New Year, Clean Slate, New Start

Hello everyone, hope you´ve had a warm and wonderful holiday so far. We´ve had a lovely time. It´s been very quiet and that is both a good thing and bad thing. I notice that I am the kind of person who enjoys routines and during the holidays there are no routines. We go to bed late and wake up late (or some of us such as yours truly still wake up 7 hours after she goes to bed, no matter if it´s 1AM or 2AM or whatever...) So our days are totally off. My dearest son told me he´s a night owl I told him he´s only a night owl because his easy going Mom lets him stay up late and he sleeps all day and when he finally wakes in the afternoon, he stays up late again- a terrible cycle. We also eat terribly....no wait, I mean we eat way too good, but not the stuff we normally should eat. I´ve bought way too much junk which I actually thought between four older kids in the house, would be eaten. But no.....and let´s put it this way, all this junk in the house is like having tons of alcohol in an alcoholic´s house and hoping the alcoholic will stay away from it...ugh...so difficult. I know I should toss it, but that goes against my grain too...I don´t throw money away...hahahaha...

So I´ve been out walking...not a lot but some. We´ve had a couple really beautiful days during Christmas and it´s magical when winter lays like a beautiful blanket of white over the trees and ground and the sun shines through like pot of gold at the end of a rainbow....

As we come to the end of the year I always look forward to New Years almost more so then Christmas. Why? Because I love fresh starts. I love clean slates and chances to do things differently. A whole new year laying before us, moments awaiting us, adventures and experiences to come, new people who will enter our lives and old people who might leave our lives, everything is possible! I love that! I am one of those people who likes to make resolutions each New Year and I am one of those people who seldom keeps her resolutions. I always have good intentions but not enough gung ho too keep it going...but here I am again at the end of this 2012 and looking forward to things I plan on doing...things I would LIKE to achieve in 2013. 

One thing I think about is of course my health..I think if we look back in the archives here on my blog at all my New Year posts you´ll see this same wish..and it´s still here again...someday I will be able to write that I´ve made it and I´ve really got a good start this year as I began with Easylife in September and it´s working...slowly but it´s working. Of course I´ve probably had a set back now during the holidays but nothing I can´t bounce back from and I will...it´s incredible to have the support of a group and I think it should be a requirement for anyone wanting to lose weight or start a healthier lifestyle to have a support group. You can´t do this alone!!! 

Another thing I want to work on and so does the Captain is our financial situation. We make good money but every month we´re down to the last kroner and left wondering where did it all go? Neither one of us are very financially capable although I´ll say the Captain is a lot more interested in the subject then me. I just want to know that when I swipe my card it won´t say, Declined! ARGH! That is so embarrassing and has happened more then once...so we´re going to try out that wonderful thing called a budget which is suppose to help us see where the money is going. Should be interesting. We think we have an idea where it´s going but hopefully now we can really see it and hopefully we can actually begin saving....oooo....I get so excited at such thoughts!!! Do you have a budget? How is that working out for you? Do you feel financially in control? Any tips for a new beginner? 

Another thing I´d like us to be better about is being more social and not just social on the social medias but with people we care about. The Captain and I are very happy hanging around our house. Although he could probably think to get out a little more often then me. I feel I see people at work and around the area and it´s enough and when I get home I just want quiet...but it´s not very social, I know this and I can´t expect to have friends when I just sit up here and not make an effort. At the same time though, we´re not party people. We enjoy a good meal with good friends, a little wine and good conversation but are past the days when it was fun to go get stinking drunk and drag ourselves around from one party to the other ALL night long....that is NOT us anymore but it seems to still be a popular thing for a lot of adults around here so not sure how we will work that one out, but where there is a will there has to be a way right? 

I also have some dreams I want to try and get closer too. I am not living the life I want to live right now, I´m living a life of existence but not the life I dream of. It´s easy to fall into a rut and just make the days go by, pay your bills, do what you have too in order to survive but as far as we all know we only get one run at this life thing and to just get by isn´t gonna do it for me. So I want to start trying to get closer to my dreams...closer to what I think I really want and further away from what I feel I just HAVE to do because I have to survive. 

I would also like to explore simple living a little more. Not fanatically, I will never do anything to an extreme...but I do believe we´ve become a society which has become very dependent on THINGS, and how happy do these things really make us? Can we live with less and be happier? Have you ever tried any simple living ideas and how has that worked out for you? 

I want people to be more aware of how much they mean to me. I have so many wonderful people in my life. Some are in my life more then others but everyone who is in my life, touches my heart in a special way. I think a lot of times that I´m good at letting people know how much they mean to me but there is always room for improvement. I´m a hugger and I love to give hugs and get hugs...it´s such a great feeling and you really feel how much someone cares the harder and longer they hold you in their arms...I´m gonna be hugging a bunch of you out there next year...so get ready....hehehehehe....

I want to spend more time doing fun and exciting things with my kids. Yeah, Pål is also one of my kids now (Sarah´s boyfriend of three years) he´s been in the family long enough that he is now considered one of the kids. I want to continue to get to know him and I want to continue to get to know my own kids...they are changing all the time right now...moving into adulthood and I´m watching their development with great interest. We´ve got some humps in the road ahead we have to work through, Mamma and Captain are pretty good at giving advice to others about their kids but when it comes to our own we´re total suckers...we spoil them rotten even though we know we shouldn´t and we don´t do everything as we should...but thankfully we see the mistakes we´re making and are doing our best to correct them before it´s too late...we want them to be decent, law abiding, caring and giving individuals who can take care of themselves and be happy in whatever they are doing. Isn´t that what every parent wants for their kids? It´s a hard job though...they have their own opinions and meanings as to what is right and wrong and we butt heads more then once or twice about things and getting the youngest to understand that as long as they live here we decide and that we´re deciding in their best interest isn´t always easy to get them too understand but we can´t give up...someday they will see that we´re doing our best because we love them. At least we hope they will see that...hehehehehe....

What are your dreams and hopes for 2013? What would you like to see more of in my blog in 2013? 

Until next time my friends....be well...be merry...be safe....