Here's my list for 2011:
1. Learn to knit - This has been something I've wanted to learn for awhile now. I know how to crochet which is fun, but I really love the tighter stitching of knitting. There are many more fun patterns for knitting too. I have a few friends who knit but I'm a little hesitant to ask them to teach me since I typically need a lot of hand-holding when I first learn a craft; it would be a big time-commitment for them! I think I'll look into classes at local shops or community centers.
2. Exercise more with my husband - I really need to buy a new bike (mine was stolen last year - Ugh!) so Peter and I can ride together again. That was one of our favorite activities when we were dating/engaged :) And I'd like to play tennis with him more regularly when the weather gets warmer. He's really good at tennis, and I'm really not so good so I need to practice, practice, practice!
3. Be more disciplined in spending time with the Lord everyday and praying regularly with Peter - I really like have a personal quiet time in the mornings before work, but doing that means getting up at 5:30 in the morning which is not easy for me at all. I've never been a good waker-upper; I hit the "Snooze" button on my alarm about five times before I can manage to drag myself out of bed. I'm going to make a new effort in the new year, though, and I'm going to try to keep up prayer time with my husband on Sunday nights.
4. Take more pictures - I hardly ever remember to take my camera with me when I go out, and if I do, I hardly ever remember to use it. I also don't document my life at home well at all. I really wish that I had started this blog while Peter and I were engaged and then continued it because I have very few pictures of our first three years together. Here's to hoping that this blog will encourage me to take more pictures of our second year of marriage!
5. Eat more fruits and veggies - My never-ending quest! I always eat a piece of fruit with lunch and a veggie with supper, but many days that's it for my fruits and veggies. I'm stepping my daily intake up to at least 4 servings in 2011.
6. Organize closet and dresser and keep them that way - Container Store here I come! I desperately need something to organize my purses, another shoe rack (I'm getting rid of all of the shoe boxes in my closet!), and drawer dividers to keep everything separate and in order.
7. Keep track of purchases - At the beginning of the month, I'm really good about keeping track of spending on our credit card, but towards the end of the month, I fall off the wagon. I keep all of the receipts, but without adding everything up, I don't know exactly what we've spent and if we're over or under budget. Not cool and not anymore!
8. Travel more - Peter and I have been talking about visiting his brother in Boston for a long weekend and also going on a trip to Europe (Scotland? Germany? Greece?) or to Australia in 2011. I'm so looking forward to some bigger trips like that, but I also want to do more day trips or weekend trips to towns in our area. There are so many cute, fun towns around DC that we've never explored! And who knows when babies might come along so we need to get some traveling done pronto :)
9. Continue planning dinners/outings with friends - We made a conscious effort in 2010 to set aside days in our schedule to have friends over for dinner or invite them to go to movies, hiking, etc. Early in our marriage, we learned that if we weren't intentional about scheduling time with friends, we ended up spending most of our free time with just each other. I love my husband to pieces and love spending time with him, but I've never wanted to be one of those insular couples who have no social life outside of each other.
10. Worry less - This will be something I work on for the rest of my life since I'm a born worrywart :) I just pray that in 2011 I'll learn to trust God more and become more like the Proverbs 31 woman who "laughs at the days to come."
I'm so glad that I have this list to look back at and to help keep me accountable during the coming year. I love the hope and the "newness" that comes with the new year. Here's to a great 2011 :)
