Happy New Years!

Happy New Years!

Looking back over 2008, I can only say one word: "Wow!" What a year! Never before had our lives been so full. Some highlights:

In February I attended Love Affair Workshop for one week in North Carolina. It was just amazing to spend the week with 40 other women photographers - I learned so much, and not just about photography. I also formed friendships that are continuing to this day.

In May Mark left his job at Northrup Grumman and started a job at Harris.

In June he took on a second job at Piper, 45 minutes away down in Vero Beach. And all of this while still finishing school!

Chris turned 2 in August.

My prayer had long been that I would at least be pregnant by the time Chris was 2. Well, don't try to tell me that God doesn't have a sense of humor and doesn't care about the details of our lives - though I didn't know it, I was pregnant on his birthday! (I found out a few weeks later.)

By the end of the year, I had shot more than 2 times as many weddings as I had originally planned.

Mark finished his MBA in December, praise the Lord!

And 2009 looks like it will be even busier! I have been booking weddings like crazy, and am booked solid through June (I am taking May off for the arrival of our little girl!) For the next 2.5 months, I will be traveling at least every 2 weeks - some for pleasure, some for a couple of workshops, and some for weddings - including one in South Carolina! Mark will finish up with his second job any day now, which means that hopefully we will be able to finish a few of the house projects that need to get done. So, as usual, there will probably not be too many dull moments around the Billman household!

With so much craziness in the months ahead, I thought it wise to make some resolutions. I think it is so important to have goals! I love that saying that goes something like "If you reach for nothing, you'll get it." (I'm probably butchering the wording, but you get the point.) I know there is always room for improvement in my life, so I felt the need to sit down and reflect on what changes needed to be made. And what better time to do it than the beginning of a new year? There are 365 (ok, we're down to 354) days ahead of me - and I want to make sure that each one is better than the 365 that just slipped by.

However, the teacher in me knows it is silly to just set general goals, i.e. "I am going to loose weight", without setting specifics, such as how much, how it will get done, etc. So, with that in mind, I have divided my goals into categories: Spiritual, Family/Friends, Household, and Business. I started with a general statement, but then listed the specific resolutions under that. I am also going to post them in my office where I will see them on a daily basis.

I also thought I would post just a few of them here - so you can keep me accountable!

2009 Resolutions:

Spiritual:

*Memorize one passage of scripture each week.

Family/Friends:

*Spend at least 30 minutes each night relaxing - not working - with Mark.

*Schedule a playdate with friends that have kids Chris's age each week.

*Read a devotion to Chris each morning.

Household:

*Go through the house, one room at a time, and reevaluate the organization. (I have just finished the kitchen, living room, and dining room. It feels a million times better! Next on the list... gulp... my office/nursury)

*Develop a budget by the end of January; use cash instead of credit cards for some categories.

Business:

*Set specific work times for each day. During Chris's naptime, I will work on editing pictures and album design. At night when Chris goes to bed, for one hour (and only one hour!), I will work on other areas such as accounting, education, etc.

There are more, but you get the idea... Please help me by keeping me accountable! And if you made resolutions, I'd love to hear about them. You can either email me at caroline@carolinenicolephotography.com or leave a comment.

I pray that you will know Jesus better in the coming year!