Reflections and Resolutions

Breath eight:

Reflections

As the holiday season comes to an end, I thought I might put down my thoughts on a final blog of the 2012 year.  I hope your holidays were as joyous as ours.  We spent the season visiting with family and friends, crafting creative gifts (this was mostly Jane and I, although Lee and Frederick joined in occasionally), and lazily enjoying one another’s company.  We created a new family tradition of attending the Nutcracker that our very own Bon-bon, Jane participated in.  We renewed old friendships, caroled to our neighbors and friends, baked goodies, took drives admiring Christmas lights, decorated like crazy, built snow forts, went sledding, and wrote and visited Santa.  Yes, we do have the Christmas spirit! This list seems long as I write it, but the hustle and bustle of the season adds to our anticipation and joy of Christmas.  These memories and traditions we create draw us closer together and remind us to celebrate the birth of Christ this Christmas.

2012 was a great year.  Here are just a couple of the year’s highlights. (Maybe more of a quick overview really, simply imagine yourself jetting over in an airplane watching a year of our life.)  The kids grew a year older, Lee is now 9, Jane is 7, and Frederick is 4.  They continue to astound me (in a good way!) and make me so proud, I can well-up with emotions at any time (this is not surprising to those who know me well).  They are such big hearted children who exude cheerfulness and joy.  Jason continued to work hard teaching this year.  A job that he often grows weary of, but one he does well, and is vitally important. History education in both of our opinions is a subject which, little respect is given in our society.  This is such a travesty.  For we have much to learn from our past, that can impact our response to the future.  My sister and I went on two road trip adventures with my kids.  We traveled down south to visit relatives and we traveled north to explore Minneapolis. Jane and Lee continued to kick- it on the soccer field this year, while Frederick began preschool and soccer.  My baby is growing, right before my very eyes.  I began an adventure of babysitting busy boy this school year.  James fits right in with our wild and fun family.  And finally, I began to write again.    

13 Resolutions for 2013

With 2013, comes New Year’s resolutions, to be honest something I don’t usually do.  However, I thought I would make some resolutions this year, with you all as my witnesses.  These are listed in no particular order or importance. 

1. Get my crafty on and start a collage journal

2.  Complete reading all the rest of Jane Austen’s books (I’ve read four so far)

3. Organize, organize, organize, and purge (this is a rather large challenge for me)

4. Make family game night a weekly thing

5. Go on walks with my neighborhood pals and take my dog too (it is very therapeutic)

6. Read the Bible regularly

7.  Play with my kids more, both all together, and individually

8. Date Jason more

9. Develop relationships with true friends and, not worrying so much about casual acquaintances

10. Respond to others with kindness, yet honesty

11. Lose my temper less

12. Cook from scratch more, including using food from our garden in the menu

13.  Be more strategic in how I am reusing, reducing, recycling and conserving our planet resources

Both big and small, I promise to try to do them all.  Happy New Year!