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How refreshing to start a new year! 2025 was such a big year for our family welcoming our third son and finally moving into our first home. But the end of 2025 was pretty rough with sickness, stress, and some unexpected house repairs so we are more than excited to start fresh for 2026. Here’s some of this and that from our January.
01. Eric and I went to Florida’s largest antique fair this weekend and scored some amazing baskets and a windmill for our garden! We were really on the hunt for the furniture but it was a bit of a bust. I’m going to try find some FB Marketplace treasures…wish me luck!
02. I tried this new French Onion Soup recipe last night and Eric absolutely loved it. It took a long time to caramelize the onions, but other than that it was wasn’t difficult!
03. For several months now we have been eating dinner by candlelight about 5/7 nights a week. It really makes our family dinners feel special and, in a way, sacred. We’re using beeswax candles and going through them quickly, so I’m looking into what it takes to make our own.
04. I’m in the middle of 4-5 books right now and I feel like I’m not actually making progress in any of them. Do I just pick one and finish it and then do that again until they are all finished, or keep slowly trekking through them all at the same time? The one I’m most into right now is “Teaching From Rest” by Sarah MacKenzie – so inspiring!
05. My sisters, some dear childhood friends, and I are planning a girls trip to Prince Edward Island next summer. Our Anne of Green Gables dreams are finally going to come true! Meadows, cherry cordial, red sand beaches, long walks down the lane, late night talks with loved ones…that’s all I ask!
06. This year we are really hoping to make some good progress on our house projects for before we really dive back into some traveling and formal lessons with homeschool. We just reprioritized our projects list, and guys, its very overwhelming. I think there is something like 74 projects on the list, everything from putting some hardware on a cabinet to installing an irrigation system. We’ll see how far we get!
07. One of my dearest old friends (who I’m going to PEI with!) and I communicate primarily through handwritten letters. It works so well for us and makes me feel like I’m living in the olden days! To go a step further, I started sealing my letters with a wax seal that Eric got me for Christmas last year. It’s so special!
08. I just recently got this children’s picture book that shows what homes looked like from different time periods of history, and it is so beautiful. The windows are cut-outs so you can see inside the houses too!
09. One of my dreams/goals is to acquire the taste for tea. For some reason I just don’t enjoy any hot drinks. I will tolerate a hot chocolate, but I’d always much rather be drinking something cold and refreshing. But I love the idea of a warm mug of something – so cozy! So I’m thinking maybe if I just keep drinking a little bit of tea consistently, maybe one day I’ll like it?
10. Every year I write down some specific goals for the new year, but its almost the end of January and I still haven’t done it yet for this year. I’ve got to make time for this before next month! This year, my goals are more split up into the first and second half of the year. I think having a shorter timeline helps me get moving on them more?
I hope this year brings you true joy! This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Fondly,
Sadie
"These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." - John 15:11
