Several years ago, Jeff and I started naming our years based on a goal.  For example: 2016 was the year of trying new things.  If we went to a restaurant, we would order items that we haven’t ordered before or normally wouldn’t order.  For that matter, we would try restaurants we wouldn’t normally go to.  We would try new things and go to new places… Heck, that was the year we moved halfway across the country!  I use 2016 as my first example, because honestly, it was one of my favorites. 

2018 was the year of the homestead.  Everything we did, every decision we made, was done with our new homestead in mind.  We got the goats, rabbits, and in May of last year we officially started the homestead. 

 

We’ve had many good years, and this year will be no different.  The theme for 2019 is the year of self-improvement.  This year, the idea is to place our focus on improving our physical health, our mental health, our financial health, our homestead, and the list goes on-and-on. 

 

It helps that we have each other as partners when working towards these goals.  A simple “What do you want to do this weekend?” may start with something sloth-like (binge watch a show, sleep late, etc)  – but we push each other and remind each other of the goal for the year.  So, instead of sitting around and simply relaxing on our very few hours we have together, we push each other to do something to improve in some way.  We’ve gone for walks together, we’re drinking less caffeine, cleaned out and donated our ‘unneeded’ items, put up new fencing, discussed our future plans, built new rabbit cages, and an uncountable number of little things – All in the name of improvement.  Granted, when you think about what we name each year, they really can all be tied together or actually seem a bit redundant maybe… but putting a new name to it just makes it a little more fun and interesting to us.