Happy new year! We enjoyed a gray and all-day rainy day on the first day of the year which was cozy and wonderful for these sun-drenched desert dwellers. We've put all of the Christmas decor away except for the tree which I wanted to let linger with just its lit branches. I'm really leaning into having a fake tree and how long we can have it up.

Yesterday, on January 2, was when I felt new year energy bubbling up. I woke up extra early at 4:30 am for my Monday morning ritual of coffee, catching up in my line-a-day journal (where I started back at the beginning for a new year), and writing my intentions for the week. Instead of a printed intentions page, I'm now using my new weekly intentions bound book that Chris gifted me for Christmas which I'm liking it a lot.

I'm in an in-between space reflecting on last year, especially our holiday season, and looking ahead to the expanse of this year. I'm asking myself, "What do I want more of?" What do I want less of?" "'Where do I want to lean in?" "Where do I want to opt out?" "What relationships do I want to deepen?" and "How do I want to feel at the end of 2023?"

I'm also thinking about the rhythm of our year and how to match that with my intentions. I have lots of energy, and work time to match, during the first few months of the year. In April Chris is usually slammed with work and quickly on its heels is the May end-of-school rush. The summer is a whole separate beast where routines feel so different and my work time is unpredictable (both of which are hard for me!). And sometimes it can feel like it takes a while to get into a groove again after school starts. From Halloween on holiday task and event management becomes almost a part-time job. Acknowledging these different seasons, Sarah over at The SHU Box divides her year into quintiles which makes so much sense. I'm not sure if I'll officially do quintile goals but maybe I should think about what kind of progress I can make during each season, and where I should plan to not get much done work-wise.

Lots to ponder and plan as 2023 gets started. I'm also really enjoying listening to Sabbath and the Art of Rest from The Ezra Klein Show podcast to start the year. Just as I am drawn to do more I am appreciating this reminder of the sacredness of rest. I'll leave you with that for now. I'll be sharing my 2023 goals and intentions later this month and have been enjoying seeing what other bloggers and podcasters are sharing.

Big things happening in January:

+ Settle into school routines.

+ Attend my cousin's wedding (in Phoenix!) and hang out with family who will be in town.

January goals and to-dos:

+ Set my 2023 goals and intentions.

+ Podcast software update. A boring but tedious to-do item that I have been putting off and really need to do!

+ Prep work for Girl Next Door Podcast website update. I'm so excited that we will be having a new website designed (by local listener Amanda!).

+ Catch up on taking photos of kiddo art work.

+ Catch up on putting photos our 2022 Google Photos album. And maybe start making our 2022 photo book?

+ Create a new family command center on the fridge. I'd like to DIY a weekly dry erase board like this one from Letterfolk.

Happy January, friends!

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