Resolve: intransitive verb, to form a resolution : determine

January is probably my least favorite month of the year when it comes to weather.  The snow is great until Christmas, then it is no longer a romantic, ambiance-creating thing and more of an annoyance and a hassle.  One thing I do love about January is the chance to start fresh.  A line in a Christmas hymn stuck out to me this year: born to give them second birth.  I love that after the celebration of Jesus' birth each year, there is a symbolic and real opportunity to start fresh and become more of the person I want to be.  In my patriarchal blessing, it says that through my life, I need to utilize inner strength and determination to make good choices.  (somthing I'm not always good at!) I realized recently this is perfectly encapsulated in the word "resolve."  I love to make new year resolutions, something Miguel teases me about (stop making lists about it and just do it!).  But they help me. 

I often think the story in the Odyssey of Odysseus and the sirens-- how he planned ahead to have himself tied to the mast of his ship, his men's ears plugged so they would not hear the siren call that had ruined so many other sailors.  Its so much easier to decide something before it actually happens.  Especially hard things.  Its so easy to lose resolve when I'm tired, hungry, etc., and so much easier to just use a little foresight to plan for such times so I can push through them and be better.

Already we've gotten some needed projects done.  Its been so exciting!  I've also been spending more time with the kids, trying to replace some time wasters with more productive time, and get ready for baby.  Poor Miguel-- I've gone a little crazy with the nesting, including buying a ton of paint (without actually starting to paint anything!).

One fun thing that happened in January was the school spelling bee.  Kaedon and I practiced and he did quite well!  I was amazed at his ability to remember the correct spelling of a word after missing it the first time.   In the spelling bee, he stayed calm and remembered the words we practiced.  He had learned some really hard words (so did I! and these words were supposedly eighth grade words?) they didn't even get to.  Words like leviathan, kinesiology, tandoori, Mesopotamian, crepuscular, and entrepreneur.  He was so shocked when he won it took a while for him to smile.  I was really proud of him for working hard and trying his best.  He said he got a lot of attention at school that day.  :)