This was perhaps my trickiest year of deciding which word I wanted to use for this new year. You should see the notebook page I have filled with possible words and why I’d want to use them and how I planned to. It was a whole ordeal. I have this notebook that I have on the table next to my bed where I spill my words onto all throughout the night (sometimes while awake, sometimes while asleep) and during this deciding period, that notebook was getting a lot of action. I thought through a lot, but I finally came up with my word!

Without further ado, my word for the year 2023 is…

Yay! Love!

Here’s how it sounds in my mind.

Love for myself. Love for my family. Love for my neighbors. Love for those I come in contact with. Love in my home. Radiating love. That sort of thing, you know?

I’m so excited. I can’t wait to be love.

Do you have a word for the new year?

I decided not to actively do New Years Resolutions this year. I don’t know, it just didn’t feel right this year. I’m still learning how to be a mom of four, I’m finding a new groove that I’m thinking I’ll really enjoy.. I don’t want to set goals that aren’t realistic or thought through. No sense in writing down a list of goals just because everyone else does if I know I’m not going to do much about them, you know?

Simply, I’m working on this: try a little harder to be a little better. I just want to work on myself on my own time in my own way. I have paired that phrase with the word for my year: LOVE. Between those two things I’m feeling really optimistic about this year. I’m not entirely sure how it’ll all go..I really don’t have a plan! But I’m eager.

The older I’m getting the more I’m learning that it’s ok to be yourself and move at your own speed. I don’t need to compare myself to anyone! The only person I should compare myself with is myself! Just trying to be a little better than the person I was yesterday. And if I don’t succeed at that, which I certainly won’t all the time, I can try again and again! I’m giving myself a lot of grace and acceptance. Giving myself lots of love and kindness along the way as well.

Man, it all sounds pretty lovely to me!

xx

Hey, we made it! Another year! Welcome to 2023. How are we feeling?

2022 was a good year for me. I got my sweet baby boy in August and he has truly changed our families world for the better. Isn’t it funny how when you welcome a precious new baby into your life you realize just how badly you needed them? Winston was just that for me. Especially with him being another of my rainbow babies, he just holds a special spot in my heart and he healed things that only he could. If nothing else good happened to me in 2022, everything would have been worth it because of this wonderful baby of mine. Happily though, I can tell you that thankfully a lot of good things happened to me in this year. So hip-hip-hooray for that!

The year was also a rather simple one for me, too. Nothing monumental (aside from birthing a perfect human) happened, I wasn’t as healthy as I wanted to be, I lost check of my mental health, I didn’t reach all of my goals.. yet I was still ok. I learned a lot about myself. I learned I don’t have to hold myself to such a high and perfect standard. It’s ok for me to be…whatever I am. I can be imperfect. I can feel frazzled. I can have bad days and good days. I can kick butt at the gym and I can be lazy at home and eat Oreos for lunch. It’s all ok. Maybe that was the biggest lesson I learned in 2022. I’m still learning. I’m still figuring things out and becoming more and more ok with having flaws. Its liberating. It feels really nice. I am happy.

I want more of that in 2023. I’m eager to give myself more grace, kindness and mercy.

For this reason I’ve opted out of new years resolutions and goals to reach. I’m just going to continue being ok with who I am and with my journey. Its fun! It really is.

I have just decided that I’m going to try a little harder to be a little better. Thats my goal. Thats my resolution.

But I did keep up with my tradition of picking a word for myself for the new year. This years word?

LOVE

I want to love more. Myself. Others. I want to be better at serving others and looking for needs I can help with. I want to be less judgmental and more loving. I want to make my home a place where people feel loved, comfortable, special, valued, included and safe. I want to be a person who leaves you feeling better than you felt before you saw me. I want to highlight the good things about you. I want to radiate positivity. I want to ooze love. I’m looking forward to this journey in becoming more of this.

To be quite honest with you, I have no idea what this brand new shiny year holds for me. I’m hopeful. I’m excited. And of course, a little anxious. I hope it’s a good year. I hope my family and I have the opportunities to add thousands more memories to the beautiful ones we have already. I’m feeling pretty great!

Happy New Year, my friends! Be safe! Be kind! Know you’re loved and important!

Happy December, you guys!!!

Goodness, I adore this time of year. This is such a happy and magical time. Christmas time is always so special, but I think having kids and getting to watch the Christmas season through their eyes makes everything one hundred percent more whimsical and just…magic!!

There aren’t any enormous plans for us this December. Just little Christmas traditions and family parties, but we all can’t wait.

H and E remember so many of our little traditions and are so greatly looking forward to them. There is so much to be excited about!

Something that makes me extra excited is that I am like 98% done with my shopping!!

Merry Christmas, friends!!!

Happy Thanksgiving my friends! I am grateful for you. All of you. I am grateful you’re here and you take time to visit me here.

I am thankful for

•my wonderful family

•our beautiful home, our cars, the food we eat and the clothing we have to keep us comfortable and protected

•my church and the comfort and peace that it endlessly brings me

•my friends. Especially in the last couple of years I’ve made friendships that I know are lasting and important.

•Disney. Cliche as that sounds for me, I’m eternally grateful for its magic

•my body. It’s given us four children. It’s healed from two miscarriages. It’s fed our four children. It’s kept me moving, healthy and able.

•writing. It brings me sanity.

And so much more. My heart is full this season. Life is good.

I’m going to blame this whole thing on hormones. But I’m not complaining about it. It’s brought about so many deep thoughts, goals and changes I’m eager to make. So look at that! Postpartum hormones can be good! Haha.

This is going to sound real deep. You ready? Lately I’ve been pondering the meaning of life. (Why do I feel cringey saying that?) It’s been a lot of wondering what my purpose is here. What am I here to do? How can I help people around me? How can I leave a good mark in my tiny corner of this big world?

The thought that keeps reoccurring to me is that generally, I believe the meaning of life – and the purpose of us all – is to love one another.

To me that means to reach out to people. To serve people. To pray for people. To ask how I can help. To give of my time. To listen when people speak. To be judgement free and try to see people how God sees them. To be understanding, forgiving and compassionate. I don’t think the purpose of life is to solely focus on ourselves (but of course that’s not to say we don’t need to love and serve ourselves as well) – I think a tremendous amount of life should be focused on looking outward.

I want to be better at this. I want to be the neighbor that everyone knows is reliable – who will lend help in a seconds notice. Who will leave notes or treats on the front step. Who will pray for your sick kids or struggling family member. Who will text you back or sit on your porch and chat. I want to be helpful. I want to be there for those around me. I want people to feel comfortable, safe and lifted when they are with me.

I’ve spent so many nights thinking of ways I can mindfully start this process. I’m excited to begin. With that all said, thank you for being here. For listening. For reading. For sending comments or messages. You’re all wonderful and I hope someone has told you that lately, and if they haven’t then… YOU’RE WONDERFUL! Now you’ve heard it. Believe it!