8 Good Things | A Look Back & A Look Ahead

Although I always miss the holiday bliss and magic over the last couple months, I love how the transition into the new year gives a bit of excitement and hope for things to come. Looking back on our year, we went through... a lot. Reflecting on it I honestly feel a deep gratitude for how we connected as a family, for the time we spent in our home (although there were days it drove me crazy) and how God sustained us and continued to give us blessings among it all.

In a year that can feel so overwhelmingly hard, I think it's important to take a deeper look into seeing the good that came from it too. So I took some time to write down all the things we accomplished this year and all the ways I saw good come from it. Here’s a few that resonated most that I hope will encourage you to see how good things came from your year too.

The good from 2020:

1 Time at home:

When I looked back through photos and videos of the year I realized how MUCH we actually did-- not just in tasks but in connection, in making memories, in laughter and in play. And I’m forever grateful for that alone.

2 Working on my website:

The dream of creating my own website was a year in the making. Looking back from when I first started to dream it up and where I’m at today is so fulfilling. Not just to see this come to life, but also because it allows me to bring more beauty to the world in more ways than ever before.

3 Starting new projects:

Like most of the world, I suspect, we tackled some house projects that were at the bottom of our list. And when the dreaded summer heat came in while still being quarantined here in Phoenix a new “secret” family project came along that we’re currently working on now… I’ll share more on that soon! ;)

4 Soaking in Motherhood:

Although there were many moments of exhaustion and times that I wish we could get away, I really am grateful for the time we’ve been given with our little family at home this year and all that’s happened within these four walls: watching Penny (our youngest) walk, birthday celebrations, starting homeschool, playing endless games, painting projects, backyard activities, making forts, and many dance parties.

The good things looking ahead…

1 Carving out excess:

If last year taught me anything, it's that this time we have is so so precious and now more than ever before I want to be even better at “decluttering” my mind and life with the things that aren’t beneficial for me or my family. Creating space to be truly inspired and stress free means getting rid of the unhealth and the clutter (in my home and in my mind).

2 New art and products to come:

Seeing the amount of amazing customers I’ve had this season has given me a bigger boost of inspiration for all I want to offer the world this year. I’m planning to let you into more behind the scenes of collections, and the work I create during the making of it all. I just can't wait to see what this year will bring!

3 Traveling:

While I know we can never predict what our days will be like, we are hopeful for a new year of adventures and seeing new places with our family this year (which may have to do with that secret project ;)). But I’m holding these things loosely, trusting that God will lead us to where He wants us to be.

4 Making more memories:

One of the things I love most about being a mama is the memories Shane and I get to create for our family. When life gets hard or the norm gets thrown out the window, Shane and I continue to be on the same page about what matters most--the way we love each other and the way we love our kids. When we make these our priority everything else gets put into perspective and our life feels more full and purposeful from that. I can’t wait to see what another full year of memories will bring for us.

I hope this can inspire you in some way to write down the good things you have seen in this year. Something I started to do a few months back was write down one good thing a day that happened. It could be the time I got to drink my coffee in quiet, or the hug my 2 year old gave me or playing in the backyard with my kids. I found that doing this practice was not only refreshing to think about at the end of the day, but rewarding to look back on after months have gone by.

Here’s to a new year of memories, growth and good things to come!