Welcome 2016

I remember when we first got married and Brian would say "I will graduate from Medical School in 2016" and it seemed like ages away then.. but now we just welcomed in the year 2016 and I have a hard time believing that it is really here.

There are many anticipated big changes for us this year, and I am sure some unexpected surprises. At the beginning of 2015 we each chose one goal word to focus on throughout the year instead of remembering a long laundry list of resolutions, we chose a word that would sum up our focus for the year.

At 3 months old, Lydia had started discovering the world and it seemed only fitting that this be her goal for the year 2015. Discover.

Now reflecting on this past year, it was the perfect word for such a busy baby.

-She has discovered her love for books and will choose them over any other toy.

-She has discovered that she loves to be constantly moving, jabbering, and busy all the time.

-She has discovered the pride she feels when she does something all by herself.  

-She has discovered words and ways to communicate her wants and needs. 

-She has discovered love for people as well as for her blanket and stuffed animal dog.

-She has discovered her favorite foods and ones she couldn't care less for.

-She has discovered her favorite animal which is a dog and will try to bark and pant to be like one.

-She has discovered that she would rather run than walk.

-She has discovered that if we say "no" to her then she only wants to do it 5 times faster.

-She has discovered that she loves to figure out how things work whether it is putting the lids back on bottles or stacking containers, she loves the process of things.

Lydia's new goal word for 2016 is Explore. It is our hope that she will now explore the life she has discovered and let her curiosity expand as she learns and experiments.

It was hard for me to narrow down just one word for me to focus on this last year, but the word Brave just kind of spoke out to me. Through many of my own personal struggles I found that I just needed to be brave in all that I do and to brave through trials that come our way.

-I changed brave into a verb. Instead of just "being" brave. I decided that I would brave through life this year. I have braved motherhood. Being a mother is what I have always wanted to do more than anything, and then being pregnant brought so many fears and thoughts of if I would be a good mother or a failure. And then going through different battles of thrush and losing my milk supply.
-I have braved through my feelings of low self-esteem. While I realize everyone battles feelings of inadequacy and negative thoughts towards one's looks or abilities, I feel like at times it was happening a bit too frequent for my taste. Society places so much emphasis on how a woman should look after having a baby and how if you really dieted and exercised anyone could lose the baby weight quickly. This was not so and it took me a whole year to brave strict eating to get off what I had gained and just be healthy. I have braved through these negative feelings to find the good qualities about me.
-I braved through a very demanding calling of being Young Women President.. It has sent me to my knees more times than I can think. I have had to brave boundaries of my comfort zone by talking to families who are in need, making confrontations, and dealing with situations I never thought I would enter.
-I have braved standing up for myself and being more independent. I would often feel nervous to make phone calls to businesses or look or feel stupid for not understanding questions and whatnot. I have wanted to push through that and be more confident.
-I have braved through living away from family while having a small family of my own. Braving many long days of being a single mom while my hubby worked long hours.
-I have been brave through my personal pursuit of happiness. All of this has been a work in progress but I feel much more brave after this year.

My new word for 2016 is Embrace. I want to embrace this new year and all the changes and experiences that are in store for me and my little family. Embrace is such a warming action word. It involves attitude and feeling, enthusiasm, and support. I think it will be just the word I need for this year.

Brian choose a very fitting word for 2015 that allowed him to continually push himself and devote himself to everything he is involved in. He chose Dedicated.

-Brian was very dedicated this year-to me, his daughter, school work, and to the Lord. It isn't easy to be a full time medical student and the Elder's Quorum President in church at times, but it has been so worth it. Watching this man give everything he has to the Lord and the people he has stewardship over has been spectacular.
-Brian has been very dedicated to me and to our marriage. Marriage can be a roller coaster at times and it isn't always thrilling, but Brian has been dedicated to me through all the good times and bad. Social media makes it easy for a person (like me) to make my life look perfect through smiling faces and fun activities. Not that everyone needs to know about the marriage woes, but they are there-just like in any marriage. Brian has been and still is dedicated to making our marriage something special for us.
-Brian is a dedicated father. The days I would see him come through the door after a long day of studying and be completely exhausted-and yet he would fall right into his roll of fatherhood-playing with Lydia, changing diapers and feeding her and cleaning around the house. Even though he could have every reason just to flop on the couch and turn on the TV.. he didn't. His love for that little girl melts my entire being.
-Brian has been so dedicated in school. Through boring and hard rotations, lots of praying to decide his specialty, taking the big Step 2 exam, being in the top 10% of his class, applying for residencies, and going on what seems to be endless interviews, he has exceeded the definition of dedicated to me. He works so hard for our little family and in serving the Lord.

Brian has chosen the word Better for 2016. He has his personal reasons for this word choice, but I am sure it will help in this coming year and all the opportunities in store.

Goodbye 2015! You have been good to us. Welcome 2016!