Can you feel it???

The excitement of a new school year beginning!! Even though I am not in school, nor is Daughter old enough to be standing at the bus stop waiting for that gleaming yellow school bus, I'm still excited. I always have and, I think, always will get excited for the commencement of a new school year (yes dear, I know I'm a dork). It's as if the slate is clean and I can begin anew! As I drove out of my neighborhood this morning, I was so excited for all the elementary kids about to begin a new school year. So, that's just what I have decided to do. Instead of a new backpack or new school supplies or new outfits, I going to be wearing a new outlook. It dawned on me this morning that with school starting it means that more than half the year is over and I haven't accomplished half the things I wanted to do this year, so I better get busy. First things first, I am going to give my blog a facelift to match my new and improved outlook on life.

I don't want this to sound like I have had a poor view of my life, because that is absolutely not the case. God has blessed our little family so much already this year. Our little girl is growing and healthy and as scared as I was about facing the "terrible twos", it's been so much fun raising my little girl! My marriage has grown in leaps and bounds this year. Hubby and I started a new budgeting program by Dave Ramsey (Total Money Makeover) and I truly think that it has been one of the greatest things for our marriage. I've made some great frienships with some great people, which is hard for me. It's always been hard for me to lay everything out in front of people, to allow them to see the ugly bits of me, so afraid of what they would think of me. But I know now, that these girls will care for me no matter what. I see now that it's okay for me to say, I don't have it all together and I'm losing it and I need some advice. And it's easy for me to see, writing it all out like this, how much I have to be grateful for and how much God has blessed us. It's so easy, throughout the daily grind of life, to focus on what you don't have or what is not good in your life. Hubby and I have been waiting on something all year (I'll share what it is when we get it). And all year, we have been saying to eachother, "Well, when it happens, we can do this, or do that" or "If it would just happen, we'd be better." So, this is where the new attitude comes in...I'm not going to that anymore. We are so blessed in so many ways and I'm going to quit living for tomorrow and live for today and be joyful about what today brings. I know that God has a plan for my life, and though I may not always understand the paths He takes me down, I know He knows what He is doing. I just have to let go of that control, which is and has always been so hard for me.

So...back to that gleaming yellow school bus. While the students climb the steps on the bus to go to school and start their projects, I'm going to roll up my sleeves and start my own projects at home. We had an addition put on to our concrete patio last week, so I have new plants to plant and arrangements to make in the backyard. Daughter's birthday is coming up in about a month and I love to plan a party. I have some sewing projects I want to begin. Yes Mom, I promise, I'm going to make the time. And I have Daughter's big girl room to start thinking about, which makes me excited because I love decorating new rooms! My grandfather always said, if something is bogging you down, roll up your sleeves and do something physical and it will help your mind work itself out.

I hope my ramblings make sense to at least some of you. Thanks for visiting!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13