Word for 2009

It seems I am perennially behind. Is that a word? I'd check the spell check but Cooper should be up any minute and I haven't even made the bed yet today. Geesh.

When your seven year old brings home a list of New Year's Resolutions and asks what yours are ... and you don't have any yet ... it's time to get on the ball.

I read a blog today that used a word of the year to base her resolutions around and I really liked the idea. So here it goes. My word for the year is SIMPLIFY.

I resolve to simplify the organized chaos that is the life of this family of six. Admittedly, the prayer for more hours in a day has not yet been answered. Until it is, the only way to live more fully in the moment is to simplify what goes on in those 1440 minutes.

Simplify the schedule. Mine and theirs. Choose what is most important and make that a priority. Sleep, exercise, relationships. Faith. And maybe a few Diet Cokes thrown in for sanity.

Yesterday was an excellent example of how I'd love to be more present. I had plans to go to the Y to exercise. Things pretty much had to go exactly the way I needed them to go. Kids ready - Cooper napped - my clothes on. Ready. Called the Y to make an appt for Cooper. No baby appts until way after I had planned. Really? I was feeling pretty put out and a little stressed. I had prepared for this all day. Ack!!!

Not three minutes later, the phone ran. My friend Sarah was bringing Hannah over. Did we have time to play? Um..... YES!!! Check out the great pics of Hannah and Cooper here.

But if my original plan had worked out, we would have been gone when she called. We had a great time. Living in the moment. Simple. Relationships. Faith that God knows the best for us (and our schedule) even when we don't.