Goals 2018

Before writing this post, I looked back at some of my past year's goals...yeah...I feel like writing a big fat TRY AGAIN over them or just copy and pasting them here!!  But that's boring and doesn't make for an exciting post...so....how about I just write some of the new ones here?  If you feel like it you can take a look at the older ones here.  Before I spit out a big to do list for 2018, I'd like to highlight what went well in 2017.
I cleaned and purged in the alcove!  That means I emptied the huge bin of mostly kid papers and projects that I moved to our new house 2 years ago!!  This felt sooooo soooo soooo good, even if it took me forever to do it.  School papers are better organized now and have a real home.  I'll be ironing on that latest "You're a grown-up!" badge real soon. 
Dave helped me in a big way to get a garden cage up.  I really hope this year to get some things started in the house.  Overall, the garden is set up and ready for the next year.  Big win for someone who 'has to' grow stuff!
We camped quite a few times w/family and friends - this was so good for my soul - I really hope we can plan out more of this in 2018.  I like the long trips too, but sometimes a girl just needs to see her besties and hearing the kids make mischief w/their cousins is definitely priceless.
I've been able to get to bible study w/some women from church on a semi-regular basis.  Still working on relationships and my own personal faith journey, but meeting w/people IRL is a good thing.
Guys - I've been cooking!!!  COOKING!!!!!  Now don't go thinking I mean that fancy pants restaurant kind of stuff, I'm talking casseroles, quiches and Mexican dishes, but being that we are at the Y at least twice a week for a number of hours, I've pushed myself to make real food for my family.  I even tried a new thing today!  I'm getting to be a master of all things 9 x 13...another 'grown-up achievement level' unlocked!  Where's my bouncing star and tinkly electronic theme song? 
I've been decorating the house...there are pictures on the wall...still no decorating theme or coordinating put together rooms but I'm trying!  I am even thinking of hiring a professional for some advice.  I'm ready for grown-up furniture (bought one piece already) and an actual 'style'.  Other than "I'm too lazy to do this, I have no interest, and no eye for what looks good", that is.
Alright!  Now for some new stuff!  First of all, the kids are doing well.  It's been 2 years since we added to the family and we've reached a loose routine and sense of peace in the house.  I know I can step up my game as a momma and some of my goals are related to that.  I'll begin meeting Moses at the library after school to work on his online Spanish class next semester.  I need to carve out at least 10 minutes a week w/each kid.  That sounds easy, but Lord help me, my scrambled brain can never remember to slow down and focus.  I steal moments here and there but so much of our lives happen in a group...it just needs to be a priority for me to make that connection w/each one on purpose.  Another thing I'd like to do more of is hosting people in our home for meals, Bible study or 'play dates' for the kids.  Hang outs?  Are they too old to say play dates?  Maybe!  We are always willing to have people over but I feel like I need to make everything BETTER for that to happen.  "Maybe when we get better furniture....maybe when we re-paint in here....maybe when it's not so muddy outside..."  This year I commit to trying to host someone(s) once a month!  We already hosted a family in the month of Jan, I think...which means I need to get working on a Feb date!  I feel like that one is not a super new goal, but oh well.  Here's another one - get active more.  I think this one will be a little bit easier this year, for various reasons.  Back in the day, I used to run.  I miss it and wonder if my 40yo self can muster up the strength and energy to get back to where I left off?  I once set the goal for a sub 30min 5K and came really close!  I think I technically achieved it but didn't count it for some reason.  I'll have to look that up.  Anyway - living on a country road, I still need to decide if I want to run along the shoulder out there or just drive the 3 mi to town to run on sidewalks.  That seems ridiculous but there is pretty much no shoulder on our road, just a big ditch!  Road running sounds better right now, but we'll see when I actually do it.  Finally, a big goal I have never written down but always wanted to do - design a photo book for each year since I met Dave.  I'm talking about setting it up online and having it printed.  I can't stand the thought of sitting in front of a screen editing a year's worth of photos but I know my kids love the photo books Nana has made!!  It would be totally worth it, even if there were only 100 photos in the book.  (Dude, I take THOUSANDS of photos each year, granted, not all of them are keepers, but narrowing it down to 100 for each year would be tough!!)  Lots to do in 2018!!!  Can't wait to get started on all the good stuff!!