I love flipping through my photos at the end of each year and let the memories flood back. When I looked back a smile came over my face but like any year, this year was filled with ups and downs, but the ups certainly out numbered the downs.
This year was marked by a couple key themes: family, adventures, pain and love. Oh the intrigue!
Family
I don’t think that there was necessarily more family time this year but looking back there sure was a lot of it. From random visits from Matthew’s nieces and family dinners at the house, vegan cooking with Matthew’s sister, trips out to visit my parents and one to Quebec to meet Matthew’s parents, each month was marked by family time of some sort… not to mention our big sister, little brother trip. I know we’re both hoping for more family time this year.
Adventures
If you’ve been following along, you know that this year was full of adventures of us both big and small. The year started off with a day trip to Niagara Falls followed by trips to Mont Tremblant, India, Ottawa, Iceland, Algonquin Park, Quebec City, Montreal, Kingston and capped with a surprise trip to London and Paris. What a year! As a kid, I always wanted to travel. My aunt Debbie would come visit us having just visited somewhere amazing. It seemed like she was always going somewhere new. The thought of travelling excited me and I knew that I wanted to explore. Well, it’s happening and it makes me happy to know that I’m living up to five-year-old me’s dreams.
Pain
I know a lot of people were more than happy to say good riddance to 2016, but I won’t lie, 2016 was a really great year for me. It would however, be pretty insincere of me to avoid highlighting the back issues I faced this year. In reality, I was in some rather decent pain for a good half of the year. I spent too many days to count stuck in bed/on the couch, strategically planning my 15 minute walk into the office from the streetcar based on places to stop and sit for a break and stressing over whether or not I would get a seat on the streetcar ride home. Should I be sharing this? Yeah, probably, because a lot of the moments I shared online during the past year never really showed this. I think it’s important to realize that while yes, I had a great year travelling and setting of on new adventures with Matthew, this was something that we struggled with in between the fun times. It was tough and I imagine it will continue to test me in the years to come, but hopefully the steps I’m taking will help minimize it’s hold over me.
Love
If I were to choose one word to describe 2016 it would be love. Cheesy bugger, eh? I can sometimes be a bit of a sentimental but when it comes to the notion of love I have the maturity of a 5th grader. It’s just a little difficult for me. Matthew can back me up, he know’s first hand that I’m not very forthcoming when it come to expressing myself around the topic of love… but, believe it or not, I’ve been working on it and yes, 2016 was a year filled with love. Love love love! We made a lot of big life plans this year, including getting engaged and setting a wedding date! Woo! Looks like 2017 is going to be a big year of us too! 🙂
2017 Goals
It’s nice to start the new year off with some new goals isn’t it? Well, I’m going to recycle some of my old ones sprinkled with a couple new ones.
- Core Work. 2016 taught me a major lesson – focus on your core! In addition to the routine of core exercises that my physiotherapist provided me this summer I’m looking for new, safe and low-impact ways to strengthen my core/back muscles. If you have any recommendations please let me know in the comments, I’m keen to explore anything!
- Packed lunches and snacks. I’ve been doing a pretty good job at this but I’d like to try to only purchase lunch once a month (if that).
- Understand finances better. This is a repeat from previous years. There’s just so much I don’t know.
- Write cards. I love coming home to a piece of mail that isn’t a bill. How great does it feel to get a card? I love it, and think some other folks in my life would love it too.
- Floss. Because I need the reminder.
What are your goals for 2017?
Another amazing blog recapping your year! Thank you for all the great sharing and pictures:) You look fabulous by the way, vegan totally agrees with you! The one exercise that I loved to do but I’m sure you are probably doing to stretch my core back was at the gym. Don’t know what its called but you hang over it on your abdominal and reach down to pick up a weight then pulling your core to a parallel position and back down! I lift and transfer our daughter who is now 26. Even though we have a lift, transferring Melissa keeps my muscles in shape to transfer her at a pool or when traveling as there are few lifts found out and about:) So stretching my back is important ! Yoga too is a gooder though I know you do that! I didn’t do much in your 30 days of yoga by the way,confession time! Lol! Happy 2017 dear Sachs it sounds like it will be a fabulous year with planning a wedding! Congrats! xoxo
Thanks Wendy 🙂 Thanks for the tip! Confession, I didn’t do much yoga during that 30 day challenge either… I ended up pulling something around day 5 and had to take a break… but I’m going to try it again in Feb.
OHH I loved being mentioned in your blog. So happy you enjoy traveling! Once your hooked it sticks with you for life. I can help you with one of your goals from Calgary…
give us your mailing address!!! Love you.