First Post of 2017!!

    Another year has come and gone. It always amazes me how much changes in a year. I feel distinctly different and I know that I'm not the same girl that I was last January. I'm not quite sure what to think about the changes, both in the world and in myself, but I'm determined to make the best of what I am given and to do the most with the upcoming year that I possibly can. New Year's is my favorite time of year. I love the feeling of newness that permeates the air, the fresh resolve that people have to do and be better. I feel like a new year is a gift from God, to show us his love in the form of a fresh start.
  This will most likely be a very long post, as I have a lot of blogging to catch up on. I'm going to write about the month of December first, then I want to talk a little about my New Year's Resolutions, specifically for the blog.

    December Wrap Up:

    Favorite Part: Christmas with my lovely family. All the gifts we gave each other, both the sweet homemade ones and the other thoughtfully picked ones. This Christmas morning was probably our tamest one yet, as we are all getting older and more mature (although by some standards we probably weren't overly sedate), but we have just as much love in our hearts for each other as ever and that is what makes Christmas magical.
    Reading: I finished Far From the Madding Crowd. It was really, really good. A frustrating and pretty sad story, but beautifully written and with a lot of good lessons and a GOOD ending. So it meets all my requirements. Also my mom and I watched the movie right after I finished the book and it was also amazing and did not disappoint. I would recommend both :)
   Listening to: Oh, everything. Lots of Alice Kristiansen covers and Molly Kate Kestner's new single, which are my current favorites.
   Learning: Where I want the future to take me, and how to live intentionally towards what I want. I'm excited for this next year to unfold, I've got some big plans!
   Thinking about: The new year and all my resolutions and goals.
    Next month: Getting back into the swing of things with renewed vigor and committing to consistent hard work and listening to my heart.

2017 Resolutions:

First off, I have a list of my words for 2017. These are my mantras and what I am striving for this year:

• Mindful
• Motivated
• Focused
• Joyful
• Confident

I have these in a place where I'll see them often, and they are the standards I am constantly holding myself to. 

I also have a list of more practical resolutions, including but not limited to:

1. Become more organized and good at housekeeping in my own little bedroom and my bathroom.
2. Journal every day.
3. Pray about everything.
4. Have a nice long social media purge
5. Post on the blog more! And don't make silly commitments I can't keep on here.

My blogging goals are to post at least once a week. I want to post more of my thoughts and opinions in essay form, as well as poetry. I'm going to continue doing my monthly posts but will most likely be changing them up a little bit.
Thank you for reading and I hope you have the most wonderful of New Year's!