Happy New Year!! I can’t believe it’s 2016! Oh my goodness….where does time go? I have had a thoroughly relaxing, nurturing few weeks which I needed more than I knew. There is beauty in the mundane and ordinary once more; life looks brightly coloured and full of hope; I am dreaming lazily about the simple pleasures life has to offer, refreshed, content and incredibly happy.
Over the holiday, I was ill and in bed for over a week. The illness, which seemed to have very few symptoms except extreme tiredness, forced me to slow down. I had to be in bed because each time I stood up I thought I would pass out. So I stayed in bed, watching reruns of Grey’s Anatomy, whilst my incredible family looked after me. As the days passed, gradually, almost imperceptibly, I began to smile once more. Giving myself up to the love of my husband and children, I felt warmed by their nurturing and nourished by their attentive care.
Once I felt well enough I took to reading rather than watching, and have spent this last week alternating gentle housework with reading a few lovely books, which have comforted and inspired me in equal measure. Happy sigh. I needed this rest and it is wonderful to feel more like myself again.
This new year feels full of potential. I am excited about its possibilities and where God will be directing us over the next few months. My goal this year is to simplify and slow down. I do not want to end 2016 in the same way as 2015. This year I will not be exhausted because I will be making some changes to prevent it. And you know what? They will be small changes. Nothing big, but when put together they should prevent the burn out.
Over the next few weeks I will be catching up on all my school-blog reading, as well as catching up on some of the posts I have sitting waiting to be finished. I will be sharing what God has been doing in my life as well as the changes He is guiding our family to make this year.
Before I go, I must say a huge thank you to the three (!!) people who nominated me for the Liebster award. It was such an honour. I will be visiting your blogs to thank you personally sometime over the next 24 hours or so. It was a lovely way to see in the new year, and you made me a very happy girly!
So what about you? Are you excited about the coming twelve months? Have you made any plans? Or is life a bit tricky at the moment? Do let me know in the comments and I will pray for you.
Hopefully this will be a great year. Thank you for joining along with me. It’s always much more fun with company!
Welcome to 2016, Glad to hear you are feeling better. The only plan I made was to set my new blog, http://www.practicalbbydefault.com to live which I did this morning (!) and am working my way through the bugs. Had to take a break and was so happy to see a new post from you. Have a great weekend!
Congratulations on your new blogging adventures! I tried to click through the link but was unsuccessful. I’ll try again later 🙂
Happy New Year, Claire and family! Our main goal this year is to continue to build on our simple, natural lifestyle which is bringing us so much contentment and joy.
Here’s to the best year yet for all of us!
I’ll second that! I love your simple, back to nature life. One day….
Happy New Year. I’m looking forward to reading more of what you share. I hope that you’re feeling much better now.
I am. Thank you Leslie. Happy new year!
Happy New Year!
And to you Phyllis 🙂
Happy New Year!! I’m glad that you’re feeling well rested and ready to take on 2016 🙂 I’m about ready to switch out of “vacation mode” and into a more active mode too!
Thank you Rebecca. All the best with getting into work mode again 🙂
Happy New Year! I am so glad you are rested. I am looking forward to this new year. I also plan to advocate calm and healing this year. I wrote about it on my blog. Hopefully I can maintain a calm world (with God’s help of course).
Blessings, Dawn
Calm and healing. Yes, we could all do with a bit of that in our life! I hope you have a wonderfully calm and healing year. I will be praying.
Happy New Year! Glad to see you back, and rested.
Thanks Leah 🙂
Happy New Year Claire!!! Glad to hear you are feeling better. We’ve battled illnesses here too. I am looking forward to your new posts too!
I hope you and your family are better soon. Have a great 2016!
Happy New Year Claire! So glad to hear you were able to have a real rest over Christmas, even if it was due to illness. We have decisions to make regarding more work that needs to be done on our house, and our business, but have had a blessed time together for the holidays 🙂
Houses suck so much money up, don’t they? We’re doing some improvements this year and I am gasping at the cost! I didn’t know you had your own business. What do you do?
It does sound rather idyllic living on an island and owning your own business 🙂
Happy New Year, Claire! Glad to hear you’re feeling better. I can’t wait to hear more about your plans for 2016!
Thanks Lucinda 🙂
Happy New Year! Sorry you had an ill end to 2015. Glad you are feeling better. Wishing you the best – health, happiness, love, fulfillment – for 2016.
Thank you so much Keitha. And the same back to you 🙂
Happy New Year! I’m glad you are feeling better now and more rested. Im looking forward to reading more from you soon! I’m trying to straighten out our schedule this year to something simpler, because it has become a mess. I feel a mess when we have such jumbled days.
I’m the same. For somebody who has such a chaotic mind, I sure do like my routine!
I’m glad you’re on the mend, Claire. Happy New Year to you and yours! Looking forward to your posts, ideas, and encouragements. Appreciate your words of wisdom.
Thanks Barbara. I’ll be emailing soon 🙂
I’m glad you enjoyed your break and are coming back feeling rested. I look forward to reading your half finished posts.
Happy New Year!
Thanks Ticia. Happy new year!
I’m sorry you were sick. I hope you feel renewed strength soon 🙂
Happy New Year!