2017 New Years Week!

So, if you remember last year, I took a non-traditional, feel awesome approach to New Years Resolutions, instead of the old, "these are the things I'm going to change about my life, and going to continue for the next year".... which means I made a list of smallish-biggish-attainable tasks to finish by the end of the first week of the new year.

And this year I'm doing it again.

Because I liked it.

And I'm starting a little early, on both creating the list and starting on checking it off [hooray!]

With Ronald's help this year.

Sooooo here it is!

-mudroom: reorganize, recycle cardboard stuffs, and take other non-used things to the basement [did this the day after Christmas; maybe I'm a bad wife, but I don't care :)]

-finish making two more stockings [I figure I have better luck if I do it this year than next, and I've already made two stockings already, so just two more to go... because 4 seems like a good number, not because of any other reason ya'all!]

-clean the fridge [which isn't a terribly difficult task, just some spray and wipe down].

-clean out/re-arrange the black drawers in the dining room [they're full or random stuff right now, and they all feel like junk drawers].

-take printer upstairs to the office.

-file 2016 paperwork, put in basement, put new folders out.

-clean out upstairs closet.

-finish designing my wedding album/get it printed [I know, I know... 6+ years is an embarrassing amount of time to not have printed my own album yet... BUT, I'm going to do it!

AND you guys, I realize these are all stupid little tasks and perhaps normal people do them throughout the rest of the year, but for me, it feels like it's a good place to start the year off.  Cleaning up some things I've been putting off, organizing bits of my life, and feeling good about things... not everything [that's hard], but some things.  I like that I can take a week each year and address things that I've been contemplating but hadn't gotten around to yet, and just feel good about doing it.

So there you have it :).  2017 New Years list.

Last year I also did a grateful for 2015 list.

2016, with all it's ups and downs in the world, and with many people so ready to be done with it, I find myself to actually, personally having had a pretty damn decent year.  I'm grateful for my health, for my husband, and his job, and for the many experiences and traveling and love we’ve been able to experience this year.  

The beginning of 2016 started out with a random crazy idea to crowdsource [and really, friend-source], a free trip to Hawaii for my amazingly generous awesome friend Jill [see some of our photos HERE and HERE]… [Selfishly, I wanted someone to go with anyway, so this was the perfect way for me to go to Hawaii, visit Bonni, and to do it with one of my favorite people, and it was amazing and awesome and everything].  Then I was able to spend time in NM, celebrating the life of my crazy aunt, and hanging out with my lovely nephews [and the adult family of course too ;)].

Following that up, there were so many wonderful short trips to visit people all over [Madison a couple times, once for a cousin’s wedding, Lansing, South Bend, Nashville], and then our big trip to Germany, which was AWESOME.  And so many surprises and small acts of love and kindness throughout the year.

So yes, 2016 was full of a lot of awful stuff in the world, from refugees, and war, to an election year filled with terrible vitriol.  BUT, it was also filled with beautiful things.

WHICH, brings me to my hopes for 2017!  I hope to continue to look for ways to bring love and kindness into the world.  I hope to continue to speak truths and encouragement to the kiddos I come in contact with when tutoring.  I hope to actively look for the people being oppressed, and to stand up for their human rights and work hard to see them as people, just like me.  I hope to use not only my time and talent to make changes, but also our money.  And I hope humanities response to such a hard world 2016 is to stand tall, and be brave, and fight for honesty and kindness, and equality.

This year, we have some big things planned, but I’m also hoping for a year of growth and contentment.  [Can those two things be on the list together?  They seem a bit contradictory, but I think they can be there together].  God has continued to provide for us, and my wish is for contentment in living day to day without exorbitance, and the desire to have more or better or newer.  To be content knowing we live in a world where many people live without, and we’re NOT one of those people.  And growth.  Because I want to grow and learn those things better.  I want to grow into a person who lives.  Who doesn’t spend their days hoping for something to happen to them, but instead spends their days learning and growing and getting better and brighter and more educated.

So there you have it!  My 2016 re-cap and my 2017 hopes.

I hope you all have a safe and lovely entrance into 2017!  I hope you continue to focus on your passions and grow your interests, and to put aside those things that don’t do either for you.

Cheers!
-mrp-