It's good to have goals! {2015 Resolutions}

Nothing like waiting until the last day of January to post my 2015 Resolutions, huh?

To be fair, I've had these written down since the 2nd. It's just taken me 29 days to get them up here.

The overarching theme for this year? Stress Less, Relax More. After the ups and downs of last year, my focus is to enjoy the little things and be thankful for what I have without causing myself undue stress (it's just my personality; I totally do this to myself.)

What do I want to do, remember, practice and make a reality this year?

Faith: 

• Read from a daily devotional or scripture-based book to start off each day. Make this part of my routine, like coffee. [I started Jesus Calling in January and really love it. It is such a nice way to start my day.]
• Find a church home for Alex and I: even if we don't officially transfer our membership from our old church in Greenville, I want to have a church that we call home here in Columbia.

Health and Wellness: 

• Go gluten-free for 30 days to see if it helps control my Crohn's Disease. If it does, keep it up! [Started this January 19 - so far, so good!]
• Do a 30-day yoga challenge in a quest for better physical and mental health. And better flexibility (I'm getting old). Again, if it helps and I feel better, make it a part of my regular routine. [Did this for January and LOVED it. Plan to continue!]
• Take matters into my own hands with my doctors. Be aggressive in being my own advocate for my health. 

Do things that I love:

• Leave (most of) the cleaning to someone else: use the Christmas money from mom for housecleaning to hire a monthly cleaning service so I can relax on the weekends! [Hired someone! She comes first week of February and I am SO EXCITED.]
• Do more things for me: take a break when I need one. Say no when I want to. Say yes when I want to. Take more bubble baths. Actually sit down and watch a movie now and then. 
• Get my craft on. I love getting crafty and don't make enough time for it. 
• Reward myself in healthy, productive ways (like a peaceful walk versus a snack). Make a concerted effort to relax in my "me" time. 

Things to check off the list:

• Take a vacation. Doesn't have to be anywhere crazy or grand, but taking some time to get away and recharge my batteries with Alex by my side will be nice. And who knows: it could be the last true vacation we take for a while, depending on how the baby thing goes!
• Get caught up on my scrapbooks! This means finishing my wedding event/party book (from 2011...), our Italy vacation book (from 2013...), our 2013 Year in Review AND our 2014 Year in Review. Whew. 
• Organize my life. I'm an organized person, but certain areas of our home (A's hunting closet; my craft stuff) could use some WORK. 

Family:

• Be a better wife: be more patient. Help Alex pack his lunch for work. Write love notes. See movies he wants to see. Give him words of encouragement. Love him harder. 
• Call my grandparents, parents and brother more often just to say hi. I wish I could pop in to see them but I live 2 states away so the phone will have to do. 
• Start a family. Really, this is not in my control. This is all the Big Guy upstairs. But it's still a goal, a hope, a dream, a plan of mine. It's highly likely we won't have a baby in our arms by the end of the year but I do hope we'll be on our way to a family, one way or another. Take baby steps - literally. 

Finally...

• Don't take anything for granted. If I learned anything from 2014, it was that life and everything in it is fleeting. What's here today can be gone tomorrow; what feels permanent is only really temporary. Spend quality time with my grandparents. Call my brother more to chat. Write more "just because" notes to people I love. Appreciate the job that I have. Enjoy the beautiful home we've created. Walk my dogs. Spend more time outside (but wearing sunscreen, of course!). Notice the small things and be thankful for them all.

Happy 2105! Now I'm going to get after the remaining 11 months ;)

xo

KH