2012....to 2013

Happy New Year!

The new year really snuck up on me...or maybe we just took entirely too long to recover from all of our Christmas celebrating :) Since I didn't really find the time to reflect on 2012 before the turn of the year, I've really been thinking about our last year as a family and what I am expecting and hoping from 2013.

I did happen to stumble upon the New Year's goals I wrote down for 2011. They were almost all business-related as I was in the midst of really establishing my photography studio. Last year was without goals. Our one and only focus for the year was that Brenna would live and come home and be healthy.

This year, I have much different goals. There are a few financial - working to pay off Evan's student loans - and some personal - I want to do a much better job at remembering and acknowledging anniversaries and birthdays. And of course I have outlined goals for finishing my Blessed by Brenna book (and pursuing publication) and for releasing my photography e-book in the spring. But my other goals, or hopes, for this year are not as concrete.

I want to take the kids out together more - to the library or the museum. I want to read more with the both of them. I want to put my phone away at lunchtime and listen to music or read with the kids. I want to do more art projects and watch less TV. I want to go to bed earlier and read more often before I sleep. (Reading seems to be a common factor in most of my goals.) I want to make the time to reach out to others. I want to live more simply and be happier with what I have.

I want to really cut down on clutter. I have been an organizing fool this past week or so, cleaning out my wallet, the diaper bag and my makeup bag, and organizing under the bathroom sink, the closet with all of the games and art supplies and the junk drawer. And it feels so good! I know messes don't bother some people, but clutter is a huge hindrance to my sanity :)

This is my last year with both kids at home all day every day. Yes, there's a huge part of me that is raising the roof over that fact, but it's also a little sad. Connor will be going to preschool in the fall, and then in just two short years, they'll both be in school. This is our last year where our schedule is my schedule (and Brenna's doctor schedule)...soon enough we'll have school schedules and soccer schedules and who knows what else to adhere to.

Evan will be finishing his MBA this spring (YES!!!), and I'll be making a few changes to my photography studio as I'm still figuring out what works best now for both my clients and my family. Brenna will be transferring to one nap soon, which will allow us more flexibility during the day, and with each passing week she's getting more independent.

So after an intense year of ups and downs - and let's be honest, there were little ups and really big downs - I am looking forward to 2013...to enjoy family outings, to read and teach, to relax, to have more "me time", to get involved again with some of the things that I had to step away from last year.

I could easily say that 2012 was the worst year of my life. But it was also one of the best - I learned more in 2012 than in all of my previous years combined about life and love and God. And for that I am forever thankful.