December 30, 2023
Spokane, WA
We have one photo from years ago where our kids are wearing party hats and the clock behind them says some ridiculously early time for New Years Eve. Guaranteed we celebrated with them and put them to bed at eight o'clock.
Two years ago, my family said they all wanted to make it to midnight to ring in the new year. Me, making a solid attempt to hang with my kids, was down to give it a shot. So, being the party animals we are, we started our Sister Act marathon and settled in. We were ready to party! Snacks were made, fun beverages for all were had, and the excitement was building. Until...one by one...I watched my family drift off to sleep... Every. Last. One of them. So, what did I do? I watched the time tick away and at midnight woke them ALL up with glasses of sparkling cider, said "Happy New Years!" and we went to bed. It was a little rough, but I thought that this moment was sort of special. We had made it to midnight! The next morning I was prepared to celebrate the fact that we saw midnight, and I was met with, "You didn't wake us up!" Not a single child recalled my waking them up and saying, "HAPPY NEW YEAR!"... Wild. One of those special mom moments that will be brought up every New Years from now on by yours truly.
New Years Day comes along and we make our plans for doing better! Last year, I bought a gratitude journal. I was going to do something I had never really done before and keep a journal of sorts, and be more grateful. You know what I think is so great, but is soooo not in the cards for me to do at this point? Keeping a gratitude journal. IF a gratitude journal is in your future, I think it's wonderful! I even think the journal that I purchased is an amazing tool for someone starting out. So I'll link it here. It has seven small journal prompts to get you through a week, and if you fall behind you can add your own dates too. Super flexible and really if I had any dedication to this task at all, it would have been a great journal. It would make a great little gift or gift basket filler as well! Good intentions that fell flat in my case.
Other resolutions for the year were to complete a business class to help navigate so many areas that I'm less familiar with in regards to running a flower farm and a small business. To anyone in the world of small businesses, marketing, social media, content creators, etc...You are something special. It's not easy. Though this goal was met, it is also just an ongoing feat. Constantly growing, trying new things, and putting myself out there in ways that make me mostly at least a little uncomfortable (like this blog) is a big part of my business model.
My next item on the list was something a little more personal. I was going to use the Hallow app--an app for Catholic prayer. My mom and sisters are praying for me and I hope the good Lord knows I'm trying! This may be one of those goals that rolls on over to the next year.
This year, I'm honestly not sure just yet. One farm goal is to get U-Pick events rolling and also to find drop locations for our flowers in Spokane in order to avoid the meet-ups that have been a little insane in the past. Though I absolutely love seeing everyone's faces and excitement as they get their flowers!
For now, we will keep plugging along and doing the best we can. Some days Superwoman takes over and some days not so much. One thing I can say for sure is that the year of 2024 will be sure to have ups and downs. Here at Simply Picked Flowers, it will be beautiful amid the chaos that is family and farm life. January itself will be full of farm planning including seed inventory, garden layouts, planting schedules, etc. More on that to come.
**I'm going to digress for a hot second...While writing this post, it was starkly brought to my attention that not everyone has a "Happy New Year". This isn't new to me--I worked a brain injury unit for years and know holidays are hard and the aftermath that can come from difficult times--particularly at the holidays. While I hope you all can find something to look forward to in 2024 or a moment from 2023 that is worth reflecting positively, that can be difficult for some. I'm going to post a sign we have in our dining room. While I view this sign as a reminder to step back, slow down, and appreciate the people we are honored to share life with--be it family, friends, or whomever... Ultimately, I hope people come to our table, see this sign, and know that they are important.
What is one thing you can reflect on positively from 2023 or are looking forward to in 2024?
Until next year...
~M
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