New year reflections

It wouldn't be a fresh start to a new year if all of my coffeemakers didn't stop working at once, right? 

Plus, an ice storm. Wouldn't be Missouri without miserable weather...

2024 probably wasn't great. What a downer I am. I mean, our dog passed away. We spent most of the year shuttling him to the vet, it seems. I feel like last January started off okay but with the end of winter, I got super down about the impending spring and summer. I loathe spring and summer in Missouri. I don't really like warm weather at all at this point in my life. Maybe it's the Pennsylvania in me. (Honestly, I'd move back to Pittsburgh if given the choice right now. And I really felt that when I was driving two small kids back to Missouri this week. A 3 hour trip to Pittsburgh trumps a 2 day drive to Missouri any day.)

I want to go back to work less than I ever have. If it weren't for Wells being in 1st grade and wanting him to finish the year strong, I don't know...You could probably tell by my airing of grievances that I'm just kind of over all of it. There is no good way to teach kids whose parents refuse to parent. It can't be done. And when the expectations for kids are in the basement, no amount of "start fresh! finish strong! testing is in 3 months!" can motivate me. Add in the fact that the workload placed on me is more than the workload placed on others...maybe my motivation cannot be motivated.

I'm going to just Start Fresh with the idea that I can control what I can and that's kind of it (Sutton excluded; Sutton cannot be controlled :)

Splitting the year into quarters, here's what I'm working on for the first 3 months:

1. Keep rotating my closet. Nothing unexcites me more than this. But nothing is more annoying that spending money on clothes I don't/won't wear. I did add some new pieces last month:

All from Stitchfix. 

Then, I saw a reel about buying clothes that fit who you are, not who you want to be. So I went to TJ Maxx and bought two Free People-ish sweatshirts and a pair of Calvin Klein sweatpants. 

I'm not excited to get dressed for work at all. I prefer dressing for winter so it's not the season. I'm just tired of putting on clothes at 6:30am and wearing them all day? Is that weird? That sounds weird. 

But I did get these wide leg pull-on jeans that I am thoroughly enjoying. Cannot recommend enough. I got a small and I'm 5'6". 

2.  I found a simple Bible reading plan and I've kept up with it so far. It does Old Testament + New Testament + a Psalm each day. 

3.  Three workouts a week. I'm really bad about procrastinating workouts until evening and then nothing gets done. I prefer to work out in the evening, but I think I need to do the 5:30am thing for real this year. I'm thinking maybe I can manage 3 days a week. This is what I plan on using. I discovered her when I was pregnant in 2022 but her workouts are challenging. I recommend her channel for anyone in any season! 

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I think that's good to ease into a new year. We'll see what the 2nd quarter brings. 

It is funny, as we move into 2025, to think that we’ll have been married for 16 years in May. If we move this summer, it’ll make 8 states and 9 houses in those 16 years. Orders aren't official yet, which is a big part of why I'm taking 2025 one quarter at a time. 

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What are your goals for 2025?