2022 Goals and Word of the Year

Happy New Year My Friends!

I love the start of a new year.  Its a time for new beginnings, new hopes and new dreams.  

On New Year's Eve we took it easy.  I have been fighting a cold all week and I haven't been sleeping well, so I called it an early night.  I actually rested/slept from 8pm - 11:00 a.m.  It felt so good to rest, and I spent the rest of the weekend resting too. I am starting to feel a little better, but taking it easy and getting lots of rest. 

As we start 2022, I thought it would be fun to share my goals for 2022.  I do this from time to time, and thought it would be fun to share this year.  

2022 Goals

1. Spend the first moments of each day with Jesus! 

This year, I am going to continue to follow the She Reads Truth Bible Study. I also plan to use the Val Marie Prayer Journal (my favorite) to capture my gratitude, my prayers, and answers to prayers.

2. Embrace a new healthy habit each month. 

Each month, I want to focus on implementing a new healthy habit in my life.  Things like focusing on sleep, water intake, intermediate fasting, etc. The goal is to end the year with 12 new healthy habits.  

In January, I am focusing on building a healthy sleep routine. Sleep is so important, and I know I have neglected this habit for way too long.

3. Love Matt well. 

I am truly so lucky to have Matt in my life, and I want to show him each day what he means to me.

4. Celebrate Well. 

This is going to be a year FULL of celebration.  From our 15th Wedding Anniversary to me graduating with my MBA.  Its going to be a fun year, and I want to embrace and celebrate all the incredible moments.

5. Create Family and Personal Rhythms 

We have gotten out of the rhythms as a family.  Things like regular dinners with my parents, church on Sundays, indoor tailgate parties for UT games,etc.  I just want to re-establish our family rhythms.

6. Cultivate a Peaceful and Calm Home 

I love creating a home that is restful and peaceful.  One of the ways to do that is to de-clutter our home, and keeping our home clean and organized.  I always love keeping our home in order, and look forward to some big projects this year. 

7. Be a good steward of our finances. 

Matt and I are getting more and more serious about our finances, and I really want us to grow our savings and get more aggressive in our investing too. 

8. Intentionally grow and learn. 

This past year when I started my new job I stopped reading as much as I used to.  This year, I want to be intentional in reading, listening to podcasts, and watching master classes.  

These eight goals lead me to my word of the year.  This word comes after a year of feeling overwhelmed, tired, and exhausted.  I faced a lot of challenges in 2021, but my goal by the end of 2022 is to be filled with energy, joy, and full of life, instead of being so tired.  Therefore, my word of the year and focus for 2022 is:

I am looking forward to what 2022 has in store. 

Kim

Annual Year in Review - 2021

 

Its that time of year again.  

If there is anything consistent on this blog, its this end of year post.  I have really fallen off from posting on this blog throughout the year, but I always like working on this post. 

This post helps me remember all the great things that happened throughout the year.  2021 was filled with a lot of growth and challenges; however, one thing remained and that was the Lord's faithfulness.  Even during the hard times, I could find so much to be thankful for in life.  

Here is a peak into this past year:

 

We kicked off the new year with dinner at one of our favorite local restaurants.  I wanted to capture this moment because we were still wearing masks.  Also, I missed being home for New Years Eve because I was in Knoxville with my dad's eye surgery.  So we celebrated the New Year on January 2nd!

Next, we continued to spend many Sunday afternoons at the Davis House.  This was a picture of me and nugget (ie...Easton Henry) in early January.  I don't get many photos of the little man because his sister likes for us to spend all of our time with her (LOL), but one thing I loved about 2021 was watching him grow.

 

February brought snow! I worked from home most of the first part of the year, and the snow was simply the best when I didn't have to get out in it. 

In February we also celebrated my brother-in-law's birthday!  We always love celebrating with these two!

In May we headed to beach with our favorite people.  We had a great time, and it was also the week I accepted a new job! Life seemed to pick up steam after this week.

At the end of May, I worked with an incredible group of Bristol leaders and helped launch a new music initiative.  I got to work with some of my favorite partners and friends, which was bittersweet because this was the last community event I did in my old job. 

In June, I got to celebrate one of my favorite people - Taylor with a tourism marketing award. 

In late June, I took a new job and I haven't looked back. 

In July, one of my life-long friends moved back to the U.S. and we headed to a music event my dad hosted in our hometown. 

 

In July, we also celebrated the 4th of July! As you can see we didn't get any "official" photos, but little bit wanted to be held like a baby before the fireworks.  So Uncle Matt decided to rock her asleep.  She laughed the entire time.  Oh how we love this little girl. 

 

We also celebrated Easton's first birthday!

 

My sister-in-law truly amazes me. She is an awesome mom, daughter, and friend.  

 

This summer, we headed out to dinner at Grace Meadow Kitchen for dinner and a tractor ride.  This picture was taken right before the storm came. We were soaked about 5 minutes after this photo was taken.  LOL!

In September, my college best friend was in town and we spent some time catching up. Loved exploring Downtown Bristol with her! 

 

 I did make it to Rhythm & Roots in September.  And, got to spend some time with this amazing friend.  I am so thankful for this friendship. 

 

In late September, we lost Matt's Dad.  We miss him each and every day, and life hasn't been the same.  We have somehow made it through the holidays, but it was really surreal and hard.  I am so thankful to still have my mother-in-law and my parents, as I don't take for granted those relationships at all. 

 

In October, our organization hosted a multi-state event.  We had a great time showing off all the SWVA has to offer.  This picture includes ARC Federal Co Chair Gayle Manchin, Governor Ralph Northam, and Delegate Will Morefield. 

Meet my work assistant.  This sweet one is going to make me a dog person yet. 

 

I also spent time around the SWVA region getting to know many of our partners and exploring many of the 19 counties.  I have many more to go, but I will get there.  

We celebrated HALLOWEEN with our niece and nephew. 

Somehow in the midst with all the things, I was able to complete five more graduate school classes this year.  I was exhausted 99% of the time, and I took this picture during a lecture at 8:00 p.m. one night when I didn't think I could make it anymore.  I was able to get all As and only have 4 classes to go. I am excited to graduate in 2022! 

 

In November, we headed to White Top to get our Christmas Tree! I love this tradition, and its fun to watch the kids grow year after year.

In December, our team hosted lots of Christmas events.And, these these two ladies are the best!  They have been such a blessing to me this year. Their positive attitudes have carried me through so many hard days.  

We also celebrated my birthday and Emmalyn's birthday too. 

 

 

We started a new tradition too. We added in making Ginger Bread Houses to our Christmas Tradition list.  We will invite brother when he is 4 too!

We celebrated Christmas. This was a picture of Christmas morning right before mom and dad arrived to open presents.  I love our traditions. 

And, I ended the year hanging out with my best friend Tiffany. 

All and all 2021 was a good year, but it did have a lot of challenges.  I grew a lot this year, and looking forward to all 2022 has in store. 

Happy Spring

Hello my friends.  I don't find myself on this little corner of the internet often anymore, but today is a quiet Sunday around our house and thought I would sit down and share some updates on what has been going on since my last post in December.  

I love this time of year. The flowers are beginning to bloom, temperatures are getting warmer, and the speed of life is picking up little by little.  We are officially transitioning back into full life again, as it seems like we are getting ahead of COVID-19 more and more each day.  Matt and I have gotten our vaccines; however, we still wear masks at work, going shopping, running errands, etc. Yet, even with the mask wearing I have noticed recently that life seems to be getting back into a new, yet normal rhythm. Which I like a lot.  

I will admit that 2020 did change me.  It changed all of us.  I really enjoyed not being so over committed, and that I can say no to opportunities or invites and be at peace with it. I learned that I thrive working on my own, and I am a disciplined person when it comes to work.  (Still working on other disciplines in my life...ie working out and eating health...HA!)  

I was reminded that the most important thing to me is family and my small close circle of friends.  I learned that I really enjoy attending church service online, but cannot wait to start going to church in person soon. I also learned that even though I have been going to a contemporary church for the past 18 years, that what I really crave is a traditional service.  I learned that God will help make a way when we want something big enough - like getting my MBA (thank you mom and dad!), and I learned that picking up the phone or sending a card is all when need to do to stay connect to those we love most.  I learned that I actually disagree with a lot of my friends on many different topics, but I love them each so much more than what we disagree on.  I was reminded of God's faithfulness and His sweet love for me each and everyday. Last year was hard, and even though the life lessons I learned were so bittersweet, that I can see goodness in the past year.  

With all that was learned from last year, I also began this year with focus and goals for 2021. Here are a few updates on my goals. 

Be in God's Word Everyday

Since January, I have completed 4 Bible Studies - Faith in Practice, the Book of Esther, the Book of Joshua, and the Book of Mark.  I am currently studying 1 & 2 Thessalonians and then will move onto Colossians and Philemon.  I have been starting each day with bible study, gratitude, and prayer which has been a wonderful way to begin each day.  I am also thinking of taking on an in-depth bible study soon, and believe that study is going to be Beth Moore's Now that Faith Has Come.  This study came out last fall, but I decided to wait to jump in this year. 

Read 20 Books this Year

I have been reading some this year too, but I have to be honest that I have started several books and just cannot seem to finish them.  They lose my attention, and I just cannot get back into them.  However, there are a few books that I have enjoyed this year.  Those include: 

• Shipped by Angie Hockman
• That Sounds Fun by Annie F. Downs
• Laughing Through the Ugly Cry by Dawn Barton 
• Body Love by Kelly Levique
  
• Atomic Habits by James Clear 
• Get Out of Your Head by Jennie Allien 
• Share Your Stuff, I'll Go First by Laura Tremaine

I am currently in the middle of Growing Boldly by Emily Ley, and have pre-ordered Michael Hyatt's new book - Win at Work, Succeed at Life.  I cannot wait to read it when its released later this month.

School Days

Going back to graduate school is going well, but I have to admit this semester I am taking all marketing classes so its a little easier than probably any other semester will be.  This summer, I will take an IT class and then another marketing class.  Overall, its going great and I have found that I am actually really disciplined with completing my school work at night too.  I run my life on a tight schedule, and it seems to work for me.  Every day I am reminded how blessed I am to have the opportunity to pursue this goal of mine, and at the rate I am going I will finish in June 2022.

Getting Healthier

Earlier this year, I was really battling a lot of anxiety. This is not something I deal with often, but I knew I needed to pray and ask the Lord how to get control of my emotions and anxious thoughts.  Since the beginning of the year, I have been doing a few things that have helped me a lot. First, I started focusing on my nighttime routine.  Taking time to not only wash my face and brush my teeth, but also to journal at night (I really like the Write the Word Journal) and then use the Calm app to help me sleep.  

Next, in late February I began to really learn about tracking my macros and started working out 5-6 days per week.  I have a program I am following, and I am learning a lot.  Most importantly, I am learning how to appreciate my body, as I am so thankful it can still be active and move whenever I want to move it.  Throughout the past few weeks, I have lost almost all the weight I gained last year during COVID, and I feel so much stronger than I did in January. 

Bringing back our celebrations

We have really been trying to enjoy celebrations this year.  This picture was taken after we celebrated by brother-in-law's birthday.  In addition, we were able to celebrate my Father-in-law's 85th Birthday too, and our family had the best time together.Finally, last weekend, we were able to celebrate Easter.  It was the first time since Christmas Eve 2019 that my parents and in-laws had been together.  It was so nice to catch up and visit, and I am really looking forward to more celebrations this year. 

Life lately is going well, and we are really looking forward to the next few months ahead.  Matt is playing softball this spring, we have a lot of fun things happening at work, and I will complete another class soon. 

I hope the start of your Spring is going well. 

 Hugs, 

 Kim 

 

When life slows down - 2020 Year in Review

Each year, no matter how much I blog (or don't blog), I always enjoy doing a year in review post to capture key moments from the past 12 months.  This year, however, has been a doozy.  Definitely one of the most challenging years of my life. All of the sickness, fear, and death from COVID-19, followed by so many changes in our day-to-day lives, intense work stress, not knowing what is coming next, and not being able to shake hands or hug anyone has been incredible hard. 

 

Its been 10 months since my last blog post.  I look back at my last post in February 29th and know I didn't have a clue on what was coming our way in March.  2020 has been a doozy, but I am so thankful for my health and the health of my family and friends.

I honestly haven't taken much time to look back and process what all has happened, because we are still in the middle of this pandemic of COVID-19.  However, I did want to share a few highlights 2020.

 

Kicked off the new year with a fun NYE dinner with my brother-in-law, sis-in-law, and niece.  

We had such excitement for 2020! Little did we know.

I am so thankful we got to celebrate my good friend Nikki's 40th birthday in January. 

Matt and I headed to a fun Valentine's night out with Jamie and Kristy. 

It was nice hanging out just the four of us. 

This was the LAST work "meeting" I attended on March 12, 2020.

So I thought it deserved a photo.  LOL! 

On March 14, I was asked to speak at the Queen of Hearts Gala, 

and that was the last time I had a public speaking engagement this year. 

 

The day we closed the Museum, our team taped a series of videos 

that we used the launch our "museum at home" series, which was a great hit.  

I am so thankful for forward thinking and planning that set us up for success. 

I "attempted" to make exercise a priority, 

but that was short lived as the stress from the year played havoc on my body. 

This screen shot is priceless to me, 

because this is how we communicated with our niece for months. 

My faith has also really grown this year.  I have completed 11 bible studies and truly appreciated the peace the Lord has shown me during each of these study.  Here is a list of bible studies for 2020:

• The book of Daniel 
• The Presence of God
• The book of Ephesians 
• Psalm 119
• Men and Women in the New Testament 
• The Book of Ecclesiastes
• Promises of God 
• The books of 1, 2, & 3 John 
• Lent 2020 Study
• The book of Philippians
• The book Genesis

In May, we headed to the beach for a week.  

It was quieter than usual, but we really enjoyed our time away.

 

In June, when businesses reopened, we were finally reunited with Little Bit Davis (and her parents).

Our team worked relentlessly to work on plans for alternative music events throughout the summer and fall, but in the end decided to wait until 2021 to pursue these efforts. 

We filmed a lot of "stay safe" videos to encourage safe travel to the museum. 

We celebrated the upcoming arrival of our nephew with a fun drive through baby shower.

 

In July, Easton Henry Davis was born and he is the sweetest baby. 

Of course, I spent lots of time with Little Bit this summer as she grew into her new role as "big sister" 

 

In August, I deleted 5 social media icons from my phone and I felt FREEDOM.  I was feeling so disconnected to life, yet I was connected to the world 100% of the time. The social media break was amazing, and truly helped me see life through my own eyes again.

 

 

 

During the social media break, I decided (with my parents encouragement) to go to grad school and get my MBA!!  Staying in the SEC family, and should be done in the summer of 2022.

I've completed by first semester, and ready to take on the rest of the program.

Celebrated Halloween with Little Bit and Nugget

We also headed back to White Top to cut our Christmas Tree(s)!

I love this picture of Nugget and Matt. 

We celebrated the holidays with a White Christmas. 

Which was truly magical. 

We watched all our favorite Christmas movies, celebrated with family, and enjoyed the season.

White Christmas

Additionally this year, I read several great books including:

Fiction

• American Royals II: Majesty 
• One in a Million 
• The Lies that Binds
  
• The Heir Affair 
• Big Summer 
• In Five Years
• The Prenup 
  

Non Fiction 

• Get Out of Your Head
• Untamed 
• Chasing Vines 
• No Fail Communication
• No Fail Habits 
• A Promise Land by Barack Obama
  
• The Compound Effect
• Rhythms of Renewal 
• Atomic Habits  
• Finding Freedom 
• Playing to Win 
• Speaking for Myself
  

This year didn't go as planned, but looking back over these past 12 months I am encouraged with all that did happen.  Focusing on the positive like creating new family traditions, getting the chance to slow down, and even stepping away from social and all the demands of every day life are things that I really enjoyed about 2020.   Here is hoping (and praying) for a much more "normal" year in 2021. 

Love, 

Kim