New Year, New Possibilities

After a rough start to 2011 and some other unexpected pitfalls throughout the year, I am looking forward to saying goodbye to the past and start fresh. That said, I did accomplish my goals of getting off crutches and potty training Gray (both of which seemed nearly impossible last January).

Lately, I've been thinking about what I want to accomplish in 2012. Not just for myself, but for our family. After consulting with my cohorts (Michael and Gray), we've come up with the following list.

• Enjoy Gray's last year of not being tied down by an elementary school calendar (2013 and kindergarten will be here before we know it!). That leads us to the next one...

• Take more day trips and weekend getaways. We've got such busy schedules during the week, it's easy to spend our weekends catching up on laundry, errands, etc. and forget to have some fun. We need to make more time for adventure and spontaneous exploration.

• Break out of our usual dinner lineup. I'll admit, I'm stuck in a meal planning rut. Limited winter produce doesn't help, but I'm thankful that Gray is a pretty open-minded eater and I'd like to expand our culinary repertoire.

• Tackle some of the major home improvement projects we've been talking about for years. I want our home to inspire and re-energize us, not be a stressful reminder of what needs to be done.

• Make specific plans to nurture our passions and hobbies:
• Michael: furniture making/upholstery, mountain biking, art
• Lindsay: writing, tennis
• Gray: music, soccer

We realize this is a pretty ambitious list, but we have to at least put it out there and try. One thing is certain...2012 will no doubt bring change both in and out of our control. I hope you all will help us stay on track and make the coming year one of adventure, accomplishment and continual learning.