Y'all. 2019?

I say this every single year, but seriously!!! How is it already 2019??? I was just settling into 2018. We had high hopes for 2018 and it didn't disappoint, but I just wasn't ready for it to end. It seems the new year hit us out of nowhere and I, for one, am struggling to get in the 2019 rhythm.

We started off the year with a blown sound board and couldn't get our podcast out on time. Next, we spent several days at our team of naturopathic doctors trying to get straightened out. Then we dragged ourselves back to school! I'd like a Christmas break redo!!!

I started hearing about people having "words" for their year several years ago. Sometimes words would pop up for me over and over again throughout the year and I'd kind of claim it for my year, but I mostly think in phrases. 2017 was "Peace, even when things aren't perfect" and 2018 was "Intentionally crafting a life with what we have". 2019 seems to be a little sneaky. It snuck right up on us and instead of giving me a phrase it gave me a word...

We always tell the kids to slow down and savor their food when they're eating. Sometimes, after eating the ENTIRE pint of Ben & Jerry's I tell Patrick he didn't even have time to savor that because he ate it so fast. We've said it so much that I overheard my youngest telling my oldest that he just can't savor his candy...he has to gobble it up! All that talk of savoring got me thinking about how busy our life is even when we intentionally try to slow down and enjoy it. We constantly count down to the weekend and vacations. The busy and the hustle snuck up on us just like 2019 did. So I decided that must be our word this year.

We want to savor the day, savor our food, savor the sports seasons and the doctor visits and the eating out and the friend dates and family gatherings; savor the movies and the pretend sick days; savor the campfires and the cold nights snuggled down under the covers; savor the memories of family members that have passed on; savor the coming spring and summer days and the trips we've planned and have yet to plan; savor the things we'll learn and the books we'll read, the songs we'll sing and the plans we'll make; savor the tiny house life and the constructing a house life...there's so much we might pack into this year, but our #1 wish is to try and savor the moments so maybe it doesn't seem to fly so fast this time...

Join me?

Wishing you the very best new year!!!

xoxo,

~j

*p.s. I know that "sneaked" is actually the grammatically correct past tense form of sneak, but seriously...there's no way I would ever say something sneaked up on me...so I'm gonna keep it real... k?