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Challenge: Parenting Resolutions

Friday Night Dinners (My New Years Resolution)

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I really don't care for the cliche phrase of the "New Years Resolution", as I believe we should be able to set and achieve goals all year long, but I have set forth a goal for my husband and I for the new year. So, I suppose it can best be summed up as a New Year's resolution.

Tomato, Tomato. (that doesn't work so well in text does it? haha) I guess it should be... Tomato, Tomahto.

Anyways.

Although I am a HUGE Gilmore Girl's fan, I promise that the "Friday Night Dinners" we are planning for 2017 do not resemble a tension filled night in the Gilmore mansion. Quite the opposite actually.

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I'll be the first to admit that when life gets hectic (IE: new mom life, running a household, marriage, travel and juggling multiple careers) our social life gets put on the back burner. Sometimes even farther back than the back burner.

Like, it's not even in the kitchen anymore.

So, I wanted to be more intentional with spending time with those we truly love and care about. The other couples we've connected with. Our oldest friends. Our church friends. Our family. My mama friends. my husband's guy friends. All the relationships that mean so, so much to us that we haven't cared for the way that we should.

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Enter my Friday Night Dinner plan for 2017.

During the holidays my husband and I planned to sit down and write down all of the people who we want to spend quality time with. We wrote them all down on strips of cardstock and added them to a jar we plan to keep in a space in our home that we will see everyday.

Our plan is to draw a name, couple or family from the jar and get a Friday night scheduled with them. Whether its the next Friday, or a Friday two months from now that works with our schedules, we will get it on the calendar and plan to host them for dinner. Being able to connect one on one and set aside a night to really connect.

Once we've broken bread with everyone in the jar, it starts over again. A plan I hope that will keep us connected and getting real face time on a regular basis.

This doesn't replace neighborhood group, family events, parties we throw, etc. So it's not like it's the only time we see these special people. However, it does allow to conciously schedule quality time with those in our tribe when time can fly by lightening fast, sometimes putting months between conversations, meals and just good time spent with friends and family.

What intentional goals are you setting for the New Year to help you live your most authentic life?

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