Hello 2022.

 Here we are, in the year 2022. It's really hard to believe it's 2022 already. I always like the New Year. It feels fresh, and feels like new beginnings. It's always a good time to evaluate goals and do those projects that have been neglected for too long. 

Today, John and I have been really good at doing all the New Year things. We actually stayed up until midnight last night, and we welcomed in the new year. The kids spent the night at Jim and Barb's after family Christmas (more on that in the next post) so John and I went and had a drink at Woody's and then we hunkered down at home. It was -8 degrees outside, so we were happy just to stay home. 

After sleeping in this morning, we started organizing and cleaning the house. I decided everyone needed fresh bedding for the new year, so I have done about 6 loads of laundry. We also organized the kitchen cupboards and got rid of a lot of stuff, and we spent a lot of time cleaning the garage. We also packed away more Christmas items, went to the gym, and just generally cleaned the house while the kids were away. It felt like a really productive day. 

As far as goals for this year, I am still always working on health and fitness. I am pretty consistent about going to the gym, and I eat pretty good most of the time, but I still want to be about 20 pounds lighter, so I am working on that. I am doing a two-week free trial of Noom right now, and I will see if I extend that or not when it's done. 

I also want to keep reading and keep up the library trips with the kids. We go about once a week and pick out books. I read with Elliott every evening, and Emma reads before bed. These are great habits that I want to continue. This past year I kept track of every book I read. I ready 32 books. 

1. "Open Book" by Jessica Simpson

2. "Duct Tape Killer" by Phil Hamman and Sandy Hamman

3. "Find Your Path" by Carrie Underwood

4. "Revenge" by James Patterson

5. "One by One" by Ruth Ware

6. "Murder They Neighbor" by James Patterson

7. "When No One is Watching"  by Alyssa Cole

8. "Praying Women" by Sheila Walsh

9. "Financial Peace Revisted" by Dave Ramsey

10. "The Coast to Coast Murders" by James Patterson and J.O. Barker

11. Studied for my CNOR exam from Feb-May, so only read study books during this time 

12. "A Book of Two Ways" by Jodi Piccolt

13. "21st Birthday" by James Patterson

14. "The Last Days of John Lennon" by James Patterson

15. "The Russian" by James Patterson and James O. Born. 

16. "Lost Girls" by Robert Kolker

17. "Deadly Cross" by James Patterson

18. "N.Y.P.D. Red 6" by James Patterson

19. "The Night Swim" by Megan Goldin

20. "The Escape Room" by Megan Goldin

21. "Save Your Breath" by Melinda Leigh

22. "The Palm Beach Murders" by James Patterson

23. "The Only Plane in the Sky" by Garrett Graff

24. "When Women Pray" by T.D. Jakes

25. "The Alice Network" by Kate Quinn

26. "Send for Me" by Lauren Fox

27. "In Search of Wisdom" by Joyce Meyer. 

28. "The Last Thing He Told Me" by Laura Dave

29. "Daisy Jones and the Six" by Taylor Jenkins Reid

30. "The Sanatorium" by Sarah Pearse

31. "Walk in my Combat Boots" by James Patterson and Matt Eversmann

32. "The Return" by Nicholas Sparks

When I look through this list I realize that I have read a lot of James Patterson this past year. I have read his books forever, and I still like them. They are an easy read, and I really like some of the series that he writes. I also have really enjoyed nonfiction books, and I plan to read more of them this next year. The books that stand out to my from this last year are "The only plane in the sky" which is about 9-11, and "Find your Path" by Carrie Underwood. Both were really good books and left an impact on me. 

As far as other goals, I just generally want to be more positive and enjoy more family time together. Sometimes our weekday evenings can get a bit hectic, and I would like to be able to just slow down, take a deep breath, and enjoy the moment a little more. 

I am also finding new ways to increase my faith in God by reading the scripture, praying more, and of course attending church as a family. This past year, I did the read the bible in a year program on the bible app. I have two weeks left, and am proud to say that I have kept up with it. Sometimes I skipped days here and there, but I always caught up with my readings eventually. I am looking forward to being done with that program, and starting a devotional book that I purchased. There really is nothing better than spending time in God's Word. 

So, those are my goals for the next year. Nothing too crazy, but simple, attainable things to make me and my family happy. I look forward to all the things 2022 will have to offer. 

Cheers to 2022!!