Consistency and balance.

I saw this year already going in the pattern that most years go. Everyone has new years resolutions, but rarely ever follows through with them through the whole year. I refuse to be one of those people. Greg and I made sure that we wouldn't be one of those people by making our new years resolutions more of goals than actual resolutions. I know I already did a post on what those were but I wanted to highlight some of the things I forgot or give updates on how we're doing - in hopes you'll find motivation to pick up the ones you've almost nearly left behind and forgot about as we're into the second/third week of the month!

My goals for the month of January? De-clutter and begin to pack away stuff we don't use everyday or don't need right now. I've gathered so much stuff over the last few years for our future home that I don't have anywhere near enough storage to store it all until we find the perfect place to call "our home". Thank GOD for Greg's parents being so generous to let us borrow part of their basement to store the majority of our stuff until we do move... which should be in a few short months! :) 

Lose weight: I'm down 5lbs. It's not a lot, but in 10 days of being sick, exercising and eating healthy - I'd say it's pretty darn good. I'm not giving up. I've even got Gregs mom to workout with now that we've gotten them memberships to the YMCA, too. I'm ready for some spin classes. I'm ready to be a better version of ME. I want to be in the best shape of my life by the end of 2014. I CAN DO THIS. 

Laundry and house cleaning: I've kept up on it this far and intend to keep up on it even more so throughout the year. I'm excited that for once I'm not sitting around doing nothing, and I'm feeling better because of it. Anxieties are subsiding the more I get active and get out of my normal routine or not doing much of anything, and feeling sorry for myself. BRING IT ON 2014!

Here's a few other updates on things we've promised to keep consistent and balanced this year 2014.

I had previously talked about a savings challenge that Greg and I are doing for 2014. We intend to save more over the months, but I wanted to encourage others to do with me so I opened a separate account to show our progress. If something would happen and we'd need to take money out of our savings, it wouldn't come out of this account - it'd come out of our "extra" savings account. Here's the screen shot of weeks 1,2,3&4 in the savings. Have your transferred your funds yet? Join us today!

Greg and I also started the bread challenge I mentioned in another post. Most of you don't know our religious background, because we feel it shouldn't matter what religion we are, but more so that we believe in Jesus Christ and live everyday to his perfect timing and grace. We haven't always live that way, but we made a goal and a promise to ourselves to follow through with his word and plans for our life in 2014, and we intend to do just that. There's nothing sweeter than starting every morning with Jesus, coffee, breakfast and my sweet husband.

We hope you're keeping up with those resolutions. We're praying for you!

xoxo the Roberts

2014.

Don't swim oceans for people who wouldn't jump puddles for you.

It's hard to believe that year has come and gone, in what seemed like the blink of an eye. It goes without saying that 2013 was a very good year to our family. We were blessed with Greg graduating college, getting married and Greg also starting a new job. However, despite all the good, there were a few downfalls. My health being one of the biggest. I try not to talk to about it because I know it could always be worse, and we're extremely thankful that it's not, but it's hard to get past the missed opportunities and the mind games a chronic illness can cause one. I've always looked fine, but I haven't always felt it. Our family believes that with God, 2014 can be a new year of perfect health and many new blessings.

Despite fighting colds and extremely bone chilling temperatures the last few days - we've taken some time to come up with a few goals for our family in 2014. After surfing blogger this morning to go through others new years resolutions/goals, I've realized how everyone desires the same goals. There's a certain blogger momma that I've followed for a very long time and she's inspired me to "dumb down" our goals and make them achievable and realistic. If you'd like to view her blog for some amazing tutorials and mommy time then click here. Drum roll, please.... just kidding ;)

1. Make peace with my past and allow God to use it for his good. I don't want to be that person that allows my past to take away from my happiness and future. Everyone has a past, and although it will probably never make sense to us why things have happened the way they have, I vow to allow God to handle it and let it go. We will no longer associate ourselves with negative people in 2014. Life is too short to allow people to hurt you or disrespect you. If we've learned anything this year it's that you shouldn't cross oceans for people who wouldn't cross a puddle for you.
2. God & Church - We slacked on our duties as Christians this past year and it's time that changes. God has significant plans for our future and we're ready to live his will. We vow to attend all "New Marrieds" classes, attend church on a weekly basis and attempt to attend our churches bible study on Wednesday evenings. I can't wait to see where God is going to take us in 2014 or where we'll be standing in January of 2015. Bring it on!
3. Simplify. If there's anything I hate in this life, it's clutter. Messes drive me nuts. I plan to go through everything we own and get rid of stuff we don't use/need.  I also plan to live a much simpler life by trusting God and ridding my life of any anxieties or fears. I will end all fears with prayer.
4. B R E A D is a daily bible reading that allow you the read the bible in one year. Greg and I have decided to do this together and allow ourselves to go deeper in the word and learn things we may have missed or didn't know.
5. Find a place of our own to call H O M E. We've been living with a friend for a few years and now that we're married we feel its time to start saving, catch up on past debts (student loans) and get a place of our own. We've talked to a home lender and are on the right track to have the savings and credit to buy our own home somewhere in-between 2015&2016.
6. Do not judge and do not compare my life to others. I do not know what anyone is going through in life and I have no right to do God's job. I need to live, and let others live freely.

Mandy, the mommy blogger I posted above, posted that if she had to choose one word for 2014 it would be L O V E. I love what she posted about it so I'm going to share it with all of you, as well and strive to do the same.

"And if I had to chose one word for the upcoming year it would easily be LOVE.

I want to love a little deeper, love a little stronger and love a little harder.

I am going to LOVE today and tomorrow and the day after, for everything it is worth.

Because, LOVE is what make the world go 'round."

HAPPY 2014 EVERYONE! 

We wish you many days of love, health and happiness. Thank you for blessing us daily.

xoxo kristin and gregory + juno