Looking back on the past year sometimes feels impossible with how time flies and how much happens in such little time. We definitely had a lot of blessings in 2018, but at the same time, it felt like an exhausting and trying year. Our fiesty 2 year old literally almost drove us to the brink of insanity, and we’ve had some family health issues. BUT the blessings far outweigh the trials, and I am so thankful for that and for the people that I am doing life with.
Here are some highlights of 2018:
- We took a trip to Rosemary Beach with some of our best friends, which I would HIGHLY recommend! You can read about our trip here.
- Completed my 1st Olympic Distance triathlon!
- Took our first real family trip to Atlantis with some of our favorite families! Such an awesome place to go with families and friends! Check out our trip here.
- Started treating this little side gig more like a business, so that I could prioritize quality of content I’m putting out for you guys and keep myself accountable. I started collaborating with companies and local businesses that I truly support and believe in, and that has been a BLAST!
2019 GOALS
First of all, I try to pick a word of the year every year. This year my word is GRACE. This word specifically comes to me not only for myself but for others. I feel like this year I was quick to judge and quick to jump to conclusions and quick to react without giving myself and others the grace they deserve. There are a lot of other words that come to mind, but GRACE is the anchor for me for 2019. I have filled my plate to exhaustion and every year I say I am going to say NO to things…and I’ll say it again. But I also believe that I also need to just prioritize better and weed out the things in my life that don’t serve me and don’t allow me to serve others in my best capacity.
Photography: If you know me, you KNOW I love pictures. I love taking pictures, I love having pictures, I LOVE what speaks through a picture. I have dabbled in photography over the past couple of years and taken pictures for friends, but I would love to invest more time and money in this hobby, because I truly love it! So, if you are reading this and would let me practice on your family, I would love to! Send me a text or message!
Triathlons: The last 2 “tri seasons” I have literally signed up last minute and completed in a couple of triathlons and REALLY enjoyed them. So, this year, I am planning to get on a training plan and actually COMPETE. I would like to do a few Sprint Triathlons and maybe 2 Olympic Distance Triathlons. If you are interested in training any of the events with me – PLEASE, PLEASE join me!! And if you have ANY interest in doing a tri, just DO IT!! They are so fun and here are some tips that I learned from my first few.
Travel: Every year we make a goal to travel somewhere together as a couple (hopefully a few places) and somewhere together as a family. We accomplished this goal in 2018 and would love to do it again in 2019. Our 10 year anniversary is this year and we would LOVE to go to Africa, but we will see if that happens. But whether Africa or somewhere else, we will travel!
Relationship with God – not just my faith, but my intimate relationship with Him. Take me deeper. It’s short and simple and it’s something that I have to re-commit to time and time again, but it’s oh so worth it every single time. Quality time with Him daily.
GET OVER IT: I am not for everyone. At 33, I think this is something I have just realized. I am such a people pleaser, so this is a difficult one for me. But, some people, even really great people, just may not be your people. And that is OKAY. And with this blog, it is OKAY if some people don’t support what I am doing. If they think it’s stupid, a waste of their time, superficial, you name it…I CANNOT control that. I can only control the content and heart that I put out there. And even if they don’t support me, I can still support them and we can still be friends.
GROW the blog: In the end this blog is about connection. I started it because I wanted to SHARE the things I love with people I know and new friends I have made and heck, even complete strangers. I used to care more about being unique and different and having things that others didn’t (I literally think back to elementary school, when I was mildly possessive of being the only one with certain styles or clothes or toys.) THAT is not who I am. No, I don’t want to have the same closet as half of Greenville, but I do NOT mind if I show up to a party or dinner in the same blouse as someone else . On the other hand, I think it’s so fun and it’s a way that we connect.
PURGE REGULARLY. Simplify. This was my word last year and boy did I NOT stick to it. haha. I have already started this year and it feels so good to declutter!
RELAX MORE. I LOVE and LONG to be productive. It is very difficult for me to sit in the bath, or in front of the TV without doing something else. 2019 is the year of occasional lounging for me. Because we ALL need and deserve that.
GO TO BED… by 10:30. I have always functioned pretty well on little sleep, but lately it’s been so hard for me to wake up in the mornings! I KNOW I need more sleep and need to just shut it down earlier! I should probably shoot for earlier, but I feel 10:30pm is more realistic for me. When you have kids, once you put them down, THAT is YOUR time…to either chill with your spouse or be productive. For me, a lot of the time, that is my time to work on the blog or my instagram or God forbid, read!
Speaking of this last goal…it’s about that time. So HAPPY NEW YEAR, friends! Hope I didn’t bore you. I needed to write these goals down and hold myself accountable. So, you feel free to as well. Let’s conquer all of our goals in 2019 and support each other!
XO
Shana
