Attitude

Paul encourages us to "have the mind of Christ" in Philippians.  I love the idea that I can think like Christ thinks.  So different and so foreign to what I usually have running through my mind.

In 2011, I want a new attitude.  Every time I renew my mind in one area, God is ready to tackle the next.  He has been speaking to me about this, and just yesterday, I read a blog that said what my heart has been feeling.  Beth Moore says it so much better than I so read it here:

http://blog.lproof.org/2010/12/thinking-about-a-new-year.html

My attitude is one that will not be easily offended. I won't hold grudges. I want to love so freely, that forgiveness is abounding. 

Health and Wellness

I do not know why I like to run so much. No one in my family is very athletic. I would never consider myself and athlete, yet year in year out, I always come back to running.

Here are my events for 2011:

Atlanta Publix Marathon and Half Marathon

I'm running it with my pals Courtney and Lindsey.  We are doing the half. I really wanted to do the full, but in all honesty it scared me to death and I was easily persuaded to do the half this year.Registrations are completed and I am excited.

Second event:

Old Capital City Triathlon

This is an example of what happens when you talk about races with a runner at a Christmas party.  Thirty minutes into the conversations, I was so excited about this new venture. I've been thinking about a triathlon (the baby one) for a while. I know that I can't run forever, and I love the idea of mixing several things in one race.  I have somehow convinced about five other women to do this thing with me.  I have not been so excited about a race in a long time.

I know better than to make any type of eating commitment for 2011.  Who am I kidding? I am terrible at diets. So after thinking long and hard about my middle age weight gain I am contemplating moderation.  Everything in moderation. Hopefully this will mean less meat, more vegetables, less sugar and more water.

So maybe 2011 will be a year of new accomplishments for me. Maybe, if I'm lucky, I'll get Mr. Welch off the couch, into a pair of running shoes and in a 5K.  Now that would be a real accomplishment!

Socks and stuff

Knitting socks has become my new obsession. I like it because they are fast and fun.  While I was blocking the pair I made my dad for Christmas, I noticed that I still am leaving a small hole in the gussett. Dang it.
OK so here's my plan for 2011: a pair of socks every month.  The more you knit, the better you get.  Everyone gets socks for their birthday this year, but by December I can promise you, there will be no holes in the gussett, or ladders on the side. 
January is for Wayne. Last night, while we were watching TV wrapped up in a blnaket, I saw his bare feet sticking out from under the blanket, and I thought I need to knit that man some slippers to cover up those feet.  I told him as much and he replied " Well, that is sweet but you probably won't get them done until July and then I won't need them."  Now I'm not sure if that was a slam on my knitting skills, or if  he really doesn't want to wear slippers. Either way I found a manish pair that I am casting on January 1st.

So that's my goals for kntting in 2011. Not sure if I will have 12 pairs of socks in 2011, but the ones I have will be beautiful!

Looking forward....

I'm a sucker for New Years resolutions. I love them. I love to make them, I love to look back on them. THat is not to say that I do very well keeping them, but that's for another post.

My friend Hollie mentioned in one of her posts that she was going to take the last days of the month and use them to look forward to 2011. Maybe not so much resolution, but contemplation. What are the things I want to learn, do and become in 2011?

After all these years, I am finally learning that I do better spending quality time with God when I do a structured bible study or daily devotional thing.  I applaud you folks who read through the bible in a year, but its not for me. I cringe when I hear someone say "I'm reading the bible through in a year."  I think of all the times I have tried and made it to the third week of January then stopped after bogged down in the laws of Numbers and Deuteronomy.

I am starting off this year with a favorite, "Jesus the One and Only: 90 Day Devotional" . Mostly I want to fall in love with Jesus again. Oh I love Him,  but I'm not always "in love" with Him.  So the first 3 months of the year I am going to focus on Jesus, his life, His words while He was on earth.  I've lost that lovin' feelin' by just being too busy and too overwhelmed.  He's waiting on me.....

Tomorrow I'll tell you some more of my contemplations for 2011.  What about you?

Sleep in heavenly peace

The soft gentle rumble I hear is coming from my man who is sleeping in the heavenly peace of a full tummy.  The girls are in their rooms relishing the technology of finally having wireless capablility.  Folks, all it takes to make your kids Christmas is a 15 dollar router.
I am contemplating how in the heck I start a diet with all that food crammmed in the fridge.  The dogs are dozing in their new nests.  There is a gentle rain falling that I am hoping turns to a dusting of snow later on this afternoon.  The TV is playing a hallmark Christmas movie in the background.
 My heart is full...peace on earth....goodwill to men.  Merry Christmas from the Welch house!

Day Before

Call me crazy, but I love the day before the "Big Day".....any big day,  Thanksgiving, a birthday, in this case, Christmas. The anticipation is maxed out, I'm usually running around like crazy.  The girls are at home asking me a thousand questions.  Wayne is making me laugh by singing some silly song he has made up about that given event. In this case he is entertaining me with his Elvis version of Blue Christmas. I love the feeling.

The best part of the "day before Christmas" is spending it with Lynn and Craig.  I am thinking back to the first Christmas Eve I ever spent with them. I was dating Wayne.  So nervous to make a good impression. We went to their TINY house in Marietta and ate and laughed until we cried. I was in love, with him.....and them.

Through the years we have loved each other through every Christmas Eve. I don't really remember a year when we weren't together.  There were years that Wayne oldest sister, Patricia and her family joined us. Those are special times that don't come around to often, but mostly I love to think about the joy of Christmas Eve's spent together. Things like:

......The year I was pregnant with Ginny and threw up about 4 times on the way there.

......Bringing Pawpaw with us and getting in a terrible wreck on the way...and being so happy that next morning that we were all ok

......Matt getting  a "new truck" for Christmas. Wayne drove it from Eatonton and parked it at the pool house

......watching Chevy Chase "Christmas Vacation" and laughing until I cried.

......decorating ornaments.

......Shrimp chowder

......driving around looking at Christmas lights sitting in the backseat with Lynn and laughing, and laughing, and laughing.

......listening to stories about their mom, and wishing she were here, even if just for tonight.

......lining the kids up in front of the tree and taking pictures.

......watching Leslie, as a little girl, content to just be near Matt, but usually on him in some way.

......first Christmas meeting Christopher, watching him watch Megan, and knowing that this kid's a keeper.

......seeing the explosion of lights that Craig has created in the living room....kitchen...bathroom if Lynn will let him. Nobody loves Christmas like Craig.

......speaking of Craig and Christmas....his egg nog! :)

......laying on the bed with Lynn, laughing and talking while the boys hog the TV. Talking about what we got the kids, what we think the boys got us, and whether or not it will be a "sweatpants" kind of Christmas.

It's Christmas Eve morning. In about an hour Wayne and the girls will be up. We will load up and make our trek to Cumming.  This morning I realize that our Christmas Eve looks as different as our lives.  Matt and Megan have started their own lives.  My girls are almost grown.  It changes every year but it will always be about family.

There will always be Christmas Eve at Lynn's.  The kids and their family's may be there and some years won't.  There will be new babies, more stories of college and new careers.  New sons and daughters to bring home.  But there will always be four good friends, who happen to be family celebrating together.  Maybe  over Lynn's chowder, and maybe over Shoney's, but together.  Among God's blessings in my life, I am thankful for being  in this family.  I am blessed.

Hillsong

I am sooooo excited!

I will be HERE on March 7, 2011. Perfect birthday present!