New Year Reslutions

Yesterday was our fifth and last Christmas party for the holiday season. Somehow having the long drive, all the present opening with scraps of wrapping paper flying everywhere, the mounds of delicious food, a neat gathering with my very large Scottish, Irish family, and copious amounts of political arguing behind us it now feels like the new year.

Even though I don't have a list of goals I'd like to tackle this year, or even one or two, I love the new year feeling, the starting something from the beginning, what changes can I make this time around feeling. Along with that feeling I am starting this year with the desire for new experiences. I don't plan to spend any more money in 2015 then what I did in 2016. Ideally I'd like to spend a bit less but I do want to experience more. I'd like to try new foods, cook and bake more new foods. I'd like to visit new places in town, or neighboring towns we don't generally stop in. I'd like to do new things, like maybe go to a gun range for the first time, or tour a local dairy farm that makes grassfed, organic raw cheese.

I spend everyday watching this little guy, who is growing up rapidly, experience new delight one after another. His world is fascinating, exhilarating, and full of wonder. Be it a brand new toy he's never played with, a new sweet treat he didn't know existed (He does this awesome little squiggle when he tastes something delicious for the first time. He squints his eyes, makes a gleeful yum noise, and then does a half shake half dance thing that's specific to the new food yum reaction), or witnessing an animal "in real life" that he's never seen before, the life of a three year old is constantly NEW.

The older I get the more I realize I don't know. I think the same is true for experiences, new sights, new sounds, new tastes, new places. We get used to life. But I want this year to be new. That's my new year's resolution. It doesn't have to cost a dime but there is something priceless about the increase, the adventure, the experience. I look forward to that this year.