Haven’t done a quote in a while, so www.random.org picked quote #173 for today’s ponderings…

“The world was sad, the garden was a wild, And man the hermit sigh’d–till woman smiled.”  –Thomas Campbell

I put this quote in my database because it talks about things I like–gardening, smiles, and men loving women!  Deeper than that, though, it reminds me that God’s perfect design for the universe included both men and women in all their differences.  Adam needed a helpmate even before sin entered the world, and God designed Eve as his perfect partner.  It speaks to the value that relationships have in God’s eyes, especially the marriage relationship, and also to his design for men and women to care for the world He made.  Sin has definitely flawed His creations, but His original design contained the beauty of the garden and the beauty of intimate relationship.

A few more random birthday photos of Katya (and one of Nathan enjoying the birthday wrapping!)

Katya turns two today!  Where has the time gone?  We started celebrating yesterday (well, OK, maybe even before that, if you count cards in the mail and a much-loved stuffed dog from a babysitter!). 

Nathan was very excited that it was finally time to give Katya her present–he had it waiting by her door so she could open it as soon as she got up.  He made her a necklace with lots of different animal shaped plastic beads, and she wore it off and on all day (and wanted to take it to church with her today as well!).  He put on lots of purple heart beads, so she would know he loves her very much.

Katya loves to be out, so we went as a family to wander around a fancy mall.  It was fun to go with her in mind, traveling up and down the escalators several times, stopping for any stuffed animal kiosk with dogs in view, and visiting all the fountains.  The mall also has an extensive outside walkway with a long water feature, so Katya and Nathan ran wild with delight in the Colorado sunshine, laughing and chasing and watching the water.  We shared an Orange Julius, checked out the live puppies in the pet shop and had lunch at a fancy-looking Egyptian restaurant (Egyptian in decor only, not in food!) 

For dinner, our good friends came over, along with Poppy (Gran B was taking care of the cousins so Aunt Kimi could celebrate her birthday!)  We had a complete finger food menu, featuring some of Katya’s favorites: peanut butter and jelly, strawberries, cucumbers, and guacamole.  There were also lots of grown-up style finger sandwiches, which Mommy had fun putting together and Daddy enjoyed eating (appetizers are his favorite thing to eat).  I made a dog cake, one layer strawberry and one layer chocolate, and it must have turned out OK becuase Katya definitely knew what it was!  (P.S.  It wasn’t really that hard, so if you need to know how to make a dog face let me know…!)  She successfully blew out her two candles and we devoured the ears, with plenty leftover for later enjoyment.

Sorry I don’t have better pictures, but we have several more birthday celebrations coming up with various parts of the family over the next few weeks, so I’ll post more as I take them.  Katya will be a little confused about when her birthday actually is, but I think she’ll figure it out in a few years and in the meantime will not complain about all the extra attention!

OK, this is the last goal post, I promise!! 

After running all the numbers and keeping all the stats, I wanted to end with my thoughts about the project apart from the ratings.  Overall, the experience was worthwhile (and one I will be repeating over the next 1001 days).  I liked the challenge, I liked thinking about small steps to help me improve in general areas, and I liked doing fun things as well as beneficial things. 

I am amazed at how much changed over that span of time.  When I started, Nathan was 2 and Katya wasn’t even alive.  Now, nearly three years later, Katya is the same age that Nathan was when I began!  I finished my first Suzuki training, something I thought I wouldn’t do until my kids were teenagers.  My sister’s family and my husband’s parents have both moved nearby.  My office has been totally remodelled.  We’ve taken vacations, met new people, and done so many things NOT on the list (which makes me feel better about some of the ones I didn’t do). 

It is good to look back and see what God has done, both in my circumstances and inside of me.  May this also be a marker that I look back on and say “If God did that, what else might He do?!!”  He is trustworthy and faithful even when I am not, and He has plans for me that sometimes match, sometimes surpass, and sometimes redirect my plans for myself.  I am excited to see what He will do in the next 1001 days.

The analyst’s way to summarize, a list of categories and numbers to quantify intangible progress…

Computer Goals–90%

Enrich/Entertain Goals–70%

Family Goals–77%

Financial Goals–86%

Food Goals–26%

Friends Goals–100%

Health Goals–76%

Hobbies Goals–84%

Home Goals–70%

Music Goals–67%

Outreach Goals–60%

Parenting Goals–93%

Spiritual Goals–49%

Travel Goals–74%

Overall Goals–71%

Watch for the next post–my reflections, rather than my numbers!

The Goals:

The Goals:

The Goals:

The Goals:

The Goals: