slice of life: newport, oregon.

just a photo-dump few snapshots of our Labor Day weekend

in Newport, Oregon with some really great friends.

the weather was amazing...

our friends who did most of the cooking are amazing cooks!...

the kids had a blast...

Sammy was just plain worn-out...

it was a good end to the summer.

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california dreaming (aka the photo dump)

A month ago I was in sunny, warmer California. In fact on the 26th of January we were in Carmel. Oh so lovely. I have yet to even edit those photos. Today you get the Santa Cruz photo dump. :) You're excited to see them right?...To sit and stare and imagine the warmth of the sun on your skin, with your sunnies on and the breeze in your hair...

this new year. this clean slate. (december 365+1)

New Year. Clean slate. Time for Change. Yes, change is my "one word" I've chosen for 2013.

I had a big, long, rambling blog post going and then I looked at it, highlighted it, and hit delete. I think a simple list of things I would like to change will do...

~  change my eating habits

~ change my exercise habits (um, which basically means get off my hiney and do something. I'm contemplating a half marathon. Maybe...)

~ change my parenting - lighten-up a bit on some things and focus a bit more on the more important issues going on with Max.

~ change my thinking. I can't really explain this one very well, but I tend to think worst case scenario about just about everything. I tend to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. I can go from 0 to 60 in a matter of seconds. I'm a "reacter" (apparently that's not really a word, but I just created it.) I need to work a bit more on being a thinker first - putting things in perspective - and then reacting.

~ change the people I surround myself with. Seek out the positive, supportive influences in my life and spend more time nurturing those relationships. I tend to find and seek out the company of the people who never have free-time and are just plain too busy with everything else in life. I'm a firm believer that you have to carve out the time in your life for others around you - for kids, your spouse, your friends. If you want to have relationships that grow, you have to make the time to nurture those relationships.

~ change the amount of time I spend reading the Word. I'm looking forward to re-connecting with the Bible Study group I was part of last year. 

~ change my photo-snapping habits. 2012 was the year of the iPhone and all of the wonderful photo editing apps. I even completed a 365+1 with my iPhone. 2013 will be the year of the Nikon! I will pick her up more often - hopefully daily!
 (I'm sure I'll think of a million more things I need to change about myself in the coming months...and maybe I'll come back and add them to the list.)

Twenty-thirteen will be a year of big change. Of that I am certain.

What are your goals this year? Do you make resolutions? Choose a word to live by for the year?