New Years Thoughts

I have been reading some social media and blog posts where people are saying good riddance to 2016. There have been a few that have popped up with 2016 being amazing to them, but for the most part the theme seems to be that 2016 was an unkind year. And you know what? Initially I was going to join right in. Talk about how rough it was... list the frustrations and situations. But 2016 is a milestone year for us. I need to focus on the positive...the big one being that it is the year we welcomed our fourth little man...our last baby.

So I will hold onto the positive. There was good among the stress...among the trying times. There were precious moments and happy memories. I will take the rest as lessons learned. As things happening to show me to have trust in God's timing. I will take it as a test in patience... and a push to always have hope.

I look forward to a new year because even though it is just a turn on a calendar page it still is a chance to start new. A clean slate. I will focus on the things and people that make me happy and let go of all the rest. I will focus putting my everything into raising my boys to the best of my ability while still maintaining my self identity. Carve out some me time... mainly to get back in shape. I have given myself grace on that end because I had four large babies in the span of six years.. but now it is time to put more focus on that. I want to make time for the things that calm me and make me happy. Many of those things mean putting the phone or ipad down a whole bunch more. I got into the habit of checking my social media accounts on long nursing sessions or while I'm waiting.. or while I'm trying to stay awake.

Also travel! I think that is why I am grumpy with 2016 because we didn't get to travel as much as I'd like. Travel is a big deal to me. I'd much rather spend money on travel and experiences than anything else. Traveling is rough with so many littles... something we normally just deal with but then when we add a hugely pregnant me plus with the expense of a pregnancy, travel got pushed to the side. I'll take road trips.. nearby places.. I just want to go and see.. and I want to do it with my crew of dudes.

I want to get better at saving money. We had actually done pretty well with that concept over the past year ...but goodness... large expense after large expense... most of them completely out of nowhere kept hitting us one right after another. We'd come up to breathe after one only to be hit again.

So my goals so to speak, sound typical of many people...travel..save money.. and lose weight... but I'm okay with that. That is where I'm at this year.

I thank 2016 for my newest little man is who is just amazing and the perfect addition to our family. I look back on our memories and experiences and lessons learned. But onto 2017 it is... Happy New Year to you and yours <3