Welcome 2014

It's that time of year again, when we announce to ourselves exactly what it is we would like to work on to become a better version of ourselves. Here is what I have come up with for this year…

Motherhood:

• I want to continue to be the kind of mom that Cy wants/needs, especially since we are going to have a new little person in our lives. I am worried about this transition so I will focus on being the same mama to him then that I am now
• I would like to implement a date day with Cyrus during this first year of Tag's life so that we can continue to work on our relationship as he grows.
• I want to be accepting and patient of this little girl who is about to enter our family. I had a hard time adjusting to life as a mother with Cyrus, and now that I know what to expect, I want to face this challenge a little more proactively and head on this time around. 

Marriage

• I would like to practice more kindness with Brad. It's not that I'm not kind to him and it's not that we don't have a great relationship but I do find that sometimes I am more patient and forgiving with people that mean way less to me than my husband does. Sometimes, I give all I have all day long and he gets what's left over at the end of the night, which is not always loving. So I will work on that.
• With this new baby coming, I would like to try to focus on making sure we have time to spend together as husband and wife and best friends, without the children, so that we can continue to grow as a couple and not just as parents.
• Continue to do things that we enjoy together, especially outdoor activities when we are both happiest.

Self:

• I want to practice more "grace" in my daily life. This word is somewhat of a mantra for me, has been for quite some time. I think one of the most wonderful characteristics a person can possess is grace and be willing to afford that to others. I focus on it daily, with my students, with my son, with strangers (except when I'm driving, and then I'm just a total bitch), and most importantly with my husband. But, in the moments, the really important moments, I find it hard to practice grace and giving of grace to others so this is one of my goals. To practice grace in the hard and the important moments and to give this grace to others. As they say, "those who live in a glass house should not throw stones".
• After the baby comes, one of my goals is to get my body back in shape. I don't really care about what I weigh. Often times, I think there is a perfect # on the scale for me when in reality it's more about my strength and speed than that number. Before I got pregnant, I was stronger than I may have ever been in my life. I was toned and had a pretty decent six(ish) pack…but the scale said I was about 7 pounds heavier than what I deemed ideal for myself. So, I choose to ignore the scale and focus on my fitness.
• Races: sign up and do them. I would like to do 4 - 5 sprint triathlons this season plus another 1/2 ironman. I also want to throw in a few half marathons and 5k/10ks. I'd love to train for a longer (50K) running race again but it depends on the kiddos. I am not sure what my training schedule will look like have a new baby plus my sweet boy but I will do my best. I'm not thinking I'll PR this season but just being in the game will be momentum for me. 

Financial - Our financial life is SO much better than it has ever been and it is wonderful to breathe easier again, it's been a long time. We are close to being where I want to be and have come a long way since the days of Over The Moon. My financial goals for the year are: 

• Become debt free in 2014. We are close, so stinking close (although Christmas set us back a bit), to being debt free and I just want to get there. We paid off both of our cars last year and one credit card. We have 2 credit cards left that we can pay off in about 7 months. After those are gone, we will not owe anything to anyone…I can't imagine what that will feel like! 

• My goal last year was to just put something away in savings each month, regardless of what it was. We have done that this year and have done well with it. It is so comforting to have a backup should we need it. My goal is to continue to put a money into our savings each month but to increase the amount quite a bit. Having a second kid in daycare is going to make this a bit of a challenge next year but we'll do our best. Cy and Tag in daycare will cost us about $2000 per month (puke) but it's for only one 9 month period and then Cy will enter Kindergarten at Collegiate (for free, I still can't believe that) and we'll be down to one daycare payment again. We are going to feel seriously rich when both kids are out of daycare with an extra $2000 per month…I am DEFINITELY getting a new road bike then :)
• Continue to spend only cash and not use our credit cards. We did use them for Christmas a bit this year and though I was glad we could do it, all this "stuff" is just not worth that heavy feeling of having extra debt because of it. We've been great at just using cash for everything, it was definitely uncomfortable switching to this system but it has made all the difference for our financial life. 

So, there you have it. Pretty ambitious year I think but all worthy of my time and attention. I am hoping that writing it here will help to keep me accountable throughout this year.