believing in MAGIC

When I look back over this past year so many emotions come up. We had good and bad and scary. Honestly, it was a hard year. But we learned a lot and we've been blessed with some amazing things that have come our way. My word last year was intention and it was really wonderful to watch how my life unfolded when I lived with intention and not just day to day. When pregnancy and hyperemesis hit I stopped posting my intentions to the blog but I kept journaling them and sharing them with myself. Even though I didn't complete every intention I set, it was huge for me to see the way each of them developed. It made all the difference in the world. This year my word is...

magic.

I've thought a lot about this word the past few days. Picking a word is hard! But no matter what else I considered, I kept coming back to magic. It followed me around and insisted this was the year that I focus on finding the magic in my life. So that's what I'll be doing this year.

Aaron and I have two big plans for 2015. We're going to have our second child and become a little family of four (I say little because I come from a family of eight) and we're going to find a space to call our home. I'm excited for both of these endeavors and I hope the second comes before the first, though I'm not placing restrictions on myself. I've learned my lesson there.

I also have a few small intentions for the year (because intentions rock even if it's not your word for the year).

• one family picture each month - I did this in 2014 and it was one of my favorite things I did. The progression of our family month to month is so fun, especially as I watch Everly change!
• read at least 2 books each month - Last year I wanted to read 1 book a week and it got overwhelming pretty quickly. I got off track for a bit and then got back on course  a while later. It was a huge thing to undertake. But I love reading so I'm making the intention smaller but still relevant. Hopefully it helps! 
• have an outing with Everly once a week - This can be big like taking her to an amusement park for her first baby roller coaster (I'm excited to do that this summer!) or small, like a trip to the zoo or local park. At least once a week the two of us will leave the house to do something just for her. And in July we'll add a third wheel who will sleep while we play.
• cook one new recipe each week - This might be my favorite intention for the year. I cannot express how much I love cooking and (not to brag too hard) I'm very good at it. I read far too many food blogs (if there's such a thing?) and pin amazing recipes all the time. I'm going to try at least one new recipe each week so my family and I can all enjoy the benefits of my cooking skills. 
• date night with Aaron - Is once a week to much to ask for a date night with my husband? I hope not, because I am. I want to go on a date with Aaron once a week, even if that date is a trip to the store without Everly in tow! We can grab some coffee and call it a romantic stroll.

Cheers to that wild, crazy, beautiful 2014 and lets bring on the MAGIC for 2015!

PS How adorable is that photo? Everly thought Christmas morning was the most amazing thing ever and all she wanted was to go play with her toys.