Resolutions!

2011 is here, and with it, comes the yearly Saxton Resolutions. This year I'm publishing them to try and keep us accountable! Of course, we aren't so unique in our plans so our list probably looks a lot like yours!

Resolution 1: Get healthier.
We were blessed with a good eater from the beginning and I never had those breastfeeding nightmares that other moms have (that was saved for pumping nightmares at work!) Fortunate outcome of breastfeeding: losing weight while eating lots of food and without trying. Sad outcome of Noelle being totally on solid foods for 5 months: the weight cam right back on. Actually, the entire Saxton family is looking a bit plump lately, so we resolve to try to eat less dessert, actually think about portion size!, and get out there and exercise a bit more.

Resolution 2: Be better bloggers.
November and December were banner months for the Saxton Family. And January has already seen the return of Bryan to the blogging game. Can we keep it up? Our goal is to post at least twice a week, or 8 times a month. With Noelle growing so fast and learning so many new things each week, this should enable us not to miss anything too major. Since we want to print out the blog and give it to her when she is older, she should have a nice little history someday!

Resolution 3: Spend more wisely.
Remember Bryan's excel spreadsheet to time my contractions? That was nothing compared to the fancy budget sheets he has for us. Unfortunately, most weeks in 2010 we ended in the red. Now, this isn't too much cause for concern - we pay all our bills on time, save money, etc. but we spent more than we really wanted to most weeks. All in all, we did pretty good, but with a little less impulse buying, we should be able to stay in budget, and still get what we really need.

Resolution 4: Take more time for us.
This may seem to go against resolution 3, but Bryan and I need to take more time for us. This means more dates (especially now that we have the babysitting co-op)! We also need to take more downtime for our family. We tried in 2010 to keep one weekend a month non-scheduled and that was just unrealistic, but in 2011, we'd like to at least take a weekend morning or afternoon each week to do nothing. Errands, chores, and house projects can wait and we can just enjoy our little family. Perhaps this will be a good time to get in some Saxton exercise once the weather is nice again!

Resolution 5: Finish the guest "suite."
When we bought our house, the basement was a bit of a disaster. A disaster with potential though! Over the holidays with the help of my dad and brother, we tore up carpet, nail strips, and took down the stained ceiling tiles. This weekend, Bryan started sealing cracks in the concrete. Our goal for January is to have bathroom fixtures pulled out, walls spackled, and the concrete floor's cracks be sealed and then painted. In February, I hope we can get the bathroom finished. By the end of March, I'd like the rooms to be painted, and by the end of April the bedroom should be carpeted. Hopefully by June 1st the guest "suite" will be furnished and ready to use! Since we are hosting the entire Saxton clan for Thanksgiving 2011, this space needs to be ready to go this year!

So these are our goals for 2011. We'll see how we stacked up in 12 months!