My 30 by 30 update

OK. So this goal setting business I went about more than a year ago has been on my mind. I hunted down this list tonight to try to work out what I was wanting to have achieved by next month - CRAY-ZEE!! It's December next month already!

I am happily planning away to have my 30th birthday not in Fiji as planned, but in Victor Harbour. Life has a way of changing your plans for you.

So I realise, a lot of these goals might just be on my list for next year, because I have achieved an incredible amount this year that WAS NOT on any to do list!!

Firstly, I would like to say I am really proud of my little family and how we have coped and bonded together in the last 12 months. It's been a journey, and I'm still looking forward to the future.

Things we achieved this year that weren't on the list:

• Moving internationally - back to Australia. Includes, but is not limited to - resigning from jobs, handover, selling a car, bbq, swing set, and copious items from shed to remain nameless; cleaning other copious items from shed fit for international travel (not really fun, even though it involves a high pressure cleaner - Lee cleaned some skin off his own hand...), getting 2 kids dual citizenship, enrolling kids in a new school, settling Imogen into a new kindy and ballet school, settling Owen into a new school (3 and a half times the size) and essentially relearning English (Maori vowel sounds are important in NZ, not so much here!), and keeping an eye on an ever busy toddler - Bubba J. We also then had to buy a new car, get all new everything (think insurances/licences/bank accounts/centrelink/medicare/dr/dentist/chiropractor... well, everything!), set up a new pantry and freezer... on and on and on it has felt like it has gone. BUT - we have done it, together, and we are strong for it! Go team Kroehn.
• Settling Lee into a new role - and loving it.
• Seeing our extended family monthly face to face, or more often at times!!
• Meeting a new Paschke baby - naw, Savannah Hope we love you! Getting to hold you
• Kids being babysat by Uncle Ben on a regular basis - didn't see that coming!!
• Making new special friends, for me and my kids. And being regularly in touch with old special friends that we missed while in NZ. You know who you are.
• Making worship resources for Children in Church
• Starting a playgroup with Lee and not killing each other - and actually working well together in Ministry - who'd have thought!!

Ok. I'm sure there's plenty more (like, becoming unemployed and a SAHM again and loving it!), but I think I'll just go ahead and work my way through the list...

1. Reach 65kgs - Yeah, that's not going to happen... maybe next year! On my 31 by 31...
2. Fit into my wedding dress again (possibly will need to revise goal one to achieve goal two, but wanted goal one to be S.M.A.R.T (read, realistic and achievable!!)) - Um, see above.
3. Got to Fiji for a family holiday - Yep. Not happening. No money. But, I am getting an awesome beach holiday with loads of family and friends who most def would not have been coming to Fiji. So I'm happy. Fiji can wait a few years :)
4. Finish my Dip of Youth Ministry (and possibly an Advanced Diploma) YES! That makes one thing!
5. Teach Owen and Imogen the ride their bikes without training wheels
6. Make a Christmas Quilt (possibly a Christmas tree skirt...)
7. Sew Imogen a quilt.
8. Read through the Hunger Games series.
9. Read through Lee's Marva Dawn collection Not all of them, but some :)
10. Achieve 2 family meals at the table per day (breaky and dinner)
11. Sew Imogen a dress.
12. Make a headband for Imogen and I. Definitely made one for Imogen and her friends. Not me yet...
13. Scrapbook 2011 Well and truely started... up to June!
14. Make baby books for all 3 kids complete! Ummm, poor Jonesy, not even started his!
15. Get an updated family portrait.
16. Make a rainbow cake
17. Go to a cake decorating class.
18. Volunteer at a soup kitchen (of some sort...)
19. Sit a piano exam (maybe 6th grade)
20. Play my clarinet again
21. Help Owen and Imogen learn piano basics. A little bit is getting started at Granny's. And maybe next year they can both take piano at school.
22. Take a family camping trip Can I say the words NELSON and STORM??!! Crayzee...
23. Make Ma's yeast cake. Really want to do this before Christmas yet :)
24. Make and Ice a traditional Christmas Cake And this!
25. Revamp the vege garden for spring/summer Thanks Papa for the help in Oz with the new one!
26. Ride to the Esplanade along the river as a family I don't remember riding it together, but I walked along here with Kelly a few times - beautiful.
27. Conquer 'FAST' step aerobics with weights On it like a BOSS. Can even say I can do this now!
28. Create a cleaning checklist and stick to it for our home. Yep, did it in NZ... might need to do again for Adelaide :)
29. Train a new RMO for NZ. The beauty of handover :)
30. Send regular Movie clips home to Oz (every 2 months to Grandies). The beauty of living in the same country and having LIVE INTERACTION every month!

So there you go.

Next year, all I need to do is:

• Lose weight.
• Save for a Fijian holiday
• Sew a lot
• Scrap a lot and
• Play a lot of music.

I think I can handle that! And knowing how much else I have achieved that I was not planning to, I am so excited to be turning 30 and entering a new decade of exciting possibilities. Where will we be at 40 - who knows??!