There are better things that lay ahead than we leave behind. (The 2013 edition).

This was the picture I based  my 2012 New Years Post on.   I just ducked back in time to read it while I was thinking about the year ahead (as you do on January 1st.)   I’m so glad I write them each year, because without fail it makes me happy to read back over them the next year – even though it never fully plays out like I expect.   Life’s funny like that.    Twelve month ago I had just come to the end of a soul-destroying year, one that I was not keen to repeat.     I was flat-out knackered  and holding on tight to those words above in the hope that they would turn out to be true.  Thankfully they did.   2012 was my year of recovery and I left it feeling much more energised and happier about life than I was when I began it.

So, to the year ahead.  2013 – welcome to our lives.  I wonder what surprises and curve balls you have stored up for us?  Sitting here now my hope is that it will be a year filled with family fun, growth and personal achievements. I know my biggest focus will be on supporting my family – especially the girls  now they will all be at school or kinder.   In truth, I have no idea what is in store and my guess is I’ll be sitting here in twelve months (God willing) just as surprised a I was today.

In terms of goal for the year I have a few but think there are probably still more to come:

• To be a present and supportive mum to my girls.  To spend time actively thinking about their needs and the best way to parent them.   To make sure they feel supported in school and kinder.  To continue to teach them to live and interact in our society in the best way possible.
• To reclaim the sugar balance in our lives. Over the past few months I’ve been noticing the amount of hidden sugar we eat and know it’s time to address the issue.  To bring in some balance and learn some new recipes.  To challenge myself to alter our lifestyle without causing the family to feel deprived.
• To make full use of our new camper trailer.  To make it as easy as possible for us to get away as a family and explore new and interesting places.  To put time and effort into making these trips fun and building memories to last them a life time.
• To continue with the now very slow process of renovating.  Good tax return permitting to finish the family bathroom and laundry.  To re-paint and stain the front decking.
• To continue exploring and being open to my faith.   To shake off my old religious way of thinking and be true to newness I find in Jesus.  To understand what ’it is finished’ truly means.
• Blogging in 2013.   To keep writing – because I love it.  To continue to put some time into monetizing this blog – because that little bit of extra cash makes all the difference to my life right now.  I’m battling a bit in my mind at the moment with my second blog, Ballarat for Families.  It’s in the  ’do I – don’t I’  phase.  I want to commit myself to writing 52 post (one a week) and just seeing where it leads. I know the idea is good but I’m a little scared of the work load it might lead to. Scared, excited …. I think I need to back myself and just make it happen.
• This year I want to find and buy a second-hand outdoor setting for our front decking.  I love  re-purposing and reusing.  I get excited about finding something perfect for my family and giving it a new home.  Most of our household was put together like that.  I’d also love to buy a macro lens for my DSLR camera.

And that’s it.   Not a huge or exhausting list at all this year.  I think my motto for 2013 is going to be  live life and love it,  with priory number one being my family.  What about you?  Are there better things ahead this year for you too?  What do you think your motto for the year will be?