What you'll hear around our house a lot these days is "We're bidding THIS year" or "We're moving NEXT year." After 2 1/2 years already at Post, 2015 is a big year for the Hopper house.
If you're on FB you've heard the progress on cleaning house. We've done round one on clearing out bookshelves, round one on clothes, the linen closet, and the kitchen cabinets full of mugs. Pounds are moving out and giving us more room to breathe.
I'm back to working on scrapbooking. Since I cleared off the desk (again) it gives me the opportunity to scrap for an hour at night at will which is really the only way to get it done. I used to try to pull everything out, do a bunch, put it all away, and then start over another day. I like the set up desk much better. And it's in the bedroom so it's not in anyone's way. But I really like reminiscing as I work. This week's pages involved the multifamily overnight to the Dead Sea before all our friends went the ways of the winds. Christmas brought cards and letters from those same people. I miss them all, and at the same time I'm getting myself geared up for our own next adventure, even if it's still 18 months ago.
Those who got a card this year might have noticed there was no Christmas letter from us. The Fall was tough for me being sick for so long and then hitting the holidays, so while I wish I'd written one it just didn't happen.
So, let's look back at 2014:
* Where did we travel? ~ Our post Christmas trip last year was to Cairo. I still want to do a Nile River Cruise, but we're glad we got to see some pyramids and really old Egyptian stuff. The Egypt Museum is amazing. Last winter Rebecca went to Ethiopia with Week Without Walls and Katherine went to Paris. Over the summer we had home leave, so it was back to the States for a month. We spent a week in L.A. and a week in Boston visiting colleges for Rebecca. We had 2 weeks in Virginia to set up Katherine in college at Marymount University where she's in a Nursing program. Then just prior to this Christmas we spend a week in Prague.
* What was the best thing that happened to me last year? ~ Even though it was really recent, I have to say that the best thing from last year was the trip to Prague. A ton of fun, something totally new, and just a calm, stress-free trip.
* What did I do last year that I'm really proud of? ~ I made it through an entire year at work. Not a big deal for 99% of the population, but I've never held a full-time job before and for me it's a big deal.
* Who did I really help? ~ That's a tough one. I help people superficially every day at work.
* Who do I need to thank and acknowledge for having been there for me? ~ That's a Duh answer. Ian, of course. The person who is by my side at all times, talks me down off the ledge, boosts me up when I'm sad, takes care of me when I'm sick
* What are the top lesson I learned? ~ Don't burn a single bridge. No matter how much someone bothers me or works against me or makes my life harder, don't burn that bridge. Bridges can lie dormant but you never know when that person will be the one who can help you.
* What increased my happiness and joy last year? ~ Watching my oldest start to find her footing and her wings in college.
* What's something I got through that was really tough? ~ Skydiving. Let's be honest here, it's not something I ever imagined doing, and I will never do it again, I screamed the whole fall then felt sick the rest of way down. But there's a check on my bucket list. If I had one.
* What did I avoid that I must pay more attention to in 2009? ~ Taking responsibility and making better and quicker decisions for things that are uncomfortable.
* What character trait did I develop most this year? ~ Positivity. I tried to be more positive about things in general and about my kids specifically.
* What new people did I meet that are now in my life? ~ So many. It's no secret that Ian and I don't interact with people outside of work. We don't invite people over, viewing our home as a haven where we step in and breathe out. But we had a lot of people we really liked leave Post last summer. Jenna is now in Ohio. Donna is now in Moscow. Justina and Maddy are in Virginia. Katie moved to Dhaka. It took us a year and half to get to know them and hang out with them, and now there's a big fat gap as we face the next 18 months.
* How did my Word play out? ~ Last year's word was "Change." Looking back I think that it was a bit of a cop out word. Change is in everything we do, so it didn't force me to do anything that wasn't already happening, but it did help me focus on the inevitability of it all and perhaps, let it roll more than I would have before.
Looking ahead to 2015:
* What's my word for 2015 and why? ~ This year's word is "Simplify." One thing I know about myself is that I over-think pretty much everything. Then Prague happened and I barely cracked a travel book, much less planned a vacation. It had a lot to do with meeting friends in Prague versus arranging a whirlwind trip for our family in a developing country. Simplify is meant to apply to everything though. Morning routine, evening activity, meals, clothes, thoughts, work, everything. It starts with the obvious though, which is Stuff. It's tangible and has instant gratification. Simplifying our stuff is good for everyone in the house. And if I simplify my expectations that makes everyone happier.
* So the big question, where are we bidding for? ~ Ah, wouldn't you like to know. We do have our eyes on 3 Posts, but we wouldn't want to jinx it, would we?
You'll know when we know.
