2023 was a good year. I find it helpful to reflect a bit before setting goals, so here’s a dive into a quick review of the year…
2023 Recap: A Look Back at 2023
Family & Self
I had some emotional moments this year (one such one here and another one missing dad here, among others that didn’t make it into writing). It might just be the way it is every year I get older, but these have typically centered around the kids getting older.
Sometimes I think about what having a bigger family would have looked like and ache that I’ll never get to have a baby again. I think some of this might be normal processing of time moving on (and turning 40) and romanticizing the baby and toddler phases. Being years removed from it, it’s easy to forget the physical demands. I’ve worked to breathe through and feel those emotions, but to not wallow there. It helps me to channel those moments into being present with the girls. I don’t take for granted the time I have to pour into them and how close we are. It’s the relationship I always dreamed of having with my kids and watching us build that bond day after day, year after year is one of my greatest joys.
My marriage was strong this year. Some circumstances outside of our relationship (seeing marital struggles unfold for people we deeply care about) has heightened our appreciation for each other and our commitment to what we’ve built thus far and our future. I do see 2024 being a year where I’d like to focus more on fun and romance for just the two of us though. We do so much as a family, which we LOVE, but I also want to ensure some time is spent on just us and our relationship.
I didn’t write as many parenting-focused posts this year as I used to when the girls were younger, but I did open up a bit about my philosophies and practicalities on parenting tweens and shared 13 reasons why big kids are awesome. I’m open to topic ideas in this category! But just not sharing personal tidbits about the girls’ specifically for obvious reasons.
Food & Health
I find I lean more into natural health practices with each passing year. I stuck to a lot of my 2023 health habits all year long! I learned more about my blood sugar regulation by using a CGM and would love to do it again. I shared my favorite natural health remedies and medicines for the family and how I make my fermented honey and garlic. This year I need to share my oregano tincture because I’ve used it a lot and have had great results.
For a lot of the year I shared our weekly meal plans and my monthly grocery spending. I’m not sure I’ll keep up with this in the new year. It took a lot of work and I’m not sure it was valuable enough to you to warrant the time. My three favorite new recipes I shared this year are slow cooker chicken curry, easy lasagna, and creamy slow cooker chicken burrito bowls.
Homeschool
We are only halfway through the girls’ 6th grade and 4th grade year, but I’m really pleased with how it is going. We spend December doing “Christmas school,” which is focused on being together, making memories, and leaning into all the joys and the reason for the season. Now I think we are already for the reset that January brings. Hailey and I both really thrived on the block structure we started our year on and are implementing the same system when we start back to school on Monday.
Travel
We enjoyed some amazing travel in 2023! We kicked things off in February with a skiing and snowmobiling in Jackson Hole family trip. In March we rented a Class C RV and spent a weekend at Carolina Pines RV resort. In late April David’s dream came true as we returned to the BVI’s for another week long sailing trip. There was so much we fit in that I had to divide it into two recaps, part 1 and part 2. In summer we took an epic road trip in combination with my family up the east coast. We explored Yale University in New Haven, spent two days in Boston (I’m not a city girl but I LOVE Boston), then spent a week exploring Bar Harbor, Maine and Acadia National Park- part 1 and part 2. We spent 3 days in Rhode Island on our way home where I fell in love with Bristol and explored Newport. In August we visited Tennessee and spent a day at Dollywood’s Splash Country. In September we went on epic adventure glamping and hiking at Zion and Bryce National Parks. We spent the tail end of that trip exploring Las Vegas, before heading some and settling into fall activities and schedules.
A Look Ahead to 2024
2024 promises to be an exciting year for our family. While some aspects will have to be more go with the flow and not perfectly planned ahead of time, I am setting some goals to give myself some direction. I’m relistening to Atomic Habits to remind myself how to effectively transition these goals into habits.
David and I sat down one morning and reflected on things we felt worked well in 2023 and goals we’d like to work towards in 2024. We broke it down into the categories of Career, Relationships, Health, Personal Development/Hobbies, and Life in General. So if I were to come up with 24 goals for 2024, just because it’s cutesy and fun, I’ll break them into these categories!
- Career: Add some structure and systems for content planning and implementation to A Healthy Slice.
- Career: Get more comfortable being in front of the video camera; stop nitpicking myself apart.
- Career: Be more consistent sharing in-feed IG content.
- Career: Complete the product I’ve been working on for the past year.
- Relationships: More marriage focus with cooking date nights, monthly life dinners, time spent just the two of us, etc.
- Relationships: Be a more proactive friend. Reach out more often, say yes, and pour into important friendships.
- Relationships: Consistent read aloud with the kids.
- Relationships: Make more phone calls (not just texts) to family and friends.
- Health: Add in a consistent cardio aspect.
- Health: Experiment more with more nonalcoholic/pro-health fun drinks in fancy glasses.
- Health: Consistency with rebounding, dry brushing, and other lymphatic health practices.
- Health: Get up to date on bloodwork and other labs.
- Health: Incorporate regular stretching.
- Health: Continue daily morning walks to get that sunshine!
- Hobbies: Get up to date with family albums. I’m doing it this year no matter what.
- Hobbies: More bread making. I’d like to get comfortable and consistent with sandwich bread and improve my sourdough.
- Hobbies: Grow one thing well. I’m not yet in a place to focus on a whole garden, but I’d love to grow good container tomatoes this year.
- Hobbies: Read the bible consistently.
- Life: Buy clothes I love, not quick fixes because I have nothing I like. Experiment a little with personal style.
- Life: Put myself together more often with clothes and make-up. Can still be minimal, but I show up better when I do this.
- Life: Less rushing. Slowing down my days.
- Life: Manage home improvement projects effectively and quit saying I’m no good at design. Get comfortable making home design decisions.
- Life: Simplify. Go through every room and reduce inventory. Everything has a home.
- Life: See the gift and joy in each day; live life and enjoy it!
Sj says
I recently went on a walk with an elderly neighbor and she told me about her life. She had two children earlier in life, and a surprise third when she was in her midforties. It was so fantastic to hear about her experience and she actually said one of her big reasons for being grateful was that her third child kept her young at a time when she thought all that joy of early childhood was past. I have a friend in a similar age bracket to you and she’s still thinking about kids. I say all of that not to make you feel any certain way, but rather because I think through raising kids I’ve realized nothing else will truly make the impact on my life as having them, and while things are hard at times, if you feel like any part of you really is longing for another, maybe thirty years from now, dealing with the short period of baby/toddler hard would be worth it. On a less thoughtful note – king Arthur flour has a fabulous recipe for sourdough whole wheat sandwich bread. It’s a yeast/sourdough hybrid that’s easy to tinker with and it’s the only sandwich bread I bother with anymore. Maybe check it out!
Amy says
I agree- it’s not too late! I had our third when our other children were older and the joy he brings our entire family, especially his siblings is something special to watch.
Brittany Dixon says
Thank you for sharing that; I truly love hearing how other women navigate the seasons of life and their viewpoints. I think I struggle with knowing if I really would want another or if it’s more a time passing thing and I should just save all that love for future grandbabies 😉
On the other note- thank you for the bread rec! Going to google it.
JD says
I just so happen to have your delicious recipe for slow cooker chicken burrito bowls cooking away in my kitchen at this very moment! It truly is a delicious recipe; this is my third time making it in as many months, thanks to the vote of approval my husband gives it each time. Thumbs up all around over here!
Happy 2024 to you and yours! May this year be fruitful for you all. 🙂
Brittany Dixon says
Oh I’m so glad it’s a hit for you!! I appreciate you letting me know. It’s on my menu for next week, too 🙂
sherry says
Great post. You really have taken the time to examine your life in every aspect and I am so proud of you! I love reading over your wrap of 2023 which makes me think I should journal more (of course “more” would only mean 3-4 times per year:) Now off to do some stretching.
Sammie Bryant says
join the Bible reading challenge! you can jump in whenever 🤗
https://biblereading.christkirk.com/
Kelli H says
I love your 24 goals! Especially the stop saying you’re bad at design. I’m trying to stop my inner dialog of telling myself I’m bad at something too. I really do believe there is power in our thoughts.
Brittany Dixon says
It is so powerful, I agree! I don’t want it to hold me back anymore.
Lisa says
I love these goals!
I also want to feel better when I go out and buy clothes that I like instead of quick fixes.
I also love your weekly meal plans but totally understand the work that goes into them vs what gives readers value, so can’t wait to see what you blog about this year.
Lisa
http://www.lovefromlisa.com
Carol says
Bible in a Year podcast from Ascension! It’s Catholic but many non-Catholics and non-Christians participate. Life changing!