New Year - New Me in 2023

Plans for New Year's Eve are under way and our reservation for dinner has been set. We're heading to a new to us restaurant, Kimi's Chop and Oyster House, and we're really looking forward to sharing the New Year with some of our loved ones and partners in business. 

Looking towards this shiny New Year I think of a tradition I began for our household after hearing Kevin Hall speak on The Power Of Words at a business conference we attended years ago. It spoke to my spirit. Since then as the New Year approaches I have been selecting a single word to focus on in the New Year. I see it referred to by others as ONE WORD.

Stephen Covey wrote as part of his forward for author Kevin Hall' in his book, ASPIRE : "There is a language of success and a language of distress. There is a language of progress and a language of regress... Words lead, and words impede... 

What a powerful description...Perhaps the focus of our word/s can make A NEW YOU?!

Cultures around the world and through history have commemorated the ending of one year and the beginning of another. Being inspired by Kevin to focus on ONE WORD has been such a meaningful year long activity. Far different than the experience of myself and many others who make lists of resolutions. Historically as many as 45 percent of Americans say they usually make New Year’s resolutions, only 8 percent are successful in achieving their goals. 

Beginning this New Year I choose to focus my thoughts on one word... I believe it can make a new me as the year progresses. Perhaps you'll choose to join me. This year could mean for you A NEW YOU too.

Home After Christmas

I am getting back to daily life after our typically well traveled Christmas. For us it means all the weeks leading up to Christmas we try to squeeze as much work, friend time, local family events and spiritual balance into them as possible so that we can spend time our sons if they are available...they live out of town so we are the travelers. 

We spent the week with our younger son and family arriving in time for the youngest granddaughters 5th birthday. The kiddos grow up so fast-we're so glad we are able to spend moments where we can.

The party was themed around teddy bears this birthday with lots of fun balloons, gifts and Lauren made yummy cupcakes too! 

Teddy Bear Balloons

Presents piled high!

 

Waiting to open presents

I pick this one first.

Making cupcakes :)

Here are a few of our shared moments...

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The balloons lasted all the way through Christmas!

Part of the time the family shared the sickie bug...what a thing to share! 

So far Tom & I have avoided it, we'll see. 

And So This Is Christmas

And so this is Christmas... as John Lennon sings. Yes this is nearly Christmas and I am busy making Christmas cards, preparing for a visit to celebrate my granddaughters 5th birthday and trying to finalize shopping for a few Christmas gifts but the one thing I love to do during this season is hand make a few gifts. 

Here were a few of my Christmas cards before we got them addressed and out the door.

Just before heading out for Christmas at Nate's house we had a surprise birthday party for my niece. I had a fun idea for her gift since through the summer she and her family do quite a bit of camping. I had seen this camp bucket idea the year before and in fact had made one design for my DIL for her birthday. They also like to camp during the summer months. Hers turned out cute and I was excited to do this one for my sweet niece.

A fun project I created for my grandson Leo who is so-ooo into BLACK PANTHER anything right now... I made a cute design for a long sleeve red shirt. 

I made up this Lavender Poppyseed Sugar Scrub for a few friends and business partners that was inspired by some I had purchased at an event here in the fall. It was so delightful I decided to give my version a go. It turned out so nice.

So this is my view out the window as I am finishing up all my last minute projects....I love this view! 

I did finally get to make some fun foods. We made Snickerdoodle Christmas cookies while we were at Nate's and I made some of my 

Breakfast French Toast Casserole. I also made Scalloped Potatoes and Nate cooked some Prime Rib from a recipe he found on the web. Everything tasted yummy.