Our Hopes for 2025

 

Our Hopes For 2024

 

Our Hopes And Watchword

 

Our Hopes and Dreams for 2022

 

Our Hopes And Dreams

 

Our Hopes And Dreams For 2019

As is our tradition on New Year's Eve, we looked back at our hopes and dreams for the year that was ending and then shared our hopes and dreams for the coming year. We realized that we didn't make many o four hopes and dreams from 2018 happen, but gracious, we are super hopeful that we can make at least a few of the ones we have for this year a reality! Some of them will definitely be easier than others but hopefully we can make them all come true! 

We also chose our watchword for the year. This year our watchword is "gentleness". Now, those who know us well will most likely be surprised that this is our word since we are a pretty gentle family as it is. However, over the last half of 2018 it became increasingly evident that we all needed to be much more gentle in how we treat ourselves and how we respond to each other. We have done a lot of talking about those two topics in the last few months, and so, when it came time to choose our family word for the year gentleness just felt right.

We hope that your twenty-nineteen is off to a great start! May this be a year of gentleness for all of us! xo

Our Intentions And Watchword

Our intentions have been named and our watchword has been chosen (hope). After all, in the words of First Lady Michelle Obama: "What else do you have if you don't have hope? What can you give your kids if you can't give them hope?"  In a year that feels so very uncertain, hope seemed like a very fitting watchword for our family. We wish you a 2017 full of love, joy, peace, compassion and hope. xo

Our Intentions And A Watchword

Our intentions have been set and our watchword has been chosen (compassion). 2016 is shaping up to be a wonderful year! xo

Our Hopes For 2015

Along with these hopes for the new year our watchword this year is connection. Connection not only with each other (which is already very strong) but also with our extended family, our friends and our community. xo

Our Hopes For The New Year

Last night we ate Chinese food, had snow cream for dessert, watched "Happy New Year, Charlie Brown", took what seems to have become our annual New Year's Eve picture, and shared our hopes and dreams for the upcoming year.  Sharing our hopes for the upcoming year rather than making resolutions that never get kept is much more us.  And it's really amazing to look back and see how many of the hopes that we set forth last year came true (just about all of them did)!  We also filled out these super cool time capsule sheets (which we'll be doing each year from now on).  It is a simply lovely way to spend the last day of the year and has truly become one of my most favorite days.  

Papa:

"My hope for this coming year is the same as always: to make sure that you and the girls are happy." "And I'd like to learn to make a barrel."

Mama:

In 2013 I hope to:

-master knitting. 

-become better about folding the wash. 

-finally reach my Weight Watchers goal. 

-that we continue to live, love, learn and grow together.

Grace:

"I hope for chickens!"

"I hope to learn to ice skate and ski." 

"I can't wait to become a Brownie Scout!"

Emma:

"I like to read."

"I want to do horse back riding." 

"I love to color."

"I like to hug and carry Albert." (our dog)

This year our watchword is kindness.  We all agreed that our world could use more kindness and we thought that we could help by sending more of it (than we already do) out into the world.  

Happy New Year, friends!  May your year be filled with much love, peace, joy, happiness and kindness.  

Our Hopes for 2012

(Picture taken with Dave's iPhone)

Last night as we ate the requisite Chinese dinner on New Year's Eve we shared with each other our hopes for 2012. It was the first time we had done this as a family.  We felt that instead of choosing resolutions, which never seem to really happen, that we would share with each other some things that each of us hopes happens during the course of this year. 

Grace:

"My hope for the new year is that Emma and I can still share a bed."

"I hope to plant pretty flowers."

"I hope that we get to play with our friends lots."

"I hope that Gretchen will snuggle with me."

"I hope that Albert will be OK."

"I love to learn my letters."

"I hope the birdies get alot of food."

"I hope for we always get to be together as a team!"

Emma:

"I love to go to Crickets."

"I love to take care of Albert."

"I love to snuggle Mommy."

"I want to ride my bike."

"I want to bake a cake."

"I hope for other bike."

"I have hopes!"

Papa:

"This year my hope for 2012 is the one hope I have each year.  To make sure that I make you and the girls as happy as possible."

Mama:

In 2012 I hope that:

-we can continue to live this incredible life.

-our bond as a family grows even stronger than it already is.

-David and I can go out on one date night a month.

-I finally learn to knit.

-I get back into a normal yoga practice.

-we continue to enjoy the joy.

-we continue to learn together, love together and laugh together.

-we can (finally!) attend our first Unschoolers Rock the Campground!

-I find my tribe of much needed like minded mamas and unschooling families.

Our watchword for this year is harmony.  Last year was all about joy.  Enjoying the joy.  Finding the joy.  Embracing the joy.  As I thought about this year and what it' word should be I was honestly learning toward love.  Cause really, can you ever truly have enough love?  It's such a great watchword and one that is truly a big part of our world.  Love was the front runner until my friend Alissia said on Facebook: "harmony" comes to mind, when I think of a word to describe your family....love keeping in touch with you through FB....keep on doing your thing! You are an inspiration."  And just like that our word was changed to harmony.  Thank you Alissia for your sweet words and for your wonderful suggestion.  It truly is the perfect word for us! 

Happy 2012, dear friends!  We hope the new year is off to a great start!