Saying goodbye to 2017...

2017 was an incredible year for our little family. We welcomed our miracle, Parker, in January and spent the rest of the year loving on him & getting to know our sweet boy, and settling in with our new roles as parents and, for me, as a stay at home mom. My blog has allowed me to keep channeling my creativity and passion for photography, photo styling and writing, so thank you again to everyone who has been here to support me. Blogging got a whole lot harder this past year (you can read about that here) and I've been trying to decide whether to keep doing it or not, so for those of you who have been here with me, thank you so so much.  You support honestly means so much. 

I took a peek back at my new year's goals that I put forth last January, before Parker arrived. You can read that post here.  The three main goals that I set out to accomplish were to learn how to cook, continue to date my husband, and to take care of myself (self-care) after baby.  These were good goals for this past year and I'd say that I accomplished all of them to some degree. I loved cooking for Todd and trying new recipes this year, but I'd still like to try to have a family dinner at 5-5:30 each night, which I could improve on. Going on a date night every week was a little ambitious, but we've been good about enjoying each other's company after Parker goes down at night and getting a sitter for an occasional night out. I think your marriage must come first in order to be the best parents you can be. I'd like to think that Todd and I do a really good job of making sure things are going well between us so that we can create a peaceful, loving home for Parker to grow up in, that is centered on Christ. I have also been lucky to have a lot of help, mostly from my mom and her husband, so I have time for me as well. This has enabled me to grow my faith by going to BSF and Mom's Morning at church, connecting with other moms, and also helped give me time to workout (BBG) and play tennis. 

2017 was a good year, filled with so many blessings. My heart is very full.

As I start to think about what I want to accomplish in 2018, a few things come to mind...I try to only choose 3 things each year so I am not overwhelmed, so here they are. :) 

Strengthening my Faith & Serving Others - I aspire to think less of myself, and what I want, and more about what God wants for me, and how I can serve others and help them feel the love of Christ. I used to look to material possessions or people for happiness, and I was constantly feeling disappointed and like something was missing in my life, I was always searching for more. When I turned to Christ, He fulfilled me in a way that nothing else could. This has also helped me want to serve others and extend His love. Serving and loving others not only blesses them, but blesses you, too and I've experienced this first hand. 

To be more Present 
As a new parent, I try to spend time reflecting - and one of the questions I ask myself is, if I were to look back, are there any things I am doing that I would regret or want to change? The one thing that comes to mind is the amount of time I spend on my phone. I noticed this early on after I had him, and have made a conscious effort to try and only go on my phone when he's napping or in the care of others, but I can do better. My emails, Pinteresting and Instagramming can wait. Parker is growing up so quickly I don't want to miss out on all of these moments. He deserves to have my full attention. And, the less time I can spend on my phone and getting caught up in the evils that come with it - comparison, in particular, the better for both me and my family. 

Hydrate
This one is rather light compared to the other two goals, but I really want to drink more water! I drink a lot of coffee and Spindrift sparkling water but I really want to drink plain water because I think the benefits are so great. I'm hoping to infuse water with different flavors to help make it more flavorful and enjoyable to drink. I want to try to stick to only 1 big cup of coffee in the morning and then drink water throughout the day. I totally quit soda, but love sparkling water... now I just need to drink more plain water. I'm hoping it helps hydrate my skin and just help my body and energy. I could also forego my evening glass of wine more often, too. 

Here's to a happy & healthy 2018, filled with love!
Thanks for reading. 
Lindsay