Hopes and Prayers for the New Year

Looking forward to this new year we are in, I wanted to make resolutions without "making resolutions". 

In other words, I don't want to make a change for this year, I want to change for life! My goals this year are:

~ To be easier on myself.
       Stop over achieving, stop stressing over things, be more adaptable and just be realistic on what I can/should accomplish each day but being careful to not become selfish.

~Take more time with the littles.
       This one goes hand in hand with the above. In trying to get everything done in the day, it's been robbing precious time with my littles. Every day they are getting older, every day that passes by is another day I won't ever have with them again. The last load of laundry can wait for tomorrow, I can fold whats in the laundry basket later and read that book now. I can't get lost time back, but I can make more time in the future!

~Change our diet.
       We have to go 100% organic due to the pesticides one the conventional foods that I am seriously allergic to, but I'd like the entire family to be organic, not just myself. Also, I'd like to get low sugar to sugar free in our family. The sugar that we do use, will be organic but hardly used except on those special occasions (Holidays, birthdays, etc). We will still use dairy, but at a lower rate than we do now, unless we get our own milk cow or goat.

~Become more self-sufficient.
       I miss having my own garden. It cut down our food bill (and was organic) so drastically! Now that we have to buy specific organic items, it is really hurting our budget! I also miss having our own chickens. I loved watching them peck around the yard and I absolutely loved getting the fresh eggs! Along this path, I've been introduced to permaculture and I want to learn more about it. The idea that I can garden, raise animals, etc and have it all benefit each other is really neat!

~Slow down

       This one ties it all together. More time with the littles and family, healthier eating, sustainable living, more peace and realistic thinking. Basically more balance in life. Our culture is so fast paced, its nauseating just thinking about the constant breakneck speed and microwave type thinking we are surrounded by and in the middle of. Not for me, I want off that crazy cycle and get back to the basics. Faith, Family, Friendships.

Now, some of my hopes for the year are:

~To get a garden, no matter what type, growing this spring.

~To get our own property to start "homesteading" on.

~To get chickens again.

~To finish some of my old sewing projects this year before starting new ones.

~To involve my littles in tasks, so they can start learning what interests them the most.

~To read 1-2 books a month.

~To finish training our choclate lab.

Over all my hopes and prayers for this coming year are all intertwined together somehow. Putting things down in print/on paper, really helps to clarify what you want to do.

I am so excited for this coming year and the adventures and secrets it holds! Hang on tight, because 2015 is here!

~KT~