can't." That was a true statement. I can't. But God can, and I believe He will if we only ask. So I (and Eric and the kids) are asking you to please join us in prayer that we reach our goal and help people that need our help.

We know that this is not possible without the help of our "village". I was really scared because I felt we moved away from our village, but in all reality... God just gave us a much bigger one!  It takes a village... and we've got a good one!

Price tag: $6,500
By When: Christmas 2016

We will launch a big fundraiser tomorrow that we are SUPER EXCITED to share the details with you! It is something you can do whether near and far!

If you have a business and want to make a sizeable tax deductible contribution... I can help you with that!

If you are far a way and you (or your kids) want to contribute by doing their own local fundraiser/bake sale/whatever... we will not turn you away! :)

Donations can be sent by check to:
Cassie Kriete
27595 Avonlea Ct
Mechanicsville, MD 20659

or you can make it online at paypal:

pumpproject2016@yahoo.com

We are so excited to see what the Lord has in store!

Thanks for joining us on this journey!

Summer Reboot!

Y'all... I love summer! Like really, REALLY love it! I love the smell of fresh cut grass and kids that smell like swimming pools. I love lazy mornings and no plans. I love getting to do all the fun things with my kids that we never seem to find time for during the school year. Day adventures, fort building, staying up late, catching bugs, beach trips, visitors, science experiments, LOTS of library trips and reading, neighborhood kids playing at all hours of the day, eating dinner at 8:30pm on the picnic table, learning new things, teaching new things... I just super duper big heart summer!

Don't get me wrong... when you have all 4 children home with each other... 24/7... there is bound to be frustrations for everyone. Good grief! I spent my morning at the dentist getting everyone's teeth cleaned and going to the grocery store with all 4 kids in tow... I have been spoiled with my alone time during the school year! We were all a hot mess and I needed a coke second I walked in the door! :)  My kids fight and fuss like normal families... just had someone have to crank out 100 sentences this morning...

But on the grand scheme of the year... summer is my favorite family time!

I miss blogging. After reading a book this Spring, "How to Raise Grateful Kids in an Entitled World" (which gets two giant thumbs up by the way)... I think I figured out my hesitation to blogging... I don't want people to think I think I have things figured out... because I DO NOT!

She says...

      "I'm writing from the middle of my mess... not my accomplishment."

This is 100% how I feel and I want y'all to know... I'm a hot mess... but I miss blogging about my life journey. So I think I might jump back into the thick of it and pray the inter webs are encouraged by our real life.

So... it is the end of June... I have had three different people ask me where I am at on my yearly goals this week. The truth... I stink! I have not been very focused on my goals this year. But this is why I posted it in January... so people hold me accountable and ask me... and I get my butt in gear and do it.  It's not pretty... but here is the goal update...

Goals for 2016

1. Get Healthy- I still have 6 months, right? Yikes! I need a real plan with a real reward set... my health has been on the back burner this year y'all!

2. No Yelling -ok… so I actually did really well on this for a while. I only yelled 9 times from January 1- mid-May… I am a yeller. This was REALLY good for me! And REALLY hard! Then the end of the school year, husband had lots of traveling, and very irratible with some health issues… let’s just say, I stopped counting how many times I yelled. I vow to start counting again today… hold my accountable!

3. Take brain tumor meds- Horrible. Haven’t taken them since February. I have so many excuses.. And they are that, excuses. Eric and I are working out a plan to get this back on track. It is really hard with his traveling so much.

4. Pay of Cassie's Mohela ($10,000) Plan is in place… working on it. :)

5. Journal through the Bible. I haven’t been doing this. I actually bought a journal Bible in May, but have yet to start… it is on my summer goal's list.

6. Learn to do 3 new things- I have 1 thing I haven’t learned, but have in mind to learn this summer(easy thing I’ve just never learned). French braid hair. I need to really think about this and get on it. Suggestions welcome. :)

7. No TV series on Netflix- still sticking to it. This is harder than you think. I have watched Pride and Preudice and 4 million times this year….

8. Run a marathon- signed up and paid for… Running it at the end of October

9. Have $15,000 in the car fund.-  We have had several unexpected (mostly medical/dental) but still working toward it. Over half way there.

10. Read 12 Fiction books- I have them all picked… I have read zero. Also a summer goal.

11. Date my husband twice a month- Actually doing this!!! Though it probably wont happen in the summer too much. We are taking full advantage of him working shift work and all the kids being in school… lots of day dates. :)

12. Family vacation Headed to Missouri next week… though I would like to do another something… even if just and overnight somewhere… that is just our family.

13. Vacation with the Hubs- No. I really hope when this campaign year is over we can get something on the books. Though with all the financial goals I have set this year… this may be hard to pull off!

I'm hoping that I can do better the second half of the year than I did the first.

So... I my kids have created a bucket list for summer... I hope to pull off at least half of it (I also super big heart love crossing things off a list). So here is our Summer List... we will take you along for our adventures. :)

Thanks for joining me on the journey!

Good-bye 2015... Hello 2016!

I have soooo many things I want to blog about. I know I am so far behind. (I'm not really a "blogger" per say... but I do have some fun things to update you on.) It was a super crazy December with the hubs spending most of it traveling, the normal craziness of Christmas parties/programs, and then family was here. So now it is time to play a little catch up. :)

I'm going to spend this post talking about how last year's goals panned out and where I'm headed this year. I know I'm skipping a lot that I will have to back track on... but honestly, the goals started for me today, and I am going to need some accountablitiy. So I'm putting it out there. :)

Last year's goals... I get a C. I completed 11/15.  I got really close to one, worked toward but not even close for another, and the other two... I just completely dropped the ball. So here they are and what I learned:

Goal recap for 2015

1.                 Get Established in a Church/Find a place to serve in the community- Serving in the community... still don't feel established at church. What I learned: I need to suck it up. Church is not going to be the same here as it was in MO. That doesn't mean it's bad, it means it is different. I need to just take the leap of faith and get plugged in.

2.                 No soda- Completed. I was really hoping when I tried soda again I would hate it... I don't. I had a vanilla coke from sonic on January 2nd... it was divine! What I learned: When I commit something to the Lord and not myself, I am much more likely to do it, regardless of how difficult it is for me. (And this was REALLY difficult for me)

3.                 Give up Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and all rated R movies- Completed. On January 2nd I also watched the Grey's episode where McDreamy died. I cried it out with Merideth, and then I was done. I had no desire to watch anymore. What I learned: I have a serious Netflix binge problem. The point to this goal last year was to not watch things I felt were putting my mind on a moral slippery slope. So I chose TV series that were rated PG or less... I still watched those, multiple seasons at a time. 

4.                 Weight loss of 25lbs- Well... I only have 30 lbs to go. :) What I learned: I stink at reaching weight loss goals. I have NEVER been able to complete one...ever... since I started making yearly goals in 2007.

5.                 Run 804 miles- I ran 225. What I learned: I didn't have a passion for running this year. I struggled through some health stuff, and then I just got lazy. Seriously... just lazy. Accountablity partners are HUGE... I didn't have one most of the year.

6.                 No clothing/shoes/accessory purchases for myself- Successfully completed (minus the replacing of sunglasses covered in poop in the Spring). This one was actually a lot harder than I thought it would be. I made a couple purchases for myself on January 2nd. It was not near as rewarding as I thought it would be. What I learned: There are very few things I NEED that I don't have. I WANT lots of things I don't need. I used to use retail therapy to make me feel better... I don't think I need that any more. 

7.                 Invite people into our home at least once a month- Completed in abundance. We had lots of people into our home this year, and I really loved it. What I learned: I no longer live in the mid-west. People are different on the east coast. I stopped waiting for people to invite us (the new people) over, and just started having people in our home... and it's great. I love hosting people in my home, but relized this year that I might not be the best hostess... something to work toward. 

8.                 Sell/Donate 2,015 items- Got rid of 2060 items this year. Only sold 2 things, donated the rest. What I learned: I have too much stuff. There were very few times (I can count on one hand) that I donated something that it hurt a little. Maybe something I wanted, but knew someone else needed it more... or just didn't want to give it away. I hope to continue to simplify this year.

 

9.                 Visit at least 10 DC attractions/museums Completed What I learned: There is a ton of stuff to do in DC... we have a lot yet to see/do.

10.            Read through the Bible completed... kind of. I got through this, but I did a lot of it on audio while running/walking or folding laundry. It wasn't how I wanted to do it, but it is done. What I learned: I need to do more than just read or listen to God's word. I need to go deeper on a more regular basis. 

11.            Pay of SallieMae (school loan) -done What I learned: We won't have school debt forever. We just have to focus and have a plan.

  

12.            Put $5000 extra in savings- yep. What I learned: Money stuff is hard, and especially with such a huge difference in cost of living compared to where we came from. Staying home with the kids is not a popular gig out here, and even if I feel attacked by it... a lot.... I can still do what you feel the Lord has called me to do and reach financial goals if it is His will.

13.            Have the whole house painted and functional- Close, but no cigar. All but one room. What I learned: My husband does a really good job painting. He saved us a ton of money doing it himself. I'm okay not completing this... it will eventually get done. There are a lot more things on the walls than last January, and it is starting to feel like home. 

14.            Weekly family devotionals and communion-nope. What I learned: I really stink at DOING things. I am much better at giving things up. I feel like if I miss a week or two of doing what the goal was, I just give up because I'm no longer reaching the goal. I need to work on this.

15.            Make a friend. I dare say, maybe even more than one! :) What I learned: Moving and starting over is hard. Being in your 30s and not out in the work force makes finding and making friends a lot harder than moving to a new place for college in your teens/20s. BUT... even though it is hard, and I really didn't want to (because I already have friends back in MO)... sometimes it is worth the effort. :)

This year I gave myself a 3 day indulgence grace period... just because I felt I gave up a lot last year. So I started today, January 4th.

As most years are for me... some of these goals I am really excited about, and some of them terrify me. I always start praying about my upcoming year's goals before Thanksgiving every year, and God always, ALWAYS puts something on my heart that I really need to work on that I have NO desire to try to do because it just seems impossible (refer to goal #2... yikes!).  One of my goals isn't measurable (goal #1)... which really bothers the special ed teacher in me. I need a way to say yes I did it, or no I didn't... but there are a lot of little things that I will have to change to make this happen... lots of small goals along the way... we shall see. So without further ado... 

Goals for 2016

1. Get Healthy

2. No Yelling 

3. Take brain tumor meds-

4. Pay of Cassie's Mohela ($10,000)

5. Journal through the Bible

6. Learn to do 3 new things

7. No TV series on Netflix

8. Run a marathon

9. Have $15,000 in the car fund

10. Read 12 Fiction books

11. Date my husband twice a month

12. Family vacation

13. Vacation with the Hubs

Please feel free to call me out or ask me how it's going. It should be an interesting year! I hope to dive a little deeper into these after I get caught up with some other blogposts... but I am excited for the challenge. 

Thanks for joining me on the journey!