some hopes + dreams
We woke the morning of the last day of 2016 and held our breath. Last year that evening began with a visit to the ER and proved to foreshadow the rest of the year. It was a heavy heartbreaking year, the kind that leaves you with many more questions than answers. So we were apprehensive of how the day would unfold to say the least. And yet... And yet the evening came and went, midnight burst into the sky and a new year began. And all the children were asleep in their beds and not even the pets were stirring. All was calm, all was bright. And I felt the flutter of hope in my chest.
We spent the first day of the year cuddled up around a fire that Kevin kept going throughout the entire day. The children played, we ate and slept and soaked up each other's company unburdened by the thoughts of bills, housework and to-do lists. For the time being. Tomorrow we will begin anew. The list making, the puttering about, the running of errands and going to work. And although it doesn't sound nearly as delightful as aimless lounging I am for once looking forward to the blank slate that lies before us.
So unlike last year I would like to release into the universe some goals and dreams that are bubbling inside me. In hopes that this year we can not just survive but thrive I'd like to hope that I can aim a little higher, challenge myself to do a little better this year.
cook breakfast for myself at least a few times a week
get better at sending cards
make more time for friends and gatherings
get back to meal planning
play more, laugh more and dance more with my children
reduce the time I spend on social media
be more intentional about creating time for reading
find a way that my business can give back
challenge myself to learn and grow my business
plan a long vacation for our family
consume less, create more
learn the art of gardening and how not to kill my precious plants
be more intentional about posting to my blog
organizing our family's photos and getting more printed
try and get outside more often with the kids
use my DSLR more than I use my phone
clean out the garage once and for all
give my writing and journaling more of my time
potty train Teddy
for that matter potty train Miles
cut down on my beloved friend and bosom buddy - dairy
That's all I've got for now. Not terribly daunting, I think. We'll see how I do once life picks up it's hectic pace again but I hope I can wrest a little more control of my life this year than I had during the past year. We have yet to see if that is too ambitious of a hope.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of you that have offered me such kindness and support this past year, I feel so incredibly blessed to be in the company of such wonderful women. Wishing you all health, happiness, peace and joy in this coming year!!
I'm going to get back to Little Women and will leave you with one of my favorite quotes from this darling book:
“I think she is growing up, and so begins to dream dreams, and have hopes and fears and fidgets, without knowing why or being able to explain them.”
Louisa May Alcott
Louisa May Alcott