Happy New Year!

2024 is somehow over, and 2025 has begun. We enjoyed a peaceful second week off of school to welcome the new year. We didn't go anywhere or do anything drastic; we just stayed home, relaxed, and enjoyed the glow of our Christmas tree for the entire week. On New Year's Eve, we had our traditional crackers, dips, and special drinks for dinner and then stayed up till midnight. Jeff played a computer game with the kids. I watched a k-drama. The kids watched a movie. Jeff played a different computer game. I watched a k-drama. I was so tired, I wanted to go to bed at 10:30pm, but there were random fireworks popping and echoing across the fields and my whole family was awake. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep in a house full of AWAKE people, so I propped my eyelids open and watched another k-drama episode. We reconvened at 11:57pm to watch the new year begin. We counted down the last five seconds, said "Happy New Year!", had a family hug, and then crashed into bed. Sometimes staying up late watching shows or talking is super tempting and fun, but when I am actually trying to stay up till midnight, it is murderous! 

We took it very slow and easy on New Year's Day, with the exception of an optional swim practice that Jeff held in the barn. 15 or so kids showed up and they had a competition to see who could lift, row, and run a total of 2025 meters, yards, and weights with the fastest times and lowest number of reps. I did not participate in the swim team challenge because I was sore and worn out from my hourlong New Year's Eve strength session in the barn. Usually Jeff likes to have a "swim the year" challenge on New Year's Day where they swim 2,025 yards, but the pool at the fitness club where they swim was out of service all week due to a messed up filter or something. 

At the end of each year, I like to check my annual stats. 

Shaina's 2024 stats:

• Ran 1,220 miles
• Spent 65 hours strength training & lifting (est.)
• Read 51 books (6 nonfiction, 46 fiction)
• Wrote 99,960 words on this blog
• Played piano for 120+ hours (estimated)
• Stat I did not track: how many k-dramas I watched...

I did less of a lot of things in 2024, but along the way I developed my ability to choose to do these hobbies because I wanted to, not because I felt like I had to increase my volume from past years. It felt good. I still battle with being so committed to goals that it can be hard to leave space for life and for breathing. So I am very cautious when it comes to goals and tracking them. At this point in my life, I feel like the main goal I have going into the new year is to keep doing what I'm doing. I plan to tweak a few tendencies here and there, but I don't have any drastic goals for 2025. As I've thought this over, it feels most important to make sure I have the mental, physical, and emotional energy to be there for my family and for myself. Finding that space looks a little different each day, and being adaptable has always been a huge challenge for me. So my best growth currently seems to come from having a list of guidelines for my year but with the goal being to go with the flow of life rather than fighting against it. I don't know if that makes any sense, but that's the best way I can explain it!

Jay will turn 16 in May of this year, which meant he was ordained a priest at church on Sunday. My parents came for the weekend to be there for Jay, and Jeff's parents also came to the ordination. It was a short, sweet, simple, special moment when Jay's dad, his two grandpas, and our bishop laid their hands on his head to ordain Jay as a priest. I felt the spirit warm and happy, and I felt so thankful for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which has the restored gospel and the priesthood. 

We spent Sunday afternoon at home with my parents. Mom, Rose, and I drew pictures. Rose and I attempted to play our piano cello Christmas duet and succeeded for a handful of the 120 measures we played. We took down our Christmas tree and decorations. I made dinner. We talked a lot. Basically, it was a happy peaceful Sunday. My favorite kind. 

We finished the Book of Mormon as a family on December 29th! It was our 3rd time reading it as a family. We did at least 70% of it using the audiobook version this year.

New Year's Eve snacks for dinner! I put my industrial grade Costco sized box of lactase pills on the counter too, since that's the only way I made it through the cheesy meal.

Special drinks: a New Year's Eve favorite! Sprite, orange juice, and cherry syrup.

I did some major catch-up housework and cleaning on Thursday, and right afterwards our calendar screen showed a photo memory from the mess of Christmas morning. Cleaning a house full of people always feels a little futile, but even my photo memories didn't cooperate!

The temperature hovered between 31 and 34 degrees all week long, with SO MUCH rain. We got a smattering of snow one morning, though, which changed things up briefly!

Rose and Amber had some long Minecraft sessions.

Duolingo time! Rose has been faithfully learning French on Duolingo for the past almost 2 years.

Barn workout with Amber!

It's been a while since I quality controlled Amber's bathroom cleaning, and she was not happy about my interference this week.

Taco truck dinner with my parents on Saturday night! Jeff took the picture.

Going to church on the first Sunday of the new year! This will be Amber's last year of primary, Jay became a priest, and Rose is now old enough to attend stake dances.

The family after Jay's ordination. This picture was kind of rushed in the busy church building, so we didn't really arrange the people very well, but we did get everyone in the picture!

Jeff performed his annual Christmas tree javelin throw off the front porch.

2025, let's go!