Taking a Year-End Family Evaluation

Between spending more time indoors, the holidays, sentimental Christmas music, and extra glasses of wine that tend to accompany the latter weeks of December,  I tend to spend a good portion of my thought life reflecting on the past year.

This particular year has been eventful to say the least. Our family started and finished construction on a new home and we started a new business. On top of “mom”ing, “wife”ing, and blogging, I’m feeling somewhere in the middle of frazzled and tired. These feelings led me to my current state of mind which could be described in one word, “unresolved.” I started to wonder how I could top this year (NO, MOM, I’m NOT having another baby). Basically I’ve gone from one day to the next not really living in the moment.  Instead of enjoying the moment, I was planning for the next moment.  Even on vacation, I was planning our next vacation.

For much of the year, during the day to day activities, I never felt as though I was accomplishing anything, until I started to reflect on the past year. Because of this overall feeling of “what the heck just happened this year”, my husband and I decided to start doing a family evaluation. (It sounds more formal that it actually is, I promise.)

Basically, we’ve broken down our year into a few categories, and came up with a few questions to evaluate the past year. These questions are by no means all inclusive and may not apply to your family situation, but I’ll share our questions (and a few pictures) with you. Feel free to use them to reflect back on your year, or use them as a spring board to deeper questions. Take the time to really reflect, think back on your year, and appreciate the moments.

End of the Year Reflection Questions

the hubs planned as semi-surprise NYC getaway. It's doubles as most memorable because we were caught up in a snow storm and almost crashed into a snow bank.
The hubs planned as semi-surprise NYC getaway. It’s doubles as most memorable because we were caught up in a snow storm and our plane almost crashed into a snow bank.

Marriage/Partnership

What was the most thoughtful thing I did for you this year?

What was something you learned from me?

Parenting

What is the one thing you did together that you know you will remember forever?

Teaching our daughter the basics of swimming this summer was so much fun. She was so fearless.
Teaching our daughter the basics of swimming this summer was so much fun. She was so fearless.

Finances

How is our financial situation now compared to one year ago? Where could we spend more or less?

Faith

How have you grown in your faith this year?

Health

What’s one goal you set that you accomplished?

10K aftermath
Running our first 10K together! It was a couch to 10K effort. We basically woke up a week prior to the race and said, “let’s run” and so we did.

Reflecting on this past year helps me to feel as though I actually accomplished something. It allows me to look back in thankfulness and realize that while in the thick of life, living was happening. This year, I resolve to reflect on the old year with gratitude.

Happy (almost) New Year, Red Stick Moms!!

Jada
Jada grew up on the bayou in Larose. She moved to Baton Rouge for college, and quickly decided to call it home. In 2011, she married Zack, and in 2013 they had their daughter, Aubrey. They're also expecting another girl, Charlie, in August. Jada owns Movement Fitness in Watson, and loves helping women reach their wellness goals. When she's not working or parenting - oh lets be honest, those times are few and far between - she loves attending LSU and Saints games, cooking, playing golf badly, and being outdoors.

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