Where did January go?

Today is the last day of the first month of the new year and I find myself thinking where my January went. And because my 33 year old brain has already stored quite a lot of memories, I now rely on external tools to help me remember what happened to my days, a.k.a. my planner.

At the start of the year, I read somewhere that one way to make the most of the year is to live each day such that when you look back at the end, you'll be happy with what you did. It's like breaking down your year into bite-sized pieces - and that takes the pressure off trying to live a great year, right? You count your days, do your best everyday and before you know it, the whole year is over. Much like this January. I feel like I've only just reeled back from the holiday season and now it's over.

The events of the past years have been a blur to me. I mean, I remember the big things, but the tiny details I tend to forget. If it weren't for Facebook or Instagram I wouldn't even remember some of them. So this year I planned to be more mindful of the days that pass so that at the end of the year I will be able to see where my year went. And maybe if I keep at it, I will be able to use it to see where my WHOLE LIFE went. Hopefully, as I look back on my days at the end of my life, I will be happy to see where I have used this God-given life. 

So where did my January go? 

Well it started at Conrad. My birthday wish last year was to spend my birthday at a nice hotel where I can just relax with my family. So we checked in at Conrad on my birthday and we got to watch fireworks by the bay on New Year's.

The next day, Lex finally gave in to my coaxing to do a number on the potty. The first time Lex poopooed in the toilet. What a great milestone to start the year! As I write this, he has been fully potty trained during the day and is in the process of potty training at night. They say it takes longer to potty train at night but I also know that it won't last forever. So I just enjoy it.

We're officially homeowners! January also marks a big milestone for our family as we accepted our very first home. We are a few months shy of moving out of our current residence. I will miss this house but I couldn't be any happier than living in our very own space. 

I finished my first fast. Every year, our church (Every Nation) starts the year with a week of prayer and fasting. This year is the first time I participated and incredibly, I lasted up until the end with only liquids and one meal a day to sustain me. Looking forward to the mid-year fasting. I feel like there were some things that I could still improve on in my prayer life during the fast.

Annual financial and household planning. We do this every year since Mon and I got married. We plot our projected income and expenses for the year to see what few "luxuries" we can afford but still end the year having more than what we had at the start. Like this year we know that we cannot afford any major travel what with the bulk of our expenses going to house furnishings and such.

Manila Ocean Park for Lex's birthday. We decided on that venue because I saw how happy he was when we went to Singapore Zoo and River Safari last year. He had a blast! We were even surprised that he enjoyed the Fish Spa. We thought he was going to be averse with the idea of fish munching on his feet but he was actually very welcoming about it. Days after our little excursion, he kept on telling us, "I want to see fish in Manila Ocean Park!"

Pondering over the purpose and direction of this blog. I still haven't decided what to do with this actually. I am in the middle of a blog redesign and I still have a lot of aspects to fix. Right now I'm just focusing on the content first so that when I re-launch it, people will have something interesting to read. *I hope this counts as an interesting read. Hehe.*

Lex is becoming more proficient in reading. He started reading sight words when he was just two years old. Now he can actually read CVC words easily and is starting to read words with consonant blends. He can also read numbers up to hundreds. I am so proud of this boy and how an amazing learner he is.

The life-changing magic of tidying up. Marie Kondo's Spark Joy is currently in my reading list (along with Daphne Paez's Chic and Emily Ley's Grace Not Perfection). I think it is very timely that I'm reading the book now (I've had it in a while) as we are about to move into our own home. I'm in the middle of discarding clothes and I feel lighter already. Hahaha. Chos.

I made a commitment to say no to the little things that do not bring value. Starting with limiting time spent in social media. I noticed that when Lex often sees me on my phone, he wants to use a gadget as frequently also. May it be his dad's Vita or my iPad or the PS4. When I started limiting my screen time, Lex doesn't borrow a gadget as much anymore and instead just wants to play with real toys.

Wow, this has been a long list of milestones and happenings. Writing it down, I can't believe so many things have happened in just one month.

How did your January pan out? I hope it was as fruitful and as productive as mine. But if not, that's okay too! Whenever I feel that I am not in a good place, I remind myself that I am exactly where God intends me to be. And there is peace in knowing that everything that happens is in accordance with His good, pleasing, and perfect will, because then even our sufferings become purposeful.

If you've had a great month, I hope it continues on for you. But if not, I pray that your character will be enriched by your circumstances. May you have a great rest of the year!