• 2021 •

Take a class with Daniel and learn something new together.
Just wasn’t the best year to make this happen – Daniel was incredibly busy juggling school, work, rental properties, new investments, and elder responsibilities at the church. Hopefully we can make this happen once he graduates with his Executive Master’s degree in May!

Finally go skydiving! ✓
I FINALLY DID IT!! A group of us from church tried to go last year and it was too windy, so we got vouchers to come back another time. And one random Friday in September 2021, we made a spontaneous decision to go the next day. And it was AWESOME – the falling out of the plane was the coolest part, the adrenaline rush was unreal! I would 100% do it again. Still can’t believe I finally checked this off of my bucket list.

Go a full month without eating out.
Literally what was I thinking?? There was no way this was going to happen. Major facepalm.

Host a backyard dinner party this summer. ✓
Dara’s “Thirty South” country club-themed 30th birthday party was SO MUCH FUN. We had a crawfish boil, live music, croquet, and everybody dressed up! It was in the front yard instead of the back, but who cares?

Take a “just the two of us” trip. ✓
During Daniel’s break from school in August, we spent an extended weekend at the super cute Caroline cabin in Broken Bow, and it was so lovely! We hadn’t gone on a trip just to celebrate being together since our Alaskan cruise in 2017.

Make at least 20 of the 37,000 recipes I have pinned on Pinterest. ✓
SO CLOSE! I’m still calling this a win, because I’m 98% sure I made at least one new thing that I forgot to document.
1. These Salted Nutella Blondies (Y’all, WHOA.)
2. A slightly edited version of this baked fried chicken
3. These cheesy buttery Funeral Potatoes
4. This one-pot version of Cajun Chicken Alfredo Pasta
5. This super delish Baked Creme Brulee French Toast
6. This homemade Peanut Butter Butterfinger Ice Cream
7. These Ham and Cheese Pinwheels
8. This crockpot version of Cajun Chicken & Sausage Pasta
9. These stupid good Peanut Butter Cup S’mores Bars
10. This Crockpot Ham with Maple Brown Sugar Glaze
11. This French Onion Chicken Casserole
12. My first-ever Green Bean Casserole
13. Grandma Lela’s legendary homemade yeast rolls
14. These 7-Up Biscuits
15. This freaking amazing Stovetop Hot Cocoa
16. These Salted Caramel Pretzel Brownies
17. This gluten-free Shepherd’s Pie
18. This super yummy Autumn Chopped Salad
19. These Honey Spiced Glazed Chicken Thighs

Start recording my prayer requests. ✓
If you’ve never heard of Val Marie Paper, go check out her prayer journals right now.

Learn how to make my own pasta.
Still on my to-do list. I kept delaying because I really want the KitchenAid pasta attachment…

Host another “Favorite Things” party.
Ran out of time, but I really want to do this again!

Try something different with my hair. ✓
I had virgin hair for almost 31 years, but I finally decided to put bleach in it for the first time! Nothing major – just really subtle honey blonde at the bottom. I wanted something I didn’t have to maintain, and I love how it turned out.

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I’m also continuing my tradition of picking a Word for the Year! Since I’ve started, my words for the year have been Hope, Courage, Joy, and Discipline. When I chose ‘Discipline’ for 2020 (or more accurately, when GOD chose it for me), I could never have guessed the personal transformation I would experience from January to December. I’m doing things daily and weekly that I never thought I would ever do, like keeping track of calorie intake and looking forward to working out. I can’t believe my life looks like this now, and I am so dang proud of myself.

My word for 2021 is:

P E A C E .

I want you guys to know that I didn’t just pull this out of thin air, or Google ‘word of the year ideas’ and pick out my favorite. I am confident, as I have been every single year since I started doing this, that this word was given to me by the Lord for a reason. I am genuinely looking forward to seeing how this word connects with 2021. Here’s to another year of learning and growing!

What is one of your goals for this year? Tell me in the comments!