Welcome to the new year! What did you all do last night to ring in 2012? My family and I are in Zagreb, Croatia, a lovely old city of red-roofed buildings and Baroque architecture. As midnight drew near, we sipped wine, ate chocolate, and discussed the most significant events of 2011 for each of us. Elliott and I both said the events were the birth of Lena, Elliott’s return from his year-long assignment in the Sinai, and our move to Sicily. What will 2012 bring? We’re both hoping for a quiet year of growth and development for our little family, as both 2010 (our first year of marriage) and 2011 have been very eventful–and sometimes very difficult–years for us as a little family. We’re also hoping to practice the art of hospitality very often when friends and family come to visit. Hint hint. :-)
Did you make any resolutions as this fresh new year began? I always make a couple in the back of my head or in my journal and then tend to forget them by the end of January. Perhaps this year will be the same, but then again this year I Really Mean It! Right? Here are the resolutions I have for 2012:
-sell 100 things in my Etsy store (which I haven’t even announced to you all yet… and there isn’t anything currently for sale! Whoops! That’s because I’ve been busy with multiple custom orders. Until I can make a few things just to sell, I’m happy to take more custom orders. Feel free to peruse my “sales” section to see things I’ve made for others… and can make for you! Here’s a link: https://www.etsy.com/shop/makingroomhandmade/sold)
-study Italian for 30 min each day
-do Bible study with Elliott each day (I’ll do a post sometime soon about the Bible reading program we use, which is especially designed “for shirkers and slackers,” haha)
I’ve also tentatively made the goal to read a book per week. My friend Johanna did this in 2011 and I was so inspired by her, but then realized that I have other priorities right now; namely, getting my Etsy business off the ground and studying Italian. So this is a goal I’ll just work on as I have time. I’m reading “Memoirs of a Geisha” this week. Easy, fun beginning, and very engrossing. It has nothing to do with the part of the world we’re in now, though. Even if I don’t manage to read a book a week, I DO want to read more literature about Italy, particularly historical fiction set in Italy.
Of course all these goals are mixed in with a dozen others that are constantly on my mind, like…
-eating and grocery shopping locally (in Italy… so of course I should!)
-taking some cooking classes and learning several Sicilian dishes
-traveling around Italy and Europe
-being a more compassionate wife to Elliott
-teaching and loving Lena
-getting better at this blogging thing!
And so on. What are your goals for 2012? I’d love to hear them!
You are so inspiring!
Thank you! A few days into this–8, to be exact–and these goals are already not a reality, so that’s real life for you. :-) However, it is helping overall!