As we are all busy getting into the swing of things for a new year and trying to stick to those goals we made just a week ago, I wanted to share my hopes for the new year. For the past couple of years I have come up with a word for the year that is my focus and sums up what this coming year will be about for me. Last year, my word was CHERISH because I was pregnant with our third baby (and possibly the last for our family) and I wanted to cherish every minute of that last pregnancy and the birth of our son. I wanted to soak in life with a newborn because I knew that my life would slow down a lot and my focus would be mainly on my family. I wanted to remember to cherish every minute of the baby snuggles and nursing moments and seeing my three babies all together. There are different seasons in your life and this past year was a season where I had to learn to slow down, not take as many projects and live through some hard feelings of loneliness so that I could come out on the other side of it and be able to give to others. I know what it’s like to be in the depths of motherhood and to feel as though you’ve given up all of yourself just do dig down deeper and find your true worth and beauty. So as I look forward to this new year, my word is JOY. I chose this word for a few reasons because I want to find joy in the everyday moments and this busy phase of motherhood that I’m in right now of juggling three little kids - two different school schedules, a baby napping and nursing schedule, lessons, homework, diaper changes, cleaning up messes, wiping tears, planning meals, doing dishes, managing schedules, and keeping the home organized. I want to choose joy in seeing my husband after a long day of work and it’s 8:00 and I’m exhausted from a full day and doing the nighttime routine by myself. I want to try and be even more prepared and organized for each day so that I can juggle my own work and our family with joy. I want to feel the joy that the spirit brings into our home as we dive into a bible based gospel study with our kids to draw closer to Christ this year. And I want to just find JOY in this beautiful journey that we are on as I realize that the years are flying by now and our children are growing up way too fast, so I want to take each moment as an imprint in my mind so I remember that joy I felt in each of those little moments. I hope you all have an amazing new year and I can’t wait to share all of the exciting things that are in store!!