January Recap

This month I didn't get quite as much done as I had hoped. But due to the following facts, I'm fairly satisfied with how I did do: 1) We moved. Cue insanity. 2) I caught a knock-you-over-the-head-and-make-you-feel-like-you've-been-left-for-dead kind of a cold that lasted for a few days. Then Lane got it too. 3) Shannon was out of the country on a business trip for 5 days. 4) While he was gone I caught a stomach bug. Then Lane got it. Now Shannon has it. So...since we were out of commission for about half the month due to these things, I think I did alright.

In relation to God:
1) Memorize Psalm 1:1-2. I only memorized Psalm 1:1...I never made it to verse 2.
2) Read my Bible daily in order to finish it by the end of this year. I'm actually ahead of schedule, since I've been able to read almost every day and the plan I'm using is only a 25-days-per-month plan.
3) Spend at least 5-10 minutes each day studying and reflecting on a passage of Scripture. Nope. Didn't do this. I did it some days but not every day.
4) Listen to 1 online sermon. I did do this...I listened to a sermon from The Village Church. It actually wasn't the best and I'm not sure I learned anything, but it was a guest speaker, so maybe that's why. I think I'll stick to J.D. Greear next month.
5) Make a monthly prayer calendar. Or at least get the calendar printed, even if it's still blank. Sigh. I still haven't done this. I have a good excuse though. Our first apartment's printer needed more ink, which we didn't get until after we moved into our new apartment. Now we have ink but no paper. I need to buy some paper!
6) Finish "Shepherding a Child's Heart." I haven't finished yet, but I only have 60 pages left. That means I read about 110 pages, and I'm planning on reading a couple of chapters today.

In relation to my family:
1) Have a date night without Lane. Yup! We went to see The Tourist. It was actually pretty good. No nudity, very little bad language, good plot. I'd recommend it.
2) Take Lane outside every day for at least 15-20 minutes unless it's raining or too cold. We went outside 21 of the 31 days this month. 7 of the days we didn't go outside it was either raining or really cold. One day was the day we moved, one day I was sick, and one day I was lazy (my birthday).
3) Take a 2-day vacation to see some friends. This didn't end up happening because the hotel we were going to stay in was booked solid. We still got to see our friends, we just met them here in Istanbul when they came to do the tourist thing, but we didn't get a "vacation."
4) Do something touristy. We went to the Hagia Sophia and to see the Blue Mosque. Go us!
5) Get fully settled and unpacked in our new apartment. Yup! Fully unpacked and settled!
6) Be in bed, lights out, by 10:30. This is a never-ending battle, it seems. We were in bed by 10:30 15 nights this month. That's half...I guess that's better than last month, so it's progress.
7) Throw Lane a bang-up 1st birthday party. I think she had a great party. She had a great cake, some fun decorations (ok, it was just balloons and streamers, but she liked them), and some friends came over. All things considered, I think it went well.

Personal goals:
1) Make our bed every day. I only got our bed made a little over half of this month. Once again, I have good excuses. I didn't make it the few days right after we had moved, because what's the point when the rest of the bedroom is a mess? And I didn't make it when I was sick. Either time. Once again, what's the point in making the bed when all you're doing is crawling back in it every time you get a chance?
2) Get my pajama pants fixed. I had good intentions of getting this done, but I need someone to go with me to translate, and both times I was planning on meeting my friend to do this I ended up sick. Next month.
3) Offer Shannon a back massage every night. Eh. Didn't do so great at this, mainly due to all the other aforementioned excuses.
4) Try 1 new recipe. I made a baked chicken spaghetti. It was pretty good! I'll get a recipe up on the recipe blog after I make it again and get a picture. And I made banana pudding for the first time ever. No recipe needed, though: vanilla wafers, sliced bananas, and vanilla pudding. Layer, chill, eat. Yum.
5) Order photos for Lane's scrapbook and find someone to bring them over. Done and done! Yay!
6) Get out of bed by 6:00. Once again, the never-ending battle. To be continued. Anyone have any hints for how to get out of bed earlier? I need help!
7) Start reading the owner's manual for our new camera. Not really. I kind of did after I took video on Lane's birthday and couldn't view it on my computer. But as far as actually learning anything about how the camera actually works...yeah, not so much.

So there you go. How'd you do on your monthly goals? Check back in the next couple of days and I'll have my goals for February posted. Feel free to join me in setting goals for the month...it's a great way to actually get a few things done!

December Recap

Now that New Year's is quickly approaching (2.75 hours and counting), I'm getting really glad that I've been doing these monthly goals for a couple of months now. We all like to think that we'll keep any New Year's resolutions that we make and that the beginning of the new year is the perfect time to make them, but over the past couple of months I've determined that once a year is not often enough to make new goals. I like doing it once a month. It gives me a solid 30-31 days to attempt to do something and if I fail at it, I can try again the next month. It also helps me keep my goals small and attainable. Instead of trying to conquer the world in a year, I'm settling for conquering small things each month. I like it.

So, here's how I did in December:

1) Memorize...a verse. I memorized Luke 6:45.
2) Read my Bible daily in accordance with my read-through-the-Bible-in-one-year plan. I finished my Bible reading this afternoon. I made it! I read it through this year. I'm debating whether I want to attempt it again next year or if I want to spend more focused time in a specific few books. I'll let you know what I decide in a few days.
3) Listen to 1 online sermon. Nope. Didn't get this done. I think it's mainly because I usually listen to sermons on Sundays while I prepare dinner, but this month we were out of town for one Sunday, had company for another Sunday, and a third Sunday was Christmas weekend. So...I just didn't make it a priority I guess.
4) Make a monthly prayer calendar. Didn't get this done either. Anyone know of a good calendar template out there? That's half my problem with this goal is that I don't want to spend the time searching for a calendar template. I'd really like one...then I could use it for recipes and stuff too.
5) Read "Shepherding a Child's Heart." I read 3 or 4 chapters, but definitely didn't come close to finishing. Next month. :-)

In relation to my family:
1) Have a date night without Lane. Yes! We went to the Maiden's Tower. It was fantastic.
2) Take Lane outside every day for at least 15-20 minutes unless it's raining. I took Lane outside not every day, but darn close. 23 out of 31 days, and 4 of those days it was either raining or too cold, so I really only slacked off 4 days. Not bad.
3) Take a 2-3 day vacation to another city in Turkey. Yes! We went to a little town on the Marmara coast to see some friends for a couple of days. It was fantastic.
4) Go to the park once a week as a family. Sigh. We didn't go to the park at all as a family. Maybe I should nix this goal until the weather is nicer. Shannon hates going outside when it's chilly.
5) Visit a new part of Istanbul by public transportation. We didn't really do this. We kind of did, when we went to the Maiden's Tower, but we had been down there before, so I don't think it counts. We also went to a different part of the city when our ferry home from our mini-vacation docked, but since we took a cab from there to the port we're familiar with, I don't think it counts.
6) Be in bed, lights out, by 10:30. I think we were in bed by 10:30 about 1/3 of the month. We were in bed by 11:00 most of the month. We'll keep working on this one next month.

Personal goals:
1) Do a trial run on Lane's birthday cake. Yup! Although guess what? My mom sent me all the stuff to make fondant! (I think). So...another trial run, at least of fondant, may be in order...
2) Make our bed every day. 27 of 31 days. And 2 of those days were Christmas and the day after. Not bad.
3) Offer Shannon a back massage every night. 24 of 31 nights.
4) Try 2 new recipes. Yup! I made black beans from scratch (like, from dried beans, which I'd never done before) for Mexican food and a yummy breakfast casserole.
5) Finish our Christmas shopping and order photos for Lane's scrapbook. I haven't ordered photos yet for Lane's scrapbook, but I have purchased credit to buy them and chosen which photos I want. I'm just waiting for info about who can bring them to me and when and their mailing address.
6) Get out of bed by 6:00. Ha. I only got out of bed by 6:00 four times this month. Yikes. But I got up in the 6:00 hour (ok, I'll call it like it is: before 7:00) 13 times. I'm still going to be working on this next month too.
7) Take a pair of pajama pants and 3 tanks I bought to a seamstress and have them taken up. I took the pants too, but the lady undid something I'd already had done (having the crotch taken up), so now I got one problem fixed and am back to the same problem I started with. I'll have to go back again in January.
8) Do 4 pages in Lane's scrapbook. Done! I did them last night. I'll take pictures and get them up soon.

So there you have it. How'd I do? Would you like to join me in setting monthly goals? I'll be praying over mine for the new year and for January in the next couple of days and will let you in on them once my birthday extravaganza is over on Monday or Tuesday.

Speaking of birthdays, I've decided to extend my giveaway for a few more days...until the 5th. (It's my giveaway, so I can change the rules if I want to. :-) I think that I have a lot of friends who have been out of town and away from internet access due to the holidays and I want to give them an opportunity to enter. So, you all have until midnight on January 5th to enter instead of until midnight tomorrow.

November Recap

Earlier this month I shared with you all some of my goals for November. Now that November is over (where on earth did it go???), I'm here to share how I did!

In relation to God:
1. Memorize Ephesians 4:29.
2. Read my Bible every day in accordance with my read-through-the-Bible-in-one-year plan.
3. Read "Shepherding a Child's Heart."
4. Listen to 2 online sermons.
5. Choose a Bible study plan for 2011.

So, I memorized my verse, I read my Bible every day, I listened to 2 sermons (wow, I'd forgotten how much I miss going to a "real" church!), and I chose a Bible study plan for at least part of 2011. I'm going to be doing Beth Moore's new study on Esther. Has anyone out there done it? Is it good? I've already ordered it, so if it's not...don't tell me. :-) I didn't do very well at reading "Shepherding a Child's Heart." I think I read maybe 2 chapters. That'll be on my goals list again in December.

In relation to my family:
1. Do something touristy once.
2. Have a date night without Lane at least once.
3. Go to the park 2 times per week as a family.
4. Be in bed by 10:00.
5. Visit a new part of Istanbul by public transportation.
6. Take Lane outside for at least 15-20 minutes every day unless it's raining.

We did manage to get a date! We went to see the new Harry Potter movie, and it was great. The books are better (of course), but still, the movies are fun. We visited quite a few new parts of Istanbul due to our ikamet adventures. And while I didn't take Lane outside every day, I did take her outside most days (like, 25-26 of 30). It rained a couple of days and I was sick a couple of days, and then I was just lazy a couple of days.

We didn't do anything touristy this month, even though we took the tram right by the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia 5 times. We were just always too tired, or we had a class to go to, or it was Thanksgiving... Maybe this month we'll get to do something touristy. I think we only went to the park as a family once this month. Eeek. Honestly this month was just insane, so that's part of the reason, but part of it was just unintentionality (is that even a word?) as well.

And, oh, my bedtime. Sigh. I'll try again this month.

Personal goals:
1. Make our bed every day.
2. Try 2 new (healthy) recipes.
3. Do another practice run on Lane's birthday cake.
4. Buy myself a new article of clothing (or at least go shopping).
5. Get my booty out of bed by 6:00.
6. Write in my journal every other day (last month's goal was every day...proved to be too optimistic).

While I didn't make our bed every day, I (or we, or Shannon) did make it most days. I didn't make it the 2 days I was sick, and I didn't make it on Thanksgiving. I'd call that a success. I did try 2 new recipes this month. I made a friend's recipe for chili, and it was good, although not chili like we're used to. I also made a chicken-and-rice soup that was to die for (expect a recipe on the recipe blog soon). I made stuffing and rolls for Thanksgiving, and I made some pumpkin apple muffins. And I went shopping! Alone! It was fabulous. Did you know, the last time I went anywhere by myself that was not to the grocery store or to pay a bill was in March? I didn't even realize that until a few days ago. This is going to be on my list every month from now on. Anyhow, I bought a new belt (I so needed one) and some new undershirt/tank tops. I looked at jeans but they're so expensive here that I'm going to have to really love them (or really need them) before I fork out almost 100 lira for a pair.

And my shortcomings: I never did do a practice run on Lane's cake. I'll definitely be doing that this month. I didn't write in my journal much at all. I was doing really well until I got sick and then I just got out of the habit and before I knew it, it was yesterday and I hadn't written in it since the 13th. It really is a chore for me to write in that thing! Any suggestions? I really want to do better at it! And then there's the 6 a.m. thing, which, let's be honest, didn't happen but a few days. It really is hard, though, to get up at 4:30 or 5 to nurse Lane and then either a) get up then, or b) get up less than an hour later, especially when I haven't been going to bed as early as I should. However, the past 3 nights in a row Lane has slept straight through until 6:45. So...this goal might be more doable now, if she keeps it up.

So, there you go. I really do like setting goals. It helps me to be intentional about things that I enjoy doing and should do (like listening to sermons), but forget to do or forget how long it's been since I did it. You'll probably start to notice repeat goals as I find ones that I like and that help me, as well as some new goals that are "limited-time only" goals.

Stay tuned...tomorrow (ok, probably not tomorrow since tomorrow is a busy day...more like Thursday) I'll update you all on my December goals. Start thinking of your own goals as well...it helps to be accountable!