2018 was so good to our family. I had the opportunity to be a stay at home mom for the first part of the year and after many prayers and more job offers than I ever expected, God blessed me with the ultimate teaching job.

My husband was promoted and moved up to supervisor. He continues to be successful in every position he has been given. He is the most hardworking man I have ever known!

We were fortunate enough to have the best vacations we could have ever wished for, Kylan made the all-stars baseball team, Klara started school, Koby played basketball, and Jordan got a new truck. The blessings go on and on and on. We certainly kept a busy schedule, but had our share of lazy days at home. It was a great balance.

One of my all time favorite things to reflect on will always be our Friday family movie nights. It has always been the time that, no matter how fast paced our lives have been, we all come together as a family. We all look forward to it, so that tradition will definitely roll over into 2019.

Last night we had some chips and salsa and counted down to midnight with all three of our babies. Klara was so excited and kept asking about the “sparkling ball” all night.

Today, January 1st, was just as productive as I hoped it would be. My to-do list wasn’t jam-packed like I normally would like it to be. This year I have decided that I am going to welcome 2019 with a sincere spirit of grace. More connections, less tasks. It’s remembering that my worth cannot be earned. It’s deciding that I can’t do it all and shouldn’t be overwhelmed with guilt when things are less than perfect.

Grace. My word for 2019.

I started off my morning with a cup of coffee, the Today show, and peanut butter and banana toast.

I opened my bible and chose scriptures to focus on this year. I wrote them down on post it notes and stuck them on my mirror in our bedroom and in my car for face paced mornings that I need to be reminded of His promises.

The best part of my day was playing hide and seek with the kids. I laughed ’til my belly hurt. It was so refreshing to take time away from the xbox, iPads and lesson plans.

Speaking of lesson plans. I finished up this month’s lesson plans and got together worksheets and activities for this week. I dread going back to work, especially since my kiddos will still be home, but I’d be lyin’ if I said I wasn’t excited to see my munchkins at school.

This morning I sat down with Klara and we started her devotional she got for Christmas. My heart melted at her responses. It asked something along the lines of, “When do you like to spend time talking with God?” Klara replied, “At bedtime and meal time!” She is already excited about “day 2 tomorrow!”

What are some of your resolutions for the new year? Or if you’re like me, what is your word for this year?