Wow.  Every year this whole new year thing creeps up faster than the last.  It’s like you blink and 6 months has gone by. Add kids and it’s like double speed.  This year has been – slightly above average. I mean that in a way where it’s like I feel like I survived it and it was good.  It surely wasn’t super crazy, in anyway shape or form – we just ended up here at the end of it.  Which is a problem 😉 means I wasn’t working hard enough or challenging myself enough.  I must say there were definitely highlights – namely:

My kids!  This is where I say every year is fantastic, these kids are EVERYTHING.  I really truly mean it.  They are the most fun, funny, sweet, loving kids ever.  Evan started SCHOOL – like real Kindergarten and Michael has just exploded even more in the personality department.  Michael is the most loving, manipulative, funny little kid.  Manipulative, yes I said it, BOTH of my kids have pieces of this.  They know EXACTLY what they are doing.  Extra kisses or an “momma, but I’d like to apologize” “I just want to apologize” “momma I really love you *kiss* I mean I REALLY LOVE YOU *kiss*” SWOON. Me. swoon.  I really need to train myself to write down more of some of the things that comes out of Michael’s mouth because you can’t make it up and I want to remember those things forever.  Evan has been wonderful, even, challenging in a different way.  He started Kindergarten and while he’s doing fine, I find it really hard not to be hard on him about school work and such but it’s amazing to watch his skills grow, no matter the speed.

My husband.  The year we need to take more family pictures.  I literally have none.  I have tons with everyone but me. So I need to make an effort to be in the pictures too.  My husband has been such a rock, per usual.  Thank you and I love you.

My family. My mom, Dad and sister are just the absolute best.  I’m blessed.

My friends. I love that my friends know how hard it is for me to work, spend quality time with my kids, try to give myself – self love and see them.  They all just allow us to pick up right where we left off.

The Trips!  We actually made time to go out several times this year!  Started with a trip to  Michigan – my heart is set on buying a lake house now.  This was A GLORIOUS kids free trip.  It was EVERYTHING. We took Evan AND Michael to the Dells for their birthday’s I still owe a MAV is 3 blog (I think?). We had a staycation in the city where I was spoiled rotten for my birthday and a week before our Dells trip with MAV Hector and I went to Mexico.  This is where I will say we’ve recognized the importance of travel – these are the most memorable parts of the year and just reminds me how important experiences are. I feel the most blessed because these memories are seared into my soul.

My mental health.  Maybe it’s being in my 30s, but this year I’ve really tried to focus on what makes me so full of anxiety – I still do not exactly know but I’ve also started to get a lot of what makes me, me back.  When you spread yourself thin, you really can’t be good at anything, you just make it and this is what really causes me stress.  My mom will always say to me about  my house “Jen you have kids, it can’t always be clean” while sure that is true, not sure people understand the physical/emotional response I have to clutter/messes/dirt, etc. I’m the typical Type A int his sense, I like to know what is going on, I want it organized and I don’t want a mess.  So I just make the time everyday to tidy what I need to tidy to keep my headspace right.

I also NEED endorphins.  I actually need them, I’m my most miserable without them.  My current workout love is my Peloton and Ally Love.  I’m literally obsessed. Peloton has given me no excuses about missing the gym for 30-45 minutes I kill myself on the bike and get off of it a better person.  I think more clearly, I feel better about myself and I’m being good to my body.  Yesterday during my workout I literally was like emotional killing myself to get to another PR listening to a song by Creed.  So 2018 I need to keep making the time and not just the small minutes here and there but a daily ride and trips to my happy space (the gym) AND to yoga.

Work.  Let’s just say I’ve worked my behind off and it will pay off.

Looking to the future I am excited to just challenge myself a bit more.  Be aware of the fact to be successful in anything you have to take risks, go to uncomfortable places and be prepared you may fail and that’s OK.  I’d like to take more pictures, read a bit more, write a bit more and consume less that doesn’t help me reach my goals.  So no crazy New Year goals other than to make it more memorable than this year so I change the adjective next year to “amazing”  or “best” 😉 when describing the year.

I’ll leave you with a picture of MAV – first snow of the winter on X-MAS eve. Also a note that I’m going finish of the year with one of my favorite people and YOGA.  Thank you Jesus. ❤ xoxo Jen