Goals and Enjoying

I'm not a big fan of the word "resolution". Not for any other reason than because it is correlated with the New Year and I fail at every one I attempt. I prefer the word goal because it is something I am working on attaining. This year, I've mentally been making a list of things that I'd like to work towards. Goals I want to attain before the end of 2014. It gives me a little more breathing room. And since this space is mine and is one I'll come back to to remind myself to get back on the horse, I'm going to jot down the ones I've thought of in the last few weeks.

Exercise:
Run 500 miles this year
Run a 5K in less than 30 minutes
Run a "real" timed race this year.
Focus more on strength and how I feel more than a number on the scale

Family:
Spend more one on one time with my kids
Bring back "Talk Time" to the bedtime routine
More Family fun nights
Tell my husband how much I appreciate him more
More love. More cuddles. More being present.
Less distraction. Less technology. Less "maybe laters"
Happier mornings

Personal:
Learn how to take better pictures and how to edit them
Blog more
Embrace myself.
Be more confident.
Scrapbook
Read more
Find balance

Another thing I'm not fond of when it comes to resolutions is that they always made me feel like who I was wasn't good enough. I've learned this year that I'm doing a lot of things right. In our social media world, blogging, pinterest, facebook, and many other forms of media have undoubtedly made me feel like I'm a lesser mom at some point this year. Ironically, these are the same tools that I use daily to connect with people I love, to plan fun activities for my family, to recharge my batteries or refresh my soul. It's all about balance, really. Some of these goals will be forever goals and others are just starting points for places I'd like to go deeper. Regardless, I want to pat myself on the back for the things I've done right this year, so I'm adding those too.

Woo hoo Mandi Jo!
*Embracing small things
*Being more patient
*Exercising and trying to eat right
*Nurturing friendships and being there for the people I love
*Documenting life
*Making bucketlists with my family and checking things off
*Living and being more present than before

I know this list will be ever changing. Some things will be more important than others in certain seasons of our lives. The one thing I want to always remember is that people are more important than things or places to be or to-do lists. That's something I started embracing at the beginning of this year, and I intend to keep on remembering that.

Here's to life! Let's enjoying living it!

On that note, here's what we've been enjoying this week:

Snow days!

No picture, but we are enjoying an early out that counts as a full day! Lots of snuggling and movie watching. :)

Random Acts of Kindness from my hubby

A bubble bath, a brand new book, a glass of wine, and candles=perfection

A little Marley and Me

I don't get to see this one (and her mama, her sister and her dad) often enough. Love spending time with her.

Him. All of this. All of his cute faces and funny comments and the fact that he doesn't even know he's tfunny. It's moments like this that I regret not being so present for my older two. But you know what they say about regret....Don't. Just take it as a lesson learned. Who you are now matters more. Period.

And one more for the road. Seriously. He makes up stories and recites them with the cutest expression evah!

Running
I'm finally able to say I'm starting to love it. I had one of my best runs so far this winter on Monday, and it made me so excited for spring to come!

Have any goals this year?  Share em!