My 34 for my 34th!

The time has come....I know you have all been waiting with eager expectation....the time has come to announce my 34 goals for my 34th year! I turn 34 years old tomorrow. Wow. 34. I am officially in my "mid-30's".

OK....continue....before I start hyperventilating.....

As I wrote in a previous entry, I was reading a friend's blog a few weeks ago and she had written 34 goals for her 34th year - something she has done for two years now. I thought that it was a great idea so I sat down and for the last few weeks I have been slowly compiling my list of 34 things I was to do/accomplish/succeed at during this next year of my life.

As I was looking over my list yesterday it occurred to me that NONE of my goals is a "help the people" kind of a goal. None of them is monumental, really. Some of them are directly related to my children...but, for the most part they are all about ME! I was standing in the shower thinking about this, trying to figure out if I have become shallow, or boring, or....I don't know what......and then the old phrase "If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy" popped into my head. THAT is clearly what all of my goals is about.

In the past few weeks or months I have been noticing (and so has my husband) an increasingly negative tone to the way I talk about myself - my appearance, my mothering ability, my ability to be a good wife, etc. Just negative and crabby - about myself. CLEARLY, I am in need of some taking care of, by myself! NOW - a disclaimer! My husband ROCKS! He is the most amazing, attentive, caring, selfless man I have ever met. He takes precious care of me. But, I haven't been doing enough for myself - and THAT is what these 34 are all about. If my overall goals in this life I've been given are to love my God with all my heart and mind and strength, and love and respect my husband, and love and raise my children in a way that (to the best of my ability and by God's grace) allows them to become Godly, generous, gentle, strong, industrious, brave, loyal, happy men and women......breathe....then I need to take care of myself so that there is more of me to give to all of them. Right?

So....without further ado (well...maybe just a little ado - for some of the goals I am going to "explain" my reasons - so that you don't think I'm a total gomer!)

My 34 Goals for my 34th Year

1. Have our family photo albums up to date by Christmas.

2. Make photo calendar with Steve's Johnson family

3. Organize and make recipe books with my Johnson family - to be handed out at Christmas

4. Memorize a Bible verse or passage a week - 52 total

5. Read a Psalm or Proverbs and a children's devotional at dinner nightly

6. Sew a quilt

7. Take a cooking class

8. Begin reading the Narnia series with Isaac

9. Make a new recipe for dinner 2 times a month

10. Buy a treadmill

11. Exercise 2x's / week
-this one requires an explanation - I used to work out religiously 5+ times a week - but, since significantly changing my diet I have lost weight and I don't need to exercise to be at a weight I am comfortable with - BUT, I know I am happier and feel better when I DO exercise, thus, the goal of "EXERCISE" 2x's a week - which is TOTALLY no problem during the summer, but, in Wisconsin during the winter, it's a tad difficult to just grab the kids and go for a 3 mile round trip walk to the park.....

12. Call my sister 2 times a month
- again, I love my sister and LOVE talking with her, but, she lives in Australia and it is tricky to call at the right time (15 hour time difference) - my evening is her early morning and she has two little kids, too - but, we don't talk enough - so, hopefully this will result in us talking at least once a week if she calls me just as often

13. Call my brother 2 times a month
- once more, love my brother, but, he's a guy and we don't chat it up as often as we should

14. Get rid of one piece of clothing each time I buy something new
- I was doing laundry yesterday and was APPALLED by the amount of clothing that 4 people can generate in just a few days - flat out sinful. So, I don't need any MORE things, just things I really love.

15. Have some sort of "teaching reading" time with Isaac 3 times a week

17. Write my Grandma and Grandpa once a month

18. Have a "date" with Isaac once a month

19. Memorize Hebrews 11

20. Memorize Deuteronomy 6:4-9

21. Memorize 1 Chronicles 29: 10-13 and teach this one to Isaac

22. Memorize Psalm 139

23. Put all loose recipes - especially those for natural/sweet savvy in a binder

24. Learn a new craft - crochet, thrown pottery or painting

25. Take a nap at least once a week

26. Go to the Art Studio and paint a new mug for myself

27. Get a massage

28. Compete in a 5K run

29. Read at least 8 books that I want to read

30. Go camping for 2 nights with my family

31. Have 24 hours alone, BY MYSELF, from 9am - 9am

32. Have 48 hours alone, WITH STEVE, from Friday evening to Sunday evening

33. Buy myself flowers at least once a month
- Steve buys me flowers OFTEN, but, these are things to do FOR MYSELF

34. Wake up at 6:00am (or whatever time Steve gets up on his early days) so I can spend some early time with him and then have alone time before the kids get up


So....that's them! I think I will type these out and post them on my fridge or put them with my devotional stuff - some way that they don't just become "that thing I did on my birthday".

If you have any other good ideas - maybe I'll add them to my list for my 35 for my 35th!