It’s here! It’s here! A shiny new year full of possibilities. Call me an optimist but I love New Year’s Day. I know some people hate new year’s resolutions and such but I am a list person and I can’t help myself. I thrive off of writing things down. There is a ton of evidence that supports how writing things down increases the chances of remembering something or accomplishing it. I have a lot of dreams and ambitions for 2025 so I am going to narrow it down to 10 things.

  1. New sand in the chicken run (the pic is of Pip because she’s just so pretty)

I was going over the summer goals J and I had set and the only two things we did not accomplish was repainting the chicken coop and replacing the sand. The paint is important but it doesn’t affect the wellbeing of the chickens. The sand HAS to be done. We’ve been saying it the past two years and now their entire run is just mud! This is a major priority. We can’t do it in the winter, but hopefully it will be done in April.

2. College Visits

I like to joke that I am the one going to college because really it’s Z but I am plunging in with both feet when it comes to researching everything. This is a really scary thing, but it’s also something that I am elated to see what God does with our oldest son. So far we have one college visit scheduled for late March but I would love to fit something in before then. If you have a college you love that has a good computer science program let me know. I- I mean WE are trying to look at a variety of options and please join me in praying for scholarships. I know God has a plan!

3. Walk 8,000 steps a day 

This is doable, but with my lifestyle it has to be intentional. I am saying that because in the past I walked around a lot for my job and there were days I reached 8,000 steps without taking a walk. According to my watch I averaged 6,210 steps a day. Granted it’s probably a smidge higher for times I didn’t wear a watch or the battery died. The days I reached my goal was 262. So 71% of the time I reached my goal. I don’t expect that to go up to 100% this year, but 80% sounds nice.

4. Sugar Fast 

Last year I started the year with a 40 day sugar fast. I actually led a group who joined me and this year I am doing the same thing! I am excited to get going with that tomorrow. If you want to join in you are welcome to. All the info is on this page. To take it a step further I would like to eat less sugar year round. I tried last year and failed. Maybe this year I can try to keep it around 80% like the walking goal. That means 292 days of no sugar. Today I ate lots of sugar so we’ll have to see. It’s a long shot, but you’ve got to aim big sometimes.

5. More Blogging 

Last year I started a working full time for the first time in my life, kinda. I never really had a day job and when I worked more than just side hustles I had no kids so it was different. All that to say the blogging has kind of fallen to the wayside. I do have specific measurable goals for this but I won’t bore you with details.

6. Book Promos 

Hope at the Threshold was released a year and a half ago. I am proud of what I’ve accomplished but I feel like there is so much more to do.  I have a lot of exciting things on the horizon and I look forward to sharing them all with you.

7. Get caught up on photo albums 

I feel so behind on this, but it’s not the first time so I know I can recover. The last photos/book I printed was in 2021! Gasp!

I have three years to catch up on. It’s a tall order and one that will realistically have to wait until summer break.

8. Vermont Trip

A BIG dream that I have had for a very long time is to get my kids up to Vermont. Some of them have gone with me or my parents when they were younger. Z has never been though and this will be his senior year. Vermont is special to me for a lot of reason but mostly because I have extended family there. Also, it’s just flat out gorgeous in the fall! I told J how important it was for me that we do this before Z graduates and he was surprised because he figured Z would still take trips with us after he graduates. This is true, but the chances of everything coming together will be slim with the kids and I having a fall break that is fixed and Z have a very different schedule when he’s in college.

9. Ezie’s 13th trip

This another trip that  is a dream of mine but I’m not the one going. J and I decided a while ago that we would have a right of passage tradition where we do a mother/daughter or father/son trip when each kid turns 13. Z went to Chicago with J and SJ went to Sedona with me.

Both trips were priceless. They were truly meaningful beyond just the excursion so I am really pumped about this adventure for my little boy (I am still going to call him that for now, okay?).

10. 12 “Friend Dates”

I am not going to say monthly hang out with friends because there will inevitably be months that are too busy, but I’d like to shoot for AT LEAST 12 friend dates. This is a continuation of good thing that am already doing. I really try to prioritize my friendships as much as possible. When I was a young mom friend outings were more of a pipe dream other than chaotic playdates. That was fine for that season. There is a place for that, but that season lasted a decade and I’m making up for lost time with double dates, coffee dates, walking dates, and dinner dates. That should be an easy and fun one to check off my list.

Those are the dreams, goals, and good habits I am hoping for in 2025. Now I just need a catch phrase like Feeling Alive in 2025! Hmmm, how about… Ready to Thrive in 2025! Too cliche? Maybe, Ride or Die… No. I’ll stop there. Happy New Year everybody.