Today is day 3 of 2017. I started this blog in October, and I made the promise to publish twice a week. How many times did I publish since that first post on October 1? ZERO. That's right, I said ZERO.
You might think that I am frustrated or disappointed with myself...and I probably should be, but instead, I am okay with it. I'm not exactly proud of it, but okay with it, I am. After all, it has been a busy 3 months and sometimes life just happens. October was a very fun-filled month where we spent just about every weekend attending some kind of fall festival. We went on hayrides to pumpkin patches where we picked out the perfect pumpkins (say that five times fast!). We went on long drives to Amish farms where we picked out colorful mums to decorate our front porch and our back patio. We purchased and planted trees and shrubs to add our own personal touches to our landscape. We went to jack-o-lantern festivals where we got to see hundreds of creatively carved pumpkins glowing in the crisp autumn night. On the last day of October, we went trick-or-treating for the first time in our new neighborhood with our toddler dressed up as a kitty cat. It was a spectacular October.
There is something about your first holiday season in a new home that is very special. Decorating for the first time is a thrill, and we enjoyed every moment.
November was not quite as joyful. We learned on November 1 that our sweet golden retriever, Rory, had leukemia. At 11 years old, she was slowing down, and we attributed this to growing old (11 is considered pretty old for a golden), but we noticed a couple of days before Halloween that something wasn't right. When she was diagnosed, we were told that all we could do was make her comfortable, and so she was put on medicine that gave her some strength and a big appetite. She spent the next 11 days in a pretty happy state, eating treats, dog ice cream, peanut butter, hamburgers, and her favorite dog food (mostly wet food). On November 13, she took a quick turn, and we said goodbye to her that evening, which also happened to be one of the evenings to view the closest supermoon since 1948. As our family of three looked up at that beautiful sky, we blew kisses at the sky (we always blow kisses to the moon - a tradition we started with our moon loving toddler). That night, those kisses were mostly to our Rory up in heaven. We continue to blow kisses to the moon, and to Rory, every night.
The second half of November, we spent kicking off more holiday festivities. We went to tree lightings, celebrated Thanksgiving, and went to a Christmas tree farm to cut down our perfect tree for our first Christmas in our new house (I was so excited to be able to get a tree that is one foot taller than before - yay for 9-ft ceilings!). We strung lights outside and began to decorate the inside. The decorating continued well into December as we slowly added more decorations (new stockings for our new mantle, fun decorations for the playroom, new ornaments to remember 2016 by, etc.).
In November, we also (finally) repainted our toddler's bedroom as well as another bedroom. The original paint was perfectly livable, but the saddest part for me in leaving our our first home, was leaving behind the beautiful nursery we created for our daughter. I wanted to bring some of this room with us, so we painted her new room (and another bedroom just in case we decide to move her to a bigger bedroom) the same color as her very first bedroom. What a difference this made! Our new home was really starting to feel like home now, and I was amazed how comforting it was to have a piece of her first room in our new home. We were so happy to move to a bigger home that is closer to town and closer to our friends, but first homes are very special. Especially when this is the home where you spent 10 years of your life in - the home that we moved into as newlyweds, the home where I learned I was pregnant, the home where we brought our daughter to after she was born, and the home where she spent the first 18 months of her life. It was and still is bittersweet. I hope to write more about this move. Stay tuned.
Throughout December, the festivities continued as we went to Christmas festivals and light festivals, Polar Express storybook readings and trolley rides, and "Breakfast with Santa" - not to mention several attempts for a photo opportunity on Santa's lap. Third time was the charm when our little one finally let me sit her on jolly St. Nick's lap. She made a priceless expression that was in between a scowl and a look that said, "Seriously? You've got be kidding me!" I love this picture so much. It is one of my absolute favorite pictures of all time.
We also spent much of December doing most of our shopping. The main gift for our daughter was a play kitchen. I shopped around and around around for the "perfect kitchen." Within reason, of course. There were super amazing kitchens out there that looked nicer than my actual kitchen, but we couldn't spend a thousand dollars on this gift. As I was browsing, I came across Ikea Play Kitchen Hacks, and my husband and I fell in love with the idea of personalizing a kitchen that is one-of-a-kind just for her. We didn't go all out like some of the "hacks" out there, but I still think it is super cute, and she absolutely loves it, which is all that matters. This was such a fun project - one that I would like to revisit in a future post.
With having the most time off since our big move, we also found the time to (finally!) put more personal touches in our home. We hung pictures and more pictures. Until now, we hung pictures where the previous owners had left nails. Some things worked. Other things (most things) clearly looked like we randomly hung it there just for the sake of it...which is exactly what we did. (Oh look! There's a nail. Let's just plop this picture there.) As you can imagine, you aren't going to achieve the best look by decorating this way. It is amazing how hanging pictures (in the right places!) can make such a difference. In our office, my husband created a collage-like display on one wall with our toddler's artwork. We framed several pieces in black, and he arranged the artwork to create a beautiful and colorful display, which I swear resembles something that you would see in a gallery. Of course I am totally biased, but if I am completely honest, my toddler is my favorite abstract artist. Whether you are a fan or not, I think many people would agree that it is a pretty cool wall. More on this later. (If you haven't noticed, I am creating my writing "to do list" right here in this post. It's my way of trying to keep this ball rolling.)
Our vacation was filled with parties, get-togethers with friends, family gatherings, dinner dates followed by game nights, play dates, and hikes. It was a VERY fun couple of weeks. Now, the party is officially over. I sit here on my couch next to our Christmas tree (I will keep it up until next weekend) trying to get myself motivated to get back in a productive routine. Why don't I start by taking the tree down, you ask? Well, I say goodbye to the holidays in baby steps. Saying goodbye to our vacation was enough for me for now.
Well, that about sums up the last three months. It is a new year, and no matter how cliché it sounds, there is something rejuvenating and exciting about a fresh start to a new year. This could be the greatest year there ever was. This could be the year when I finally start to get up early (I always wanted to be that person who gets up at 5am and gets things done before the world wakes up.) This could be the year when I finally stick to the budget that I created. This could be the year when I finally get back to my running routine and my love for yoga. This could be the year when I actually write for me on a regular basis. This could be the year for anything. For me, the idea of possibility is rather thrilling.
Every new year for the last several years, I have selected a word or a mantra to capture my "resolution" for the new year. I personally like to create New Year mantras because I find that a mantra speaks to me more than just one word. One mantra that I have tried to live by is "being curious." I try to be curious about what will happen and what will be. I have found that if I am curious rather than trying to predict the outcome, that I am more likely to try new things and I am less likely to be disappointed or frustrated when things don't turn out the way that I had hoped. I am not always successful in truly being curious (I still find myself making predictions, getting frustrated, and feeling disappointed). Still, I think living life curiously is important and perhaps even the key to true happiness and fulfillment...at least for me (hence the name of this blog).
For 2017, my New Year's mantra is Curious Possibility. I feel that this captures my ongoing goal of being curious about what will be, and throwing the word "possibility" in there is a reminder for me to not only be curious, but to strive for my goals and reach for my dreams. For me, this mantra is a reminder that dreams can be achieved. Why can't 2017 be the year that dreams come true? If I look closely at previous years, dreams (even small ones) became reality. What dreams will be achieved this year? I'm curious. Aren't you?
Curiously,
Beth
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