Welcoming 2014

2013 was a good year for us.  It was a relatively quiet, smooth year without a lot of change or excitement, and I'm perfectly okay with that.  When I look back to my goals and intentions for 2013, I'm proud to say that I did a pretty good job.  Of course I was better in some areas than others, but for the most part, I stuck with them and they've become a regular part of my life. 

As we begin 2014, I'd like to continue the tradition.  Rather than making a New Year's resolution, I want to just lay out some goals and intentions for myself....areas where I'd like to improve or perhaps refocus a bit. So, in no particular order, here they are:

• Floss daily.  This is a hard one for me.  I despise flossing.  I mean really, there's nothing fun about it.  It's gross.  It hurts my gums.  Bleh.  But every time I go to the dentist, I'm told I need to floss.  So, for once in my life, I'm going to commit to this.  It's 2 minutes out of my day right?  I can do this and my teeth will thank me.
• Continue to be present with Liam.  This is a carry-over from last year, and since I find that this one requires constant attention, I'm adding it to this year's list.  This one can be difficult.  Especially in this technological age where we are constantly bombarded by distracters.  So....I want to continue to stay tuned in and to give him my full attention during our time together.
• Less Facebook.  I have mixed feelings about Facebook.  I really do enjoy connecting with friends and seeing what people are up to.  However, I find that it can be a huge time suck.  So, in an effort to be more present, I want to limit myself to only checking it a couple of times a day.  I just deleted the app from my phone and already I feel a huge difference.  It's just too easy to mindlessly pick up my phone and get sucked in.  Truthfully, deleting it felt strangely liberating.... 
• Eat mindfully.  I plan to do a post on this soon, but I've been making some major dietary changes and it's having a profound effect on my well-being. I want to continue this practice because I am feeling so much better! 
• Pray more and worry less.  I heard this phrase the other day and it has stuck with me:  "Worrying is like praying for something you don't want".  I tend to be a bit of a worrywart so this really resonated with me.  I'm going to use this phrase to help me stop my unnecessary worrying in it's tracks, choosing instead, to focus on my blessings.

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• And finally, I WILL finish my dissertation.  I saved this one for last because it's closely tied to my word for the year.  This it folks.  This is my year of completion, and I plan to do whatever it takes. 

So, for 2014, I have chosen the word faith.  

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Recently, I find myself being called to faith in multiple ways.  I need to have faith that I will finish my PhD.  I need to have faith that I will find a job when I'm done.  I need to have faith that we'll be blessed with another child.  I need to have faith that I am exactly where I am supposed to be....and the list goes on. 

I have also recently found myself being pulled back towards my faith and my relationship with God.  It's not that I ever stopped believing or praying, but I definitely became less intentional about it.  This year I feel called to recenter myself in my faith, a journey which begins with a return to the church.  It's not that I ever disliked going to mass, I just didn't make it a priority.  These days, however, I find that I need that weekly meditational time to keep me centered.  

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I have so many hopes for this year and I must have faith that it will all play out exactly as it should.

So 2014 is about faith. Finding faith and keeping the faith. 

Lately...

The new year started off slowly but things are starting to pick up.  Here is what we've been up to lately...

I'm in love with Downton Abbey.  We rented seasons 1 and 2 over our winter break and finished just in time to catch the start of season 3.  Now, my Sunday nights are reserved for this delightful show.  I'm a huge fan of period shows.  I'm a sucker for the costumes.  

Liam and I watch this video multiple times a day.  We love it, and he does this cute thing where he drums his hands in the air and makes the sign for "stronger".  I can't get enough of it.

My sister-in-law gave me this candle for Christmas.  It has this amazing sweet, woody smell. I burn it every evening.

I starting shredding again last week.  After months of running, I wanted to give my knees a break and mix things up a bit.  When I did the 30 Day Shred in June, I lost 9.5 inches in 30 days! This definitely works, but you have to do it every day.  But its only 27 minutes which makes it completely doable.  We are going to Florida for a week next month so I'm using that as motivation!

I have also been juicing in an attempt to keep us healthy this winter season.  I usually throw an apple, an orange, half a cucumber, two cups of spinach, some ginger, and flax seed into a blender.  Sometimes I add a banana.  This mixture will last me a couple of days, giving two large glasses full.  I think it's delicious, and the best part is that Liam likes it too.  Now, if only I could get my husband on board.....

This is Liam's favorite book and has been for awhile.  We read this book every night before bedtime.  It's a beautiful book with a beautiful message.  

I just finished reading this book.  It's got some powerful messages about the food choices that we make.  It's not a diet book but more of an exploration into the emotional and spiritual side of eating.  I wouldn't say it was transformational, but I have marked several passages that resonate with me.  One of my favorite quotes reads, "Spiritual hunger can never be solved on the physical level."

I usually drink chamomile tea in the evenings, but I recently discovered this.  It's a nice alternative.  It tastes good, and I love that it's loose leaf.

Liam and I attended story time at our library for the first time last week.  Liam loved it, and I enjoyed chatting with the other moms.  This is definitely going to become a regular part of our week.  I'm finding that as he gets older, we need to get out of the house more and this is an excellent morning outing.

This week I'm back to school, which means that we are getting back into some semblance of a routine.  As much as I love having a break, I also love having a little structure in my life!

What about you?  What have you been up to lately?

And....We're Back

I've been quiet over here.  We've had the sickies for the past week and a half and it has not been fun!  Liam came down with the hand, foot, and mouth virus.  I had never even heard of this but apparently it's quite common in young children.  Adults rarely get it, but somehow, I did and let me tell you, it brought me down!  My fever peaked at 104 and my throat was covered in blisters.  Once I knew how awful it was, I felt even worse for my poor little boy.  It's hard enough having a sick baby but once you know how much something hurts....it just breaks your heart. 

I was home sick most of the week and spent many hours snuggling with my son.  This sickness came at the absolute worst time for me.  We started state testing this week and a major part of my job is test coordination.  Luckily, I'm blessed with two amazing colleagues who ran the show without me.  I am continuously amazed by these two women who are always going above and beyond, working day and night for the good of our school.

That's the thing about being sick....when it happens, it's completely out of our control.  Truth be told, I was too sick to really worry about the bad timing.  My to-do lists went out the window, and I was forced to hit the pause button in a major way. I suppose it's a good reminder to truly be present in the moment.

Fortunately, we are back up and running, but we are taking it easy this weekend.   Our plans to hit up the Earth Day celebration tomorrow have changed and instead, we'll be enjoying Earth Day from home.  We will definitely get outside a bit to celebrate our good health!

Liam is back to himself and going full force.  In spite of being sick, he perfected the art of pulling up this week and is starting to cruise around.  As you can see, he also seems to think that my shelves need some reorganizing.

Now, if only we can teach him how to sit back down....

I hope your weekend is full of rest and joy.  Happy Earth Day!