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Thursday, January 8, 2015

Goals, Plans, Ideas, Dreams (Bring it on, 2015!)

A couple weeks ago, I wrote a few posts looking back on 2014 - what I wrote about and what I learned.  I've been inspired by some other lovely bloggers to look ahead now to the new year and to jot down some of the things I hope to accomplish this year.  I'd love it if you check out my ideas, but honestly, I'm excited to just start this list for myself.  I hope to update is as more things come up and intend (we'll see if it happens) to come back at the end of the year to "check off" what I followed through with.

So, here's looking at 20 things I'm planning on for 2015 in some loosely organized categories... 


for my spiritual and personal well-being...

1. Continue reading my new copy of Lisa Hendey's A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms.  I'm only on the second week, but already I think this is going to be a lovely book for me and for sharing with my family.  - AND - Read the daily meditations from In Conversation with God.  I know I probably won't get to these every day, but I really want to make them a priority again because I think I can honestly say that this series is the best spiritual reading I have encountered.  The spirituality of St. Josemaria - upon which the medications are based, - is so practical, relevant, and convicting.  

2. Use the elliptical in the basement!   (It will feel so great and you know it, Theresa!) 


for the spiritual life of our family...

3. Every four to six weeks invite a Catholic family to join us for Saturday afternoon Confession and a casual dinner at our house afterward.   We did this during Advent and Russ and I have been convicted that it's an important and awesome thing to continue.  We'll get to confession on a more regular basis, it will give our children the opportunity to see other kids (their young friends) participating in the Sacramental life of the church, and it will help us connect with families that we may not otherwise see (for some reason it seems less intimidating for me to have families over in this casual way than a more traditional dinner for guests.)  

4. We are going to start celebrating our Baptism days with a special dessert and a renewal of the Baptismal vows by Baptismal Candlelight (if I can find them...)   And so that I don't forget...  

    February 2 - Dominic
    March 2 - James 
    April 14 - me
    April 15 - Russ (the dad)   
    April 18 - Ruth
    June 10 - Clare
    September 24 - Aaron

(what would you do about the April situation?  Lump them together?  Lump the parents together and give Ruth her own day?)  

5. Stick to a weekly family prayer time.  We've chosen Tuesday nights.  We've decided to keep the format short: prayer to the Holy Family, everyone offers three intentions - something they're thankful for, something they're praying for, and asking for grace and strength in improving in a specific virtue / overcoming a particular sin or struggle.  We'll close by offering a decade of the Rosary for all of our intentions.
  
6. I will figure out a spot to have a small home altar and arrange one.  I was really inspired by the beautiful simplicity of this one :) 

7. Have the kids help make our new Stations of the Cross before Lent starts (so our beautiful art prints don't sit around for another year...)  


for the well-being of our family...

8. We will continue our weekly family meetings.  So far we've only have two, but they have been so valuable and enjoyable!

9. We won't have desserts during the week unless it's a special occasion.  I will serve a homemade dessert every Sunday.

10. We will read at least four picture books a day, ideally one will about about a Bible story, a saint, or some other Faith-related topic.

11. Read aloud goals: I will finish The Chronicles of Narnia with the boys (we're currently in the middle of The Horse and His Boy) and will start The Little House books with the girls.  

12. We will aim for at least one family game night a month.


for fun and lifelong learning...

13. We will try our hand at making dill pickles for the first time!  (plan to use this recipe)

14. We will do our best to get to another hot air balloon festival launch.  




ideas for blogging...

15. Get 100 Likes on my facebook page.  Yay!  We did it!  Thanks everyone!  

15.  regroup and reorganize my posts into easier-to-find categories with easy access on the side bar (like this!)

16. clean up and organize my pages at the top

17. run my "10 Days of Family Friendly Soups" series in January while the weather is still cold and moms are still trying to figure out what to set out for dinner!  (have another fun series planned for February!!)


other...

18. Clean up, organize, and de-clutter my craft room (I don't need ALL the supplies)

19. Make myself a whole bunch of crocheted dish cloths instead of buying more.  I really need some new dish cloths... 



20.  Embroider something.  


And for the things that are on the probably-never-will-happen end of the spectrum so don't deserve to be numbered... but I can dream, dream, dream...

Re-paint the interior of the house.  almost every room.  

Replace the living room furniture.  (dream, dream, dream...)

Re-Do the Kitchen:
   paint the walls
   deal with our pealing kitchen cupboards like she does on this blog here.
  re-finish the laminate kitchen counters something like this (though it sounds really involved...)
   and all the other stuff... a back splash, new sink faucet, and new lighting  (dream, dream, dream...)

12 comments:

  1. Oh so many thoughts and questions:)
    3) What a LOVELY idea!
    4) I'd combine you and Russ and give Ruth her own day
    6) Not happy with our own altar set up either, looking out for a high, small table type 'thing', see why I'm not finding anything;)
    8)Love to know more about the ones you've had:)
    10) Making the same pact here
    12) Great idea! need to do that too!
    15) How did you get so much 'visualisation'?
    16) If you are wanting to do drop nav bar like mine I'll happily hold your hand and send code etc.
    18) De-cluttering here too! Makes me happy, the kids, not so much;)
    Dream on my friend, that's what makes us happy:)

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    1. Thanks for the feedback, Erin!

      Regarding the family meeting, we've only had two, but are planning to continue with this format: prayer to the Holy Family; review of what we talked about last week (the things we wanted to work on); anyone has the chance to mention things that have been going well lately; Russ talks about the things we need to work on (ex; this week it was 1) running in the house - somehow gets out of control each year when the weather turns cold and we're inside more 2) reminding everyone to turn their clothes right-side out before putting them in the dirty laundry; then we chat about things that are coming up; and end with another quick prayer. I'd say they've been about 1/2 hour but we've really had some very delightful conversations!

      As for 15, I wasn't sure what you meant? What I liked about the site I linked to was that she had the photos on the right for 10-ish (?) categories - homeschooling, fitness, sewing, etc... instead of the "cloud" of topics like I have at the right. I like the idea of simplifying the categories and using photos :)

      Hope all your plans for the new year are blessed!

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  2. Wow! You are ambitious! Good luck! I love the idea of the weekly prayer (will you do a daily, too, or just weekly? Curious!) and the monthly dinner idea is beautiful!

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    1. Yeah, there's enough here to keep us busy for the year!
      We're adding the weekly prayer time on to the other very basic things we do - prayer before school lessons, prayer before meals, and prayers at bedtime. Our bedtime prayers are not all together - we do them separately in the boys and girls room - so this will be an evening time where we'll pray all together and will focus on intentions.

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  3. My dish cloths look like yours. :)

    I wish you well in these endeavors!

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    1. Thanks! I'm interested to see how the year plays out :)

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  4. Love the monthly dinner idea and getting your alter together. I need to do that and we're hoping to have friends over once a month outside of bible study this year. I love how you add confession to it though. How beautiful! And I love that you'll be celebrating baptism days. We celebrate the boys but have never done our own. Definitely should get on that ;)

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    1. Thanks, Amanda! I'm really looking forward to seeing how the Confession, altar, and Baptism celebrations turn out! Of all the things listed, I hope those are the one we truly commit to :)

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  5. Love it all!! I have had "In Conversation..." on my wishlist for ages. It's just so $$$!

    3 & 4 I love that idea. I'm pretty sure I'm too overwhelmed to do all the baptism days, but I was planning to celebrate them this Sunday with the feast of Jesus' baptism!

    Can't wait to see your prayer space!

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    1. I wish that In Conversation With God wasn't so expensive, and I wish a copy of it was available to everyone. It's been so immeasurably significant for me. The books are sold separately, and I have a friend who buys one a year to help with the cost. There are separate volumes that cover Advent/Christmas season, Lent/Eastertide, and other Holy Days. The remaining four volumes are for ordinary time, and they DO NOT have to be read in any particular order. You could have one book and it would be enough spiritual food for a year!

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  6. Thanks for reminding me of some things I'd forgotten - celebrating Baptism days and making dill pickles. My boys are actually loving the Little House series, too. It's so fun to read aloud and then talk about how life is different and in some ways the same. Hope you have a great year full of accomplishing and growing!

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