Oh my! Another year has flown by, and we are now a family of 6 (fur kids count too). We welcomed our second daughter into our family back in February – my little sweetheart as I call her since she was a Valentine’s Day baby.

My baby girl is healthy as can be, but I struggled with a diagnosis of preeclampsia. I received the diagnosis during labor, which then carried on for a few months after childbirth. It was a scary time. I wish I could say that this was the only health concern I had, but it wasn’t. The baby blues that typically wear off within the first few weeks stuck around. Postpartum depression and anxiety got the best of me for about 7 months. It’s hard taking care of a newborn and a toddler when you yourself are not feeling well. All this to say, I am now 10 months postpartum, and feeling more like myself again after a rough start.

The baby is much more mobile now, crawling and pulling herself against furniture. She and my toddler giggle and play together. It makes my heart happy. My toddler is learning so much and repeats everything we say. She loves counting to ten. She loves hugging her stuffed Minnie Mouse and our Australian Shepherd. Seeing my husband as a girl-dad is so sweet. We have a happy home, and I am thankful.

Back in September, we took our first family vacation. We road-tripped to Oklahoma to visit my cousin and his wife. This was the first time they had met both girls, so it was fun to see them all bonding together. We explored their hometown as well as Oklahoma City. My cousins are very special to me, and that vacation was one of the highlights of my year. I wrote about our trip in my blog post titled A Family Road Trip to Altus, Oklahoma.

My family also found a new church home. Moving to a new church was a difficult decision because we love our old church family. They have been there for us since we were first dating, to marriage, to two kids. We still stay in touch, and my husband even helps with audio/video twice a month. But with our growing family, we needed to find a new church home with young families and children’s groups. It has been a good move for our family, and we have felt a warm welcome from the church members.

When my birthday rolled around in November, I made a commitment to myself to focus more on my health and fitness. Reflecting on the health challenges I had from my second childbirth made me realize that I need to be the best version of myself for both me and my family. I have been working out at the gym in our office building during my work breaks 2-3 times per week. I also supplement with Peloton bike rides at home.

On top of working out, I am also working on portion control with meals. I had to face my biggest weaknesses when it comes to food, and plan accordingly. For instance, chips and dip, and fries are a weakness of mine. Instead of depriving myself of them, I am choosing to eat only 5, and enjoy every bit of those 5. I also eat slower and don’t feel like I need to finish everything on my plate. I get full a lot faster when I slow down.

Besides health and fitness, I have additional goals for 2022 in three categories: personal, family, and faith. Here is what I will focus on for the new year.

Personal

Listen to 12 audiobooks, 1 per month, on my commute to/from work

Be consistent with my blog, posting 2 times per month

Give myself more grace when things don’t go as planned

Family

Stay active as a family – swimming, hiking, biking, etc. weekly

Limit screentime

Date nights w/ hubby 2x per month

More one-on-one time with each of our girls

Faith

Teach toddler about why we pray together

Work on kid-friendly bible learning and crafts

Be a good example and witness to others

Bless others in need as a family

As I reflect on 2021 and set goals for 2022, I realize that we are creating cherished memories together as a family. My kids will only be young for a short time. As many parents say – the days are long, but the years are short. I look forward to the new year, choosing to be present and cherishing the small moments.

Cheers to 2022!