My New Year's Resolutions

1. Prioritize Spiritual Things (Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.) Value people and character rather than possessions and performance.

2. Exercise effective habits -- be proactive, begin with the end in mind, and put first things first, think win-win, seek first to understand and then to be understood, synergize, and sharpen the saw.

3. Use my planner and schedule the hours of my day.

4. Get up at 5am and exercise/do devotions (I haven't started this yet :) )

5. Send birthday cards to all close friends and relatives

6. Create and maintain procedures at work and at home

7. Grade all daily papers by 4:30pm

8. Plan at home at night (don't stay late at school) and grade 5 essays a night

9. Be more healthy than last year -- drink more water, eat more veggies, fruits and whole grain foods, don't overat, cut down on sugar, eat organic food

10. Hand back all student work in a timely manner

11. Take off Wednesday rehearsals before grades are due

How am I doing? Okay so far, but I am still on vacation, so my time is wide open, allowing me to accomplish things I want with all the time I have on my hands. We'll see what happens when 8+ of my hours are gone. Some great things that have been soooo helpful: I bought a one-year Bible, which has given me short term goals clearly laid out day by day. Also helpful, Holly wanting to exercise & being in the same house. It's easier w/ another person. Also helpful, my planner. PTL for Franklin Covey. The last thing that was SO helpful was moving up one of the cabinets from the garage into my room, so now I have a little workspace for stationery and filing and my books! I love it -- Thanks Eric and Holly! (It was a beast -- so heavy).

Happy New Year! Hopefully we'll all lose 20-30 pounds and cut out the carbs and get up on time all year! :)

2006 Retrospective

HAPPY NEW YEAR, PEOPLE! As I look ahead to 2007, I am reflective about 2006 and what I experienced. Many firsts, many hard times, but mostly many people and things to be thankful for.

Holly had this idea, and I love it -- 2006, a year in review. Here are some of the highlights:

• I got an ipod and downloaded my entire music collection into it - it took a few minutes
• My mom went through & survived chemo, PTL
• Debra became pregnant with a second child who was born in December -- Caleb the Cute
• Shey & Jackson started putting words and sentences together -- Jackson's favorite word? "NO!"
• Our roommie Sarah Jane moved out and got married...and got pregnant
• My dad moved in for a 'short stay'
• Holly moved in (and we'll never let her leave...ha ha)
• I completed my first year of teaching honors Brit lit. and AVID
• I started this blog & put my pictures online -- everyone else was doing it!
• I went with the worship team to India for 2 weeks -- Paul and Annie are cool, It was great to see Kamal and Eric, It was a blast dressing like a native, and I LOVED Thailand. 1-2-3-BAM!
• First time to "host" a rehearsal dinner & sang & helped at Sarah Jane and Mark's wedding
• Enjoyed Mother's Day Tea with an emotional Mary Chestnut
• Global Night Commute - ICU and some 'chaperones' walked several miles to the Santa Monica City Hall and slept overnight to raise awareness abou the night commuters in Uganda
• We had a screening of Invisible Children at church (COC)
• Eric went with Adam and Jeff to Uganda & ate Matoki
• I completed my first year of co-advising the ICU club with Sam
• I helped lead music and hand motions for VBS (He was, He is, and always will be... our Messiah)
• Eric and I explored LA on our anniversary "trip" and enjoyed a chef's 6 course meal (our first meal prepared by a chef!)
• I organized my cards and memorabilia from 1970 on
• We met with the ICU club over the summer to hang out and plan -- we came up with our new logo! check it out at our blog
• Eric's mom, Mary, and Larry Chestnut moved from Woodland Hills (nice & close) to Georgia (far far away)
• Entertained Eric's cousin Joe for a few days, taking him around LA now that we're experts at the sights
• Eric started teaching science and geography at Santa Clarita Christian School -- he finally found a job he loves (although the 7th grade boys are a thorn in the flesh)
• I did my first GuluWalk -- An organized walk to raise awareness for war-torn Northern Uganda -- We were an orange mass on Topanga Canyon Road and attracted much attention!
• Went on my first COC women's retreat to Hume - we had a great speaker and a great time getting to know ladies
• Went camping in Kernville for the first time "diner style"
• One of my students, Michael, got saved
• I was blessed with a student teacher, Ms. Starkey, who now has a job teaching at a Christian school with her husband. :)
• Enjoyed "Early Thanksgiving" at mom's with friends & family
• Eric and I had an awesome time together at the ACSI convention -- Association of Christian Schools International (we went to great teaching seminars!)
• Enjoyed Thanksgiving at Dave & Marybeth's -- especially hearing what Joce and Sheylah were thankful for! "My dinner"
• Finished off the year with finals week, Christmas musical programs at church, and Christmas lunches/dinners with Eric's dad's family, his brother's family, my Uncle Frank's family, the Brock's, and finally with my brother Steve's family.
• I have eaten some fabulous holiday fare, received many restaurant gift cards, and gained some poundage... Time for New Year's Resolutions.

Thank you for taking a stroll down the memory lane of 2006 in the life of myself, Jennene. I pray that this year we redeem the time and put first things first, setting our hearts and minds on things above.

My Pictures Are Online

Hello friends & family. I now have a flickr account, so you can view my pictures and download them to your computer, camera, photo ordering site, whatever! Go and check it out! :) http://www.flickr.com/photos/62394263@N00/

In other news, my nephew Caleb came into the world in December, and we all like him a great deal. Here he is in all his glory: http://www.flickr.com/photos/62394263@N00/331558779/