I just got home from my last practice of the year as Tri Central's fifth grade cheer coach.  It was definitely a rollercoaster ride of a season. 

About a year ago I was asked if I would be interested in being the head coach for the JV cheer squad at TC.  I thought and prayed about it but ultimately ended up saying no.  Tri Central's cheerleaders don't compete and that is the part of cheerleading that I am obsessed with.  JV cheerleading would have been a huge time committment with the football and basketball season, and without the drive of competition I just knew that my heart wouldn't be in it.  I am one of the loud and proud former cheerleaders who will swear up and down that cheerleading is a sport...but only when it is competitive.  I wasn't going to put all that time in just to cheer boys on all the time and not put any skin in the game myself.   

Well low and behold, basketball season comes around and the poor little fifth graders don't have a cheer coach and there are 12 girls who want to cheer.  This was an opportunity I couldn't say no to...dang it!  I was really excited to coach the girls, I wanted them to fall in love with cheerleading as much as I had when I was a little girl.  I also figured that I could be a good influence in their lives in a fun, sort of "big sister" kind of way.

Well things didn't go exactly as planned...a parent meeting that never happened led to some mad mamas.  There was some bad communication, and comments made that led to hurt feelings all around.  There ended up being some tension and a few weeks ago things were not fun at all. 

One day I took the whole afternoon and called every single cheer mom.  This was a tedious process that made me cry on more than one occasion.  Many of the moms were very uplifting and supportive, but some of them gave me some tough love.  This was very hard, but I hate drama and I was desperate to turn things around.  The phone calls really helped because a lot of the moms gained respect for me after I took the time to talk to them one on one about their concerns.  Since calling all the moms, whenever I see them I don't feel nervous at all...I can just laugh and talk to them like any other adult in town. 

This weekend is cheer appreciation night at Tri Central and tonight we had our last practice of the year with all the cheer squads.  The fifth graders are the youngest squad at the school.  When my girls first went out, everyone was expecting them to be all little and cute (which they are), but everyone was shocked because they looked really good!  They are so loud and tight, they have an awesome little routine, great stunts,  and I personally think they looked better than the middle schoolers...but I might be a little biased =)

I promised Brady that I would never coach anything ever again...and I plan on keeping that promise.  But I have to say, now that it is all over...I am a little sad. 

Y-E-L-L EVERYBODY YELL...LETS GO TROJANS!

This is the devotional that Brady and I are reading during 2013.  I am a huge fan of the "I am Second" movement and I love watching the videos on their website. 

In 2012 Brady and I didn't read any devotional, we just read our Bibles every day.  A few weeks before Christmas as Brady and I were driving to church with JR and Dustin we asked them if they had been reading their Bibles lately...JR replied no, and he didn't even know where his BIble was at the moment.  When asked why he wasn't reading, he simply replied that he didn't even know what to read or where to start. 

I can definitely relate to the feeling.  After that conversation I really felt like we (Brady and I and the boys) needed something to supplement our Bible reading in 2013.  One day while I was traveling for work, I sneakly swung by the Christian book store and picked up three copies of this bad boy...one for Brady and I to share...and one for each of the boys.  Even though they are twins and they live together...I figured I would be nice and not make them share =)

We are really liking this devotional so far.  Since we have been on vacation we have been reading it at all different times of the day, but we are going to start reading it in the morning, which I am pumped for, because I can't think of any better way to start our day.

Through 365 daily readings, the book challenges readers to imagine what thier life would be like if they put Jesus first.  The book has some really neat features that aren't offered by any other devotionals that I know of?  It is split into 12 sections, and each of those sections is split into 4 or 5 weeks that dig deeper.  So every month there is a main topic, and every week there is a sub topic that helps you dig in deep.  I love it!  The overall topic for Janurary is Discover God and the 5 subtopics are; Perfect Ruin, Abraham, Coming Hero, Firstborn, and Death and Life.  Each day's reading is centered around a key Bible verse, but the book promts you to read the whole passage from your own Bible.  The book also leads readers through talking with God, practicing what you have learned, and even sharing what you have learned through social media.  

If you want to purchase "Live Second" you may do so by clicking on the picture of the book cover.  If you want to learn more about the I am Second movement, then click here.

Are you using a devotional to supplement your Bible reading in 2013?  If yes, what one are you reading? 

2012 was a wonderful year where Brady and I really got settled into our marriage and learned what it means to "do life" together.  Some of the 2012 highlights include...

-an awesome trip to Arizona for our 1 year anniversary
-getting a young marrieds small group off the ground
-spending many fun weekends at the lake
-2 weekends in Batesville visiting Ertel Cellars
-feeling much less green and much more confident in my job as a crop insurance agent
-getting some new blood into the Tipton County Young Farmers Group
-becoming members of Rock Prairie
-even with the horrible drought, the farm had one of its most successful years ever
-a fun trip to the Smoky Mountains with some great friends
-watching JR and Dustin get baptized
-remodeling our guest bathroom
-being a guest at the Great Banquet
-joining 'The Best Book Club Ever'

2012 wasn't all sunshine and rainbows though, and this is something that I struggle with when it comes to social media.  Whether it is Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or on Blogs...it just seems like everyone has this perfect life, when in fact that just isn't true.  I am guility of painting the perfect picture on the internet also, because who wants to share the bad stuff?  That is also my number one reason for not blogging as much as I would like to...I don't want my blog to be a "brag rag", but I also don't want it to be "Debbie Downer Down on the Farm".  It is tough finding a good balance.  Some of the harder parts of 2012 have been...staying strong in my faith no matter what the circumstance, shining the love of Christ towards the boys even when I just want to give up on them, some days of our marriage definitely aren't ideal, and our dogs are constantly destroying things.

I made some resolutions in 2012 that I blogged about here.  Overall, I did a really good job keeping them.  Brady and I did read the Bible in a year, we followed a Chronological reading plan and it worked really well for us.  We would read together in bed every evening, sometimes out loud, sometimes to ourselves, or sometimes we would listen it together.  I did mail at least two cards a month...I love getting mail, therefore I like to share the love!  (and I got some really cute Vera Bradley greeting cards that just begged me to mail them).  I did not blog twice a week...so many excuses, but they are all excuses...and excuses are like buttholes...we all have  them and they all stink.  I also did not research one topic a month, I feel like I was constantly learning in 2012, but it wasn't in an organized fashion.

I do have one main goal for 2013...get more organized in our personal finances!  Ever since we have been married, Brady and I have tried lived on one income.  Right now we are DINKS (double income no kids) but it is not going to stay that way forever.  In the future when I am a stay at home mama we will have 3+ people and half the money.  We have always tried to live well below our two incomes in preparation for that day.  We did an okay job at this in 2012...there were definitely times when we were poor planners and we had to dip into our second income.  We also majorly flopped when it came to our budget.  We spent hours setting up our budget, but then we just  tracked our spending and never became disciplined about it.  Things are going to be different in 2013...I have revamped the budget and we are going to stick to it!  We operate on a "zero" budget, meaning that all the money that comes in, has a designated place to go.  The first thing that happens with our paychecks is tithe, 401k, and taxes...and after that we use the money for our monthly expenses, having allocated amounts designated for things such as; mortgage, groceries, pet supplies, clothes, entertainment, etc.  I used to have our budget on an excel spreadsheet..today I converted it onto my Google Drive so that Brady and I can both access it from any computer. 

1 goal this year...that's it.  Pray for us =)