Time is Passing Me By!

My blogging has gotten really behind lately! Life pregnant seems to be taking up all my extra "head space." When I'm not working my head is constantly thinking we've got to do this for the baby, need to buy that, need to read this book etc etc.

And Bradley classes... oh my. That has been an experience. We're going to Bradley childbirth classes which is basically a natural approach to childbirth. My poor husband has been quiet overwhelmed with the process! Lot's of strange exercises, counting my protein intake and learning about things called "birthing stools".... yes it's been an experience!

My goal for these next few months is to stay in the "NOW" and not get to caught up worrying about the future. My little boy kicks and squirms all day long and has recently decided that my rib cage makes a good place to play. I need to try to enjoy these moments as much as I can despite my ever busy schedule and the constant fatigue. Some day soon I will no longer have this subject to blog about!

But seriously I think it's a good exercise for all of us women to do... to stay in the NOW. We often let the beautiful things in life pass us by. We need to make sure we "take time to smell the roses" in life instead of always worrying about how we're going to avoid getting poked by the thorns. The thorns are there and no matter how hard we try we're going to get jabbed by one of them sooner or later. That's just life, it happens to all of us. So, join with me this week. Take a deep inhale of the sweet smell of life, the beauty of a sunset, or how good it feels just to sit down for a few minutes with your feet up! (that's my recent indulgence!) Make that feeling last as long as you can because it makes the thorns of life that much easier to endure when we can remember how the rose smelled.

Reflect and Recharge

Every year at the start of the new year, I like to take a few minutes just to look back at what has happened in my life and the lives of the people close to me. It's amazing how much a year can hold! New life, death, job changes, marriages, divorces... the list goes on!

Sometimes I think we get so carried away in the day-to-day that we don't take the time to just consider what God has done for us in the past 12 months! I know that I often get caught up in the negativity of life and all the bad things that go on around us or happen to us... and I often forget to remember the many positive things that happen! I guess that's human nature to remember the pain easier than the pleasure.

My challenge to myself this year is to focus on the positive and when I'm going through a rough patch in life to look back at the good things or the smoother road. Also I'm really going to try to enjoy the moments of life! I get so caught up in the fast pace of life and don't "take time to smell the roses", as my dad would say. Say no to stress in 2009!

Thoughts of the past year

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

The year of 2008 has been an interesting, exhausting and emotional year. Starting the Her Freedom show, pregnancy and the ongoing adventure of life brought many sleepless nights and exhilarating days.

If you had told me in January 2008 that the radio show would take off like it has, or that I would be a mom this April I would not have believed it!

I owe the success of the radio show to you my listeners, my amazing producer MT. the loving support of my husband and the grace of God. My hope is that together we can continue to bring you subjects and shows on the topics that you care about.

I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to an amazing 2009! Together we will continue to support each other and help lighten the load of the people around us. We're in this together ladies!

Holiday Stress?

I don' t know about you, but I'm feeling it! Last night I had a list a mile long that I was attempting to get through before midnight. Send the last packages, write the Christmas party shopping list, finish the cards, etc... the list goes on.

Then today I started all over again with another list, and then I sat down. The first thought that came to my head was WHY!!! Why do I find myself here every year! So, instead of making another list for this Christmas I started making a list and a spreadsheet for 2009 to plan for that Christmas so I'm not crazy again!

There's so many tools and resources out there for planning and organizing, I don't know why I haven't done this before. I've got the first 10 months of next year, each with a task or assignment for that years holiday so shopping is scheduled to be done by September 1st! Now, let's see if I can stick to it...

Back to reality of this year, I've still got to run to the post office today and I'm missing one gift...
well, here's hoping for a better season in 2009, especially since I'll have a little one needing a lot of my attention I'm sure. Organization here I come!

Baby Boy

Here's a picture of our baby boys head. You can see his nose and mouth in the upper right. I know these things are hard to read, but it's still fun to see! He's really coming alive these days, kicking and moving around most of the day. I think I'm in for an active child!

Now if we could only decide on a name for the little guy! We want something strong and masculine but not anything common. I don't want him to have 3 other boys in his 1st grade class with his name! Ideas welcome!

It's a Boy

Well, if you missed it on last week's broadcast I announced that we're having a baby boy. I'm pretty excited about the concept of a mini-man around the house! I'm sure I'm in for a few surprises as he was a pretty active baby on the ultrasound.

Yes, life is going to change for this child-free household! Baby proofing has begun already. It's amazing how many things we've collected through the years that will need to be relocated.

As we're now in the holiday season I often find myself thinking about how this is the last year that I can quietly sip on my hot cider as I sit with a book, or sit writing my book! This time next year I'll have someone else needing a lot of my attention. So, I'm savoring every quiet moment right now!
And in those quiet moments, I plan to complete my book this January so we can begin editing publishing shortly after! If I don't get it written now, I'm sure it will be a few years before I can devote this kind of time to sitting quietly in once place!