Accountability?

It's probably not fair to ask the blog world to keep you accountable.  Somehow that is probably cheating a little...  I'm gonna do it anyway though.  Or maybe not actually ask the blog world to keep me accountable but just hope that somehow by putting all this stuff/these plans out there- making them public- somehow maybe that will allow me to keep myself accountable.

See here's the deal.  I have this long list (mostly a mental list which is probably the problem), but a long list nonetheless of the things that I need to fix in my life- do a little better (parent, pray, spend time with Jesus), do a little more of (exercise), do a little less of (eat).  So anyway, there's this list.  And today I'm putting it out there.  Putting myself out there really.  These are my plans for the next two months.  My life improvement plan effective immediately.  In my mind, it's all going to work out so perfectly.  We'll see.

Here's what's going to happen starting this week.  

Begin weaning Anabelle 1 daytime feeding per week so that by her first birthday she if fully weaned.  (sniff, sniff)

Exercise 4-5 times/week

Begin phase 1 of south beach diet and lose 10 pounds in the first month (see mental lists are a bit optimistic- we'll see if that actually happens)

Work towards healthier eating as a family and lost total of 20 pounds by summer vacation

finish organizing family budget

finish organizing girls' chore charts

finish organizing my life (whew!  this may or may not happen but I promised myself I'd put it out there- will let you know what I come up with...)

begin sleeping better at night since Anabelle will be weaned and will therefore sleep better and since I will be exercising and eating right and will therefore sleep better all resulting in me being able to get up at the dreaded 5 o'clock hour for much needed time with Jesus.

See that's what it all kind of comes down to is that I need more time with Jesus!  I'm hoping all these things will result in that!!  Sadly I see only one way to make that happen more effectively.  And considering the amount of sleep I am getting these days (next to none), it pains me a lot to say what I need to do,but God has laid it very clearly out there for me in the way that only God does.  So anyway this horribly painful thing that I need to start doing is getting up A LOT earlier.   As in the 5 o'clock hour.  Actually thanks to my awesome husband, I had a "me date" at Starbucks for like 4 hours a few weeks ago and the biggest thing I came away with is that I need to be getting up earlier...  YUCK!  Anyway, I used to kind of be a morning person.  I've always loved those early hours when the house is still quiet and calm.  Those are precious hours with Jesus and they haven't been happening and they need to happen again.  Yes, I have lots of excuses.  Yes, Anabelle is waking me up multiple times a night.  But also, yes, I choose to stay up late and watch this or that DVD or read this or that blog.  Choices.  I make them and I can adjust them so that things happen the way they need to.

So these are my plans.  I know that my plans are not always His plans, but I am hoping that since my heart's desire is to honor Him with my life and that of my family, that He will help me/guide me in bringing these plans to pass.  Lord give me strength to exercise, willpower to eat right and fabulously multiplied rest!  And if any of you out there feel so inclined to ask me how these things are going I promise not to bite your head off!