January 2, 2023

Wrapping up 2022 – Favorite moments, what sucked, and what I hope to take with me into 2023.

And just like that, we are onto another year. 2022.. you will be missed, but I am so excited to see what 2023 has to offer.

fAVORITE MOMENTS OF THE YEAR

There are so many moments I am thankful for this year. We got to spend a lot of quality time as a family, enjoyed our home, and really dive into what’s important to us. These are my top 3 moments of the year, for big items we have wanted to make a reality for our family.

We got Dylan a 4 wheeler for his birthday and this is my favorite gift I have ever given. I know it seems like it’s just a thing – but it’s more. It’s the reason we bought our home on 5 acres so we can provide a safe space and let our kids have super fun toys! This is something Robby and I have dreamed of doing since we bought the property.

We opened our pool business – Reel in the Rays Pool & Spa . This is something Robby and I have been talking about for a while now, branching out on our own – and we made it happen.

A SURPRISE New York Trip with Dylan! He had been asking to go for a few years, and I was in a place to do it. We went right before Christmas and experienced as much as we could in just 4 days. With Dylan getting older, and his sisters still so little, I hope to do more 1 on 1 with him (and the girls) as the year goes on. You really learn so much about your kids when it’s just you and them. Take them out of their norm, and see what excites them, what makes them nervous, and what is important to them.

What i learned about myself in 2022

As I sit and reflect on what 2022 was about, and how we took to new challenges, here is what I learned about myself

I get sensory overload and when that happens, I need to pause everything, and figure out what needs to be handled first.
I can do hard things that make me uncomfortable.
Taking chances that don’t work out the way I thought they would doesn’t mean its a failure. It means I need t to adjust and keep going to figure out what gets the outcome I am looking for.
If I wake up determined to be happy, or have a good day, I will. If I wake up telling myself It’s going to be a rough day, it will. I set the vibe, so make it a good one.
My inner bully will never go away, so I need to learn to be friends with that bitch.
I thrive when I want to.
I am a good mom.
Time is a more valuable currency than money.
I can blend all areas of my life instead of trying to balance them.
Professional and personal development should blend into each other.

What Sucked

I always try to stay positive, but there’s always the low seasons that you go through, and I think it’s important we mention them. You aren’t alone in having shitty parts of the year. You aren’t alone in struggling, wishing you were further along than you are, and playing the comparison game.

I was hoping to quit my day job. Robby and I have been working hard on creating businesses for ourselves, but we just aren’t there yet financially to be able to lean 100% on those.
My dad was in the hospital for a while because of his dementia and then got Covid. He ended up staying in a rehab facility, and unfortunately, we didn’t get the answers or future help we were looking for. On a positive note, he is doing better (even though we have ver few answers) But that was a very difficult few months.
I want to bring this up, because I think it’s important to know you aren’t alone in this area. I was stressed financially a few times this year. Now, we made some big purchases, we had some fun, but we also had a few unexpected things come up that we weren’t planning for. It all worked out, but if you didn’t hit your savings goals this year – you aren’t alone.
This year, I’ve noticed a different type of anxiety. I’ve always been more of a risk taker, and like to do adventurous things, but this year I’ve struggled with picturing worst case scenario’s. Like, if I’m traveling away from the kids, or with the kids in a crowded place.. a worst case scenario plays through in my head. This hasn’t fully prevented me from doing things, but I have learned that I need to have an inner conversation so it doesn’t come out and affect my kids.

wHAT i HOPE TO TAKE WITH ME INTO 2023

Every year, month, week, or day, we learn something about ourselves. But it isn’t always about the lesson, but about how we are going to use it to keep moving forward. I am extra thankful for this last year of personal growth where I have learned that I am the one setting the tone for my life. I am in control of how I feel, and I can change either positively or negatively. I know that I am capable of doing hard things – so I need to do them. I need to remind myself that just because I know where the gas pedal is, doesn’t mean I can’t push the breaks sometimes. Slowing down doesn’t equal giving up, but we all need to recharge ourselves.

I hope to take what sucked this year, and learn from that. Understanding that it is part of the process, and without those pieces, we can’t grow.

Here’s to an amazing 2023 with more lessons and a memorable journey.