It's Evaluation Time!

Happy January 8, 2012! We're one week into 2012, and it's time to evaluate how I did this past week on my 2012 goals. To add some interest into the evaluation, let's use baseball! After all, I read on Facebook this week that Spring Training was only six weeks away!!

Picture this in your mind: the pitcher, aptly named 2012, toes the rubber on the pitching mound. At the plate stands our favorite player, Yours Truly, waiting for that first pitch.

2012 begins his wind-up and delivers the pitch. It's a Financial Goal fastball, and Yours Truly swings and misses. She wasn't even close!!! "STRIKE ONE!" yells the umpire.

Yours Truly steps out of the batter's box, adjusts her batting gloves, practices a few swings, and climbs back into the box. 2012 glares in at her and readies himself to pitch. He delivers the Spiritual Goals screwball toward home plate. CRACK! Yours Truly's bat connects soundly with the ball, and it sails over the left field fence! The crowd cheers as Yours Truly trots around the bases. The game is off to a great start!

The next time Yours Truly comes up to bat, 2012 walks her on four straight Personal Goal pitches. Maybe he's nervous that she might hit another home run.

If you were successful in figuring out my baseball analogy, you know that I struck out on my financial budget goal for the week. I'm not really upset about missing this goal this week because I had 2 unusual, large purchases this week. I purchased an infant car seat (on clearance) as a shower gift for my daughter, and I purchased a winter coat and a raincoat for me (both on clearance). All of these items were on my "needs" list. PLUS, I purchased a birthday gift for my granddaughter and another shower gift. Without the two major purchases, I would have hit a home run on that pitch -- coming in under my budget!

Home Run on the Spiritual Goal!!! It's been EXTREMELY good to be back into the Word on a consistent basis. And, I'm excited to start reading, absorbing, pondering Galatians 2 this new week.

And the 4-pitch Base on Balls was four (count them -- four!!!) blogs written! I feel that the progress on my personal goals is coming along swimmingly. This coming Friday, I begin my next college course. The only dread about the course is the starting time. It's begins at 8:00 AM!!! I don't have to be at work until 8:30 a.m. -- in case you didn't know, that's a HALF HOUR early!! I AM NOT A MORNING PERSON!!! A half hour is a MAJOR adjustment. I'm praying for NO snow on Tuesday and Friday mornings!!!! I barely make it to work by 8:30 (8:31, 32, 33, etc.) with dry roads. I certainly don't want to be hampered by snowy roads!

Now that the baseball game is over, let's talk about my granddaughter, Jenny! She is one of my favorite topics.

Growing up, I never understood the bumper stickers, "Ask Me About my Grandchild"  and "If I'd known Grandchildren were this much fun, I would have had them first." I loved my grandparents, and I knew that they loved me. But, they didn't seem emotionally overwhelmed by their grandchildren.

So, when Jenny came along, I had NO clue what emotional upheaval in my life would occur. I now believe in "love at first sight." I literally fell in love with her! How could this little babe knit herself instantly so tightly to my heart? I hadn't carried this baby inside me for nine months. I had just watched my daughter's body change. I hadn't experienced her growth. I hadn't felt her kick me or push on my bladder. I hadn't had nine months to bond with her like I had with my own children. Yet, when Jenny arrived in the world, and I held her for the first time, I was smitten!!!

It's now five years later since I met my granddaughter. She continues to have the same affect on me! I get VERY excited when a visit with Jenny is upcoming. I LOVE to watch her development. Each time I am with her, I look to see what's different -- is she taller? has her vocabulary increased? has she done something different to her bedroom? what new skills has she learned?

My husband and I have four grandchildren (with one more on her way, arriving in March!!). After Jenny, I knew what to expect on meeting each of them. I knew that they would knit with my heart instantly and that I would be enthralled with each of them.

My children now complain that we don't arrange our schedules to come to visit them -- we are only interested in seeing the grandchildren. I tell them that's not entirely true -- I like hanging with them as well. But, it is definitely the grandchildren (who physically change so much quicker than adult children) that often cause me to schedule a visit!

Well, my husband spilled the beans at Jenny's birthday day party yesterday, and my family now knows that I have a blog. And, consequently, I now have my first follower! ("Hi, Ashley!") So, no longer am I anonymous. I have a reader....I'm not sure how I feel about this fact. I guess I don't mind too much. I guess I'd already reconciled in my mind that if I started a blog, it was inevitable that someone would hear about the blog and start following.

And speaking of the blog, not sure what my next posting's subject will be. You'll have to stay tuned to find out....I know, aren't cliffhangers the worst??? By the way, who shot J.R.?