End of 2023, what a year! I feel like I say that a lot but this year has been both wonderful in ways we didn’t expect and also very hard in ways we didn’t see coming. This month has been a busy one, also in unusual ways.
Loving
I’ve been loving seeing our house addition really come together. The last few weeks the DIY portion has really kicked into high gear and completion is slated for mid-January. In the week before Christmas, we’ve been priming and painting all the walls and ceiling in the bathroom, bedroom and dining room and then after Christmas my husband and father took on installing the flooring in the bedroom and dining room.
It’s been incredibly busy but actually quite satisfying. (Despite us feeling our age since we haven’t done a project his extensive for almost 15 years and we are definitely not as young as we used to be.)
Hopefully I’ll have a few photos to share at the end of January!
Reading
I’ve been plowing through lots of holiday themed fluffy rom-com style novels and novellas, mostly from Emma St. Clair. I kind of accidentally fell into reading the Love Stories in Sheet Cake series which led me to the prequel Falling for Your Best Friend. My Kindle Unlimited subscription is up this month but I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for more books by Emma St. Clair in the future. I like her description of novels that have sizzle without spice.
I probably need to get back to my long list of non-fiction reading, but I’ve definitely been enjoying lots of positive, happily-ever-after stories in this busy and stressful season.
Learning
I’m learning, again, to let things go. This year, Christmas looked different than it often does. Usually I like traditions but this year I’ve been learning to flex. Then the day came and we flexed even more because of illness and exhaustion. It wasn’t a sad Christmas, just a different one. Something I have to keep reminding myself of when I’m tempted to give in to the sadness that often follows holiday seasons. Also, Christmas is just one day. It’s a lovely day but the same truths we celebrate during Advent (and into Epiphany) apply all year long. What could feel like loss, I can see as an opportunity to remind myself daily in the months ahead that Immanuel is with us still.
Eating
I made four different kinds of gluten free cookies this month and they all turned out delicious (even if one batch ended up not terribly attractive).
I’ve made the chocolate thumbprint and triple chocolate peppermint cookies before but the cranberry pecan shortbread and the gluten free linzers were new and I’ll definitely be making them again!
Also, apparently I always love ham. There is something about ham at Christmas that I look forward to every year, even if I could buy it any time, for some reason I don’t. I’ve also recently come to appreciate how amazing my mom’s cinnamon rolls are and I’m still sad that I only managed to eat one and a half of them this year.
This is the time of year where I let myself enjoy a few treats but starting January 2, I’ll be joining Wendy Speake and thousands of others in our annual 40 Day Sugar Fast. As hard as it is, I’m actually almost looking forward to it this year. It feels good to start the year with a healthy reset.
I can’t believe 2023 is already at an end and I’m hopeful to see what 2024 will hold. Hopefully it will mean the completion of our house project, consistent employment and building some new healthy family habits.
Happy New Year!! I LOVE Emma St. Clair books! I got hooked on her Love Cliche’ series, I listened to them on audio, they were fabulous. I haven’t read her older stuff (Billionaire series), but I am up to date on everything recent 🙂
I’ve been holding on to the truth that the name Immanuel means God is with us every day throughout the year. It is encouraging when the holidays turn out differently than we’d wanted and things are changing, isn’t it. Praying that your new year is a healthy and happy one!
It seems like so many folks were sick – to some degree or another – this past Christmas! My goodness. I do hope everyone at your house is feeling well and fully recovered now. (For some, it seems to drag….) How exciting for the addition to be almost completed! What fun!! I hope you will share more about it:) Happy January to you!