I always like to have a post about our year in review in order to be able to look back on everything that happened. Here is my post for 2021! I will wrap up this year in a similar way, starting with 22 things that happened in 2022.
1. The year started with Zachary getting Covid. He didn’t have a bad case at all but due to guidelines at the time, Gabbie also had to stay home from school. None of us caught it from him.
2. We had some of our favorite foster dogs in January – Sheldon and Sophie – now Boba.
Sheldon
3. Gabbie continued dancing and performing in competitions and at games throughout the year.
4. Zachary got more active in his youth group as well as an additional youth group – both for Jewish teens.
5. Dave and I saw Elton John in concert.
6. Gabbie worked at the JCC at their Vacation Day Programs on some of her days off.
7. Zachary and his class went on their Civil Rights Trip tour of the US South.
8. Simon started wearing glasses all the time.
9. Gabbie turned 17, took AP tests, took the ACT twice, and started applying to colleges. She also went to prom and homecoming as well as a dance that the dance team hosted.
10. Dave went to Poland to see his mother’s family origins.
11. Zachary was in the high school play and Simon was in the middle school play.
12. Simon went on his class camping trip and to sleepaway camp for two weeks in the summer.
13. We stopped fostering dogs but continued walking them at the shelter. We also started dog sitting.
14. Gabbie got Covid and Dave and I caught it from her. Gabbie seemed to be the worse off, having a fever. I just slept a lot for a day, and Dave had a lingering cough.
15. Zachary turned 15, had a summer job at the pool cafe, and finished his first year of high school.
16. We traveled to Niagara Falls and Toronto and then to NJ to celebrate Dave’s parents’ 80th birthdays.
17. Gabbie went on a summer trip to Switzerland, Italy, and Israel and had a great time and made lots of new friends.
18. Simon turned 12, started studying for his bar mitzvah, and started 7th grade.
19. Simon came home from camp with a bad cold, got the flu in November, and was the last of us to have Covid in December. Hoping for a more healthy new year for him!
20. We traveled to NJ in November for Thanksgiving.
21. We traveled to FL in December for winter break – and got stuck there for 4 extra days thanks to Southwest.
22. Reading continues to be my number one hobby and past time!
Next up is Laura Tremaine’s 10 Questions For The End of the Year.
1️⃣ & 2️⃣ What worked well? And what didn’t?
Having a schedule to keep me on target works for me. I don’t like feeling stressed when I’m off of my schedule though!
3️⃣ What were your most important conversations and connections?
I appreciate my book group even when we don’t actually discuss books.
4️⃣ What was the best entertainment?
Reading.
5️⃣ Who mattered?
Our family.
6️⃣ What changed?
While we started the year fostering dogs, we weren’t able to continue all year. I am not able to run for exercise at the moment due to my back issues.
7️⃣ Where did you find happiness and fulfillment? (Looking for specific locations in this one.)
Traveling with our family always leads to fun memories.
8️⃣ What did you learn?
It’s ok to feel behind sometimes. I feel better when things are organized.
9️⃣ What do you want to leave behind?
Covid, people hating other people, feeling stressed.
🔟 What do you want more of in the new year?
Health, reading books that make me happy, time with dogs.
Next, I have this month’s Monthly Musings.
1. Do you make resolutions/goals for the New Year?
I do make goals for the year and have been thinking about a few things I’d like to work on this year.
2. Do you have diet/exercise goals?
Due to my back, I’m wanting to start core strength classes and walking rather than running. I want to feel better about myself even if I can’t manage to get my weight back down, which may include finding better clothes to flatter my body type. I am also trying intermittent fasting.
3. Do you have personal/professional goals for 2023?
I am thinking about doing some journaling this year. I need to make some appointments for myself as well. I also hope to get both of my boys educational evaluations this year. Another goal of mine is to unsubscribe from email lists rather than just repeatedly deleting messages from the same places!
4. Do you use a planner? Paper? Electronic? Combo?
I use a paper planner for everyday and blogging and a separate one for reading / Instagram.
5. Do you have a word or phrase for 2023?
I am not sure. I was thinking of possibly trying to be more mindful this year, which could go together with my health goals.
6. Ring in the New Year or asleep by 10 pm?
Normally I go to sleep, but this year I saw that I was at 299 books and decided to stay up to finish my 300th! (Yes, I know I read a lot). Gabbie and Simon stayed up with their grandma and Zachary was on a youth group trip where everyone stayed up.
Gabbie got this picture of Dave and his father sleeping in the New Year!
7. Favorite thing to do on New Year’s Day?
Normally it’s just a regular day for us. This year we were stuck in FL and managed to fly home on Jan 1.
8. Any travel plans for 2023?
We aren’t that great at planning ahead, but it is likely we will go places related to Gabbie’s future college plans. I may be signing up for a trip to Israel later this year that will be very exciting for me if I get to go.
9. Things/events you are most looking forward to in 2023?
Finding out where Gabbie decides to go to college. I can’t say I’m looking forward to her graduating high school – it will be bitter sweet. But I’m looking forward to celebrating her as she finishes this last semester.
10. Will you be watching any bowl games on New Year’s or around New Years’?
No, I don’t watch much college football.
Happy New Year Everyone!
