I was Marco Polo-ing with my sister the other day, as we do every day, and she shared so much wisdom across 3 messages that we dubbed them her “Ted Talk” of 2022.

I legit went back to record them and take notes, and they were gone. And then I thought-prayed, “Lord, would you just help me remember what I needed most from her words?”

New goals, who dis? 🥴

But really it has been a HOT HOT minute since I have done a monthly goals post. And I’m not quite sure how to feel about it at the moment. But I’m going to give it a try.

(How’s that for starting three sentences with conjunctions? I digress.)

Here’s what I know. I have been in my feelings about a lot of things lately, and rightfully so. It’s been a challenging year of sickness, a year of adding a 4th kid to our tribe, and a year of not writing or working or creating much at all. I’ve felt a little bit lost, while feeling so very happy to be growing our family. Motherhood is something else, isn’t it?

Back in my prime blogging days, when I was building Nancy Ray Photography and speaking at conferences and doing all the things, I remember someone attended an event I was speaking at and shared all that she wanted to do. I was cheering her on to create this business and work that she was so excited for!

Happy 2022!

Well, 2021 did not let us off the hook for an easy ending. We’ve all been sick for the last 3 weeks. No Covid, but we’ve had our fair share of congestion, fevers, chills, aches, strep throat (me and Lyndon and Beaufort and Will), and ear infections (3 of the 4 kids). It’s left me feeling like Christmas kicked me around a little, and I’m behind on a lot of dreaming, planning, and prep that’s usually done in December. We’re just now taking down our tree and decor, and we are all slowly climbing out of the trenches of sickness we’ve been in.

So here I sit, January 1st, the day after my birthday, setting my goals and making a plan. And this year, I’m doing it differently.

One of the best things we can do is remember. It doesn’t come naturally to me on the brink of a new year as I’m constantly planning and looking forward, but it’s a practice I’m committed to because we are a forgetful people. My favorite tradition that Will and I have is our Christmas Date Night - it’s a beautiful evening set aside for us to enjoy a delicious meal, twinkle lights, and to make a list of everything that happened that year. And every single year, we remember a whole lot more happened than we thought. “Oh I forgot about that!” “Gosh that was this year?!” “Wow that was such a fun trip.”

And every few years, we have a momentous year : one that carries so many significant milestones and events that it leaves a mark on our hearts and changes our trajectory for the future. 2021 was a momentous year for us.

These photos. Gosh they already hold such a special place in my heart. Thank you to my dear friend Olivia Suriano for taking these photos we will cherish forever! As I’m approaching my due date, these photos remind me what an absolute gift it is to carry life inside of me. Something I will never, ever take for granted.

We’re having another BABY! 🎉 It’s true, and I can’t quite believe I’m typing these words… Baby Ray # 4 is coming this July!

I think we are all trying to figure out what to do with 2021.

Should I even set goals when the world seems so unpredictable?

I’ve been wrestling with this question, sitting in the confusion and loss and lessons learned of 2020, feeling an incredible lack of motivation.

Today I don’t have a big long blogpost about goals and motivation and how to do all the things in 2021. But I do have some encouragement, and a few things I’m choosing to focus on in 2021.

Well I’m excited to have been invited by my friend Emily to blog about my “best of’s” for this year! She asked me and a handful of other friend bloggers to chime in, and it was SO much fun to read through all of their answers last year, I’m excited to participate again!

Never has there been a more important year to focus on the good, to focus on the best of’s. We’re all feeling heavy, so I think it’s good and right to fight for what’s fun and good and even a little lighthearted!

I’ve been doing a fun little series on my Instastories on authority, and I feel like it’s shifted the way that I look at my goals. Instead of writing out my goals for the month and checking them off one by one, or not checking them off at all because I get overwhelmed, I’ve been simply “taking authority” over areas of my life that, quite frankly, have felt like areas of defeat.

What I’ve learned is this: using a little bit of different language in regards to what you want to accomplish can be life giving! Instead of “I’m going to clean out my car” I said, “I’m taking authority over my car.” It is freeing, empowering, and for me, it’s re-established the joy and authority I have in taking care of my home.

There’s a LOT going on in my family in July!! :

Going to Beaufort, NC for July 4th with Will’s side of the fam
My Dad turns 70 on July 10th!
My little brother is getting married on July 17th!
My sister is due to have her baby… also on July 17th! (prayyyying I can make it there in time!)
We have a week trip planned to Nashville at the end of the month as well, to visit the new baby!

In case you are new here, I thought it might be fun to share a little bit about me!

This day never gets old to me. The fresh start, the new year, the clean slate! 2020, being that it’s the mark of not only a new year but a new decade, feels like an entirely new chapter. Of course it feels that way to me especially, because I’ve closed down Nancy Ray Photography and am now looking ahead to my new rhythm and pace of life. I am FULL of expectation.

Many people have been asking, “So what’s next for you?”

Yes, it’s happening again! The Contentment Challenge is happening January - March of 2020, and you are invited to join in!

I’m just going to be real : if I didn’t have this monthly goal blogpost waiting for me, I don’t think I would have made any actual goals for the month of April. Life with three kids has dominated me lately!

A few years ago I heard about the Navigator’s Council - a tool created by a couple I follow and love: Jeremy and Audrey Roloff. In a nutshell, there are 6 questions they ask each other every single week, to stay in a place of healthy communication in their marriage.

I’m sitting here with Beaufort sound asleep on my chest, both girls are napping (insert victory dance here!! All 3 kids asleep at once!), and I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that I’m about to write my THIRD child’s birth story. For so long I wasn’t ready to become a mama, it is purely God’s grace and goodness to me that I am one today. If you’re new around here, or if you just love birth stories, I’m including some links that will fill you in on my journey to becoming a mama to three. And then you’ll hear the crazy story of how Beaufort William came into our lives.

This Fun Friday is for those of us who are just DELIGHTED by clean floors!

Meet the Deebot.

The longest I’ve gone without washing my hair is 13 days.

I don’t know if that impresses you, or if that grosses you out. I realize I’m taking a big risk here!

But if you’re like me, I view not washing my hair as a skill to be proud of!

I’m pretty excited about this little idea. I’m looking at Fridays on this blog as a free pass - I get to talk about whatever little tip, tutorial, product, or life hack that I want! I know, I know, I plan the rest of this blog out, too. But Fridays are gonna be different, spontaneous, and maybe a little unexpected.