A Look Ahead...

Like I said in the last post we are hoping 2010 is not a year of as many changes as 2009 was. Hopefully it will be a low key kind of year but full of lots of fun!! We were talking at dinner tonight about what our "plans" for the year were. So I thought I would let everyone know what we have planned for the Eckley family this year...

Each year we pick a thing we are going to learn. This year Matt is going to learn about laying flagstone so he can make us a new patio in the backyard. He is also going to continue to work on our landscaping projects. I am going to learn about being a coupon shopper. I have had friends trying to talk me into it for a long time and I am finally going to give in. I am going to learn all the ins and outs of saving money through rebates and coupons. It will be interesting.

We are also setting some goals in other areas. We are going to memorize a scripture verse or passage each week together. So at the end of the year we will have 52 verses memorized. We are also going to live a healthier lifestyle this year. We are eating healthy and also working out. We have been working out at the gym 3-4 times each week. It has been interesting finding time but early morning and late at night is working for us right now. Hopefully by the end of the year we will be a "lighter" family (it is much harder getting this second baby weight off!) We always have a goal of being better friends. We work hard to get together with a new couple each month and also to connect with our friends each week. I am really going to work on this all year. I have learned how important friendships are!

Ben and Kate are going to work on some things this year too. Ben is going to become fully potty trained (soon I hope!!!) He is also going to work on his talking (more on that to come). Kate is going to work on just about everything. It is amazing to think about how much she will have learned by this time next year considering she doesn't do much right now.

We don't have any big plans around the house for the year. I do have a few small projects that I am working on in my quest to turn my house into the Pottery Barn catalog (had to write it Jessica!) We are going to have a rock border added to our landscaping so that will be fun.

We are hoping to take some fun trips in 2010. We maybe crazy but we are planning to head down to New Orleans in March for Matt's annual HOPA meeting (a 3 year old and a 3 month old in New Orleans will be interesting) . We will probably go to the beach a couple of times and maybe up to North Carolina. We look forward to some bigger trips as the kids get older.

Sounds like an ambitious year! It is going to be fun!!!!