Bible study

I loved all the comments on my last post! It made me feel a lot better to read about your kitchen mishaps and hear that a few of you thought the melted carrier looked like art. Jimmy and I were thinking the same thing! He thought we should name it “Sunday Afternoon in The Zottola House.”

I’m happy to report that my $77 mistake is all fixed! I ran a self-cleaning cycle on the oven yesterday and the new racks came in the mail. I even did some baking and nothing tasted like plastic. I thought all was right until Malcolm knocked my beloved milk frother (which was still plugged into the outlet–eek!) into a pan of sudsy water in the sink. When will I learn to wash dishes ASAP?!

I slept in a bit yesterday and was reading my Bible before Sadie woke up. I spent some time in 1 Peter and read the chapter that our monthly memory verse is in. Since becoming a parent, I truly treasure any quiet time I can get with my Bible and prayer journal!

Once Sadie woke up, I realized she had a case of the sniffles. Poor girl must have sneezed 50 times yesterday. Her nose was running and she was pretty miserable unless I was holding her.

We made it through the day and did one of my most favorite rituals: we took a walk as a family in the evening.

We were walking past a house that has beautiful landscaping and a garden when we came across this bag taped to their fence.

The homeowners were sitting on their porch when we grabbed the bag, waved, and thanked them. That is one of the many reasons I love our neighborhood 🙂

What should I cook with the jalapeños?

I don’t have any specific goals for this year. It just feels like too much pressure. Rather, I have some inspiration. There are things I want to do, see, accomplish, and experience. Ultimately, I’m leaving what happens in 2017 up to God. He’s way better at planning than I am. I’m just going to follow His lead. Love God and love people. That’s what I want to do every single day.

I hopped on Pinterest and started an inspiration board for the upcoming year. Actually, I named it my 2017 Happy Board. I browsed around and wanted to see what would catch my attention. Some things surprised me (I didn’t pin as many travel pictures as I thought I would), and some things definitely didn’t (I pinned all kinds of dogs).

So, here’s a breakdown of my inspiration for 2017!

It appears that I want 2017 to include copious amounts of coffee, studying my Bible, and writing.

Really, though, I am determined to get on some sort of a writing schedule for my book. I’m thinking I may lock myself in our office for a few hours on my days off of work or head to a coffeeshop so I’m not tempted to do household chores. Either way, I don’t want to stress about it too much. I love the quote I pinned, too. I need to believe I can finish my book!

As for the Bible studying, I’m going to study the women of the Bible this year and seeing what God has to show me in their stories. I’m currently reading Ruth and really enjoying it. She was such an upstanding woman.

Ah, creativity. This didn’t surprise me one bit. Anything that involves a paint brush, camera, or any type of crafting makes me happy.

I’m inspired to use my camera and capture memories big and small. I’m also hoping to frame some of my watercoloring if I deem it acceptable, haha.

Gardening, yoga, campfires, and house projects. A random conglomeration, yes, but I’d like to make each of these things happen.

I’m already wistfully counting down the days until Jimmy and I can start our garden again. I’m hoping to paint a coral accent wall in our office, refinish a bookshelf in our living room, have campfires with Jimmy, and continue to practice yoga. Bonus points if Malcolm joins me 😉

Dogs. Always dogs. I don’t know if this means I’d like to have another (eek!), or if I just want to keep pet sitting as much as possible. Either way, I hope 2017 involves lots of dogs. The volunteer quote is so true. I’ve been in contact with an organization I applied to volunteer with in the upcoming year. Hopefully I’ll be able to share more details soon!

Oh, and how pretty is that bedroom? Jimmy and I might do a bedroom overhaul this year. We’re thinking of getting a headboard, maybe painting a peacock blue accent wall, and just updating our sparsely decorated bedroom. The top right picture reminds me that I want to have as many dates with my sweet husband as possible.

This last collage is totally random, haha. The cake is inspiration for Hannah’s bridal shower. Yes, I am making her bridal shower cake and I am so pumped! The kitchen is another renovation I’d like to work on this year. Mostly, I just want to repaint our cabinets and walls.

Hot cocoa reminds me of coziness, and I I’ll take as much of that as I can get this winter. The bottom right picture is from Washington DC. It has been a few years since I’ve visited and I’d love to go again. The top right picture is always what I hope to be. It reminds me to love others as much as possible.

While it may sound kind of silly, writing this post helped me have more of a focus for what I’d like this year to look like. I’m praying I will follow God’s lead for my life and do my best every day.

Living My Full Life

Summer Sniffles + Why I Love Our Neighborhood

What should I cook with the jalapeños?

2017 Inspiration in Pictures

Happy New Year!