A very Happy New Year to you friends. We've been on the Outer Banks for the holidays and think I will have a hard time returning to reality when we drive back to Asheville at the end of the week. The time we've spent with my parents, my sisters and nieces and nephews has been hugely inspirational and uplifting - I'm feeling very blessed right now - a wonderful way to ring in 2012. 

I used to have a tradition of writing down goals for the new year - resolutions if you will - but they tend to fall flat. This year, I thought maybe sharing some of them with you would help me keep them...

~ We start home schooling this semester and have chosen a language.... Irish Gaelic. We've started with simple phrases we use everyday and I've been calling the girls by their Gaelic names (using their middle names: Adie Fey is Sidhe pronounced shee; Ayle Eve is Aiofe pronounced ee-fa; and Ari Rose is Roisin pronounced ro-sheen). The goal is to be able to have simple conversations by the end of the year...

~ On that note - I want - need - to get back to Ireland.

~ I want to stop thinking of my iphone as an extension of my hand.

~ I want to get back into the pool. My body needs it. My mind needs it. I need to stop beating myself up over my body and take control again.

~ I need to find a way to relax. Could be yoga - or more hot baths - but I need something. 2011 was exceptionally stressful. I almost lost my mother, Den spent too much time on the road working, we moved unexpectedly, it was difficult financially - I need coping mechanisms. Badly.

~ I want to continue on the path of a life less ordinary - and bask in the brilliance of the moments - not the destination.

What do you hope for in 2012?

Comments

[rachel]

Do the girls love hearing their names pronounced differently? I know mine enjoy reading about the origins of their names and such. How exciting!

I hope you have a marvelously splendid twenty-twelve!
xo, rach

[jen a]

rachel - they do! they are already calling each other by their gaelic names - i love it! i hope you're new year brings love and adventure! xo

[kristen]

i need to stop beating myself up over my body too. happy new year.

[the purcells]

i feel exactly the same way about so many of your points - need to take control of my own health and body (in a good way) and above all need a stress relief like yoga!!! here's to a happy healthy 2012 and hope we get to see you this year. xo

[writers job]

I am very interested in this sphere and reading this post I have known many new things, which I have not known before. Thanks for publishing this great article here.

[restaurants in Laguna Philippines]

I also love to call me in my boy name though I'm a girl. I want to be unique and someone else.

Alvin

[Check car insurance]

I love it! i hope you're new year brings love and adventure!

[Bronwyn]

I love the Gaelic project you've started! In high school I tried a little self teaching but really would have benefited from something like Rosetta Stone. (I only remember a few phrases and grammar rules now!) What would you recommend?

Yoga is something that's been recommended to me for my panic disorder. I haven't gotten in the regular routine but I must admit when I do an hour of power yoga I do feel more centred. There's certainly something to this.

[Car Insurance for Teens]

i feel exactly the same way about so many of your points - need to take control of my own health and body (in a good way) and above all need a stress relief like yoga!!! here's to a happy healthy 2012 and hope we get to see you this year.

[Ciara]

Best of luck with the Irish adventure (go n-éirí an t-ádh libh!)! Lovely to hear it's being taught outside of the country too, though your daughters will probably be able to speak it better than me soon! it definitely needs a shake up in the education system here in Ireland to get people excited about it again!

[jen a]

bronwyn - we are using rosetta - the hardest part is the pronunciations!

ciara - i think it's such a beautiful language!