3 Simple Resolutions for 2024 (I’m so excited!)

Hello Friends,

Welcome to 2024 and our journey to simplify and enjoy our lives this year!

I’m the first one to raise my hand when asked if I have been running the rat race lately.

In April of 2022 I have my first C- Section out of 6 births and It. Wrecked. Me.

I spent 6 weeks crying and wishing it didn’t happen. This wasn’t an emergency, it was a precautionary surgery because Merch (baby #5) had a slight stuck shoulder in delivery and Marshall (baby #6) had measured bigger. As soon as I saw him I knew it was the wrong choice, his built was different and I truly think he would have been okay.

Though I couldn’t change the events that led to the surgery, and the pain I felt for weeks, I could change how I did things for the remainder of the year.

I was going to Grow Something Beautiful and I was going to keep going. The more I did, the less time I had to replay those events.

So, we got 2 puppies, baby chicks, broilers, turkeys, cows, new fence, started building a new chicken coop and an heavy use pad for our cows, on top of raising 6 kids, and growing and preserving a garden worth of produce.

That mentality carried over into 2023, more animals, more farm projects and another garden along with all the things that go with raising family.

Things really started to slow down the end of November 2023 and I finally felt like I could breathe again. I needed to do some decluttering in our home and in my heart. I wanted to be a happy momma as we counted down the days to Christmas, I didn’t want to feel like a Scrooge. I had to remind myself this many times throughout the month, but I feel like I made it through the holidays ‘mostly’ cheerful.

As we have been relaxing and slowing working through the clutter that comes with Christmas, I have been listening to several podcasts and YouTube videos.

Resolution #1

One thing I heard someone talk about was putting the kitchen to bed. I’ve done a really bad job at keeping the kitchen from getting out of hand. It’s always the last room to get cleaned and then I end up with a pretty big mess that results in hours to get back in order. This would usually happen on the weekend and then I’d feel like I spent all weekend cleaning the kitchen and not doing some of the things I wanted to be doing.

For the past week, I have been putting the kitchen the bed. Know what? It has felt amazing. I didn’t realize how much a messy kitchen was weighing on me. We don’t have a large kitchen, we cook a lot of food from scratch and we reheat food in pots and pans because we don’t have a microwave. It doesn’t take long to get a pile of dishes and have a dirty space.

I truly hope to keep this resolution for more than this year, but for many years. I’m done with kitchen disasters and ready for a clean kitchen.

Resolution #2

My hopes for 2024 is more family walks.

It’s so easy in the winter months to not get the kids outside for days. They need to fresh air and exercise just as much as I do. We aren’t off to a good start with this one though. The kids have been getting over colds and it has been raining a lot lately.

We are outside to tend to the animals throughout the day, but we often times aren’t together. Sometimes I just make a quick trip out and other times I have a few extra things to do and will end up with a few littles following me around.

Being outside can changes the sourest of moods. If we have littles that are cranky, all you have to do is open the door and they are instantly in a better mood.

Resolution #3

Read more!

I want to read more books to the kids, actually finish reading my own books and read through the Old Testament in the Bible.

Now I have done all these things. Some seasons of my life I have done these things better than others. At this season of my life I feel like I need to up my game and dig into some good reading.

It’s not always easy to sit and read with littles. So, I will skim instead of read or pick up the devotional book instead of the Bible.

That being said, I’m going to try to make a point to find a quiet time to sit and pick up a book. Right now, my best bet for that is in between Bo leaving for work and Matthew getting up for school. I could have 20 minutes, 4-5 days a week to devote to this. I just need to make my coffee and do it!

I’d love to hear what resolutions you have made this year !

Mine are few and simple but could make such a positive influence on our family and hopefully looking back will add some more joy in our home 🥰

Grow Something Beautiful, Friends

Julie

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“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11