2013 has been a crazy one. We settled into our new life in Minnesota, started this blog, welcomed two beautiful baby girls, transitioned Jake into a new job, celebrated Baylen’s second birthday, and survived it all! As I look toward 2014, I’ve been thinking about some areas I’d like to be intentional about. Overall, I’m excited to move from merely surviving to thriving. This year was full of wonderful things, but it has left me feel a bit frazzled. Most of the time I only had the capacity to survive, and while I’m thankful God gave me the grace to get through every day, I feel like I was a jack of all trades and a master of none. I don’t think we were designed to live in survival mode long term, and I feel like I’m at a point now where I live with a little more margin. My family will continue to be my first priority, but I want to set myself up for success in other areas too. Here are some goals I have for the new year:
Be Responsive… One thing I’ve been horrible at this year is being as responsive as I’d like. Whether it’s an email, a blog comment, a text, a phone call, you name it, I haven’t been able to stay on top of it. Jake says he thinks I have a mild case of ADD, and he might be right. I’ll glance at my phone, see a message, then I’ll get distracted by something else (i.e. a crying baby) and totally forget to respond until much later. I’m going to try to do a better job of setting aside specific times of day to respond and hopefully stay focused!
Be A Friend Again… I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen this and totally resonated with it. My friends and family have been completely full of grace and understanding for me this year, but my heart craves to reciprocate and encourage them the way they’ve encouraged me. 
Eat Clean… I’ve been really consistent at working out this year, but eating hasn’t been where I’d like it to be. We’ve gotten pretty used to ordering chinese take out and pizza weekly – I don’t necessarily feel guilty about it because again, we were in survival mode, but it just can’t go on forever. To jump start some healthier habits, starting tomorrow Jake and I are going to participate in the Whole30 Program. I’m a little terrified, but mostly excited! It’s all about eating real food. We’ll be eating lots of meat, seafood, tons of vegetables (Lord help me!), some fruit, and plenty of good fats from fruits, oils, nuts, and seeds. We’ll be cutting out added sugar, alcohol, grains, legumes, and dairy.
If you know me, then you know this will be VERY difficult. I’m not a huge veggie fan. I also have a major sweet tooth, and almost always need a tiny bit of something sweet after dinner. But it’s only 30 days – you can do anything for 30 days, right?! Right. Who knows, maybe I’ll acquire a taste for greens!
Find a small group… We decided to take this year off from being involved in a small group, but we’ve missed the intentional community. Now that our kids are at a point where I wouldn’t feel guilty about leaving all three of them alone with a babysitter in the early evening, we’re looking forward to getting involved again.
More Mommy’s Me Time… I can hardly believe I’ve had this little blog for a year already! Tomorrow is the first anniversary and I am beyond grateful for the ways God is using it. When I started, my prayer was that even if I could just encourage one other mom it would be worth it. Instead of keeping my thoughts to myself, I thought I might as well use this blog as an outlet. It turned out God directed more than just one momma my way, and I’ve been able to connect with so many of you. I’m constantly humbled and encouraged by your sweet souls. You are all so good to me. Thank you for hanging with me, even in the weeks when I didn’t have time to share anything new. In 2014, I have plans to be more consistent with my posts. If you know of other women who might like to join this community, please invite them! From the depths of my heart I say thank you for making this desire of my heart an actual reality.
The best is yet to come, friends! Let’s EXPECT GREAT THINGS in 2014!
Happy New Year!
Amber
P.S. For more reflections on parenthood and life, follow us on Facebook (Hun Let’s Run) and on Instagram: @ambermariekuiper and @jakekuiper! We’d also love for you to subscribe to our Hun, Let’s Run Podcast! For more info about joining our fitness community as a customer or coach, please email us at amber@mommysmetime.com!
