Hi blog family! I’ve missed you all! I took most of December off this space to soak in this special season with my family. The holidays with little bitties sure are busy but oh-so-rewarding too. I’m thrilled to step back into the grind and ready for a new year of adventure within this space & with my family.
Starting a new chapter has me reflecting on the previous one. 2021 didn’t come with any major milestones over here (although Bennett did learn to walk – that surely was momentous!) I’ve always defined milestones as things like, “we moved to a new house, started a new job, had a baby, launched a successful business endeavor or took a trip overseas” – you know the typical major moments that help to categorize years in our heads.
2021 felt stagnant to me in many ways. I put less emphasis on my business than ever before and stayed put in roles, places and positions I’ve come to love. My priorities really shifted and when I reflect back on the last 365 days I don’t see the typical accomplishments or year-defining events I’d always been able to notice previously.
What I can say about 2021 that I’ve never been able to say before is – I was fully present, wholly involved and incredibly grateful to spend almost all of my precious time with my children.
The pandemic has been hard on us all but it has given me a gift: the realization of how valuable my time is spent with my children. Before the world shut down, two and a half year old Annie was in daycare for 5 hours a day with the occasional aftercare. My workload was immense and I was traveling solo at least one weekend a month.
Slowing down let me see the beauty in the simplicity.
The small moments are now the ones I savor the most. 2021 was filled with chalk drawings on the sidewalk, popsicles on the porch, watercolor painting afternoons, bike rides, bedtime stories, and countless trips to the Memphis Zoo. I was one of Annie’s school room mothers, planned the class holiday parties and made many new mom friends that I know will be in my life for years to come.
Bennett taught me patience and how to appreciate every single tiny laugh, smile and giggle more than ever before. Baby number two will do that to you – now that you realize how fleeting time really is.
Looking into the new year, my hope is to find more balance. Sure, I want my personal and business dreams to flourish – but at what cost? I’m willing to sacrifice growth there for more moments with my family. But hey, if I can do it all I’ll sure try. The key to the balance I’m striving for will be working smarter not harder and blocking out time so that when my children are with me I can be fully present.
While I’m not really going to resolute to do anything in particular, I am rounding up wishes, hopes, dreams and goals below that I pray I can manifest into this bright and shining new year.
wake up earlier + take advantage of quiet mornings to myself
maximize Bennett’s days off from PDO to soak up our special 1-1 time together
remember time is money too (aka don’t feel guilty when you instacart)
fill our afternoons with less TV & more calming classical music
play tennis with Patrick at least twice a month
and make date nights more of a regular thing
adventure outdoors everyday no matter the weather
invest in more wardrobe staples than trends
pick up where you left off on all those home projects
make a kerley family vacation happen (where both parents can actually “log-off”)
be better about deadlines / do the hardest tasks first
reply to text messages when you get them instead of telling yourself you’ll do it later (because 75% of the time you’ll forget!)
make more healthy dinners at home
and maybe even pull a recipe out of all of those cookbooks you have too?
spend more time with extended family
take day trips & discover fresh places to play surrounding Memphis
& remember to wash your face instead of using just a neutrogena wipe even when you’re super duper exhaustedddd
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Can y’all relate to any of these?! I love saving my resolutions in a blog post each year not only to hopefully inspire other women as well but to also look book on and check off as the years go by too.
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Wishing you all a happy, healthy, safe & wonderful start to 2022!
The post Reflections and Resolutions appeared first on Lone Star Looking Glass.
What does naughty but nice mean. xoxo.