Well it is the end of the year 2013 and if you feel anything like me you are wondering where the heck did the year go! We had so many changes in the last year: moving, a new job, new house, attempting to make new friends, finding a new homeschool group where we fit in, moving closer to family, losing some great friends, losing our after school activities, and losing homeschooling support groups. Some of these things have been exciting, others a bit more stressful and more changes are still coming our way! I always try to look at changes as a opportunity to improve, grow and adapt. I will say this has been especially challenging this year as my move back to the states has proven harder than I ever imagine it would be. I never thought in a million years I would feel like a stranger in my own country, but I do!
I haven't made a New Years Resolution in many, many, years. However this year I have decided to really work on getting myself in shape. My husband and I began Weight Watchers in October and are slowing losing weight. We have signed up at the local YMCA and have begun exercising. Not sure this counts as a New Years Resolution since we started in the last quarter of the year 2013:)
So instead of a New Years Resolution, I have chosen a theme for our upcoming year: Get Healthy!! We are eating out less, trying to exercise more and improve our portion size for meals. It is a work in progress and I am sure we will slip up every once in a while but it is something we are striving for. I was quite please that both my husband and I lost weight over the Thanksgiving holidays and so far we have managed to maintain (not lose) our current weight over the Christmas holidays. We are looking at our lifestyle and making every effort to make better healthy choices for ourselves and our children.
But getting healthy doesn't just mean getting our bodies back on track it also means getting our souls/spirits back on track too. It means finding ways to be less stressed in our new surroundings and feeling more like we belong in our new community. This is proving to be much more difficult than our weight loss journey. Without getting into too many details I became discourage with organized religion, this occurred even before we left the states and went to live in the UK. Since we have returned to the states I haven't been very impressed with the way religion is discussed or even how certain people practice their faith. It seems to have gotten even more polarizing than ever before. I just don't feel like I belong in church anymore. So were does that leave me and my family, well we are struggling...
So over the coming year I will continue to post about our homeschooling adventures, traveling adventures, weight loss journey and even my spiritual journey. I have a feeling it is going to be quite different from what people expect and I know I will probably lose readers because of it. But I am for the first time in a very long time willing to row upstream and stand alone in my personal journey. This is my journey and I will make mistakes along the way and I hold only myself accountable in what decisions I make. I will no longer be afraid to say something in case it upsets someone. I don't intend to be confrontational, but I will be honest which might be uncomfortable for me and for you the reader. It is great if you agree but it is also great if you disagree. This is what makes the world a more interesting place. I invite you to share in my journey but if it makes you uncomfortable, I will of course, understand and wish you well.
If you are making some changes in your life for the New Year and have some pointers you would like to share leave a comment. I have no idea in what direction my life is about to go. I have jumped into the boat and am hanging on for dear life as I maneuver the white water rapids in the hopes there is something calmer and better down stream:)
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Happy new Year to you too!! I completely understand where you are coming from with organised religion, we've walked the path before you. I don't think it's such a big deal here as in the States, but it was still hard. We still go to Church occasionally, we went to Christingle as Hannah loves the candle lit service, but we are much more in tune with nature now, celebrating the seasons and the power of the natural world. You don't need to be in a Church to appreciate the amazing beauty and strength of the living world. Planting seeds and harvesting their produce, seeing the spring flowers come out after the cold of winter, seeing someone in a random act of kindness.......................those things are so much more important to us now. I wish you a happy and fulfilling journey, much love xxx
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, and you won't lose me as a follower, I am sure.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you and your dear family. I can't imagine how hard it would be to make the moving adjustments that you have had to make. I hope that your new year will be a great one. I know that I will enjoy reading your blog posts. I like your adventures and I always learn so much from them. Don't give up on organized religion. I am sure you will be guided to where you need to be. Don't be afraid to look into the LDS faith. There will be what we call wards in your area. You should visit one. I think you will find it very different in a very good way.
ReplyDeleteRegardless, whatever you do will be what is best for you and your family. I think you are all amazing.
Blessings and hugs1
It sounds like you are going through a big transition with moving and everything else. Personally, I quite enjoy the fact we are all different and find blog in which writers share their opinions and views even more interesting.
ReplyDeleteDid you know your blog was featured today on the Yahoo group Homeschoolers Bloggers Haven?