its a new year

I love this time every year. A refreshed outlook on life as one year comes to a close and another new year trails in behind it. Blame it on my corporate work experience but I've always been one that believes in goals. For me its a tangible way to see something, do it, and feel good about accomplishing it. So ever since Jimmy and I have been together we take some time during this week to document our goals for the year. These goals have evolved and changed from our time of singleness to newly married, to new parents, and now a young family.  We create family goals, marriage goals, and individual goals. And this year business goals were added to my list - wahoo!

Now I know that the gyms are bombarded with extra people, the health section of the grocery store is completed wiped out, more people begin each day in prayer, and more families vow to end each day around the dining room table for dinner instead of the living room. And sadly for most this lasts just a few weeks or months, and then things begin to fizzle and we resort back to old habits. But I'd argue that setting goals as a family and posting them in a place that is seen daily offers that extra reminder, and incentive to stay on track. I type out our goals and hang them inside our pantry door, a place that is opened and closed several times a day and seen by everyone. Now granted 2 of the 4 members of our family can't read yet but luckily the 2 that can are the ones that make changes happen anyways :)

So I'd challenge you to really spend some time reflecting on this past year - what was good, what was not so good, what was a struggle, what was a triumph? I make our next year's family calendar during this week as well and I love looking back through all the pictures from the year. It's crazy how quickly you can forget about a little trip you took, or a special day at home together that was just fun, or how quickly your kids change in just a years time! When I reflected on this year it honestly was a year or struggle for me. I felt discontent during the first part of the year having moved to a new place, left my job in the corporate world to stay home full time, had another baby, ate when I was bored, worked out less than ever, felt lonely because my husband worked long hours, bought too many new things, and the list goes on and on. But when I began to look at that list and feel pity I thought about the year differently. I thought about the new business my mom and I started, I thought about all the milestones my son has achieved in the first full year of his life, I thought about the incredible blessing it is to be the one seeing my children's daily lives, and I was quickly reminded that God's blessings always always outweigh the hardships. That life is completely about the attitude you take and so for me this year is going to be a year of change. A change in perspective, attitude, forgiveness, grace, and growth and I can't wait! Cheers to 2014!

Here's some of our family goals and my goals for the year:

• End each day in prayer together.
• Spend more one on one time with each of the kids by taking one child on a special outing, dinner, lunch, etc. each month.
• Take away the pacifiers.
• Be an active family.
• Enjoy our time as a family in the evenings more by not using our phones or iPad during the time between dinner and the kids bedtime.
• Have a kid free weekend away.
• Take 2-3 family weekend getaways.
• Take a family vacation with the Davis family.
• Volunteer in the church nursery at least twice.

Jenna

• Show Jimmy more grace on days when he has to stay late at the office, make home be the place he wants to come home to and me the person he wants to be around most.
• Take a 30th birthday trip with girls.
• Strive to achieve weight loss and fitness goals.
• Focus on my marriage relationship goals to make this the best year of our marriage.
• Start each day with devotion and prayer.