Happy New Year and praying this year is better for us all! 2020 was a rough one all around. So much has happened, and yet so little at the same time. Our world is changing every day that's for sure. We hope 2021 brings you good health, well being, and joy! I'm exciting to get the year going and make some real changes to my life, my self, and my home.
I'm super excited, if you can't tell, to get started on some new Goals this year. Not resolutions, but actual real goals I know with hard work, prayer, support, and love I can accomplish. Join me in the fun, or at least some of it if you wish. I can't really put them in order of importance, excitement, or completion. I'm just excited about them all so here we go.....
Updating my blog - more/better than I did last year. wowzers I hardly updated the blog last year, and that's sad. I'm not sure if that's due to Covid, the adoption process slowed, or lack of enthusiasm. I apologize for that, it seems like it was such a busy year, yet we didn't do much lol. I did find an open post that I had started and picked back up after a few months but I'll submit that one for a later date. With Gotcha days around the corner and January being my longing for China month I've come back to read some of my prior posts. I don't want my little journal journey to be just around those months but throughout the years. I better actually make time for this and other goals through the year.
Contentment journaling - something similar to Rachael Cruz's Contentment Journal but without the big cost of having to buy her book. I have this great empty Prayer Journal, that was donated at work and sadly I've had it for a while, like at least a year +. At the end of each day I'd like to record/focus on my blessings, prayers, others need, "needs improvement", and contentment.
Budget - we've been working on this one for a few years, but wow last year kind of blew it up a bit. We have some great goals in this area and I'm super excited to start working on it. Time to get that debt out of our lives. Love to see how we'll be done with a few things this year, including the dreaded car payment... I can not tell you how excited I am about the budget. It's crazy seeing it all mapped out but wow I can't wait to start the "tight budget" talk again. The boys are aware of it as well, they remind each other when they have an "I want that" moment. I'm thankful we had started one before Joe lost his job last year and covid happened, and sad that had we I stuck to it a bit better we wouldn't be starting again. But lesson learned, as I tell the boys Pick yourself up, Dust yourself off, and start over again.. We will get it this time!
Devotions - I would love, love, love more time. I just need to make it a priority and get it done. This will probably go hand in hand with the above journaling. The goal is to get up earlier in the am, before the boys Lord willing, so I have time for my devotions. Maybe I'll do my journaling as well. I just need to get my bum out of bed, or get my bum to bed earlier the night before lol for this to happen. It's good that Joe is up early for his work, that will help get me moving as well. The trick to this will be the boys NOT waking up with me like they currently do.
Purge - there are SOOOOO many things that I could purge in this house. Joe and I recently watched The Minimalists: Less is Now on Netflix, thanks for that Julie 😉 Good motivation in that program. There were 2 ideas/challenges I got from the show that I would love to try. Remove 1 item from your home every day for 30 days, and project 333 where you wear only 33 items for 3 months. Horrifying 😱for some of you, and exciting 💪for others maybe!? I know a few cloths horses that would wonder why on God's green earth I would want to shrink my wardrobe like that 😄 👗👒👢👠. Why not I say how fun will this be. You pick 33 items and only wear them over a 3 month period. The rules say this includes clothing, accessories, jewelry, shoes, and outer wear. However, I've found a few others that say tweak it a bit, like one women who loved jewelry and had a huge collection, she didn't include those items in her 33. I don't own a lot of jewelry so I could pick 2 and be good. the 33 items wouldn't include underwear, sleep/relaxing cloths, and work out cloths. It looks like you can trade items out as well, so I guess I should learn a bit more about it first. But I'm excited to try it.
Reconnect with Friends - this will probably be one of my harder goals to accomplish. Let's be real here, I'm a working mom with a busy growing family. Most days when I finish work I'm tired from either being up with Joe at 5am or multiple wake ups from little feet in my back. I should add "get him to stay in his bed" as one of my goals. 😜 seriously though the kid and his moving around when we don't catch him walking into our room.. anyway to get back on track...... I don't mean to ignore/forget my friends and family, I really don't, so my apologize if you feel that way. 😞 It was never my intent! I would really like to take a more purposeful approach to getting to know my old long time, long lost, and new friends again. Not that all of you are old, I meant old as in we've know each other a long time.
More ME time - I think we should all have this goal, if you don't get enough already! And NO, driving to/from work does not count. Grocery shopping does, for me at least. I love to grocery shop alone... I find it very relaxing, I can go at my own pace and stretch it out sometimes. The trick is to get out the door without others following.. Also - working from home doesn't count either, even if there are only your 4 legged kiddos in the house with you.. We recently went to the Asian store and were walking down the coffee aisle. Oh China coffee you are the best.... Reminds me of being in our room those first few days in Beijing 2015. Just Joe and I, and coffee. So quiet... so good..... That was some good me time, cuz really I was always up first when it was just the two of us. I haven't had a good Me and Coffee moment in a while... It's so sad really, a tragedy. I do love me some coffee. Although I did try a cream freeze at Biggby the other day and WOW those are good too.. That was a good me moment! 🍹
Move more.. wouldn't we all like to do that. last year we did a lot more sit/stay than move. We did get out for some fun family time with nature before Joe started working again. That was a ton of fun, and what we need to do more of. My last Dr. visit was good, I am a very healthy fat person thank you very much! Hence the "move more" title to this one. The boys and I had some fun sledding this year, more than we have the past 2 years combined. Love the time with them outside and thankful I didn't break Cheng's sled going down the hill and over the jump we made. 😆
Find out little girl 💕🙏😇- this will be a big one, as we can't control this time line, but it's still a goal for us. We have viewed some files over the months, which has given us so good insight and knowledge on different needs we hadn't thought or learned about. We updated our home study a few months ago, and got our USCIS extension, so we're good on those for a bit. We really hope and pray we find her, or him if that's God's will, before we have to update again. I feel for all the parents who are matched already and have had to wait even longer to bring their kids home. Especially those who were just completing their travel arrangements. Our 6 year Gotcha for Nian is coming soon and I so remember all those feelings, struggles, tears, nerves, and excitement as we were preparing those last few weeks before taking that life changing flight. I long to go back there every January I can't even begin to explain it. We've been paper pregnant for almost 2 years now, and should be in our last year. Talk about a long trimester!
I have also started a swear jar, 25cents a word. For me, not the kids, in case you wondered. 😉 Yes, you would be correct in guessing there is quite a bit of money in it already. But not as much as there would have been last year! Bahahaha... I can usually rack up about $1-$2 in a single trip if it's an every bad driver needs to be in front of Becky day. Not sure what we'll do with the money yet, probably put it toward something in the budget lol.
The boys and I have enjoyed binge watching Nailed It on Netflix. I highly recommend it if you haven't watched it. Whesss.... Cheng likes to do the count down 5 4 3 2 1 You Done! lol such a fun show. We also watched Soul which was super good, and they love the Disney shorts especially Lou, Bao, and Loop.
Both boys are getting special dental work, let me tell you how excited that makes me... Cheng is getting a spacer, which isn't too bad. Nian however has an expander, and will be getting headgear for overnight, along with braces as they prepare his mouth for upcoming hard palate surgery. Thank God for good insurance... They are on their last week of cohorts for school and go back to 4 day in person next week. Still have Wednesday via the YMCA which is provided by the district. Joe just filled out paperwork to start working for his company directly. He's been working for them via a temp sort of route. We're hopeful this will come with a slight raise. We are looking forward to some outdoor adventures in the months to come with us all being off work/school a few times.
Thanks for taking the time to catch up with us. I hope your able to share our continued journey. We appreciate your continued thoughts, prayers, love, and support as we once again travel this adoption journey.
Blessing to you and your families,
Joe, Becky, Isabel, Nian, Cheng, and little sister
 |
| Oh Lord help us... |
 |
| Happy |
 |
| New |
 |
| Year! |
 |
| Before haircut |
 |
| After haircut. |
 |
| 1st Covid haircut, I'd be in so much trouble if I showed you the before pic.. lol |
 |
| We have ducks.... |
 |
| we were SUPER excited to finally be able to watch this |
 |
| A fun day of play! |
 |
| Warm fall day at the outlet to get Lindor chocolate. I shouldn't have to explain but I will anyway No one was around us and put their masks back up after I took the picture. 😉 |
No comments:
Post a Comment