Happy New Year!

I meant to post this on New Years Day, but was unable to manage it due to our limited internet access. Consequently, of course, I nearly didn’t post this at all. However, life is rarely perfect, and I guess it’s best to give up trying to maintain that illusion and instead enjoy the life we're given. :)

I love celebrating the New Year. Sometimes it’s a little surprising (and even scary) how fast the old year went by, but it amazes me when I look back and am able to glimpse a little better all the things God has done in the past year through the hard times and the joyful, and to celebrate that we have been blessed with a fresh one ahead, “with no mistakes in it yet,” as Anne Shirley would say. :)

Rather than listing a whole year’s worth of resolutions here and then promptly forgetting them (and hoping you do to), I’m borrowing an idea from She Learns As She Goes and listing my monthly goals and resolutions. I’ll write out my list at the beginning of each month, and then check back in at the end of the month to report on how horribly I neglected them (let’s be honest here). A bit of extra accountability can’t hurt. :) Here goes…

JANUARY RESOLUTIONS

Blog 2-3 Times Per Week
Ideally, I’d like to try to post 2-3 times per week. Realistically, I’d like to not post three times and then disappear for a year. Since we don’t have internet at our house this can be tricky, but my plan is to write a few drafts and put them in the queue for times when I can’t get to the library.

Read the Bible Daily
Will and I are working on reading the Bible in a year, as well as some additional daily reading and marking for a Bible Study. It’s easy to get behind if you miss even one day (we completely fell off the wagon last year somewhere deep among the ceremonial sacrifices), so my motto this year is "Constant Vigilance!"

Journal Daily
I don’t have high standards on this one, but it would be an improvement to jot down just one or two little anecdotes from the day, a new favorite recipe, or even a to-do list.

Bust the Clutter
Clutter is a constant battle in our house with two pack-rats of varying degree, and paper tends to pile up. This month I plan to get rid of our clutter "hot spots" (or fall in the attempt) so that I can pare down to the belongings we need or love and focus on making our house a more warm, orderly, and welcoming place. Sometimes it's hard not to feel apathetic about our aging rental, or hard to settle in when I'm not sure how long we'll be living there, but I think it's time to move past just cleaning and bare bones organizing and really set to work nesting, beautifying, and attempting to make our home not just a house, but a haven. Carpeted kitchen floor, mice, leaks, drafts, and all. :)

Read Four Books
As tradition dictates, I signed up to read a wildly unrealistic number of books for my 2014 Goodreads Challenge. Last year I barely made it to my lofty goal of 25, so obviously it made sense to double that number and try for 50, which works out to about a book a week. Prospects are bleak.

Finish Writing Thank You Notes
I need to finish writing our Christmas thank you notes this month. And wedding thank you notes. I know, truly appalling. But hopefully the shame will be a good motivator now. :P

Have Dinner Ready When Will Gets Home
Sometimes dinner is ready to go when Will gets home, but sometimes it’s still in progress. I’d like to have dinner on the table (or ready to be served) when Will gets home so I can be more present for him rather than scrambling around the kitchen trying not to burn things while he tells me about his day.

We'll see how it goes... do you all have any new resolutions this year?