Happy New Year!!!

"This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!!!!"

Anyone know this song? This is the song that I was singing this morning as I was taking my walk. The past two mornings I woke up early and took Samson out for a walk. (To earn extra pts for WW) Anyways, it was soooo nice! This morning was very cold and breezy, but I still made it. I love the crisp feeing of a fresh new day and it was even better today since it's the New Year! I hope everyone had a safe and exciting New Year's Eve.

On my walk this morning I was able to sit back and reflect on this past year, but also look ahead to the new year too. This next year will be full of new beginnings, changes, and growing. Not only growing physically, but also emotionally and spiritually too. I am not sure where this year will take us, but I know that as long as I continue to focus on God, it will be ok. Oddly as I was thinking about the year ahead of me, not once did I worry or think about Steve getting deployed. We are in the process of exploring new options (well in Feb we will be) on getting stationed somewhere else. This is something that I am praying about and ONLY want the Lord's Will in this decision. Please pray for us with this situation. As badly as I would like to get stationed somewhere else, I want to be sure G is where he is suppose to be.

G has been doing so great here. It is hard to believe that he has been here two months already. We have really got to know him and enjoy having him in our home. We have grown closer in the past few weeks. You see it's hard to connect with a 12year old that already has a bond with someone else. That someone else, I believe, is his grandma. Having talked to his grandma he found out that his mom is MIA again. His grandma doesn't even know where she is again. G's mom lied to him about having Christmas presents for him and seeing him again before Christmas. I think deep down inside G knew that his mom wasn't telling the truth, but it still hurt. This was some of what I heard on the phone and it all makes sense now. In the moment, I was truly hurt by what he was saying, but how can I blame him? It sucks, there is no other way to describe it. G got the short end of the stick in life and he knows it. I just pray that he doesn't use that as an excuse in life and picks himself up and becomes successful in whatever it is he decides to do in life. He is such a smart kid, absorbs any information quickly, and uses it when he can. I am hoping to be able to give him the tools he needs in life to be able to be successful in life. The main tool I want him to leave here with is a relationship with the Lord. That would make me the happiest foster mamma in the world! Please pray for G and his family. He told me last night that grandma told him his mom only has until July to finish her plan and get the kids back, then they will TPR her. I am not aware of this timeline, but G said that when that happens he is going to live with his grandma. If only it were that easy. There are reasons why his grandma doesn't have him now, sadly I don't think that is going to change all of the sudden for him to go and live with her. Maybe it will, who knows, only the Lord knows what is in store for him. I just pray that whatever the decision is, that it is best for G. In my opinion, and from what G tells me, I don't think that grandma is the best choice for him to go to.

Onto some New Year's resolutions I made....
1. Make healthier choices- now this isn't always going to be easy, but i am getting older and I would like my body to be much healthier. The foods I eat affect my body now and I need to be more aware of that. I would like to stay on WW this whole year, if possible, and see where it takes me.
2. I want to have a more positive attitude- this is hard for me cause I am so quickly to judge and take a negative take on situations. I am going to pray daily to keep a positive outlook on people and situations. I know this will be a daily struggle, but I can do it!
3. Focus on God more- daily, daily, daily...did I say daily? This is my goal for the year. No matter what, I need to keep God above all things and in all decesions, even the minor ones.
4. Start working on my house- this is something that I don't do. Having three (now four) kids on one income doesn't leave alot of leftover money hardly ever (I am being positive about this) So, I hardly get to spend much money on household items. Well, this year each payday, I would like to buy one thing for the house to make it look nice. Now, you might think I am being materialistic here, but I am not, not at all. Things I am talking about are minor things such as, spice rack, shoe rack, floor lamp, new bedding, stuff like that. So, this may be a silly new years resolution, but it's mine, so it doesn't matter. I will keep you posted how it goes. First things first, new curtains in my living room....these are horrible!

Ok. Sorry this was so long! I love being able to journal my thoughts, if you find them boring I am sorry. Hope everyone made some great New Year's resolutions. Here is to a new start, a new outlook, and maybe even a knew attitude!