Here we are already at the end of the first month of the year! I know I am lagging behind, but better late than never!
Despite the hardships of the last year, I think it is always good to take stock of all of the good things that happened, too. We can look back and reflect on all of God's blessings and see the year as a whole. One of the big things in our home was seeing James grow in his first year of life and watching our family relationships blossom. This was SO good!
We also made good memories going on our first family vacation. We traveled across the country to visit my Grandma, which I did every summer as a kid. It was so good to relive those childhood memories but this time with my husband and children! It was such a fun adventure.
Of course, not everything is a big momentous occasion. There is so much beauty in the little everyday things- snuggles and giggles with children, quiet moments with my husband, countless meals shared around the table, excellent coffee and conversation shared with a friend, watching the little antics of our animals, seeing the garden progress each day and sharing excitement over new sprouts or the first fruits- so many of these ordinary things are huge blessings if we really stop and look.
The new year is also a great time to set goals, revisit our budget and routines, and think about the things we'd like to accomplish or change. Some people like to have a sort of "theme" for the year.
In thinking over everything, I have decided that 2022 is going to be my Year of Finishing Unfinished Projects!
This is really sort of twofold, maybe even threefold. I'd like to finish the projects I've started, or gathered, while using (mostly) the things I already have. So this will save money too, which is also a goal this year. That is always a goal, really, but fresh budget sheets make me want to attack it with new fervor. 😉
I know in my craft post I talked about closing the gap between accumulating supplies and using those supplies. I am going to continue with this, but it won't stop at crafting! I have also gathered quite a few books and many of them I still haven't read yet. So I will focus more on reading those books and slow down on buying new ones. It is the same with recipes! I have so many recipe books and recipes pinned on Pinterest. It's time to try those out! I have a basket full of clothes that need mending, so that will be tackled before buying new clothes. I hope I am not making it sound like I am a hoarder- I promise it is not that dire! But I look around and see things that need to be done and need to be used, and instead of adding to that list, I'm going to be ticking things off. This will also include organization and deep cleaning in the home, as well as maintaining the things we already have.
There will, however, be a few "new" outdoor projects added in regards to our little homestead. We have some big news in that the home we have been living in and the acre it sits on have been transferred over to Colton. Colton's grandfather is still living with us, and out of respect for him, we are not making many changes to the interior. But we now have the freedom to do whatever we please with the outside, so some of the homesteading projects we have been dreaming of are able to become reality! I will share more on that throughout the year as we make progress.
I hope everyone has a wonderful new year! Do you have any plans or goals you'd like to share? I'd love to hear from you!
New Beginnings |