Goals for the New Year

So my post is two weeks late.  I was out of town for Christmas/New Year's and am just now getting back into the swing of life at home.  Don't judge. ;)

Last year, my only resolution was a reading list.  I read most of the books on it, so I'm quite proud of myself.  I think the only one I haven't finished is Jane Eyre... mostly because we moved when I was half-way through and I just kept forgetting to pick it back up. :/ It will get finished eventually...

But Drew and I made a couples' resolution apart from any personal resolution that we might make on our own.  Stop arguing.  And I like to think we did a pretty good job with it.

We still have fights and, yes, even the occasional argument.  However, I like to think we've banished the argumentative spirit from our home.  It's been a process that hasn't been perfected yet, but we're still working on it.

We still disagree.  A lot.  But we have learned that there are better, more productive ways of resolving our conflicts.  We talk.  We try not to get upset or angry when we do.

I won't lie.  It's still hard.  We are argumentative people.  I know that I still get in moods where I disagree with everything that Drew says.  (Drew calls them "contrary moods.")  But we are working, striving.

And we are succeeding, slowly but surely. :)

This year, I've decided to set some goals for myself.  Not resolutions, mind you.  Goals. The difference?  Resolutions are vague and usually too lofty to achieve.  Goals... well, they're:

SO.  Here are a few of my 2012 Goals:
- Go 'poo free... for so many reasons.
- Read a daily devotional book for moms.
- Fully decorate my house.
- Blog more, starting with once a week!- Craft (with my new sewing machine and Silhouette Cameo)!  This is broken down into more specific goals in my head... like make clothes for my kids, make gifts for my family, make custom decor for my house, et cetera.

I probably have more, but I'm running out of time.  There is lunch to be made for my hungry boy!  More details on these goals and more to follow soon! :)

New Year

I am not usually one for New Year's resolutions, the reason being that my resolutions are always things that are completely out of reach:  spend an hour with God every day; erase soda from my diet; spend less time online; et cetera.  But this year, Drew and I decided to make our resolution together.

Now, before I say what it is, I would like to clarify something.  Drew and I rarely fight.  If we do fight, it's usually about our different understandings of the word "clean" in relation to our house. ;) However, we do argue somewhat frequently; both of us are argumentative people.  It's unfortunate, but true.

(Drew seems to think that I like to argue because my favorite book is Pride and Prejudice and because Darcy and Elizabeth argue a lot.  I argue that this reason is silly.  Haha.)

In any case, Drew and I have decided that our New Year's resolution is not to argue with each other anymore.  It's going to be difficult, but totally worth it.  With both of us having the same resolution, I'm hoping we'll be able to make it last the whole year.

We will probably fail at least a few times.  But the point of this resolution is not to attain a perfect marriage.  We simply want to create a lifestyle of harmony and an atmosphere of peace in our home.  We have made this resolution with the understanding that both of us are going to come up short.

It's the awareness of how much we argue and how detrimental it could potentially be to our relationship that we want to address.  It's the recognition that arguing is unnecessary to our marriage that we want to acknowledge.

In addition to having a "couple's resolution," I also have a personal one.  It's actually more of a reading list.  But I don't think I'll have a problem with that one. ;)