Citrus study | 2016 goals

  I just re-read the goals I set for myself in 2015.  And I laughed.  I could cut and paste those again here for 2016 for the most part.

  I find winter to be a very BLAH time for me.  Bundled up and feeling the opposite of cozy, desperate to get some fresh air, but way too much of a wimp to bear the weather for too long.  The darkness very much affecting my mood.  The trees are bare, colorless, lifeless.  I literally think that every time I look outside.

   And then there is this.  Beauty.  Bounty.  Fruit.  Sweetness.  Freshness.  Flavor.  Color.  And to me that is life.  (Found these in our backyard.  First fruits from that tree.)

     These beauties are from Whole Foods.  Our satsuma tree ran out of fruit long ago...

   Our meyer lemons.  Biggest harvest yet.  It is now time to zest and juice for the year again.  Our juice from last year lasted all the way until these were ripe again.

  It is easy for me to be pessimistic this time of year, but I am so glad that the intermittent days of sun and this beautiful citrus give me glimpses of my normal optimism and a boost for motivation to be a better me.  Thinking about New Years goals came a little bit slower for me this year, but here we go.

  I must say that I pretty much failed at many of the goals I set for last year.  I did have one that was permanently etched in the back of my head all year after putting it on the blog and that was not eating added sugar for a week each month.  I did it!!  And that was life changing.  After doing that, I now know how to just cut it out for a time.  I am not going to do it again this year, but I have already said no to it for a few days to recalibrate.  There are so many life lessons that could be taught right there!

Some personal goals for this year:
-Teaching my children that I am not a perfect mother, but God is the perfect father
-Reading through the New Testament (our church has this plan that they gave after I already decided I was going to do this)
-Reading a devotional every morning when I wake up (doing this one currently)
-Saying no to sugar more consistently (and not going for broke afterward)
-Waking up at a consistent time throughout the week (I really hope I can make this goal longer than one week!)
-Crafting out of my personal overflow, not trying to please others (and actually finishing what I start)
-Having more family discussions/conversations at the dinner table (not just etiquette school time)
-Cooking/baking more with my kids (and being okay with making bean quesadillas for dinner too!)
-Finishing the decorating of Ava's 1 year scrapbook (all the pictures are in, but no dates and it is not cute and pretty and washi taped!)
-Saying NO to stuff I don't need, even if they are the Frye boots that are on sale for the best price you ever did see!  Better yet, not even looking at it.  (This is gonna be a tough sell.  Did I ever tell you that online sale shopping is a talent of mine!)

  And lastly, and this one is less tangible, but it is this.  Pouring myself out completely, but still feeling whole at the end.  Giving myself to my family and others, but not exhausting myself with reckless abandon.  Living on mission in the community, but not losing my mission at home.  Doing this will allow me to serve with all of my heart; joyfully and repeatedly.  Us mothers, can live this life doing everything for others and feel so empty.  I actually do want to be emptied out, but not because the life is sucked out of my very being.  It is more that I want to give all that I have, but also be open enough to be filled up along the way; quickly and easily.  The answer here is not always proper self-care or carving out time for self (but it sometimes definitely is).  This is about saying no to the things that are not as important and prioritizing.  Giving everything I have to the things that mean everything to me.  That is my hope this year.

  Cheers to 2016!