2023 Resolutions Recap & 2024 Resolutions Reveal

 1) Consolidate my TBR list in one place (combine Goodreads & amazon list into one) 1 point!

The list is now consolidated as a Google Doc - next I need to make progress reading off it!

2) Read 6 non-fiction books & at least 36 books total in 2023 (3 per month, non-fiction every other month) 1 point!

Non-Fiction: Everybody Fights by Kim and Penn Holderness, Making a Scene by Constance Wu, Habits of the Household by Justin Earley, Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow, Friendshipping by Jenn Bane & Trin Garritano, Homecoming by Eddie Huang, Searching for Sunday by Rachel Held Evans, The In-Between by Hadley Vlahos, and Momfluenced by Sara Petersen

Full list on Goodreads (this is likely not everything I read in 2023, I am terrible about logging my books https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/42119019 )

3) Finish 2 prayer or bible study guides (similar to none like him, or praying psalms over your kids) 1 point!

Abide by Jen Wilkin, A Lent Bible app study & Calm my Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow. These were the books for the women’s bible studies in the spring and fall at church, and setting this resolution led me to ask about having an evening women’s bible study (they have traditionally met Tuesday mornings) which has been a good experience for me this year.

4) Complete the 5x5x5 Navigators New Testament 52 week reading plan (5 days, 5 minutes, 5 ways to read) 0 points

I did well in January and then failed to complete it because of a lack of accountability! See how I am aiming to change that next year.

5) Consistently use the Blogilates 2023 Fit Planner (at least 75% by year end, including her daily workouts) 0 points

This planner was WAY too much for me. I love the idea of daily fitness logging, but I think the macro tracking and food logging in this book wasn’t good for me.

6) Get to a 10 minute mile consistent pace for a 5K (Finish a timed, race 5K in ~30 min) 0 points

I only did one timed 5K this year, for St. Patrick’s day (picture below), which did not meet the goal. According to MapMyRun, my best mile time is still ~11 minutes on average, with a more standard time of ~13:30 for the majority of my runs. I aim to focus on distance, rather than speed, next year, but sometimes distance gets me speed over time.

7) replace 2 household appliances (examples: dishwasher, dryer, washer, fridge - joint goal with Ryan) 1 point! We replaced ALL of the appliances this year, and our deck. 

8) Build up supply of water/food in basement storage for the family to survive 3 days (joint goal with Ryan) 1 point! Will need to periodically review it to update expiration dates.

9) Clean & organize basement storage room, guest room closet, and my closet (joint goal with Ryan) 1 point!

This made space in the basement for a huge Lego setup! I had my Christmas village on display and will be trying out other displays and build setups with all this space.

10) Finish Stephanie's knit blanket by Christmas 2023 0.5 points - pivoted to a baby blanket but finished the project!

No extra credit points were earned this year, but that is why those were “extra” and not real set goals.

I did complete my fifth triathlon - at the slowest pace of all five - but I did it! And I have been swimming regularly, but not timing myself, just swimming to keep myself from drowning in triathlons. I got an audible subscription and I listened to parts of 12 books - but I didn’t finish all 12, so I’m not giving myself a point here. And I got two bread kits from a fundraiser for Max’s school that *did* use yeast, but because they were kits, I am not sure those should really count either? And I didn’t do any long bike rides, mostly because my new bike doesn’t have the toddler trailer attachment, and I need that. 

And now to reveal the 2024 Goals:

1. Read through the Bible (with a partner! My friend Julie is doing this with me and I hope that this partnership helps me stick to it better than last year)

2. Read 12 books off of my TBR list (bonus point if at least 6 are non-fiction)

3. 500 hours outside (got pretty close to this one in 2023 so setting it as a specific goal this year)

4. Set a PR for a half marathon (half point for just finishing a half marathon - registered for May!)

5. Write Max one letter for the future each month (I did this during his first year, “letters to my baby”, and I have the “letters to my son” book to complete, plus two more “letters for your birthday” and “letters to read when”)

6. 1000 books before kindergarten challenge! (Max is still a few years from kindergarten but we can aim for 1000 books this year anyways!)

7. Memorize 12 Bible verses with Max (We memorized two this year for Sunday School, Genesis 1:1 and Matthew 1:23b, aiming for one a month next year)

8. Finish at least one unfinished quilt project (I have so many WIPs and I want to finish at least one by the end of the year)

9. Enter a Lego show of some kind (Joint goal with Ryan. Ideas include BrickFest, an LGMS train show, or the B&O train garden - we have the Lego basement of my dreams now with drawers and tables)

10. Do a Whole 30 month (this is the goal I am the most uncertain about, so it might not

            happen, but I am curious to research and possibly try this)

A Letter to My Past Self

 

Every year on my birthday I write myself letters in the future - sometimes one, sometimes five, sometimes ten years into the future. Sometimes all three, when I'm ambitious. This year I read the letter from myself at 21, and I had to laugh because little 21 year old me couldn't imagine being this old. So I thought I'd write back, to let 21 year old me know what's going on.

Dear Twenty-One -

Love how you assumed I'd read the birthday letter in the morning, because that used to be the first thing we did in the morning. Now it's not, we got up and got our kiddo dressed, did a while day of mothering, and then we got around to reading the birthday letter at around 10:30 at night. You asked if I remember your birthday, and I do - I remember trying to take the drivers test and failing it and asking them if they would turn my learners permit so that I could get carded for legal drinking. And yes, we're most certainly still in touch with all of the ladies who celebrated with us! Just last weekend we celebrated again with some of them, and were texted by others - they all remember you. We didn't check in with Zach this year but we found a new birthday pal Emma in our MOPS group.

I think you didn't want to make any assumptions about where life would be - when I was you, we knew Ryan already, but were afraid to assume anything about where that relationship would land. Well, 21, I can tell you that it landed us in what's coming up on an eight year marriage, with a two year old son, and a house on a cul-de-sac where we're slowly but surely building a community of friends. Not only that, 21, but you're in school, working your tail off to earn a degree, wondering if you'll be one of the women who flames out or if you'll manage to make it. We made it. We work in the computer science/cyber field still, and are getting to do all kinds of awesome reasearch into what the rise of generative AI might mean for the future. It's absoutely amazing. Like you, I have a hard time imagining what 41 will look like, but I hope that we can look back with as much gratitude as this letter from you has made me feel. Life isn't all peaches and cream (potty training is the worst, and check my most recent to-do list at work as it's quite stressful), but it is mostly very sweet, and made sweeter by sisters bringing nieces into the picture. Auntie life is best life. 

You're going to do so much growing and maturing in the next ten years, and all of those elements will be what makes you become me. As hard as some things have been (go read the letter that 26 wrote to 27 just two weeks after dad died, that's a tough one), I wouldn't change the past ten years. 

Love, Thirty-One