My Goals for 2018

Happy Saturday, friends. :)

January is almost over and all month I've been thinking that I'd like to hop on here and share my goals for this year. I'm not sure if it will be fun for anyone else to read them, haha, but it helps me to write them out again and really make sure they're still sticking a month after setting them.

In past years, I've shared my name for the year or my monthly goals on this blog. It feels good to be back! In December, I used Christmas money to purchase a really great tool called Powersheets (I'll link to them here). Powersheets are an intentional goal planner. It's less of a calendar and more of a process that helps you really think about your life and what matters most to you. From there, it helps you break down those big life goals into tiny daily, weekly, and monthly goals.

I heard a quote once that said, "How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives" (Annie Dilliard). It really is the little stuff in each day that adds up to make our lives. It has also helped me to think about what will matter to me at the end of my life... what will I want to look back on?

By the way, this isn't sponsored by Powersheets or anything like that, I just love this tool and think goal setting is fun! :)

So without further ado, here are my 2018 goals. :) They are really general but below each goal, I've shared a couple of the practical measurable things I'll do throughout the year to make those goals happen.

1. Cultivate my relationship with my husband and best friend, Luke. 
1. How? 
1. Through monthly date nights 
2. Being generous with my words
3. Encouraging Luke to take set aside time for himself each week
4. By praying for him (and us) 
5. Celebrating 6 years of marriage in November!
2. Cultivate my relationship with my girls through presence and parenting led by love, not fear.
1. How?
1. By using the Moment App to spend less time on my phone and more time face to face with them. 
2. Through daily prayer for them
3. Spending quality time with them individually and together
4. By celebrating birthdays!! :) The introvert/nervous nellie in me tends to avoid birthday parties but I want to be led by love not fear in this area.
5. By creating a special place in our house to learn and create together 
3. Cultivate deep, strong roots in my faith and a deeper love for the Church 
1. How? 
1. Using my Write the Word Journal for prayer and Bible reading
2. Joining a women's bible study and staying connected/committed to it
3. Memorizing scripture with my girls
4. Cultivate our peace filled home, to be a place of rest and joy.
1. How? 
1. Inviting people into our home
2. Weekly home improvements - really small, free, or super cheap! :)
3. Regular declutter of spaces, drawers, closets, etc.
4. Daily 15-minute cleaning sprees where I set the timer for 15 minutes and see what I can get done (This works so well in our house!)
5. Cultivate a healthy mind and body.
1. How? 
1. Holy Yoga 5x a week (I love this so much more than I could have guessed!)
2. Starting the day with water
3. Learning to be a good listener to my body
4. Starting the week with a planning time with Luke (then filling in calendar)
5. Scheduling regular haircuts, doctor appointments, dentist appointments, etc.
6. Cultivate a vision for our finances, to be generous and faithful!
1. How?
1. Sitting down weekly to review bills, budget, and tithing (on my own)
2. 1-2x a month check in with Luke on our finances (I handle most finance stuff because I really enjoy it! I just want to make sure we're on the same page and making progress toward our goals) :)
3. Together, write out a vision plan for our finances this year (includes giving, saving goals, paying down debt, large purchases (second car), etc.)
4. Figure out what it means to be generous when it doesn't feel like you have a lot of "extra"
7. Cultivate my style/closet so that it feels peace-filled, easy, and "like me"
1. How?
1. Cleaning out my style Pinterest board to clothes that I'd really wear in real life :)
2. Updating it with new pins and getting a good feel for the style I like.
3. Cleaning out my closet
4. Making a plan - what should be added to make my clothes work better for me? Think, what can be purchased at a thrift store (plain gray tees)? What needs to be bought elsewhere (jeans)?
8.  So this final goal... I'm almost a month into my 2018 goals and I feel like something is missing in the area of friendship or loving other people. Maybe... cultivate my love for other people... cultivate friendships? Something about friendship. :) I'll think on it and update soon!

So there you go! :) I hope reading this didn't feel overwhelming. If it did, remember that your goals don't need to look like anyone else's goals and we all think and plan differently. You've gotta do what works for you. :) The Powersheets took me through hours of prep work so by the time that was all done, my goals really become clear on their own. It becomes easy to let go of the things you "should do" so that you can invest in what really matters to you. 

Finally, after creating my yearly goals and listing some of those "how?" ideas under each (what you see above), I turned them into monthly, weekly, and daily goals. Powersheets provides a neat worksheet to keep them all organized. :) I update my tending list daily to keep track of my progress. 

Okay! I'm at a new pretty Starbucks and ready to work on my goals for February! I'll be back soon with my January goals progress and my new goals for February. 

Happy weekend, sweet people.

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Bonnie

P.S. My husband started a really cool project this month and I'm so proud of him. He loves to write and has such a unique style. Right now, my favorites are his poems and photography. He often casually shows me pictures he's taken and they take my breath away! Haha but anyway, go check out his blog where he shares short stories, reviews, and other creative writing! :) Just click here. 

This Week We... {1.21.17}

A quick recap of our week with prompts. :)

This week we...

celebrated... the start of home groups with our church. We'll be meeting with a small group about twice a month. We started this past Sunday and had a lot of fun welcoming people into our house and getting to know each other better. One of my favorite prompt questions was "what does your name mean?". It's neat when the meaning really fits the person's character. My name, Bonnie Lynn, means "Beautiful Meadow", Luke Christian means "Bringer of light"... and Christian.. haha. Bekah Lynn means "Captivating Meadow" :) and Elizabeth Rae means "God has promised grace". There is some debate about whether our last name means peg leg, proud foot, or sure footed... hahah. All good options. 

watched... LA LA LAND. Yesterday afternoon Luke and I went on a date to the movies. We chose La La Land after watching the trailer and hearing some great reviews, but we were blown away by how much we loved it. It was just delightful... so unique and fun. I ate my fair share of chocolate during the movie and enjoyed every bit. Haha. Going to the movies always feels so special. We were already listening to the sound track while we cleaned the kitchen this morning.

grew... I'll give this one to Lizzie. Man, she is growing fast. Sometimes I go to get her after a nap and I honestly think she has grown in that hour since I last saw her. This morning I was eating breakfast with Bekah and she asked to sit in Lizzie's high chair. The crazy thing is that when we moved home from school this past April, she was still sitting in that chair for meals and it was totally normal. She wasn't as fascinated by that realization as I was, but she humored me as I told her all about it. :) 

walked... to the girls' grandparents' house and to the coffee shop. I'm hopeful that it will stay warm enough this afternoon to take another walk with Bekah. I love how she holds my hand and gets so chatty. This was one of my favorite parts of the whole week. :)

read... I shared what I'm reading in my post on Thursday so I'll share what Luke and Bekah are reading. Luke is officially (according to me) the King of Persevering Through Long Books because he is on page 904 of War and Peace. Bekah is loving a book from my parents called Duck and Goose: How are you feeling? It's a little board book about different emotions. When I read it to her we practice making faces (and sounds) for each emotion. Corduroy and Pride and Prejudice (kid lit version) have been on repeat this week too.

learned... a random fact... Ronald Reagan, prior to his swearing in, was the one who proposed that the presidential inauguration should be held on the west side of the capitol building (because it provides a better picture) and it has been held there since.

Hope you had a good week, friends.

Love,
Bonnie

Seven Books I Want to Read in 2017

It's Thursday afternoon and I'm laying on the living room floor, hanging out with Luke and Lizzie. :) Bekah and I took a walk about an hour ago and now she's hanging out with her grandpa. This afternoon, Luke finished work at lunch time and helped the girls get settled for their naps. While he did that, I spent an hour or two at the coffee shop preparing for women's group tonight.

It's been a sweet afternoon. I wanted to jump in here and share a few of the books I want to read in 2017. If you click on the titles below, it will take you to the book's page on Amazon where you can read descriptions or order the book for yourself. :) And, by the way, I've love to hear about the books you plan to read this year. Here we go...

1. Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala

Currently reading this one. Real stories about prayer and how God changes lives. It is so good and makes my heart feel like it's going to burst. Haha. A real faith builder that reminds you how good God is.

2. Kid Artists: True Tales from Childhood of Creative Legends by David Stabler

Currently reading this one, too. My sister-in-law bought this for Bek and I'm loving it. The illustrations are THE BEST. They are so clever and funny. It's fascinating to read about the childhood experiences that influenced the artist's future work. My favorite so far was the story of Charles Shulz who created the Peanuts comic strip.

3. Nobody's Cuter Than You: a memoir about the beauty of friendship by Melanie Shankle

I have talked about Melanie and her podcast here before. This is next on my reading list. :) I recently flipped through a few pages at a Barnes and Noble and had a hard time putting it down.

4. The Mission of Motherhood: Touching Your Child's Heart for Eternity by Sally Clarkson

My friend Mary recommended this one to me. I've always looked up to Mary and she is one of the people I'll go to first when I need wisdom or prayer. Mary is raising some pretty amazing kids... when she recommended this book I knew I had to give it a try. I also listened to an interview with Sally Clarkson last year and enjoyed hearing her thoughts on motherhood, from the perspective of a mom with grown kids.

5. Giddy Up Eunice: Because Women Need Each Other by Sophie Hudson

Sophie records the Big Boo Cast with Melanie Shankle, who I mentioned above. I love the premise of the book. Sophie is so funny and has a big heart... I'm really looking forward to this one. Isn't the cover cute??

6. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

This is a piece of the book's description as written on Amazon, linked above:

"At the age of thirty-six, on the verge of completing a decade’s 

worth of training as a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with 

stage IV lung cancer. One day he was a doctor treating the dying, 

and the next he was a patient struggling to live."

7. Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, more Soulful way of Living by Shauna Niequist

Shauna Niequist is one of my favorite authors. She has a style unlike anyone else I've ever read. Bread and Wine is my favorite of her books (so far). I keep it on a shelf in my kitchen mostly because I like having it around (also because it has recipes :)). Her writing has helped me think about loss and grief in ways I never had. If you haven't read one of her books before... you've gotta try it!


Alright friends, there we go! I have a few others on my list but that's a good start. What are you reading this year? What should I add to my list?

Love,
Bonnie

Saturday Morning

Yesterday morning we woke up just as it was just becoming light outside. The night before, Luke put Bekah to bed and then we spent half an hour or so cleaning up the kitchen. Saturday morning we planned to host a group of our kids ministry volunteers for a training and volunteer breakfast at our house. We were looking forward to it but somehow I kept ignoring everyones' comments about the ice and snow that were coming our way.

So with kitchen cleaned, an extra table set up beside the stove to hold donuts and bagels and other yummy breakfast-y things, we woke up Saturday morning to lots and lots of ice. Our time with friends was postponed, but we had a great morning together at home.

It felt like our house was hugging us all morning.. everything cozy and simple. Luke and I were awake for maybe an hour before the girls started waking up. I loved walking down our wood paneled, curvy stair case to the strong smell of Starbucks. We drank coffee and read books in the living room, in the same seats we're sitting in right now as I type.

Saturday morning I finished Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist. It was one of those books that you get so close to finishing but just never wrap up... well it's finally wrapped up and I loved it. As soon as I finished and updated my goodreads account, I picked up Chip and Joanna Gaines' book The Magnolia Story. I enjoyed that one so much. I read it every chance I could over the last day and finished it tonight, laying on the couch with Lizzie. Loved it, loved it, loved it. Luke is reading War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, which he tells me is 1276 pages long... haha. That takes some kind of determination but I love watching him enjoy it.

So back to Saturday morning... after Bekah woke up, we made pancakes and bacon. We sat around the table and tried to resist eating all the candy we had purchased as prizes for the volunteer training. Bekah was so funny, sweet as ever, and a beauty sitting beside me... making mustaches out of bacon. Haha.

It was a special Saturday morning and, tonight sitting here in the living room again, I can't believe how quickly the weekend flew by. A couple great evenings and a breakfast with friends, a quiet icy Saturday morning as a family, and a great morning at church. I'm ready for a fun week leading up to Christmas and thankful for this one. I hope you have a great start to your week.

Love,
Bonnie

a podcast, a big girl bed, a book store date and everything in between :)

Happy Sunday, my friends. :)

I haven't blogged much this year but I really enjoy the times I do. I'm hoping to write here a little more often, so here are a few fun things going on in our lives right now...

1. Bekah just transitioned to her big girl bed! We got a cute gray/blue toddler bed on sale at Target and Luke built it for her yesterday afternoon. She LOVES it. I wasn't sure what the transition from her crib would be like, but it looks like there's no turning back now. I keep looking at the monitor because it just delights me to see her there all comfy and independent. :) That girl just brings me so much joy.

2. I have to tell you about this podcast I've been listening to. It's called "The Big Boo Cast" and basically it's just two southern friends on a phone call... it is so so fun. They are hilarious. It's so laid back and random... it feels kind of like hanging out with my sisters. It's a good belly-laugh kind of show. I listen to it when I'm cooking or driving or sewing. Both ladies, Sophie Hudson and Melanie Shankle, are authors and I'm planning to read their books (here and here) in the coming year. I read a few pages of Melanie's book, "Nobody's Cuter Than You" (a memoir on friendship), while sitting on the floor at Barnes and Noble the other night and I already love it. Here's a link to the podcast. I subscribe on podcast addict to get new episodes on my phone.

3. We've been in our house for four months! Oh! And I had a baby in August :) Haha. I actually wrote out a long post of Lizzie's birth story but it didn't save when I went to edit... sooo... eventually I'll get my edits in again and post it. We closed on our house August 5th around 11am and Lizzie was born August 12th around 11am... what a week! ;) We are loving our house and loving life as a family of four. Lizzie is the sweetest addition to our family... we all love her so much. She is sing-songy and has the kindest happiest smile. Our house is old and sweet and feels more like "ours" these days. It's a very cool process creating our style and making a place that really suits and serves our family. I have been choosing an inspiration picture for each room that represents the look/feel I'd like to accomplish. The pictures are so random but somehow they really help me think about what colors to put together and that kind of thing. Here are few below...

You can find the sources by clicking this link... it goes to my Pinterest board where I pinned each image. :)

4. I tried something new this month... I went to a LulaRoe party! If you're not familiar with LulaRoe, it's a clothing company. They make maybe 10-12 different pieces of clothing (a few dress styles, a few shirt styles, a few skirt styles, etc.) but in TONS of different colors and prints. I went to the party with some Christmas money (in advance :)) and tried on a bunch of different pieces. I bought two shirts and a pair of leggings... I actually returned the leggings because they didn't fit me quite right and I really love my old navy leggings that are only $7! I am a big fan of the shirts though and plan to buy more in the future. They are comfy and modest and really cute. This is the pinterest board where I save LulaRoe outfit inspiration.

5. Luke and I had a great date night on Friday that we think we'll repeat. We drove about 30 minutes North to Camp Hill, sat down in Panera for coffee and tea (in mugs... very important) and then spent half an hour or so in Barnes and Noble looking at books. On the way home, we stopped at the Sheetz drive thru for a snack. We spent less than $10 but we had tons of time to talk and enjoy eaachother's company. I can't express how much I enjoy and appreciate him... we have been through a lot together as parents of two now and he's just the best... the most steady and supportive friend and husband.

Hmmm... that's probably it for now. :) The girls are both napping and I have some sewing to do. Thanks for reading my mish-mash of thoughts. If you give that podcast a try let me know... it is so fun!

Love,
Bonnie

Monday Night Mama Thoughts :: waiting for our baby's arrival

Baby girl # 2 @ 36 weeks

It's late late (11:41pm) on a Monday night and I'm sitting in bed with lots of thoughts in my head. Everything that happens, like a message from a loved one or a certain kind of motion in my belly, makes me think maybe it's time. I didn't have this same suspense when Bekah was born. She arrived 3 weeks early... totally unexpected and wonderful.

Before settling in for the night, Luke and I talked about Bekah, like we often do. I asked "What was something funny that Bekah did today?" I asked because I could easily think of a dozen things if I took the time. She makes me laugh so much. I chose the multiple times today when she kept showing up with a crumpled something in her hand... a napkin or a water bottle wrapper all compressed in her fist. Her tiny fist hid it from our sight and then all of a sudden, like a magician, she would pull on the wrapper or napkin and watch it slowly spread out from tiny-toddler-fist size to grow and grow and grow. I don't know why it was so funny to us... haha. Her presentation was really good!

I had a bunch of strong contractions last week. Apparently that's normal but for about 30 minutes, Luke and I thought it was the real deal. A couple days later, I was standing in Target talking with my friend Jen and I told her it was so cool having Bekah around during that time. She was such a calming presence. In the toughest moments of labor with Bekah, I remember loosing sight of what was to come. Everything felt uncertain and unfamiliar... I was thinking about the struggle and not so much the end result. I had never met my child before. I couldn't imagine what it would be like when they laid her on my chest for the first time... I can still remember that weight and how amazing and squirmy she was. I loved the sound of Bekah's voice right away. Now I know even more than that. I know what it's like to hear your baby laugh, to see her (unique, wonderful, complex) personality develop, and to love her so much you can't find words for it. I can't wait to experience that with this little girl still in my belly.

My beautiful Bekah at about 20 weeks

When I was having contractions last week, Bekah was running around the house, being silly... coming to talk to me. And I thought about how I'd go through anything for her and that put labor in perspective. It is uncertain and I'll have to work through it one moment at a time, just like last time, but, man oh man, there is so much to look forward to in our future with this girl.

Just yesterday my friend Ashley threw a "baby blessing" for us after church. It meant the world to me... people like her make me want to grow leaps and bounds in thoughtfulness. Thank you, Ashley! We celebrated our little girl and were blessed with some wonderful gifts. Our friends Tom and Lana even gifted Luke with a Star Wars shirt.. so that was pretty awesome. :) For all the love and support we've received from family and friends I'm very humbled and very thankful. I pray often for my girls that God would give them amazing friendships all throughout their lives... He is so good at that.

Anyways. Thanks for reading my middle of the night and nine months pregnant thoughts. :) Tomorrow is a normal day at home... I'm looking forward to some more laughter with Bekah and an appointment with my midwife. Hope you're having a really good week.

Love,
Bonnie
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August will be crazy and wonderful :: 2 Big Changes!

It's the middle of the day and I'm sitting in bed, propped against the wall... feeling so so pregnant. :) I am currently 36 weeks and 4 days along. This has been a great pregnancy but I'm definitely feeling the shift to "baby time". The changes are uncomfortable but it's pretty cool how they have made me ready for the next stages of labor and delivery and becoming a family of four.

This morning, I went to our church for a couple of hours to help out in the office. I waddled across the parking lot to the door, felt crazy for taking the steps, and felt much better after joking around with the other ladies about this stage of pregnancy. :) Laughter is good. 

Proverbs 17:22 - love this verse... thankful for the promise of "good medicine" and strength!

All of these "very pregnant feelings" gave me motivation to get some baby-prep done today... washing and folding newborn clothes, cleaning up a little in Bekah's room, organizing and donating, etc. We have a lot to do before our little girl arrives but today was a step in the right direction. A waddle in the right direction. :)

I have some other fun news! We are in the process of buying a house! We will likely close in early or mid August. The whole house buying process has been fun, suspenseful, stressful, and pretty darn cool. Our realtor is a good friend and she's been absolutely amazing... I would recommend her to anyone! I think we visited six or seven properties before finding the right one. Friends recently told us that with each home they've bought, they always knew it was "the one" right away. They didn't have to talk themselves into it. That's what we wanted and we were very happy when we both felt that way as we toured this house. 

I love these fun colors and patterns... collecting inspiration for the "sisters" room in the new house

I can't wait to share pictures once we move in and to document some of the changes we make. For now, I'll just have to write about it. :)

Some of the things I'm most excited about are...

1. the first floor laundry room (does anyone else love hearing the sound of laundry during the day?)

2. a nice backyard with a swingset for our girls

3. cozy bedrooms that are a good blank slate

4. lots of character.... like bead board walls and wainscoting

5. a great location where were can walk to fun things

We're excited to learn a ton and have fun as first time home owners. God is such a faithful provider. There is a lot about this house that I could not have known to ask for... but He made it work out within our budget. 

So there we go! Two big reasons why August will be crazy and wonderful... the arrival of our daughter and moving into our first home. What do you have going on this summer? We're doing a lot of lounging around the living room, sleeping in (while we can haha), and playing with Bekah. She is so much fun. 

Love,

Bonnie