Happy New Year, Friends!

I do love a fresh new start. It's the closest thing we have to a blank slate. Because, really, there's no way to erase everything...to completely begin anew. And, despite the things that have happened to us or around us, the things that we do wish we could take back or make disappear, all of those things make up the intricate and complicated landscape of who we are. So, if we were actually able to take the bad away, we would run the risk of taking away the good too. We wouldn't want that, right?

Fresh starts provide me with a little respite from the motion of my life so that I can step back and refocus...refocus on living better, healthier, cleaner, and with more grace. To find some greater clarity to create more of those good, memorable moments.

I'm not sure what this says about me, but when I started talking to David about my resolutions and goals for 2014, they were nearly identical to the goals I set for myself last year!

Here is a brief list of what I hope 2014 brings to my life:

Near daily family walks

A monthly Farmers Market Visit

A monthly date night- we already have some good ones planned(!!!) and I'm excited and committed to indulge in the best dates of our life this year!

A memory jar to collect random thoughts throughout the year to read out loud to each other on New Year's Eve (completely failed at this one last year!)

More playtime

A family exercise morning each weekend

More hikes

More patience, understanding, and flexibility

Greater joy in each of the small wonderful things

And, of course, more moments on this blog. I'm recommitting to a weekly photo of Jack this year and adding a monthly family photo (January's is already done! Yay!).

I hope for a wonderful 2014 for us all! It's going to be a good year, maybe the best, I can feel it! xxo

PS These photos were taken at Kerry Park in the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle on New Year's morning. We have gone to this overlook park each New Year's Day for the past three years- it's our little tradition. Our 2012 photos are here; look how small Jack was!