Happy New Year, friends!

Todd and I went out to dinner with two other couples last night and we had the best time. It had been years since we’d gone out on New Year’s Eve. The girls did get dressed up because, you know, sometimes that’s just fun! But we went to eat at Cola’s (one of my favorite Columbia restaurants) and just had a delicious meal and fun conversation.

We got up this morning- reluctant to start the day after a late night- but we jumped into a dance party in our family room to the Lion King soundtrack, and all was right in the world.

I wanted to just do a little recap of some of the big moments of 2013.

Family Beach Trip 2013

31 Days of Creating White Space

An Indiana Thanksgiving

A Messy Motherhood Story for His Glory

Trip to Chicago for Dr. Smith’s

The Him in Her

Celebrating Hudson and Hayes with a Peter Pan Party

Five.

Our Family Mission

Trip to New York City

Marriage is Work. And work is worship.

Our Story of Loss

2013 was a big year for us. We learned so much about contentment and family. My word for 2013 was “Abide” and I think that is just what I did. I objected at times, but as I leaned into the Lord, He carried us through each day.

Thank you all for your encouragement, advice, support, stories, love and friendship in 2013. I’m so looking forward to 2014!

I have very weird feelings about resolutions.

I want to be thoughtful and intentional with time. But I also want to be realistic. I don’t want to set myself up for failure or comparison.

I don’t want to set big goals that make me feel pressure to be purposeful with every moment of every day. I don’t want a full calendar.

And even reading other people’s goals makes me think things like, “That’s a pretty big goal. Do I need a bigger goal?” Because, on paper, it looks pretty stinking good to have big goals.

I don’t want to make goals to do more things. I’ve been doing more things for a few years now, and that hasn’t worked out too well for my heart. I’m still going with white space in 2014.

But I want goals that help me focus on the things I love. Goals that come from me stripping down to the core of who I am and whom and what I love. What can I do to make room for more of all of that?

What  can I get rid of to make room for more of all of that?

This isn’t about a checklist or 2014 bucket list. This is a way to take a good luck at what makes me happy and what gives me peace and white space in the every day.

I have to look to my core passions.

For me, I know that my core passions are my faith, my family, my home, serving my church, writing, and hospitality.

It makes me happy to meal plan and have a meal on the table for my family at night. But, more than that, I’m happy to not rush around to the grocery store to make that happen. Being organized and having a weekly plan of action (meals, laundry, chores for the kids and for me) is a goal of mine.

I am an introvert, and I’ve been so over-scheduled for the past two years. I want more time to read. I want to sit and make time- just 30 minutes a day- to escape with some great fiction.

I am committing to read through the Bible in a year.

I want to spend time writing and blogging, but not making any huge goals with those things. I enjoy it and want to do it well to exercise my creativity and to connect with all of you.

Some goals weren’t meant for me. I’m okay with looking at others and admiring them while they excel. Someone else’s core values and strengths can be beautiful to me without me feeling like I need to adopt the same goals.

I can’t do all the things and do them all well.

But the main thing for 2014 is recognizing that I will not do everything well. So I’m choosing the things that I know I can do really well and doing my best to create white space everywhere else. I am committing to doing a few things really well.

In 2014 I want to love my family well. I want to grow in my walk with Christ. I want to be a good, thoughtful friend. I want to be healthy and mindful of what I eat and how much I move. I want to read more, clear out the clutter on my calendar, and get more sleep. And I want to make time for myself and allow myself to dream a little.

What are your dreams for 2014? How do you go about setting goals and planning ahead?

(*In the photo above, you can see the Day Designer by Whitney English, the 2014 Power Sheets by Lara Casey and a Brilliant Ideas notepad from Ashley Brooke Designs.)

Every December and January, I tend to go into hiding away from the internet. Sweet Jessi called this hibernation. I just get so wrapped up in the spirit of Christmas, and the overwhelming joy of being with family, and the crazy mix of slow days and fast days.

I’m slowly coming out of that sweet little place, but wanted to share some of our Christmas memories.

We are so fortunate that Todd’s parents and grandmother live here in town, and my parents are always so sweet to drive here from Indiana to be with us. My brother hasn’t been with us on Christmas for the past four Christmases, due to the nature of his work in Colorado.

On Christmas Eve, Todd’s parents, my parents, and our little family all go to church. This year I was singing and Todd was serving the Lord’s supper, so we stayed for two services. Hudson sat through the service while Hayes went to the nursery. I got so choked up looking at my little boy holding his candle and holding his little hand up high during Silent Night.

We all came back to our house for gumbo, French bread, and salad. Being in our new house for Christmas was so sweet, and so comfy.

Todd, my parents and I stayed up late playing Santa and watching The Family Stone. That movie always makes me want five kids. I sob every time.

On Christmas morning, Todd’s parents and grandmother came over and my parents got up. Both boys woke up around 7:30. I love this age because they still don’t come in to see what Santa brought before we get to them. We had to remind them that it was Christmas!

The boys rushed in and saw all their gifts from Santa. Their big gift was wrapped in a box from Santa.

The boys went to open it and these fun Mickey balloons popped out.

And then Hudson read us a note from Santa that said, “Hudson and Hayes, You are going to Disney World. Love, Santa.”

Hudson was so excited. He keeps saying he’s going to “Dismey” World. We don’t leave until the end of January, but we are all so excited! I’ve been planning this since last Christmas.

We had a lazy day and took our time unwrapping all the gifts. Our tree was surrounded by gifts for everyone in both families and it was such a great, slow morning as we all unwrapped, ate breakfast, unwrapped some more. Before we knew it, it was time for naps.

I made my way to the porch and turned on the fireplace, and curled up in a sleeping bag while reading my new Garden and Gun book. (This is a great gift, by the way. Nina gave me a copy and I gave a copy to my mom.)

 

Over the past few days, we’ve organized rooms in the house, hung a lot of pictures on the walls, and hung the curtains in Hudson’s room. And my mom and I got out to see a couple of movies a few nights ago. We saw American Hustle and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Seeing movies with her is one of my favorite things.

 

We had a really merry Christmas this year. I loved being with my family and celebrating the birth of our Savior. What a gift!

It’s so easy to focus on December 25. The anticipation of this magical day full of wonder and reverence and family and noise. I love every bit of it.

The chaos of the traffic and the grocery stores and getting sent back to the grocery store for more shredded cheese. Hiding gifts in the closet and staying up until 2:00 a.m. to wrap everything in those stolen private moments.

Reading Luke 2 and The Night Before Christmas and holding hands as a family and thanking God for the blessing of the birth of Jesus Christ.

It comes once a year, so it’s absolutely worth it to pack it all in. Because it’s gone before we know it.

But Christmas? Is always there. That gift we received when God sent His son to be born in the poorest way possible. To be raised by normal, sweet people. To come and walk among us and teach us and pray with us and love us and truly see us? And to die for us?

That gift never leaves us.

365 days a year, we have it. We carry it with us. It’s the true gift that keeps on giving, to borrow some words from Cousin Eddie.

On Sunday, our pastor called it the Gift of Freedom and I paused.

In those days when I’m plagued with guilt over losing my temper and yelling at my kids, I can remember that because of God’s perfect gift of Jesus, I am free from that guilt. I’m free from the shame of my mistakes and I’m free from the burden of hurt and pain.

We received the gift of freedom and it’s ours to receive.

Merry Christmas to you and yours.