Allison Ezell: Revisiting My 2016 Goals...

So, just for kicks, I thought it'd be fun on this last day of 2016 to revisit the goals I set for myself this year.

1) Intentional 1-on-1 Time with Each Kid

I actually think I did really well with this one. We did all sorts of "dates" with the kids this year - movies, ice cream, shopping, Ikea, Sonic, etc. The kids get SO excited to go on a date with one of us, and even though we sometimes have to explain to them why a "date" doesn't mean we go buy them a toy, we've really loved it. It's definitely something we'll keep up in 2017.

2) Wake Up Before Kids

Yeah, so, this one was REALLY hard to keep up. Especially once summer hit. I was really good about it until about April and then fell off the wagon. I could feel a HUGE difference in my attitude toward the day when I did it, but it was a struggle the second half of the year. And once we got home from China, it didn't happen at all. I'm getting back on the saddle in 2017 for this goal...it's so hard, but so worth it!

3) Grace for the Whole Family as We Adapt to Becoming a Family of FIVE!

I actually think we've done well with this. Everyone has transitioned pretty easily. I actually think I am the one most struggling with it, simply because there is SO MUCH demand for my attention, and I (selfishly) get so burned out. When Brooks takes a nap, for example, I really just want to veg out and scroll Instagram or enjoy a cup of coffee, but there is housework to be done, and the bigs see it as an opportunity to get my undivided attention since the baby is asleep. When I'm exhausted and somewhat sleep-deprived most of the time, this is HARD. There are just not enough hours in the day for me to fill MY tank when I have three little people depleting it all day...which is all the more reason to really hone in goal #2 in 2017!