hello, 2024 | recap & goals for the new year

Hey, friends!

I know my posting schedule has been completely messed up lately, and I just wanted to let you guys know that I’m not planning on quitting blogging, I’ve just been busy and then I got sick, but I’m hoping to get back to posting every week now. This is one of my favorite posts of the whole year, and I love looking back at the other ones I’ve written to see what’s changed and also what’s the same!

2023 highlights

Built our addition. In May, we started the project of adding 4 bedrooms, a bathroom, a mudroom, a laundry room, and a garage onto our house, with a basement below it. This was one of the most exciting and frustrating parts of this year since it’s taken way longer than it was supposed to, but we should be able to move in by next week!

Ran cross country & got into a consistent routine of running/working out. My xc season was honestly horrible because I was sick most of the season which was so annoying. But after how bad my season went, I started getting into a better routine of running and working out consistently, and I’m excited to see how track goes this year!

Hosted a tea party! This turned out to be so much fun! I actually wrote a whole post about it which you can find here.

Started my business. I started Daisies & Design Co. in July and since then, I’ve designed 7 websites. I’ve love that I get to earn money doing something I enjoy. If you need a website design or you already have a website that needs a refresh, go check out my business here!

Started doing photography for people Before this year, I hadn’t done photography for anyone other than my family but I did senior photos for two of my friends, my brother, and one of my brother’s friends, two couples, and family photos for someone from our church. I’m hoping to maybe turn this into a business at some point because I love doing it!

Met some amazing friends & kept the old! I’m so thankful for amazing friends and people in my life who are encouraging and just the absolute most fun! I love you guys! 🤍🤍

Went a corn maze & pumpkin patch. My sister wanted to do this for her birthday and even though we failed at the corn maze, it was still a great time!

Wrote a lot (but not as much as last year). I wrote 26K in one week last year in January for my favorite writing event of the whole year, Crazy Writing Week and I got my first article published in February. In April, I wrote the third draft for my historical middle-grade novel, The Bensons. In June, I opened the project up for alpha readers and worked on editing during the summer. I took a break from writing in September and decided to do NaNoWriMo two weeks before it started, and then quit a little halfway through the month. (It’s a long story haha) Finally during December, I started drafting a sweet Christmas novelette. Overall, this year was an amazing year writing-wise. I didn’t end up finishing two of the writing challenges that I usually do (NaNo and 100-for-100) but one of the things I’ve been reminding myself is that there is so much more to being a writer than just writing. You have to write, but you also have to live, too. Because how can you write life if you haven’t lived life?

My grandpa passed away. This was definitely the hardest part of this but I’m so thankful for the time God gave us with my grandpa and how much he taught us. 🤍

Set up a morning routine. This was one of my goals for this year, and I feel like I figured out a morning routine that works well for me! There are some days that I don’t do it which is fine, but I also love when I get to get up early, spend time with Jesus, and get ahead on my day!

Got two kittens! We’ve always been dog people but some friends of our family gave us two outside kittens, and since then, we’re now cat people 😂 They are seriously so cute but can also be annoying (especially when we’re sitting in the hot tub and they try to jump in with us). Either way, they are adorable!

Had a super fun birthday! Click here to read all about it!

Youth group activities & church camp. We had a lot of fun youth group activities this year and a great church camp.

Three amazing trips. We went to Lutsen Mountains to ski in February, Lake Michigan in June, and then to my mom’s cousin’s lake house in August. All of them were amazing!

Fun Christmas traditions & making new ones! One of my favorite days of the entire year is Christmas Eve because my family has our big Christmas Eve dinner than we open stockings, watch Christmas movies, and have the candlelit service at church. I was sort of sick and my grandparent’s dog ate gum and had to go to the emergency vet so our usual traditions were kinda ruined, but we had a great Christmas either way.

goals for 2024

• Grow in Jesus. <3
• Read/listen to 100 books
• Decorate and set up my new room
• Write two novels
• Grow my friendships
• Start a photography business
• Have successful track and cross country seasons
• Continue working out/running & working on a healthy lifestyle
• Post consistently on this blog (and maybe another platform?) this year.
• Reach 450-500 subscribers on my email list.

now, it’s your turn!

What was your favorite part of 2023? What are your goals for this year? Comment below and let me know!

One thing I’ve learned this year is that being open to growth and change is so important & necessary, and also that so much of life is a response. I want to take this idea of always growing into 2024 as well and I’m so excited for what 2024 has to hold!

Happy New Year! 🥳✨