Happy New Year!!!
Wow!
I really didn't mean to take an unplanned blogging break.
Thanks for letting me do so!
We enjoyed our holidays - Christmas, New Year's and John's birthday - very, very much.
We had my parents here for three whole weeks and my in-laws did come up for my husband's 40th birthday! We even celebrated the "end" of Christmas by hosting a 12 Days of Christmas party on Sunday with some very dear friends.
It's been good and restful and everything a real break should be.
What about that New Year thing?
Oh yeah. That.
Well, let's just say I'm trying to forget a good chunk of 2013 - it was quite memorable and not so much in a good way. We started off the year with my Dad's cancer diagnosis followed by chemo. We battled influenza B, double ear infections, bad colds and flu and I managed to come down with shingles. John and I realized our communication wasn't up to snuff and neither was the Seminary's (**Sigh**) but we're back on tack and grateful for second chances and for improved written and verbal communication about the things we need to know moving forward. We were thrown a curve ball with some opportunities that were sent our way and had to re-evaluate what we were doing in light of where God wants us to be and what He wants us to do. My Dad had to have a pacemaker put in in September and November brought a trip to the ER for John with what we thought was a heart attack (thankfully, it was not a heart attack). I realized yet again that I needed to redo my "new" course at work.
There have been very good things too - lots of meeting new people and new-to-us congregations, John got a huge amount of practice in preaching and leading worship, the children moved up a level in both swimming and piano lessons as well changing "pods" (to the 3rd-5th grade pod) at school. Work is going well for both of us and I can definitely see the end of my doctorate here any day now.
In light of our big transitions coming up this year - internship (vicarage, if you will) and financial changes and who knows what else - I decided to choose one word for 2014.
My one word for 2014 is COMPLETED.
"What does that mean?", you ask.
Well, I'm really good at starting things and never finishing them.
I have several partially finished projects here at home and at work that I really want to stamp "completed" on.
I am ready to "complete" this PhD and end my formal academic schooling for quite a while.
We're all ready for John to "complete" this phase of his life and move on to the next.
Right now, it looks like 2014 is going to be a year of huge change for us. What better time to complete the things, projects and ideas that have been hanging over my head for, in some cases, years?
What are your goals, ideas or your single word for the new year?
I really didn't mean to take an unplanned blogging break.
Thanks for letting me do so!
We enjoyed our holidays - Christmas, New Year's and John's birthday - very, very much.
We had my parents here for three whole weeks and my in-laws did come up for my husband's 40th birthday! We even celebrated the "end" of Christmas by hosting a 12 Days of Christmas party on Sunday with some very dear friends.
It's been good and restful and everything a real break should be.
What about that New Year thing?
Oh yeah. That.
Well, let's just say I'm trying to forget a good chunk of 2013 - it was quite memorable and not so much in a good way. We started off the year with my Dad's cancer diagnosis followed by chemo. We battled influenza B, double ear infections, bad colds and flu and I managed to come down with shingles. John and I realized our communication wasn't up to snuff and neither was the Seminary's (**Sigh**) but we're back on tack and grateful for second chances and for improved written and verbal communication about the things we need to know moving forward. We were thrown a curve ball with some opportunities that were sent our way and had to re-evaluate what we were doing in light of where God wants us to be and what He wants us to do. My Dad had to have a pacemaker put in in September and November brought a trip to the ER for John with what we thought was a heart attack (thankfully, it was not a heart attack). I realized yet again that I needed to redo my "new" course at work.
There have been very good things too - lots of meeting new people and new-to-us congregations, John got a huge amount of practice in preaching and leading worship, the children moved up a level in both swimming and piano lessons as well changing "pods" (to the 3rd-5th grade pod) at school. Work is going well for both of us and I can definitely see the end of my doctorate here any day now.
In light of our big transitions coming up this year - internship (vicarage, if you will) and financial changes and who knows what else - I decided to choose one word for 2014.
My one word for 2014 is COMPLETED.
"What does that mean?", you ask.
Well, I'm really good at starting things and never finishing them.
I have several partially finished projects here at home and at work that I really want to stamp "completed" on.
I am ready to "complete" this PhD and end my formal academic schooling for quite a while.
We're all ready for John to "complete" this phase of his life and move on to the next.
Right now, it looks like 2014 is going to be a year of huge change for us. What better time to complete the things, projects and ideas that have been hanging over my head for, in some cases, years?
What are your goals, ideas or your single word for the new year?
