At the end of each year I find re-focus and organization. I’m in the take-the-tree-down-the-day-after-Christmas camp. I can’t help it. I love things organized and tidy. And I love simplicity.
You wouldn’t always know it from the outside looking in. Anyone looking at our social media pages will say, wow, you guys are always busy. It’s true. We’re always on the go. So how can someone who is always traveling, playing sports, and moving, be a minimalist, or live a simple life? Its not a simple answer.

Every year we lay out new year’s affirmations. I don’t like to think of them as resolutions but rather affirmations. I like to say out loud what I’d like for the year, and then make a plan to execute them. We don’t always follow the plan. More times than not, we fail.

Greyson J just turned 6 years old.

This was the first year we had three boys in school full time. For much of the past three years, I’ve spent a lot of time with Greyson. We took on the 1000 hours outside challenge, 52 Hikes Challenge, I became a State Park Photo Ambassador, and we did Forest Preschool.

We had a lot of fun doing these, completing some goals, failing at others, and just overall spending good quality time outdoors together. When he went to school at the end of August, I started working part time outside of the home almost immediately. On top of it, I was editing weddings, shooting weddings and working a lot. At the beginning of December when I sat down to really think about it, 2022 felt like kind of a bust. What did I really achieve this year? Besides a whole lot of work?

Minimalism? Not really.
Financial success? Not really.
ALL the state Parks? Nope.
52 Hikes? Ha.

There were a lot of fails. But that doesn’t mean we didn’t try. And it doesn’t mean we lost. We actually had a really beautiful year.

Sometimes, when you feel like you’ve failed, or haven’t followed your goals, it’s best to step back and look at what you have achieved rather than what you havent. I realized that this year, a lot of time was devoted to my kids following their dreams. I also worked a lot, but in between it all, we found our own little adventures.

First homecoming, JV Football, Freshman Basketball. A brand new Kindergartener, and a son obsessed with hockey. We watched a LOT of hockey.

We went to Disney World for my Birthday at the beginning of the year so I could turn 40 in the happiest place on earth.

We traveled to and camped on Lake Leelanau and spent a night on Mackinac Island when I shot weddings.
We did a couple of day hikes and breweries.
We spent a long weekend in Silver Lake over the 4th of July.

My affirmations for the upcoming year aren’t really surprising. They align with a lot of years prior.

We will spend time in the outdoors.
We will cross more State Parks off our list.
We will buy less things, and create experiences and memories for our family.
We will not spend money on things we don’t need, and save more.

I chose not to apply to be a state park photo ambassador this year. That doesn’t mean I don’t have goals to see more parks, I just wont be an official ambassador. This year proved to be an extra busy one. When we purchased our camper this year, I knew I’d have goals to see more parks in 2023, but I don’t know exactly where we will go. I don’t know if we’ll cross off state parks, or local parks, or camp in our yard. But I am excited about the possibility, and the renovation that may come to our new trailer this year (Sorry Mr. Ball! 😉 )

This has been more of a journal to myself than anything else. I’m optimistically hopeful that spending time outside this year as in years past, will help us to connect with each other as a family no matter how busy our lives will be.

No matter what your goals are, spending time in nature, and getting outside is never a bad idea. Take time to connect with your family, and yourself this year. Give time to the things that are important. If you can’t find time, clear it, and make some. A breath of fresh air on a trail can go a long way.

Cheers to adventures, and 2023!