today is special

january 14th has a special place in my heart

first of all, it's my amazing mom's birthday

they say you truly appreciate your mom the first mother's day after you've had a baby

and i did...but only to the extent that my sleep-deprived, zombie self could at the time

but today, with a little more sleep under my belt, 

i think i understand what people feel on that first post-baby mother's day

mom, words cannot express my love and deep appreciation for you

today, and every other day

thank you, for all the love and effort you put into raising us

and now, into helping us raise our babies

you have given us a great example of what a Godly mother should be 

we are blessed and proud to call you mom

second, one year ago today i was induced into labor

most of the day was spent waiting

until my water finally broke in the evening, which got the ball rolling

(during the Broncos game, actually - sorry if that's TMI, I'll save the rest of the details for the birth story,

so you can choose whether or not you want to know details like that)

but my girlies decided to just barely miss sharing their grandma's birthday

and made their arrival in the wee hours of the 15th

third, january 14th was my first day at my first "real" job

where i spent just shy of four fantastic years

working alongside some of my favorite people

in a great environment, with a great boss

i learned and grew a lot in my time there,

and can't help but think of them and smile with every passing january 14th

and you know what? these may seem like random moments in my life

that all just happened to coincidentally line up on the same day

but seeing them all here, on "paper", I see that they hold a common thread:  

the Lord's faithfulness and provision

through my family, my children, my life situations, etc

He is always there, orchestrating for my good and His glory

i've seen this more and more with each passing year

i've also learned that it is easy to overlook His hand in my life

by grumbling, not spending time in the word, 

clinging to the things of this world over that which is of real value

so as we move forward into a new year, i'm going to follow jamie's lead 

and list some yes-es and no-s for 2013

to reinforce the things i want to focus on

and the habits i want to see less of

(p.s. you should check out her blog - she's got a lot of good things to say and has been an encouragement to me in so many ways...plus her photography is gorgeous to look through!) 

In 2013, 

yes to: 

more time in prayer, renewing my mind daily, putting God first, eating healthier, spending time with my family, teaching my kids to love the outdoors, building my business, encouraging others, growing in grace, becoming more involved/connected in church, learning and practicing my husband's love language, living in the moment, being thankful, turning my eyes upon Jesus, applying the gospel, snuggling with my little family, appreciating the beauty in everything, connecting with friends, cooking from scratch, going to the beach, embracing change, slow saturday mornings, impromptu adventures, working towards humility, baking, being content

no to: 

negativity, perfectionism, criticism, comparison, taking the easy way out, apathy, impatience, dwelling on the past,  distraction, believing satan's lies, skipping breakfast, people pleasing, seeking identity in anything but Christ, work-aholism, hiding how i really feel, wasting time behind screens