organizing for a new year

every time a new year rolls around, i feel the urge to organize.  physically, i straighten up kitchen cupboards, sort through closets, gather accumulated items for which we no longer have a use for, make piles to donate, and try my best to simplify what we have.

living in such a small space for a family of four, this can all be rather challenging.  i always end up making a large messes in every nook while trying to manage organizing things around our home.  i would have to say it always looks much worse before it starts to feel better.  playing a new mix tape helps.

once our space is back to its calm old self, i start on the non-tangible things.  like our plans for the year both big and small.  this, of course, means getting out my trustee spiral notebook and colored felt tip pens for list making.

after lighting a candle and making some coffee, i make my lists.

...new places to take the kiddos here in kansas city, things i want to do with andrew on date nights, day trips for our weekends, books i want to read, ideas for exploration, new meals to try, correspondences that need to be made, appointments that should be carried out, budgeting ideas, activities to craft, and the like.

for me, this is all very therapeutic, putting things in their respective boxes .  my mind works best that way.  i believe that organizing mindfully is something that truly makes me a better person.  it soothes my anxiety and helps me be the best version of myself.  it gives me the extra push to be a better mother and helps me breathe when chaos seems to well inside.  taking time to really sort through the stuff of life is essential for me, and something i look forward to with the dawn of each new year.  it sets the tone for the coming days.  it keeps my minds fresh.

this weekend and probably the week following, organization will be my focus.  the four of us will need to escape for some brunch at some point, to church on sunday, and a visit to the museum before the impressionist exhibit leaves town, but other than that, just simple organizing for the year.  i already feel lighter.

ahhh.

a new year, 2014.

this new year crept in and blanketed my thoughts with warmth and joy.  as my lips pressed against my husbands on the stoke of midnight when that glittery ball announced the new year, i felt a spark of excitement rush through my veins.  a thumping pulse made its presence known in my heart and soul.  

how truly alive i felt!  

for our little family of mine is on the cusp of something rather exciting.  this year we are taking a refreshing and much needed stroll down an untrodden path we've been longing for.  we are pointing our compass towards adventure and exploration, towards airplanes and car rides, and towards meeting new friends and forging deeper connections with old ones, too.  this year, it is all about getting out and sucking the marrow out of life's potential.    

this spark i mentioned earlier was succeeded with obligatory clinks of champagne glasses and always comforting "i love yous" and a card game around our new wooden table with family.  hours past in the snowy night and we slept through the haze, waking to the first sunshine of a new, untouched year.  this white blank page greeted us as we woke, staring at us with purpose and intention.  it was rather moving seeing it sit there patiently, waiting for us to wipe the tired from our eyes so we may grab ahold of it and start scribbling.

after coffee and breakfast, my love and i reflected on our hopes for our family for 2014.  we found a saying in a new book of blessings and poems by john o'donohue.  it resonated with both of us and spoke to our dreams. 

"awaken your spirit to adventure; hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk; soon you will be home in a new rhythm, for your soul senses the world that awaits you." 

it's time we put thoughts into action and soar high, using our wild, feathered wings to take us into the unknown.  it is time to get lost with each other and burrow about this divine earth of ours.  we need to feel salty waves rush over our toes and we must get grass stains and see snow peaked mountains and gaze upon historic monuments and feel the frustration of being surround by a foreign language.  our soul needs this.  all of it. 

in this coming year, we have bigs plans for travel and plan on seeking new adventures together as four.  may we live our time away to its fullest and return home more enriched and free.  our jar of hopes is waiting to be filled with memories, and we are so ready to begin.     

cheers to 2014, friends.  it's bound to be our best year yet.