FIVE THINGS I LOVED

1. slowing down
2. Christmas music playing on repeat on the record player
3. the beauty of candles in each window
4. getting through a bitterly cold snap without losing power
5. a beautiful and simple Christmas

THREE LESSONS I LEARNED

1. You’re not supposed to put your wet hair up with an elastic. // I stumbled down a hair care rabbit hole and oops!  I do this all the time!  I thought scrunchies were a far gone part of my childhood, but I guess I need to get a new supply.
2. “No idiot, you just add more glitter.” // This blunt comment was under a video about some celebrity who recently left her husband after five years.  From what I gather, I guess she went on a podcast and defended her decision because “the glitter” just wore off.  I read through tons of comments from people married 20/30/50 years and their advice was so good and so wise.  I especially liked that snarky one above.
3. Little Christmas traditions matter. // Advent seemed to pass at lightning speed this year.  And with my husband’s week-long business trip thrown into the middle, we didn’t get to some of the little activities we normally do in December.  I was so surprised to hear my kids, especially the older ones, insist on them, even if they weren’t on schedule.  So often in motherhood, I wonder if any of these insignificant things matter.  Am I trying so hard for nothing?  I got a glimpse of the answer this year: those little things make up the fabric of our family, our memories and our shared experiences together.  They matter.

FIVE GOALS FOR DECEMBER REVIEWED

1. ✔ Wrap, wrap, wrap! // And a bonus frugal accomplishment: I used leftover paper from last year and ribbons I’ve saved forever.
2. ✔ Mail extended family gifts and cards early in the month. //  These were in the mail by the 8th, so not too bad.
3. Sew up the remaining three cross-stitch pillows for the big boys. // Nope.  My patient boys!  Definitely need to finish these up in January.
4. Finish an introductory Javascript coding course. // I didn’t finish, but I did get a good chunk accomplished.  Learning Javascript is stretching my brain in brand new ways – I’m getting it slowly, but it’s complicated.
5. ✔ Relax, reflect on the year and brainstorm goals for 2023. // Relaxing was a bit of stretch (lots of things to do!) but I definitely slowed down and tried to enjoy the season.  I’m excited for what’s to come in 2023 too.

FIVE GOALS FOR JANUARY

1. Propagate the fig trees.
2. Refocus on healthy habits.
3. Write a least three things in my gratitude journal daily.
4. Order birthday and different holiday cards for the year.
5. Make curtains for the kitchen windows.

It’s easy to be nostalgic and have rose-colored glasses for agrarian life. Everyone who finds out that we’re homesteading/farming will always say, “Oh man, that sounds like such a simple life.” Maybe I would have said the same a few years ago. But now? I have to shake my head and laugh. 2022 didn’t feel that simple.  In fact, it felt messy and exhausting and sometimes really, really hard.

BUT.  Hard and messy doesn’t mean it’s not good.  I have been challenged and humbled.  I have learned so much.  I have worked harder than ever and have rejoiced at the fruits of that labor.  So if simple means that I’m frolicking through the fields with healthy animals and abundant gardens, well, that’s a big lie.

But after reviewing some of my thoughts from the post I wrote back in February, What Does a Simple Life Look Like?, maybe I was successful in a different way:

• Less clutter and more visual peace. // Yes!  I’ve made decluttering a regular task and have been reselling our unneeded items too.
• Less distractions and more time looking up. // Yes!  Having no social media is a blessing for staying the course and living in “the real world.”  You know how people say, “You’d have to be living under a rock not to know…”?  Well, that’s me about so many things, ha!  I have the opposite of FOMO at this point. (JOMO?)
• Less doing all the things and more slowing down. // Yes, sort-of.  I got in way over my head with my garden/food forest plans, but even that huge goal became my primary focus.  I plan to intentionally spend the winter resting and rebooting before the new growing season arrives.

So…the year of simple.  I’m calling it a success!  Deo gratias.

MY ONE LITTLE WORD FOR 2023

This is my eleventh (!!) year choosing one little word for the new year.  (Previous words include Intention, Brave, Thrive, Learn, Slow, Roots, Notice, Gratitude, Light and Simple.)  For 2023, I decided to go with endurance.

endurance | [n] //en-door–uhns/

the ability or strength to continue or last, especially despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse conditions; stamina

I like this word because it encompasses so many aspects of my life: the long journey of faith, the demanding seasons of farming, the importance of taking care of myself.  I’d like to learn how to dust myself off gracefully after bumbling my way through things and just keep going.  No more negative self-talk, no more overwhelm of my own making, no more allowing hardships to dictate how I act.  I love this quote from Mother Angelica: “Lord, don’t let me chicken out if You have something hard for me to do.”  Time to lean in.

A FEW GOALS FOR 2023

+ He must increase, I must decrease. (John 3:30)
+ Start a bullet journal and use all of the pages. // Instead of purchasing an expensive planner, I’m creating my own in a bullet journal style and I’m determined to fill up the entire thing!  I am notorious for abandoning half-filled notebooks.
+ Write down my gratitude everyday. // There is so much to be thankful for, if only I seek it.
+ Support the man before the company. // So many of us are starting little side hustles as a way to further our goals or just make ends meet.  I want to look toward the farmer, the reseller, and the artist first before heading to the big box stores.  
+ Work on homestead systems. // 2022 was a big building year.  2023 will be the year where we think smarter, not harder: tweaking our systems for better efficiency.
+ Read from my bookshelves. // I have a lot of unread books.  While this doesn’t stress me out (I see them as a plethora of possibilities!), I do want to prioritize these options over any new ones.  The money saved will be an added bonus.
+ Cultivate a warm, welcoming home. // More decluttering of the extras and figuring out how to make a cozy home with the rest.
+ Keep working on the mortgage reduction. // We’re making progress on this huge goal, little by little.  Since there’s only so much you can cut from an already lean budget, we’ll be executing a few side hustles for some added cash.  (Shameless plug to buy me a “coffee”!  Just kidding.)  I’m excited to see what kind of a dent we can make in 2023.