Saying Goodbye to Another Year

It's been a strange year. Kind of angsty. Uneventful, yet full of big changes. Contradictory. Tired. Unexpected. Disappointing. Alright. Little bright spots here and there.

2014.

I'm not sure what I have to say about you, you rather lackluster year, you.

I just had a look at my 2014 goals, which I wrote last January and then didn't look at all year until today. Out of 17 goals, I completed 4. Hmm, might sound dismal but not as bad as I thought. Five others I consider to be partial successes.

It was just a weird year, starting with crazy weather that extended my kids' holiday break by an entire week, and ending with me being sick with a flu that morphed into a long and annoying chest cold.

A friend of mine posted on Facebook earlier today that nobody needs a new year to make a new beginning. We can do that anytime we choose. I agree with her, completely. And yet there is something about making New Year's resolutions, or goals for the year, that is just exciting to me. I told Chris we should make goals together tonight and make a vision board, but he didn't think that sounded like fun. Go figure.

Reviewing my year, via the memory card that has been in my camera for the past 12 months, I notice some highlights:

• Crazy amounts of snow
• A Chinese exchange student (our third)
• A Spring Break trip to Midland, Michigan
• Lucy's 1st Communion
• Connor winning the school Spelling Bee and going on to compete at the county Spelling Bee
• Connor's 5th grade graduation, and endless hours spent working on his class video
• Lots of field trips
• Mathilda's preschool graduation
• Bethany's induction into the National Junior Honor Society
• Lots of basketball
• Two trips to Cedar Point
• Mathilda's dance recital
• Trip to Rogers City
• Port Austin vacation
• My "baby" cousin's graduation from high school 
• Trip to Cleveland with Chris, including visiting the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, A Christmas Story house, and Cuyahoga Valley National Park
• Trip to Grand Rapids with my mom
• Mathilda starting kindergarten and Connor starting middle school (!!!! How, exactly, did we get here??)
• Birthdays: My 39th, Chris's 40th, Connor's 11th, Mathilda's 5th, Bethany's 13th, and Lucy's 8th

Other things stand out too, like time spent with family and friends, going to the beach, swimming at my father-in-law's, going to the park, and to Belle Isle. Saying a very sad goodbye to our dog of almost 14 years, Cleo. And hello to our newest canine family member, Marla. Committing to send Bethany to China for Spring Break this coming year. Lots of fun blogger perks. Having a seizure for the first time in over 3 years (ugh). Being miserably sick for Christmas, yet loving spoiling my kids and watching them enjoy all their new goodies.

The year has not been a total wash. There is always something to be grateful for, every moment of every day. That never changes. Some days it's harder to remember that and recognize all the blessings, but I know they are there. I've had some really great times in 2014. And a lot of stress and many not so good times. There have been some really big changes - like Chris's new career, and my role of 13 years as stay-at-home mom changing with Mathilda starting full day kindergarten.

I guess I've just been a little off my game in 2014, and if there's one thing I'd really like to change going into 2015 it would be to get back on it.

Tonight I'm going to have a quiet evening at home, like I do most years on New Year's Eve. Connor and I will take Marla for a walk in our pajamas (it's dark out, don't judge). The little girls will try with all their might to stay up until midnight. I will work on my goals for the coming year, because I like to do that. Maybe we'll watch a movie or I'll read or we'll play a game or two.

For our family, 2014 is going out with little fanfare. I'm not sorry to see it go because I'm always excited for what's next. 2015 is going to be a wondrous year, I feel it in my bones. It's up to me to make that happen. I'm ready.

Some highlights of my 2014.