2013: A retrospective

2013 was a big year at our house. We all learned, matured, and grew either physically or emotionally.  Here are a few highlights:

Paul entered Kindergarten and Claire entered second grade. We were pleased to learn that Claire's teacher knew her and loved her before she even entered the second grade classroom. Claire loves reading and covers just about as many books as Sarah.  She is also excited about learning to multiply.  She is matter of fact and solid in her opinions and knowledge. She also is perceptive and often makes Sarah pause with her insights.

Paul loves his kindergarten teacher and mostly likes going to school. If you ask him, it's a gamble whether he will answer in the positive or the negative. He definitely would rather be home with Mama, but he is slowly adjusting to the fact he'll be at school every day.  He does have many friends and several girls try to hug him each day when he leaves the building.  He wasn't in any sports this year, but he is by far the most athletic in the family and constantly inventing new sports and climbing walls (literally).

Adam discovered Mark Twain in 2013. He's been working through the biographies, which are at least 1,000 pages each, but taking a break to read short stories. He also found a new love of sharing literature with the children and read them both Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer this year.  They've started working on Treasure Island.

Sarah compiled some of her blog entries into book fashion.  This was a huge step for me for several reasons.
1. I completed a childhood goal by writing a book.
2. I found out that some of my writing is actually worth paying for.
3. I learned how to make an epub.
4. I can google myself and find myself on amazon now!

My book is only available in electronic format. It's my first one and it's a trial run/learning process.  I would be honored if you read, it, though!  If you have a Kindle, you can download it directly to your Kindle device.  If you have an Ipad or other Apple device, you must first download the Kindle App and then go to amazon and get it.  If you have a Nook, like me, I'm sorry, it just won't work.

Here's the link:
http://www.amazon.com/Goofiness-Grace-Sarah-Boyette-ebook/dp/B00HBQUFL0/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t

At the beginning of 2013 I came up with the idea that going to seminary would be a good idea for me. I could learn more about faith, the Bible, and people and become a theological writer. I planned to get started in 2023. At the end of 2013 I am reading several theological tomes to prepare for orientation. I'll be attending seminary next semester!

If you ask me how I will balance everything, or what my plan is, the answer is that I don't know. I work two jobs, have two kids, two dogs, and a husband. But, just a year ago I hadn't even considered going back to school and I'm just stepping forward on faith.  It's pretty crazy that I don't know how long this will take or where I will end up, but life is short and you have to take chances where you can.

2013 has been so full of surprises that we can't wait for 2014 to begin!

2013--The Year in Review: January

January wrapped up last week and I thought I'd inventory some thoughts that have been rattling through my head:

1.  Squirrels make nests.
I learned this just last week by observation and then asked friends for more information.  Apparently if a nest is at the very top of a tree and it's messy instead of a nice, structured pile of branches, it's probably a squirrel's nest.

2.  I don't have to "get it together" before I show up.
I got this from Anne Lamott's book, Help, Thanks, Wow, which I highly recommend.  I also read it in two hours, so I figure most people can read it in a day.  She talked about how many people think they have to get their life in order before they start a regular prayer life, but how a regular prayer life actually helps people get their life in order.  I've found this concept true in many parts of my life.  If I can just show up, I often can "get it together" there.  (My eventual hope for this blog is that it will be a place where I "get it together" so I can publish something sometime.)

3.  My body doesn't end at my neck.
I often focus on nurturing my brain with books or my spirit with prayer and Bible study.  I'm not so good on nurturing my body with anything other than delicious food.  Over the Christmas holidays, I threw out my back.  This was fixed when a friend pushed certain muscle points on my stomach to put my back muscles in place.  Honestly, it had been a long time since I had felt muscles in my stomach.  They don't go away just because I don't think about them!  So this led me to realize that I should be more intentional about taking care of my physical body.  I've been doing yoga with my friendly instructor on the Wii.

4.  I am not a garbage disposal.
If others in the house don't enjoy the meal I cook for them, I don't have to eat it all.  If others sit and talk to me and tell me their problems, I don't have to take them on as my own.  I don't have to keep every scrap of paper that might be informative some day or every invention of recyclables the kids give me.

5.  Sometimes my job is to listen.
Our friend, Jason Valendy recently wrote a post about monologues in church (Read it here.)  This caused me to do some thinking and Adam and I have been having discussions on monologues verses dialogues.  At a fast-increasing rate, I am caught in conversations that become just my job to listen.  If you know me, I do often talk a lot, so I when I'm in conversation with someone, I try to continue the dialogue, add comments, whatever.  But lately, and at random places and times, I have become aware of the need to just zip my lips and listen.  At the park the other day, a man was commenting on my dog.  I wanted to tell him the story of Sugar Dot, but it turned out that he needed to talk to someone.  He ended up speaking to me for fifteen minutes about  his dog that had died, and that led to a conversation about broken marriages, custody battles, and moving back home.  When I had to leave, I felt bad for him.  He didn't even know my name, and I didn't get a chance to tell him.  He needed someone to talk to.

In a world where people are increasing their relationships via social media and decreasing their face to face contact, I am consciously trying to pay attention and listen where needed.  I am trying to recognize the places where dialogue isn't needed, but an audience for a monologue is.