And here we go again!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope you're excited about the new year; I sure am! 2010 was really really hard for my family, and 2011 was much better. I know 2012 is going to rock, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what God has for us!

I really don't do New Year's resolutions. Why? Because who really keeps them? It's like you are destined to fail when you make New Year's resolutions. I think I will do a bucket list for 2012 instead. No, I don't think I'm going to die this year, lol. But I want to make a list of things I want to do before 2012 kicks the bucket. :D

So I give you Nakia Ensley's 2012 bucket list (in no particular order):

*Eliminate people from my life who don't challenge, inspire, and/or truly love me. I don't mean I'm taking them out ninja style or anything. I just mean I am letting go of relationships that tear me down. I will still love and pray for those whom I let go of. But I will not be bound by those negative influences anymore. 

*Buy a designer purse.


*Do art with my kids every week. Go on a field trip every month or every 6 weeks. Find someone to teach my kids Spanish.

*Fall in love with photography again. 


*Read at least one book per week.


*Date my husband at least once a month. Even if it's just a special evening planned at home after the kids go to bed, I will make an effort to show him what he means to me. 


*Blog at least once a week. No, blog twice a week; one time showing my favorite photos I've taken during the week and one post about life and just stuff. 


*Learn to cook new foods. I love to cook, but I'm tired of the same boring ole things. 


*Show my girls what a Godly woman is supposed to look like. Show them how to love, how to live, and how to forgive. See them through His eyes. Appreciate their unique personalities. Show them more grace than I thought I could every day.


*Learn how to do at least one thing I've never done before. I have no idea what it will be, but something will come along. 


*Go thrift shopping a bazillion times with my bff. :D


*Welcome my brother home from Afghanistan!


*Redecorate our master bedroom, the room that is always last to have anything done to it. New floors, new paint, new bedding, new lamp, new curtains, and the beautiful photos of me and Patrick on the wall. We celebrate 14 years of marriage this year; we deserve a nice bedroom.


*Finish our 2011/2012 school year with a bang, and plan and purchase the right curriculum for the new school year.


*House train the puppy.


*Pray and read my bible at least 365 times. Sounds lame, huh? That's just once day, right? Well, sometimes I'm lazy or selfish or "too busy" and don't spend time with God every day. But this is the year when I really commit spend to time with God every single day. 


*Take better care of me. Sleep more, be more active, eat less junk food. :)




Well, I guess that looks a whole lot like a list of resolutions, huh? But I don't think it is. It's more like a list of goals. Or a list of things I will do this year to make it a great year. And it's a LONG list! But I can do it. I am excited about every single thing on the list! Let's do this!

It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good