My word for 2015 was ‘intentional‘. Halfway through the year I wrote a bit of an update on how I was doing. Now, looking back on 2015, I am able to say with certainty that I accomplished my goals and then some. Success! Of course, some things were unforeseen and threw a wrench into my plans.

Cough. First trimester of pregnancy. Cough.

Let’s just say the last few months of 2015 weren’t my most intentional or productive.

But overall, I lived my life in a way that I am proud of, and I attempted to overhaul the areas of my life that I wasn’t especially happy with. Some of these adjustments were small and some were huge. For instance, we made the decision to move to Washington because Chicago didn’t feel like home and I knew God was calling us to leave and pursue him in a different area of the country.

Talk about a leap of faith and also making intentional decisions to (hopefully) improve our lives!

Along with living more intentionally in 2015, I also invested in myself. I took a photography class, I worked out fairly consistently, I put more effort into my wardrobe, I started (and am continuing to work on) purging the things I don’t love from my house and creating a space that makes sense. A lot of these ventures cost money, but I am dedicated to not simply living  but living well.

Now that I’m in the habits of living intentionally and investing in myself, I’ve picked a new word to focus on for 2016.

My one word for 2016 is… embrace.

This year I want to embrace what life throws at me. I now know that it’s kind of silly to make any concrete goals when I know that in 4 months (or so) our lives will be turned upside down with the arrival of a new little one. It may be difficult (if not impossible) to find time to workout or read as much as I would like or even to take classes I would like to take. But, I can decide to embrace these new changes with peace and love and joy.

I also want to continue to embrace our new city/state, the changes Tim’s new job has brought to our family’s routine, and the idea of being long distance from so many of our family and friends. I want to embrace my the new stages of motherhood I find myself in as Clara gets older, and soon as the mother of two babies under the age of two.

I want to embrace the uncertainty and the discomfort and the challenges and transitions that I know lie ahead, and I want to do it not out of knowing I should, but out of genuine joy and gratitude.

My game plan is to not just read but study the Bible, invest in relationships that are worthy of the time and energy, go to counseling to continue to work on self-awareness, and spend more time journaling my thoughts.

I’m so excited to see what 2016 has in store for us all!

Did you pick a word for 2016?!