A New Year Begins....

New Years Eve 2012

Happy 2013!  Another year is over and a new one has just begun.  It feels like just yesterday I started this blog and made my resolutions for 2012.  Now, here I am a whole year later (and older) reminiscing about the year past and looking forward to 2013 and what it will bring.

 

Last year I made a long list of resolutions.  This was my first year to actually take notice with the real thought of achieving them (or one).  Some were very personal ones that I won't share here, some concrete and achievable ones that I will share, and few resolutions that I would love to achieve but were likely out of reach this year (and I will share these as well).  Nothing wrong with variety, right?

 

Here's my list as I noted them 1 year ago in my 'Goals' app on my phone:

• Document life with kids - Exceeded! Thanks to this blog!  (Now if I can get my friend, Tracy, to help me get it printed it for keeping..hint hint).
• Create a beautiful home that is both functional and a reflection of our family - Partially Met.  By my own admission, I attempt and try to decorate beautifully, but I don't do it well...and if I'm being franck, how is it possible to create such a space in our busy lives?  I strive for functionality, but it may get jumbled a bit with my obsessiveness to organize our lives/house. 
• Simplify life - Partially Met.  Yet another goal that gets jumbled with my obsession with organizing and planning.  This goal kind of went off the radar when I realized I was going way over the edge (even for me) with my planning during the first half of the year.  It ended up being more stressful in my attempt to be less stressful.  Some of my simplifying stuck such as my saved grocery list.  Some of the tasks went out the window such as the meal planning each week.  I also found this cool book called 'One Bite at a Time:  52 Projects for Making Life Simplier' by Tsh Oxenreider (she also has an amazing online blog that supports her family of 5).  As much as this book is 100% a joy for me and right up my alley...it also proved to create a lot of chaos for me trying to achieve all the suggestions (I did find that I was already doing many of her suggestions - score!).  So, this is not a good goal for me...I do this without thinking as it is...no need to focus more on it and stress. 
• Run Charleston Distance Run - Not Met.  This is that one that was out of reach this year.  Maybe next year (a little foreshadowing to this year's resolutions).  Ryan patted me on the back when I read this one and said, 'but we did run the Thanksgiving Day 5k in Charleston!'  Well, yes we did, honey.  ;)
• Run Half Marathon - MET!  Thanks to Jamie and the VA Beach Shamrock race.  A race I'll never forget.
• Read the Bible in it's entirety - MET!  With the help of DAB (Daily Audio Bible app), coffee, my iphone, and personal quite time at 5:20 am, I was able to read each and every verse in each and every chapter.  I learned a lot, recalled a lot, and forgot a lot (already).
• Personal goals - I'll put another partially met on these that I wish to not share.  Some I did well with and some I must continue to work on and grow.

Here's my resolutions for 2013 (notice the list is a bit smaller):

• Run Charleston Distance Run
• Become 100% debt free
• A few personal goals not shared here (but are listed on my goal app) :)

Stay tuned for January 2014.