We are all sorts of jazzed up about the beginning of a new decade. Twenty-nineteen was a big year for us with the most noteworthy events being our recent move to Ottawa Hills Neighborhood (a whopping half mile from our house on Rosewood) and earlier this year Jeff transitioned jobs - he is loving it. Both changes have already begun to shape our year to come and we are excited about the opportunities these changes will bring in the new year.
This years New Years Eve celebrations were certainly memorable to say the least! Jeff and I hosted the 2020 Winter Games and I could not have been more impressed by my friends for not only showing up, but also for embracing the hilarity of the occasion to it’s fullest.
Each couple who attended was instructed to select a country of their choice to represent; Jeff and I chose the good ole U.S. of A.! Team uniforms were strongly encouraged as well as a dish to pass that represented their heritage. Canada brought Canadian bacon deviled eggs and Canadian bacon pigs in the blanket with maple syrup dipping sauce. Mexico showed up with loaded nachos which got devoured. Italy (and in true Kyle Workman form) brought Italian sausage and other assorted meats and cheeses from the local butcher. We did not go hungry.
Teams competed in a total of five games that ranged from shooting rubber bands at cans to water pong and at the end there was a bonus playoff round. I honesty have no clue who won (I don’t quite understand the score board and multiple countries claimed themselves as the winners) but I think a good time was had by all. I’d like to thank Amazon.com for providing the stellar decor and Lizzie Williams for allowing us to borrow her shot skis for the opening ceremonies.
Onto the business of our resolutions. Last years resolutions + status updates are as follows:
We (more so me, less Jeff) promised to select and practice a new karaoke song. This resolution was a smashing success! My new list includes (but not limited to):
What’s Love Got to Do With It - Tina Turner
The Thunder Rolls - Garth Brooks
Don’t Go Breaking My Heart - Elton John & Kiki Dee (It’s still on my radar to convince Jeff to sing this as a duet on our next karaoke adventure)
Together we vowed to do our very best to reduce the amount of plastic we use and holy cow was this one hard. Plastic. Is. Everywhere. But here are some easy things that we did that have become habit in our household:
We stopped using plastic grocery bags and instead bring our own reusable bags, opt for paper or flat out just tell the cashier we don’t need a bag if we can carry our items in our hands.
We eat out quite a bit and Jeff and I both refuse plastic straws in all of our beverages and when the kids go out with us we bring reusable kid cups for them. Most servers seem confused when handed our cups but they always oblige.
I pack my lunch almost everyday and Natalie brings her lunch to school also. Instead of using at plastic baggies I use reusable containers (glass ones for me so I can reheat leftovers in them at the office) and I pack Natalie’s lunch in a kiddo bento box. It’s this one here from Amazon. I got Thomas the same one in blue because we actually use them at home too. We call them ‘lunch box dinners’ and the kids get to help pick what goes in the four spaces in their box. It’s one of my life lines when I don’t feel like cooking. They totally dig it.
And last, in an effort to increase my level of ‘momming’ for my daughter… I wanted to learn how to French braid hair. I was very successful in braiding Natalie’s hair but have yet to learn how to French braid my own hair - which I’d still like to do. Nat hasn’t been sporting the look often because her hair is still quite fine, but if her hair is wet then it usually turns out pretty great. That said, she’s not a huge fan of sitting still for the braiding which is another reason why she hasn’t had it braided much over this past year. Jeff in no way participated in this resolution.
As for this coming year, here’s what’s on deck for our 2020 resolutions: The 3 ‘I’s…
Instigate family meetings. On Sunday evenings Jeff and I have always been good at reviewing our week to come including work/social schedules, expectations and to-do lists. But with the kids growing older and becoming more aware we think it’s time they get in on the action. Natalie has recently become interested in calendars/days of the week/telling time and we think this is a great way to help her learn and for us to connect as a family.
In 2018 one of our resolutions was to golf more. In 2020 we’d like to incorporate another activity that our family can do together: Tennis. The kids both got tennis rackets for Christmas and while I’ve had a racket (collecting dust in storage) for years I’ve never actually put myself out there and tried. The good news is that we’ve got a secret weapon on our side: Jeff who’s (surprise surprise) very good at tennis. He played in high school and I’ve heard many stories from family and friends.
And our last resolution will be to invest more in our local community. Jeff and I are already self proclaimed enthusiasts of Grand Rapids and we’d like to double down on that. Our first and most obvious opportunity for this will be to dive into our new neighborhood. Us Kladders like to have fun and we cannot wait to meet more of our neighbors, build bridges and to begin new traditions on Pontiac. Second, our church in Grandville recently announced Mars Hill Grand Rapids (MHGR) and we could not be more excited. We look forward to finding out more at the luncheon on January 26th. All are invited.
And just like that, the year twenty-twenty is upon us! Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!
