1. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
2. What was the single best thing that happened this past year?
3. What was the single most challenging thing that happened? Leaving the kids for a week in France was so hard. It turned out fine, obviously, but I had so much anxiety about leaving them to fly overseas!
Miscarrying in August was really hard as well. It was a rollercoaster of emotion.... going from a surprise pregnancy I wasn't excited about, to being excited and looking forward to another little one, to losing that pregnancy and then hearing so many pregnancy announcements from friends/acquaintances who had due dates the same month.
4. What was an unexpected joy this past year?
5. What was an unexpected obstacle? Breaking my wrist at the beginning of the year and needing to have surgery and a couple months of rehab. Nice, right? That's what I get for trying to be a fun mom and taking the kids ice skating HAHA!
6. What did you do in 2014 that you’d never done before? Visited France- for a week with JUST my hubby.
7. What would you like to have in 2015 that you lacked in 2014? A solid financial plan. It's insane to be in this situation where we're making all of these huge, responsible decisions about what to do with our income. We have a lot to learn in a short amount of time so that we benefit the most from where we decide to put our money. Its exciting and scary and frustrating at the same time. I can't wait to have a solid plan in place so we know what we're doing and when.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? My MONTLY income surpassing my husbands ANNUAL income.... and giving him the opportunity to resign from his job and work from home with me. I sooooo look forward to this in 2015! February... bring it on!
9. What was your biggest failure? I don't think that I'd say "failure" at anything... just lessons learned.
10. Did anyone close to you give birth? Jessica Tappan had Issac
11. Did anyone close to you die? No, thank goodness.
12. What states/countries did you visit? Ohio (Great Wolf Lodge), North Carolina (Topsail Island), Idaho and Washington (Silver Retreat), France, Virginia.
13. What dates from 2014 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? August 2: when I returned home from Silver retreat and found out I was SURPRISE pregnant with #4. August 25: when we returned home from France and I miscarried. October 11: a follow up OB appt. confirming I was pregnant AGAIN.
14. How did you spend Christmas? Christmas Eve we spent with Ryan's family at our house and then we went to Westwinds Christmas Eve Service. Christmas Day we were home with the kids. We surprised them with a trip to Disneyland and they were just... oh cool. Whaaa??
15. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 33. I feel old.... and I'm always forgetting how old I am HAH! Ryan surprised me by taking the day off work. We took Amelia to daycare and the boys to school then headed up to Ikea for lunch and shopping!
16. Did you suffer illness or injury? In January I slipped while ice skating and broke my wrist- requiring surgery and a plate to repair it. Other than that, we've been healthy!
17. What was the best thing you bought? Our deck and pergola! We've wanted to build a deck and pergola since we moved in 6 years ago, but never had the money. We absolutely love it. It's like an outdoor living space.
18. Whose behavior merited celebration? Ryan... for finally quitting his job that has always been a source of negativity for him. He deserves to be treated better than they treat him, and even though I've encouraged him for months to just quit, he finally did in December.
19. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
20. Where did most of your money go? Bills, mortgage, a new (to me) truck, paying off student loans. And taxes. Writing tax checks makes me think GAHH that's a lot of money but OMG that's amazing we can/have to do that!
21. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Finally paying off student loans that I was certain would haunt me for decades.
22. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? happier
b) thinner or fatter? fatter
c) richer or poorer? again... richer ... not just financially, but rich in many blessings! (is this really my life??)
23. What was your biggest personal change from January to December of this past year? a) happier or sadder? happier
b) thinner or fatter? fatter
c) richer or poorer? again... richer ... not just financially, but rich in many blessings! (is this really my life??)
24. In what way(s) did you grow:
- emotionally? I have learned so much about myself in this past year. Growing into just a "business builder" to a leader of 5,000+ business builders has made me realize many things emotionally. I've grown a bit of a thicker skin.... which you have to do when you are making decisions for many people and not all are going to agree. I've learned not to take things personally, in both business relationships and personal.
- spiritually? Every year I find myself growing closer and closer in my relationship to Jesus. This year I have to give all the glory to Him... I would not have been able to achieve what I've achieved without relying on much scripture and faith, and knowing that He has everything to do with what is so good in my life. My goal for 2015 is to become more consistent with worshiping AT church. It's so easy to become lazy and stay home in pj's!
- physically? Oh... this is a sick and sad way I've grown. Ugh. 2015 requires lots of SMALLER changes. Please.
26. With whom were your most valuable relationships? My kids/husband (always) and also my friends/team. I wouldn't have been able to accomplish what I've accomplished in such a short amount of time without them. I've developed so many great friendships over the past year that I never dreamed of having. I've realized that there are differences in friend relationships.... there are those that are there out of convenience and fun, and there are those that are there to encourage and support you. I never realized how much I was lacking the encouraging/supporting/I'm-proud-of-you friendships until this past year.
27. Did you fall in love in 2014?
28. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? Nope...
29. Who did you miss? I miss Cathy.... its funny how at random times I'll see people in public that remind me of her. And I wish she had the chance to meet Amelia, and see Hudson grow up, and well, to watch all 3 kiddos grow up and to know them.
30. Who was the best new person you met? I have so many. Denise Dunleavy is one I can think of off the top of my head. We've known each other online since... 2013? We met through a mutual online friend. She became an online friend, then a part of my team at the end of 2013. We officially met in person in June when we met up at Lake Michigan because we'd planned to room together on the Silver Retreat in Idaho. She's hilarious, and so fun, and such a great friend, team member and support person. Annie and Suzanne are also great new people in our lives. Annie cleans for us once a week, and Suzanne takes care of Amelia. They're both amazing and so helpful!
31. What was the most enjoyable area of managing your home? Easy! Cleaning. HAHA! I finally sucked it up and hired someone to come once a week to clean. It. Is. Amazing. Even though it is only truly clean for about an hour and then the kids get home and all goes to hell!
32. What was your most challenging area of home management? Kids toys! The boys and Amelia are on such different spectrums of toy play that I feel like we have an abundance of different age toys. And Amelia's clothes! I have a slight obsession with her clothes and have not wanted to get rid of any. And, now that we're having another girl I have an excuse to hang onto it all HAHA!
33. What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year? Worrying about what other people think.
34. What was the best way you used your time this past year? Traveling with my family, and with my business team. It's never a waste of time traveling and exploring!
35. What do you wish you’d done more of? Exercise!
34. What was the best way you used your time this past year? Traveling with my family, and with my business team. It's never a waste of time traveling and exploring!
35. What do you wish you’d done more of? Exercise!
36. What do you wish you’d done less of? Eating junk.
38. What was your favorite TV program? Grey's Anatomy, Parenthood and now Fixer Upper.
39. What was your favorite movie of this year?
40. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
41. What did you want and get? A camper, deck and pergola on the house, a trip to France and Baby #4. This year was full of blessings.
42. What did you want and not get? Understanding. Truth.
43. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? I truly can't imagine 2014 being any more satisfying than it already has been.
44. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2014?
45. What kept you sane? Finally hiring someone to clean our house weekly, and hiring a nanny to watch Amelia on Mondays so I have a dedicated work day.
46. What political issue stirred you the most? I don't know that this can be considered a "political" issue but there are a lot of parenting things that have rubbed me the wrong way lately.
47. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2014.
48. What song will always remind you of 2014? Counting Stars by One Republic
49. How did you ring in the New Year?
50. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Imagine Dragons: It's Time
"It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was
Now don't you understand?I'm never changing who I am"
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