A Year in Review - 2021
Here at the end of 2021 and I keenly feel like this year was an absolute blur. A good blur, overall, but quite the blur. Anyone else? Anyhow, here’s a quick breakdown of this year, some things we did and some things we kinda failed at. And of course, some goals looking forward.
So some of the highlights of this year?
Hands down, the birth of Miss E. We just adore her (although her big brother isn’t a fan of her derailing his train tracks). She’s been such a joy and her cheery, joyous, inquisitive personality is truly the biggest gift that 2021 could give.
Our trip to the Lake District in May. Goodness, that was an unexpected blessing and oh so fun, despite sleep deprivation. We got to see Beatrix Potter’s house again, and that firmly remains my favourite spot to visit. While the house was closed due to the pandemic, the gardens were open and they’re just magic. I think because I grew up reading the books, so seeing the actual locations beautifully preserved just wows me every time. I bought a lovely little tea mug from there, and I use it daily. It’s just perfect.
National Trust memberships. We’d been long time advocates of Historic Scotland, but we weren’t really using the membership anymore. With the pandemic and the necessity of being outdoors, National Trust gardens have been the way to go. I love a beautiful garden, I love being able to visit sites in England as well, and I’ve been really pleased to make the switch.
Our extremely long, unplanned, trip to America was also a highlight, especially for the kids. They had the chance to spend time with their grandparents, see their cousin, and explore explore explore! From craft fairs to drives in the mountains to a Christmas lighting ceremony to apple orchards, they had an amazing time. And so did we. :) At the end of it we finally got our visas, packed up a ridiculously large amount of luggage and flew back home to Scotland where we then quarantined for over 2 weeks. Yay?
Some progress though…
I always like reading other people’s years in review because it gives me some inspiration for beneficial things to implement in my own life. And here’s where we made progress.
We’re completely freelancing - and loving it! One of the reasons that writing here has been difficult is because after working on my computer and other people’s websites all day, I’m not keen on my own! But part of this progress has been working out a schedule balancing act and we’re eager to implement that again next year because…
Well, I say we’re completely freelancing, but Aaron will be working at the church this year as a part-time charity worker. I think we’re both looking forward to the schedule and the stretching that this job will provide, for both of us. We’ve got a few things in the works, and more we’re hoping to implement! This was massive progress, because he’s been doing a lot for the church already, so I’m proud of him to be officially employed by them!
I read A LOT. I only read 40 books, and while that number is down from past years, 3 kids, part-time job, international trip, etc. all played a factor. I have read some absolutely fabulous books though, so follow me on Goodreads! I’m already planning out my 2022 reading list. Beyond books, I read lots of long form articles, newsletters, and tried to cut out shorter snippets from my life like Twitter.
I started reading newsletters again and listening to podcasts. My favourite newsletters are from Design Mom and Laura Wifler. For podcasts I love Risen Motherhood, Sharon Says So, Cookies and Crumbs, Truthseekers (for the kids), and Windows and Mirrors.
We’ve been working on building healthy habits. Aaron’s been running more. He really picked that up in the States and ran a few races while we were there. And I’m working on getting out more and cooking healthier meals. I have a few cookbooks in my Amazon cart, but I love the Veg cookbook by Jamie Oliver and Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat of course.
And some things to work on…
Cause I’m not perfect. :)
Bedtimes. I think because we’re desperate to cram everything into the end of the day so the next day starts smoothly, it’s easy for us adults to stay up way too late. While our schedules have definitely improved, this is #1 on my list of things we’re working on in 2022.
Read more. I hate not making my original goal of 50 books in a year, so I’m setting a lower goal this year, but I hope to breeze past it instead. We’ll see what the kids and early bedtime have to say about that.
Laundry. Ok seriously, is laundry the bane of anyone else’s existence? I am daily doing laundry and it literally never ends. I know there are 5 of us, but 2 of the kids are basically nudists whenever possible, so I’m just confused about where the laundry is all coming from. One of my goals this year is to not get behind on laundry as much. Ambitious, right?
Patience. Definitely learned during our trip to the States that I’m quite lacking in this particular category. Not fun and glamorous, but definitely need to improve in this area.
In closing, 2021 has been an incredible year. I mean, I even got New Years cards to mail out before the New Year, so hey, I’m really making it. But seriously, we’re so grateful for everything that has happened - the good and the bad, and we’re looking forward to 2022. There is something beautiful about a new year and the opportunity to start fresh.
Happy New Year, friends!