Reflections on 2024
2024 began with the birth of Gabie and continued at a crazy pace. It ended with my friend, Marigold, visiting from Ukraine! We’ve spent the last week deep diving into her stories, and I am so excited to finish a book with her this year! The title as it stands is Tears of God: How God Reveals Himself in War and Suffering. Yet it will likely change when we get a publisher. It’s been a journey.
I can hardly believe the first week of 2025 is done! What have I learned in 2024 and what do I want 2025 to look like? I’m so glad you asked – let’s see…
What I learned in 2024
1. If you’re not intentional, it doesn’t get done
Michael and I took an “intentional parenting” class with friends, and it got us thinking, in what other ways can we try our best to do things on purpose? Our conversations took on new character as we sat down and plotted out family values, desires, joys, and challenges. Friends of ours challenged us to fit it all on one page to get a clear picture. Once that was done, we moved forward in making changes towards our end goals.
So in 2024 we intentionally handed off our lead role in missions at our church, ran a marathon, planned a road trip, signed up our girls for school, and I ordered a ton of books 😊.
2. How to travel with littles - better
I admire families that travel with children. Michael and I were talking about how much we both love travel and want to raise our daughters experiencing much of the world around us. Well – the best way to learn is to just start. So we looked at a calendar and map and chose two trips. One trip was a weeklong trip to Antigua Guatemala (I wrote about it) and the other was a road trip from Chicago up to Boston and back through Canada. Both trips were challenging but we learned how to pace ourselves (slower) and what fun activities keep their attention, that hand sanitizer is still necessary post COVID and also, that parks are our best friends. This is a tradition we hope to keep up - one new country a year.
3. Hosting as a way of life
Moving to Costa Rica has opened the door to many visitors who want to spent time with us AND ALSO want to see the beauty this country has to offer. From Volcanoes to mountains and rainforest, ocean and wildlife, it truly is an adventure paradise. I get it and we love it! We honestly didn’t expect so many visitors when we moved here and 2022-2023 was a sharp learning curve as we welcomed many guests while also learning how to parent little kids.
Yet I feel like in 2024 we hit a new stride. Our guest room is set up and I have compiled lists to share with people who visit: favorite places, restaurants, coffee shops, you name it. I’ve even bought a guide book for their bedside table. Our girls are fluent in coffee tours and welcome everyone with such excitement.
Our hosting has extended to new neighbors and friends. We are taking notes when we visit others. What makes us feel extra warm and welcome? Just last week we were at a friends house for a date night and we drove away noting how they had everything prepared for us upon arrival. A set up of delicious treats and an array of fun drinks to choose from. Pair that with kind words like, “we know you don’t normally get out without kids and we felt so special that you are coming here to be with us.” Oh! I haven’t felt that cherished in a while! We made a mental note, have the popcorn popped, snacks at arms reach, candles lit, so that our friends feel anticipated and welcomed – and use words to let people know how special they are. Always.
What I want to do in 2025
1. Be Here, Now
It should come as no surprise, that as someone who has transitioned multiple times in the last seven years, I have a hard time settling down. Planting my feet in one place and deciding to stay is not something I have had the luxury of doing. Signing up our girls to start school this February is a welcomed commitment. Simply stated, I want to invest in growing friendships here. When people ask me the question about how long we are here for (we get it often) – I would like to say with a carefree smile “until God tells us otherwise, we’re here.” I will stop looking at Zillow. Stop thinking about what country is next and instead, take all that energy and move it to the be here, now mindset. This really excites me!
2. Finish the book and grow a platform
I started working with Marigold on her book idea in December 2018. At that time I was living in Jordan and shadowed her work in Iraq once more as she said goodbye to a season of work at a center for internally displaced people. We continued to gather her stories over the phone in 2019 and 2020 as I recorded every conversation and then transcribed them while pregnant with Emma in 2022. Marigold and I have intentionally met in Colorado, Jordan, England, and now Costa Rica to work on this book project that has evolved into a book proposal with draft chapters. My biggest hurdle is growing a platform which these days is a necessary piece in the publishing world. So here goes the fun trial and error of that. Podcast? Youtube? Instagram stories?
Being intentional in 2024 has led to more clarity for the year ahead. I don’t have to do it all. If I try to reach for so many goals, I become paralyzed, and nothing will get done. It makes decision making easier and keeps things that fight for my attention at a greater distance. So that’s why two simple goals remain for 2025 – Be here, Now and finish that book!
I’m very excited about it.