I kind of can’t get my brain around the fact that this year will be over in 2 weeks! My biggest hope for 2022 was that it would be at least somewhat less horrible than 2021. (I try to set reasonable expectations for my life!) And my hope absolutely became a reality! Not only was 2022 less horrible than 2021, it was actually quite miraculous! Though, to be fair, we also saw countless miracles in 2021. (More on miracles in a coming post)

One big reason 2022 went so well is definitely because Josh and I were trying to prioritize time together. We certainly didn’t do a perfectly planned, fabulous date every week. But we did do a date the vast majority of the weeks this year. And we could really tell a difference (negative) when we missed a date for a week. My biggest takeaways from this year’s goal word include:

• Everything in my life is better when I feel truly and deeply connected with Josh.
• Taking time away from our kids together helps Josh and me remember all the reasons why we chose to have them in the first place.

The weeks we didn’t manage to get a date were, not surprisingly, the weeks when we were too busy with other roles and responsibilities to make time for some kind of date. Those were also, not surprisingly, usually weeks where we were very tired (of doing all that important work stuff). So, it wasn’t hard to figure out why our life/relationship seemed to fall apart on those weeks. If we were too busy or tired for some kind of fun together, we were clearly too busy and too tired. There weren’t a ton of weeks like that; but enough for me to know we should avoid them.

On weeks when we REALLY got to escape the kids and go do something exciting that we wouldn’t have been able to do the same with them (like our cruise, or Frightmares) it was so nice to remember that Josh and I aren’t just co-parents, we’re totally in-love! We’re best friends, and have tons of fun together! And just like when I fell in-love with Josh the first time, I feel close to him and I just want to settle down and have a family with him! And then, oh wait! We are ALREADY settled down and have a beautiful family together! And it is just happier to come home to my life-long dream come true when I’m feeling like that than when we’re too busy and too tired.

So, basically dating Josh is the best, and I really want to do it a lot more. I feel like the more time we spend together, the more time we crave spending together. And writing all of these thoughts down makes me just want to go out with Josh right now!

I haven’t decided what my word for 2023 will be; but I had better get on it, because there’s not much time!