Somehow, January was both painstakingly slow (mostly at work) and all too fast. Isn’t that how time usually feels?
January was an overall good month, and I feel so grateful for that.
Let’s recap!
Time with Extended Family
- Grandma’s Birthday: We rang in the New Year in the desert with my parents, sisters, and Grandma, celebrating Grandma’s 78th birthday together. It was a rainy, muddy few days full of lots of laughs and memories – all captured here on my husband’s YouTube Channel.
- Mother-in-Law’s Birthday: We enjoyed lunch at Olive Garden celebrating Grandma’s birthday!
- Impromptu Lunch at My Sister’s: I was in my hometown for a DMV appointment (hey there, last minute REAL ID before flying lol), and got to enjoy an impromptu lunch at my sister’s house with her and my Grandma. My son played with the doggies in the backyard and had his lunch with our brother’s snake Nails.
- A Visit to My Brother’s Gravesite: My son and I visited brother this month. My sister had just put out new flowers, and his space was so beautiful and peaceful. It’s always surreal kissing his headstone goodbye.
- Visit to Texas: A part of my heart lives in Texas with my cousins, godson, aunt, and uncles. I made it out there this month for an important family event, and was able to spend a time with my cousins. It was truly special for me to have that time together. We cried together and sat with one another in the current realities of life. We laughed – and almost peed our pants – together. We reminisced, talked about some hard stuff, and celebrated how far we each have come. Cousins are life’s gift. So, so grateful to start off this year with them, and to enjoy precious moments giggling and playing with my godson. His 3-year old energy and joy is contagious!
The Peaks
- Treasures they left on my desk for me: a small lego build of a subway, a rubber ducky, a note that said “I love mom, I love dad, Car, and Mac”, two sweaters that need spots sewed, a post-it that said “mama I love you”
- Catching my son knocked out at bedtime with a book on his lap
- Precious and loving questions from and conversations with my sons about their sibling in heaven
- My youngest son packing one of his stuffed animals – whom he had asked to take care of me – in my backpack for my trip to Texas
- Laughing with my husband over everything and nothing
- Messaging almost daily with my best friend about all the things
- Ending the month with a Mama and Sons Day in Downtown Redlands, CA – We visited the Frugal Frigate Bookstore, Jack’s Toy Shop, and Village Candy Kitchen (where we bought the most delicious cheesy jalapeño sourdough bread!).
The Valleys
- Worrying about one of my son’s academics and pushing with their school for next steps and solutions
- Grief and a hurting heart for the hurting hearts of people so dear to us
- Another one of my son’s losing weight, which can be tricky for medication he takes – we are now leading Operation: Tons of Calories for him.
- Headaches, trouble sleeping (earlier in the month), and work stress
- Feeling incredibly saddened and angry about the current climate of our country and recent/ongoing events
Media and Books
I wrote here how I wanted to fully embrace my hobbies this year, which includes podcasts, YouTube, and reading. While I’m not tracking what I watch on YouTube (since most times it is the background noise to my life), I have been tracking podcasts, books, movies, and shows in a media journal and really enjoying it.
Books Read:
- Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid
- The Long Game by Rachel Reid
- Unbreakable: How Starting Community College at 42 Years Old Saved My Life by Deidre L. Reyes
- Teasing (Red Lips & White Lies #5) by Bella Matthews
- Mile High by Liz Tomforde (a reread for me! My best friend and I are enjoying a two-person book club!)
- The Right Move by Liz Tomforde (another reread)
Currently Reading:
- The Last Kids on Earth by Max Brallier and Douglas Holgate (an audiobook with my sons – we are loving it! Fantastic narrator.)
- The Academy by T.Z. Layton (a chapter book read-aloud with my soccer obsessed 7 year old)
- Best Laid Plans: A Simple Planning System for Living a Life That You Love by Sarah Hart-Unger (one of my favorite bloggers and podcasters wrote a book! I love all her work, and this book is no exception.)
- Caught Up by Liz Tomforde (book club read)
I don’t enjoy reading. No, not at all. 😊
TV Shows and Movies:
- Heated Rivalry
- People We Meet on Vacation
- The Life List
- An Unexpected Valentine
- John Wick
Favorite Podcast Episodes This Month:
- Annual Airing of the Grievances – The Girl Next Door Podcast (a laugh out loud every single time)
- What If Your Only New Year Goal Was to Let Go of the Shoulds? – 3 in 30 Takeaways for Moms
- Books We’ve Loved Lately! – Midlife Lady Leisure Pursuits
Annual Goals Check-in
I had every intention of posting a 2026 annual goals list this month, but that escaped me. Surprisingly though, I’ve been making progress on a few annual goals already!
Completed:
- Get a REAL ID (highly motivated to complete for my trip to Texas!)
- Visit Texas family
- New washer and dryer (our last set gave us a solid 12 years!)
- New mattresses for the boys
Strong Start:
- Reduce time on social media: I have been slowly cutting back on my scrolling habits over the last couple months and even posting less on social media altogether (I used to be in IG Stories daily…). And as of about a week ago, I deleted all social media apps (except Threads) from my phone altogether. I’ve been checking them every couple days from my iPad, and mostly only my family’s accounts. IT FEELS SO GOOD. As a result, I’ve been reading more and feel more focused at work, too.
- Maintain my journals: I am really enjoying both my memory and media journals so far, and can’t wait to see them grow over the year.
- Write more: I’m already here on the blog more this month than all of last year. Gotta keep it up!
Thank You, January!
I wrote this several times throughout my journal this month: “Thank you God for this life, for my family, for our home, for these beautiful everyday moments. May we never take it for granted.”
That’s a wrap on a good month. So grateful.