January 2024 Family Update

We did our usual tradition of ringing in the New Year with the Sloans. The saying goes that whatever you do on New Year’s Day is what you do for the year, so kicking off 2024 with tacos and margaritas seemed like the right move.

When I took the week off between Christmas and New Year’s I decided that 2024 would be the year to do more of the things you love. If it’s not a “hell yes,” then it’s gonna be a no. I also decided not to set any big goals for 2024, which was a HUGE shift from what I’ve always done. I’m just going to see what happens this year. However, I did write down some general ideas of how I want this year to feel.

Be authentically me. Haters be damned.
Say no more than I say yes. Only say yes to things that really light me up.
Go to the Olympics in Paris.
Up my pickleball rating so I can hold my own with the old folks who have been playing forever and can kick my ass without breaking a sweat while wearing Khakis.
Hike more.
Continue spending Sundays in bed.
Continue creating a home / space / relationships where Skylar and her friends feel safe to share things they aren’t comfortable telling their own parents.
Prioritize peace.

“People are going to judge you anyway, so you might as well do what you want.” – Taylor Swift

After I finally dug my way out of email, travel hockey season resumed and we hopped a flight to Charleston, SC. I really enjoyed that city. Lots of history, architecture, and yummy food! I also got to visit with my friend Corrie who I haven’t seen in real life in almost 20 years. We have stayed in touch but it felt so good to put my arms around her. It was a busy non-stop hockey weekend as usual but a lot of fun. These girls, their parents, and our coaching staff are top notch!

The next weekend was Skylar’s 17th birthday. We had a whole house of girlies staying with us. I was putting beds here, there, and everywhere. They wanted to go downtown so we hit up The Frist, did some shopping, and had dinner at Assembly Food Hall. Skylar also took all of them over to meet Grandma, which was really sweet. I’m so thankful for the amazing group of friends that Skylar has built relationships with. It’s so special! For her birthday, she asked to start an IG fan account for me which has to be the highest form of flattery. It also feels a little odd that so many teenage girls are curious about my life but I finally relented.

And then it snowed. We were basically trapped for a week! Skylar being Skylar was determined not to be stuck at home and walked almost 2 miles to her friend Jordin’s house. Mid-week I did manage to make it to my hair appointment and then to our passport appointment. It was supposed to take 7-9 weeks but we got ours back in 16 days!!! By the weekend, we had more ice but managed to sneak down to the movie theatre to watch Mean Girls with a bunch of friends. We were super happy when the snow finally started melting.

We did pull a Taylor Swift and left the Christmas tree up through January and, because we had a real tree, it was a dead prickly mess by the time we took it down. However, I was so proud of us for how we handled that tree from start to finish. Not a harsh word was spoken, which was night and day different from how that had gone in the past. I absolutely love the relationship that Skylar and I have and I don’t take it for granted. She’s my #1 hype girl and she makes me laugh. There’s rarely a dull moment in our lives but so much more peace!

Skylar started another semester at Cumberland taking English and Anthropology this semester. It was a tough sell going back after 6 weeks off but she settled in pretty quickly. Hockey is in full force as we head into the playoffs for her high school team and we still have a couple more trips with her travel team. Lacrosse practices have also started back. Add that to school, work, and scouts and she’s got a lot on her plate but she always does a great job managing it all! She also has quite the fan club and support system.

Because of Pickleball (and doing more of the things I love), I’ve flip-flopped my Wednesday routine. I play at the community center in the morning then run errands and hit up Just Love in the afternoon from 2-4. I also finally admitted that a better paddle might help, so I retired my Amazon special and upgraded to a Neonic, which I really like so far. After the snow week, the weather has been milder and we’ve even played outside a few times. Overall, it’s been a good start to 2024.