Happy New Year

I love celebrating the New Year. Sometimes it’s a little surprising (and even scary) how fast the old year went by, but it amazes me when I look back and am able to glimpse a little better all the things God has done in the past year through the hard times and the joyful, and to celebrate that we have been blessed with a fresh one ahead, “with no mistakes in it yet,” as Anne Shirley would say.

Rather than listing a whole year’s worth of resolutions here and then promptly forgetting them (and hoping you do to), I’m borrowing an idea from She Learns As She Goes and listing my monthly goals and resolutions. I’ll write out my list at the beginning of each month, and then check back in at the end of the month to report on how horribly I neglected them (let’s be honest). Here goes….

January Resolutions

Read the Bible Daily

Will and I are once again attempting to read the Bible in a year. It’s easy to get behind if you miss even one day (we completely fell off the wagon last year somewhere deep among the ceremonial sacrifices), so my motto this year is "Constant Vigilance!"

Journal Daily

I don’t have high standards on this one, but it would be an improvement to jot down just one or two little anecdotes from the day, a new favorite recipe, or even a to-do list.

Read 4 Books

I started off strong last year with reading, but then abruptly stopped when morning sickness hit and (I am sorry to say) hardly finished a book for the rest of the year! Time is a precious commodity with a new baby but I would really like to be intentional about reading this year when I can manage it. Last year was my first time having access to a smartphone and it's easy to pick it up and fritter time away here and there instead of settling into a book. Will & I have made a pact this year to pick up a book instead of our smartphones after 9pm, and it's been really refreshing so far.

Write Thank You Notes

We have been so blessed in the past few months by the generosity of family and friends as we welcomed Beatrice home and celebrated Christmas. I have a stack of thank you notes waiting to be written, and can hopefully take out at least 1 or 2 a day while Beatrice naps.

Balance & Maintain Checkbook
This one is pretty self-explanatory. I used to balance my checkbook every week but since getting married I have definitely not been as consistent. I'd like to get back in the habit of weekly checkbook balancing sessions.

Organize the Bedrooms
Currently, they look as though they were hit by a category 4 hurricane. Partly that's because we just got home from a week in NC at almost 1 a.m. on Sunday morning, partly it's because we have a new baby and finishing a load of laundry or taking a shower is now a huge accomplishment in my world... but mostly it's because I've been procrastinating and need to just jump in there and start organizing.

And of course, I resolve to give my amazing husband and sweet baby more kisses and snuggles. Everyone deserves at least one fun goal. :)

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What about you all? Do you have any resolutions for the coming month or year?