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Happy New Year!

It's so strange to my head that it's 2015 already... and we are already 1.5 days into it. I must say that this year is definitely off to a much more intriguing start than last year. Woop woop!

I've been thinking a lot lately about what I want. Selfish, I know, but I realized that it's a really important and big question for me. I was asked what I wanted for Christmas and I didn't have an answer. I honestly didn't know. A friend recently asked, "What do you want me to do for you?" and again I didn't know. So it feels right that I start this new year off by asking myself what do I want. I hope to figure it out this year.

Things I'm going to do this year:

1. Be the biggest loser and get my butt to bed earlier
2. Keep the Sabbath day holy
3. Learn how to create and follow a budget, and then do it!
4. Read more books, watch less stuff
5. Read the Book of Mormon again with real intent
6. Set a retirement date from the Navy Reserve and begin planning it
7. Call more and text less
8. Forgive myself, and trust God more
9. Sing and play the piano more
10. Be open and available to answer the call
11. Answer the question "What do I want?"
12. Be the hopeful romantic

This all feels do-able.

resolutions

I recently read the quote below while reading about Christmas. As I read the list below, I thought these would make good resolutions and so here they are...

"This [year], mend a quarrel. 

Seek out a forgotten friend. 

Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. 

Write a letter. 

Give a soft answer. 

Encourage youth. 

Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. 

Keep a promise. 

Forgo a grudge. 

Forgive an enemy. 

Apologize. 

Try to understand. 

Examine your demands on others. 

Think first of someone else. 

Be kind. 

Be gentle. 

Laugh a little more. 

Express your gratitude. 

Welcome a stranger. 

Gladden the heart of a child. 

Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. 

Speak your love and then speak it again."

~Howard W. Hunter (from his last public address)

looking back

Looking back at my resolutions for 2011 was eye opening. I didn't accomplish most of them. But at the end of this year, more so than any other year in recent memory, I feel differently about myself, who I truly am, what I truly want and where I'm headed. I'm definitely a different and better person than when I started out this year, and that feels good.


This wasn't an easy year for me personally. I wasn't always happy with myself. I struggled through some really tough stuff this year and am still struggling with some of it. Growing is painful and this year was no exception. 


This year was awesome though! And I'm so thankful for all my experiences and all the growing. I still have a long way to go, but I'm a little closer to where I want to be.


What I succeeded in doing:
- Being more child like: I had a lot of fun this year listening to my inner child and giving into her this year. I got a fish, watched a lot of Muppets YouTube Videos, have a new dog friend, and laughed much more than I have in a while.
- Turned off the television: cancelled my cable bill. Everything I want to watch is available on Netflix, online, or via iTunes, and it's on my schedule when I choose.
- Planned and carried out the first ever Boyer Family Reunion. I'm proudest of fulfilling this resolution. We decided it will now be an annual event. I can't wait for the next one.
- Spend more time being quiet - scripture study, prayer and meditation.
- Save money and travel. So, I saved money, but didn't travel nearly as much as I would have liked. Something to work on.
- Be open to adventures in rain, love, family and life. 2011 was definitely an adventure. I fell in love (twice!), spent good, quality time with family and friends, moved into a house (above ground living space = yay!) and learned quite a bit about who I truly am and what I really want.
All in all a rather successful year.


So, for 2012:
- I like this idea: To participate more fully in my life and that of the people around me. Be more present in the present.
- Refine and increase my quiet time - scripture study, prayer, fasting and meditation.
- Get a new job that contributes more meaningfully to helping people and goodness. And most importantly, be where God wants me to be.
- Be open to Love in all its iterations. It really is all we really need.
- Take more photos. Play more music. Dance more. Play more. Create more.
- Run a race with my sister. (I always say I'm going to do this one, but now it's written down, officially.)
- Follow through.
- Re-evaluate first impressions.
- Do stuff that scares me. Trust.
- Strengthen.
- Forgive.


Happy New Year! More than what you want, may you receive what you need.

random resolutions

sweet green, which has really yummy salads and is a favorite place to eat,

started a new year's resolution post-it window display. love this!

here are a few for inspiration.

happy new year!

may all your dreams come true in this new year.

blank

We will open the book.  
Its pages are blank.  
We are going to put words on them ourselves.  
The book is called Opportunity 
and its first chapter is New Year's Day.
 ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

it's 4 am on new year's eve

as i write this it's 4 am on new year's eve. the ball hasn't dropped yet, that's about 20 hours away.

i woke up from a dream of a monsoon rain in an open house with many windows in the midst of a lushly green jungle, a shadowed man who loved me and laughing, joyous children. it was delicious. the rain was amazing and clean. the love from that man felt warm and real, and the laughter of the those children dancing in the rain on the verandah was heart filling. at some point in the dream, i was going around the house locking doors in obscure places, because there was sa need to protect and hold onto the fleeting feelings of deliciouness and love. and then i woke up.

hmmmmmm. interesting dream to have at approximately 4 am on new year's eve morning.

so now i'm awake an hour or so before my alarm was due to go off , so that i could get up on time to meet my running group and end the old year doing what i said was going to in one of my resolutions for 2010. as i look back on this past year and remember my goals, i am quite pleased with some things, and looking for ways to improve in the ways i didn't do so well. if you'll recall with me, strengthen was my resolution this year. lots and lots of growing pains this year. amazingly, i do feel stronger in so many ways: taller, experienced, happy, tired and pleased. what a ride this year was.

goodbye 2010. hello 2011.

i promise to
be open to adventures in rain, love, family and life
keep on getting stronger
be more childlike
move more
do new stuff (even, and especially, if it's scary)
plan and carry out the first ever boyer family reunion (it's written down now, so. it. will. happen)
connect my family
spend more time being quiet - scripture study, prayer and meditation
turn off the tv more
finish those unfinished projects
make room for Him and him
save money and travel

here's to a good, somewhat painful at times, amazing year.
and here's hoping this next one is even better.

photo one

photo two

new year's resolution no. 2

i resolve to move more.

run often with these guys

go swimming with one from five

more walking, less driving

learn how to balance and focus on muscles like a rock hard dancer
(at least in my mind)

go on bike rides - dc has the nation's first & largest european style bike sharing program - awesome!

new year's resolution no. 1

I will have a more childlike imagination this year.

I will purposely choose to live life as joyfully and carefree as a child.

not every day or every moment, but I will choose to do this.

In other words, I will

play more

laugh more

act silly

learn something new

watch sesame street often :)

sing out loud even when people can hear me

(yes, someone will think i'm crazy, but that's not new)

make a mess and clean it up

(i need to work on clean up)

skip down the sidewalk

cry when I want to and always use bandaids

love unfailingly

forgive immediately

give hugs

and

twirl for absolutely no reason whatsoever in the middle of the park.