Year-End Review

We have arrived at the end of 2016! I have worked on specific goals all year and am excited to have the ability to make new goals for the coming year. If you want to read about previous months' successes and failures, click the appropriate month:  January,  February,  March,  April,  May,  June,  July,  August,  September,  October,  November.

1. One arts and crafts time with the kids each month

  December always seems to be a crafty month for me because of the Christmas holiday. I joked with a friend on November 30th that my daughter would ask to do a craft for 80% of the month of December. Three days in and we were sitting at 100%. The first day we did not do a craft because I could not think of anything at all. The second day I remembered that her great-grandmother had sent her home from Thanksgiving with a beaded wreath ornament craft so the three of us completed that one. On day three I got her set up to make a bracelet or necklace with another kit her great-grandmother had given her as an early Christmas present. She ended up making a bracelet for her best friend (I love that most of her crafts and projects become gifts to others. They other day she took a cardboard box out of the recycling bin and turned it into a guitar of sorts and gave it to her brother.).
  Jackson wanted something to do as well so I gave him paper, markers and stamps and he went to town making a picture of bad guys (his current passion). The requests slowed down after that but we still managed to get in quite a few artsy, crafty, and/or baking activities to celebrate the holiday season.

 

  We made candy cane reindeer for the kids to give away to their friends. It was my planned craft for December and the kids were excited about it. They, of course, wanted to eat them (my husband has gotten them addicted to candy canes) but they gave most of them away to friends.

 

  Kaitlyn asked to decorate my chalkboard for Christmas. I agreed and Jackson even got in on the action. It was supposed to be Christmas-themed but, of course, Jackson drew a T. Rex (the long thing starting from the lower left corner).

  We invited friends over to decorate sugar cookies. I definitely consider that an art activity as they are allowed to be as creative as they want to be with them. I also enjoy decorating the cookies and seeing what I can come up with. Along with those we made a variety of other cookies and even rice krispy trees which was fun.

  A friend gave us a kit to make origami star ornaments and I helped Kaitlyn with those. They were a lot like the paper stars we made in November.

  Another friend asked if I would bring a craft for our kids to do together because one of hers is like Kaitlyn in that he would do crafts all day if allowed and she is like me in the craftiness department. I tried out a dyed snowflake craft with Kaitlyn to make sure it would work and then took all of the supplies over to her house. Kaitlyn and my friend's son were the only kids that wanted to participate in the craft and they were so gung ho, making five or more snowflakes apiece. Definitely a success!

  I am glad that I made this one my goals for the year. It helped me to spend more quality time with my daughter. Now that she's in school and participating in various activities, it's nice to have some fun one-on-one time instead of just doing homework, practicing piano or driving to dance class. She is a creative person and this definitely tapped into an interest that I want her to develop even though I don't share it.

2. Blog at least twice per month

  The beginning of this month I continued to wrestle with my feelings of loneliness. After writing about my feelings, I had a few conversations with others that helped get me in a more positive mindset so that I could see my blessings and choose to focus on those. God is really working in my emotions and thought life. I am excited to see how he continues to grow and change me as I seek him more. I also wrote some thoughts about a book I had the privilege to read and review before it's official release in January.

  I am also glad that I worked on writing this year. It is a passion of mine and something I want to be more consistent in. Setting the goal helped me to be more purposeful and gave me a chance to explore various topics. I learned more about creating graphics (when I realized that you have to be careful about using others' photos without expressed permission). I hope that I can continue to grow in consistency and skill.

3. Grow in gratitude, contentment and generosity

  All three of these attributes are related. As I express gratitude for the good things in my life I grow in contentment of where I am and what I have. This contentment and gratitude combined gives me a desire to serve and give to others out of my blessings. December with it's season of love, joy and hope tends to increase the desire to bless others in meaningful ways.

  Continuing to express my gratitude in written form has benefited me. Writing is always a great way for me to really understand my thoughts and feelings. Journaling the things I am grateful for gives me a positive outlook on my life and God's love for me. I plan to continue with this practice of Immanual Journaling.

  Last month I admitted that I was struggling to feel contentment in my relationships. God has given me insight as I've wrestled with my feelings and I am feeling more appreciative of what relationships I do have as well as considering what my life might look like if God did give me what I think I want. I pictured a busier, more stressful social life with less time to continue to deepen the good relationships I currently have. My trust in God's plans and timing has increased which has helped me to feel more content in where I am and what I have.

  There were many opportunities to be generous to others in December. My family and I took advantage of some of them and also created our own opportunities. I really do think that I have grown in significant ways in using my resources to serve and bless others.

  I was concerned that such an intangible and immeasurable goal would be a real challenge but I am glad that I set it and worked on it throughout the year. I think it's good to consider qualities you would like to be a solid part of your character and look for opportunities to grow in them.


I was quite challenged by my goals this year but am proud for having made progress in most of them. I know I stopped memorizing scripture partway through the year. I aimed high and did not achieve that one but that's okay. I'm giving myself grace and acknowledging that I set more goals than I could manage. 

How did you do this year? What goals did you set and how did you do? Have you chosen a goal for 2017? Share it with me and we can encourage one another next year (once I figure out what my new goals are)!

November Goal Review

October is over. It is the gear up toward the holiday season. It can be a lot of fun but also quite stressful. Let's see how my goals fared this month. If you want to read about previous months' successes and failures, click the appropriate month:  January,  February,  March,  April,  May,  June,  July,  August,  September,  October.


1. One arts and crafts time with the kids each month

  Kaitlyn had to disguise a turkey for school so we worked on that together. Jackson wanted to participate so I gave him some materials to work with while I cut leaves and Kaitlyn cut and glued. Afterward she decided to turn the remaining leaves into a fall crown which she graciously gave to me.

 

  We had some friends over for a play date and decided to make some playdough beforehand for the occasion. The kids chose the colors and mixed the food coloring into the dough. Kaitlyn wanted to make bracelets for her friends so we also got out the beads and went to work. I helped Jackson make his bracelet. The kids enjoyed these projects. Kaitlyn is really beginning to get into the spirit of making and giving things to others. She is excited about being able to give her friends gifts for Christmas.

   My daughter asks if we can do a craft about once per week (the reason I set one of my goals this year to be a monthly craft even though I'm not crafty). When she asked most recently, I had seen a craft on Facebook that I thought we had the supplies for and could do immediately. It was a video of a woman making a star out of paper. I hadn't actually listened to the instructions and when I did (right after telling my daughter we could do a star craft) I learned that the woman used paper bags instead of sheets of paper. I decided we would try to go forward with the project anyway. We decorated fourteen white sheets of paper and then taped them together in pairs on three sides. We glued them together per the instructions, cut off triangles, and tested it out. I'd say it was successful and my daughter thought it was pretty cool (she already wants to make another one).

 

2. Blog at least twice per month

  After October's mental block, the gates seem to have opened a bit for me to express things on my mind and in my life. I'm not doing another writing challenge, but trying to talk about what's going on with me. I wrote a post about a morning I spent in prayer, meditation and communion with God. I also wrote about finding tangible and meaningful ways to love others. I also shared a post about being reminded of where my worth comes from. I still desire for blogging to become a more regular part of my routine but balance is still elusive to me.

3. Grow in gratitude, contentment and generosity

  Continuing to write regularly in my gratitude journal has helped me to stay reminded of all I have to be thankful for. November, obviously, had been a constant reminder of my blessings and freedoms.

  As the Advent season has begun, I do desire to be able to enjoy the remembrance of Christ's birth and the hope that it brings. I desire to remain content throughout this season - content with where I am in all facets of life (geographical location, spiritual, physical), content with what I have (possessions, mental faculties, physical health, relationships), and who I am (imperfect, valuable, loved, accepted human being). That's a lot to try to be content about but if my heart is at peace and rest then I will truly have joy.

  My biggest struggle with contentment has been in my relationships. Because I don't have family nearby, I have to rely on friends for my social life. I have periods where I feel frustrated that it feels like my family only hangs out with others when we do the inviting. I often wonder if others don't entertain or they just don't think to ask us to do things. More than likely they're in a busy season of life. I'm praying that God will help me find contentment in the relationships and social calendar I do have rather than the one I yearn for.

  Since reading Listen, Love, Repeat, I've been trying to be a better listener in order to better discern ways to love, help and serve others. As Christmas approaches, my desire to be more generous has increased. I really want this Advent season to be marked by love and kindness and charity. I want our family to focus on blessing others, on looking outward rather than inward. My six-year-old is excited about the idea of giving friends and family gifts for Christmas. She even asked for chore opportunities so she could earn money to buy gifts for friends. My four-year-old is still focused more on receiving gifts, but that's probably to be expected.


What did you work on achieving in November? Did the Thanksgiving holiday cause setbacks? Are you prepared for working on your goals in December with everything else going on? It will take focus and dedication, but we can finish this year strong!

September Goal Review

We are officially into fall and it's once again time to check in on my goals for the year. You can read about previous months by clicking the links: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August.

1. One arts and crafts time with the kids each month

  I wanted to do something fall related as I love the season but I didn't have a lot of time to come up with something. I decided it might be fun for the kids to make leaf rubbings so I gathered some leaves from around the yard. While they waited for me to get set up they worked on creating additional pictures. They seemed to enjoy leaf rubbing but it did not keep their attention long. .

I think J's favorite part was removing the paper from the crayons.

Self-portrait!

2. Blog at least twice per month

  For the month of September I decided to participate in all of the Friday Five writing prompts given over at MrsDisciple. I had fun writing about quitting as well as women and men I admire. The bookmarks post was fairly easy and did not require as much emotional involvement. The crying prompt, however, was challenging. It took me a bit to figure out what to write about. I am glad that I gave myself this challenge. I don't know whether publishing a post once per week is too much with all of my other responsibilities. I'm still working out all of my responsibilities and time management. I do enjoy writing and sharing I just don't want it to take away from my family. I also wrote a post about a great book I read recently.

3. Grow in gratitude, contentment and generosity

  I do feel like I have a more thankful heart toward God this month. I do still have negative mental rants here and there but it seems that a lot of my prayers include thanksgiving toward God for who he is, his faithfulness and his provision. I have written in my gratitude journal at least once per week. I am trying to appreciate the people in my life and the ways they bless and help me.

I love that my fall decor helps me to remember gratitude.

  I do feel fairly content with where I am. I am in a bit of transition at the moment but I am confident that God will bring me through and the result will be positive. I have what I need and appreciate what I have.

  I have been trying to continue to be generous to those around me with time, thoughtfulness, gifts, and encouragement. I could grow in the generousness of my grace and in thinking the best of those I come in contact with. I need to continue to believe that everyone is doing the best they can and that, if I am witnessing unkindness, then they must be having a bad day and the behavior is an anomaly. That's the kind of grace I would like to receive. I am not usually purposefully unkind or ungracious to others but I have bad days and bad moments.

  My verse memorization has fallen to the back burner. I love God's word and am encouraged by it but keeping this on my plate would be more stressful than helpful right now. Verse memorization tends to come in spurts in various seasons. I know I'll get back to it again for awhile and then take another break. I still know a lot of verses by heart that encourage me.


September's a wrap. How did the month go for you? Did you start a new goal? Let go of an old goal that is just too much write now? What did you accomplish or start in September that you're excited about? Tell me!

Seventh Month Goal Review

We are now in to the second half of the year. Seven months is a long time to work on goals. How have I done? I've recorded each month's summary. Below is July's record. You can read about January, February, March, April,  May and June on the linked pages.

1. One arts and crafts time with the kids each month

  I have been trying to clean out unnecessary items since returning from vacation. The craft closet was waaaay out of control so I wanted to get in there and organize/declutter. I put together a bin of miscellaneous arts and crafts supplies and let the kids go through them to make their own creations this month. I thought J would want to use the paints. He started with Dot paint markers but quickly switched to glitter glue and pom poms when he saw his sister using them. It was nice giving them practically free reign to see what they would come up with. They seemed to enjoy their craft time. We also were able to use or throw away a few things as well. Win-win-win!

The finished creations

   I overachieved (sarcasm) this month and we had a second crafting day where we played around with string and beads. Jackson strung some together for about ten minutes before he became bored. Kaitlyn and I each made a bracelet and a ring. I was impressed at her creativity.

 

K made the pearl bracelet

2. Blog at least twice per month

   I am glad that I cut my very ambitious initial goal of weekly posts in half (per the suggestion of Jon Acuff when I did his 30 Days of Hustle group) before officially declaring my ambition because I would be failing more months than succeeding (thus far I have had four or more non-recurring-type posts only twice in seven months and I doubt they were posted once per week). I have not gotten into a regular writing rhythm yet. I tend to write spontaneously rather than use prompts, which perhaps I should be doing to increase my discipline in writing. I am hoping to be able to write more once both of the kiddos are in school at least part-time in about a month. I enjoy writing and I want my posts to have meaning for me and my audience. I'm sure the quality of my writing would increase with more frequent practice but right now I'm doing what I can.

  Anyway, in addition to monthly and reading reviews I blogged about my self-care epiphany, what I have learned from my 3-year-old about building community and thoughts from ten years of marriage. If you have any suggestions for topics I ought to write about, please leave them in the comment section.

3. Grow in gratitude, contentment and generosity

   I am definitely grateful for my family, our home, my husband's job, etc. I have not kept up with my gratitude prayers this month. I have spent more regular time in prayer journaling and reading the Bible, which definitely includes some thanksgiving.

  Now that I'm back home I have been focusing on decluttering and getting rid of things we don't need. I've done most of the craft closet, the bathroom cabinets, the kids' rooms, our downstairs closet and multiple side table drawers. I've thrown out at least three trash bags from this effort and have a full Goodwill bag. I participated in a consignment sale to get rid of things the kids don't need anymore. I had them go through their clothes and remove things they thought they wouldn't wear anymore. I'm enjoying the process. There's still quite a bit more to go through - my clothes for the second round, pictures and keepsakes, books, whatever's in the attic - but I feel like real progress is being made. I'm trying to make more of an effort to put things back in their newly designated spots so I don't have to root around for them later.

  I believe I mentioned doing some yard saling out west. I didn't buy much at the sales (turns out not a lot of people are around to sell things over the 4th of July weekend). Nothing of note. I did do some shopping at the outlets with my aunt and purchased some clothes for my kids. I feel like I was much more contemplative of potential purchases than in the past.

  We purchased school supplies for our kids and for a church event. I tried to be more purposeful about being flexible with my daily plans/schedule, allowing for suggestions from the kids and opportunities to spend time with others. This is a big challenge for me as I like to push through my agenda (which tends to be me-focused). I'm slowly seeing changes and growth here.

Monthly Verses:

  I have had Ephesians 5:1-2 on the chalkboard in my kitchen since May. I am leaving it up there in the hopes of ingraining it deep into my heart. I could stand to grasp the concept of loving others better.

Ephesians 5:1-2 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.



What goals were you working on in July? Have you added new goals as the year has progressed? Have you completely dropped any goals started in January? Have any suggestions for blog post topics?