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At the end of the year, I always try to go back to my resolutions to see how I did. Usually, it’s pretty mediocre. Last year I tried to make very accomplish-able resolutions, but yet again, I did not fully succeed!
1. Finish Christmas Shopping by Advent.
Nope. Not even close. I figured out gifts for my parents and my in laws by Advent and got some of the done, but most of the shopping was most certainly in Advent. Bummer.
2. Stop biting my nails… again.
{this was really a photo of how my class ring still didn’t fit… but hey, it works.}
I am MUCH better about biting my nails than I was in the past {and definitely better than I was when I made that resolution} but I still bite them. To be honest, I’m kind of okay with them these days. I’d like them to look different and to all be nice looking at the same time, but it is what it is. As long as I don’t get in the habit of having painfully short nails again, I’m good.
3. Continue running!
I’m going to say I totally accomplished this. When I made my resolutions for the year, I already knew I was pregnant with little M {found out on New Year’s Day!}. I wanted to keep up my running during the pregnancy for as long as possible. Alas, between tax season and the pregnancy exhaustion, I quit somewhere around 12-15 weeks pregnant. Didn’t last too long! However! I started running again when M was around 12 weeks old, so I think that yes, I totally accomplished this.
How did you fare with your 2012 resolutions? Any big accomplishments? Or even any little ones?
I’m a big lover of Christmas. I mean, who isn’t? However, I kind of suck at Advent. I’m so not one of these people that gets all huffy about celebrating Christmas too early {I’m quite the opposite actually} but I really hate when Advent gets overlooked.
Every year I bust out the Advent wreath and every year it gets lit maybe five times. I tell myself every year to be better… and every year I forget. Here are a few goals for next year:
Finish Christmas shopping by Advent.
For real this time. I’ve got eleven months to find the perfect gifts. Should be okay…
Add a special Advent prayer to my day.
There are so many good Advent prayers out there and I generally partake in none of them.
Light the candles at dinner time and find a fun Advent activity to do with my future toddler. Maybe having a little one around to teach will motivate me?
Spend the season decorating for Christmas {temporarily leaving out baby Jesus and the wise men!}, listening to Advent music {holiday tunes that are specifically geared towards the before Christmas time}, baking and reading holiday stories.
Do you do anything special for Advent? Any ideas for that future toddler of mine are most welcome!
This past Saturday, M was baptized! We had been long looking forward to this day for a long time. M’s grandparents all came in town, J and I had both of our own godmothers there, and our dear friends, M’s godparents, came into town as well. It was a long week leading up to it, and a busy weekend, but it was absolutely wonderful.
M was baptized according to the old rite in the Catholic Church {you can read about it here if you like!} The kid was awesome throughout the whole ceremony, even when the water was poured over his head.
After the baptism, the priest {a good friend of ours} performed the Churching of Women ceremony for me and the Godmama Martha {who just had her third baby boy!}. It’s reminiscint of the old Jewish tradition of when women weren’t allowed in the temple if they were “unclean.” Today of course, we’re allowed in the church whenever, but its a nice little welcome-back ceremony for new moms.
At the end, we took about a million photos. Seriously, I think we were up on the altar posing longer than we did on our wedding day!
with the Godparents, Fr. Mike and our seminarian friend
with the grandparents
our little family of three!
That is all! The little man was such a peach throughout the ceremony and during the subsequent BBQ. He also smelled divine for days because of the chrism oil that was used to anoint his head. {I may or may not have spent a few days smelling him every few minutes…}
I have never been that big on Valentine’s Day. Perhaps because it is my brother’s birthday {more on that later} that was always the focus of the day, rather than the cheesy cards and candy. {Don’t get me wrong, I’m all over the candy.}
Once I hit high school and started dating, I always found Valentine’s dates the most awkward. Even when I was with someone who I was very comfortable with normally, the hype of the day always ruined the date.
Then, I stopped caring about Hallmark and started thinking more about St. Valentine. It really is such a romantic story to be told and to be celebrated. The early saint was martyred in Rome after being caught secretly marrying Christian couples who were, of course, prohibited to do so. {Seriously, forbidden love? How much more romantic can you get?!?}
It is because of legends stating that he wrote letters to his jailer’s daughter signed “From your Valentine” that we now have our cheesy Valentine’s Day cards. Granted, his love for the jailer’s daughter was likely not a romantic love, and therefore, we should also celebrate the love we have for our good friends as well on this day.
{card by Pistachio Press}
That said, all of my love to you on this St. Valentine’s Day! If I had hundreds of flowers, cards and candy, I would send them out to all of you!
Father’s Day is coming up and we all know how absolutely impossible it is to find the right gift for the men in our lives. A necktie just simply doesn’t do it… so here are a few more ideas for the dads.
Library Embosser $26
{perfect for the readers}
Field Notes – $14.50
{for the adventurous types… or simply those who take lots of notes}
Backgammon & Chess Set – $199
{great for the stay-at-home types}
Leather ID Bracelet – $16.50
{for the stylish man… or of course, one who may need an ID bracelet!}
Leather Atlas – $19.99 sale!
{because honestly, what man can say he doesn’t love a good map?}
Hope that has inspired you to get some great gifts this Father’s Day! Any other good gift ideas?
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