The Hopewell House

So since I didn't really get a chance to talk about my New Years Resolutions this year, I've decided March is the perfect time to share what we've been up to so far this year & the different commitments we're making.

The first thing we're trying to do every month is read a new book. I like to call it the D & H Book Club, (although we're not at all reading the same books). So far we've successfully made it through January; I read My Sister's Keeper & Dave read three different books [overambitious]: Outlaw by Ted Dekker, The Decision Maker, & 5 Dysfunctions of a Team. For February, we're still trying to finish the last of our books and are officially dedicating today as Reading Day. It's been a really fun challenge to have & has helped remind me just how much I enjoy reading. Any good reading recommendations out there for us? I'd love to hear some of your favorites!

And as all good resolutions go, we have committed this year to getting more physically fit. We've joined a gym here & frankly I'm pretty stoked about it. The membership not only provide us with workout equipment, but also rock climbing & fitness classes. My motivation this year is 1) If we go to the gym 15 times per month, our company basically pays for our fees & 2) Raynell's wedding- gotta look good for those wedding photos! They're also getting ready to open a hot yoga studio in our area and I'm so excited!

The other big goal we have this year is getting in shape emotionally. Last year was a really rocky year for Dave & I and we kind of had one of those "Ah-Ha!" moments in which we realized that we weren't taking care of ourselves or each other as we should be. Part of our move was dedicated to this, learning to be more intentional with each other and finding the okay in slowing down and just living in the delicate moments of time. It's been such a different change for us so far, but so wonderful! Dave's not gone all the time for work & I'm not keeping a booked schedule.  We work 9-5 jobs that give us our evenings back & everything in our new town is literally 10 minutes away or less. We stay home most Saturdays now just enjoying quiet moments, reading good books, and remembering how much we enjoy good French presses and loose leaf teas. We've also made it a point to get up a little earlier each morning to have our own individual quiet times; mornings aren't always easy to embrace but sitting in reflection, taking time to pray & reflect, really helps make each day more bearable & a little bit brighter.

And last but not least, we are trying to be much better about getting our finances in order. We're budgeting, living simply, and eating out a whole lot less. We cook more meals at home & we use a calculator when we're at the grocery store to track how much we're spending. We're really trying to live within our means & to save money to do things we love like traveling & spending time with wonderful people! I'm really proud of how well we've done so far!

Happy Saturday Friends!

Embrace this day & take some time to relax.