More Goals!

We're learning over and over that having goals and constantly revising/taking steps toward them is the key to achieving great things!!
So here we go...

1 Year:

-Loving my recruiting job, bringing in LOTS of great reps and making new standards for Northwestern Mutual.

-Working on my writings/books every day at least 1 hour. (6-7 am)

-Getting my first book (The Ultimate Hotel) published around spring/summer 2010

-First Triathalong (sprint distance) ...(because I will be getting a SWEET road bike for my birthday next year, right honey?!)

-Fixing up our cute little house (that has not yet been purchased!)

-Constistently improving our marraige by going to the annual marraige retreat and having a weekly date night, in addition to Saturday morning breakfasts before yoga.

-Consistently improving our bodies by doing crossfit, yoga, running, and eating a little healthier.

-Kev has some awesome work goals planned but they probably wouldn't make relevant sense to people reading my blog.

-KYC and the ROCK is exploding with people hungry for God. We are raising up more leaders every month, and God is blowing our minds. Our family and friends love to visit with us.

3 Years (June 2012)

I just got home from the park with our one year old baby who fills my days with so much excitement. The baby loves laughing and being with people so we're careful to plan at least two afternoons each week to play at the park. I also get to socialize with our other mommy-friends and their babies! This baby is super healthy and happy, and life at home is good.

I happily drive a Honda accord that we bought at a reasonable price, with CASH. It's been about a year since I started staying home but I earned enough at my job to pay off our student debt completelty and saved a substantial amount for our new cars and the future.

Over the past three years, I've spent each morning from 6-7am writing novels. Two have been completed-one already published and the other on its way. Two more books are already in the works. And since I don't work, I have time to go for a run each morning while Kev watched the baby and gets ready for work. I spend the remainder of the morning reading (about an hour in the Bible/devos/praying) and writing (3-4 hours). My mind is constantly flooded iwth fresh ideas for stories. My publisher is awesome, we have a great relationship, and has also been encouraging me to write children's books!

I spend the afternoon cleaning and cooking a delicious gourmet dinner for Kev. We're so in love with God and my writings just flow out of the love and abundant blessings he has given me. The yearly marraige conference, writing seminar, and NMFN meetings keep us excited and ready for anything!

Our marriage is stronger than ever, and we're so thankful to have a sweet baby to personify the beauty, energy and love in our relationship.

We took a trip to Europe to sightsee last summer and it was an amazing bonding time for us just as a couple. We saw the Eiffel (sp?) Tower, shopped in Paris, ...maybe went to Italy?? I have a geographic deficiency in my mind. But we spent a 2 week vacatoin going to as many cool places as we could in that amount of time!

We have friends over for dinner/games at least 1 night a week, and family over more often than that. My parents either come to see us or we drive down to Springfield at least once a month (especially to see Mark perform on varsity teams and Madrigals and plays, etc!) . All of our grandparents know and adore our baby.

We don't dread our monthly budget/encouragement/constructive criticism meetings as we are consistantly revising and following our Dave Ramsey plan. We live within our means and life is comfortable as we prepare for future growing pains...

When people from youth ask for support for mission trips, we are quick to give and very generous. We're always looking and listening for God's voice as he pushes us forward in our faith and stretches us. We are his vessils more than we ever have been before. It's so exciting to see how God has multiplied in our faithfulness...

And the best is yet to come!

5 year and 10 year goals to come!!