Looking back at 2016, ahead to 2017

Here on Raising Arrows, I always like to do a year in review type post, but this year I also wanted to give you a look ahead to some plans I have for 2017.

2016 was full of trials.  From morning sickness to a husband away on active duty for 4 months to a difficult 3rd trimester to a newborn with special needs, it has sometimes felt as if I couldn’t catch my breath.  You may have even noticed a change of “tone” here on the blog as I struggled through it all.  But, I have learned so much!  My marriage is stronger, my parenting more focused, and my spiritual life more alive.

Here are some of the posts from 2016 I think you might enjoy:

Large Family Living

Raising Little Kids and Big Kids in the Same House
Big Families Don’t Know They’re Big
Living in a 3 Bedroom House with 10 People
Exactly the Mom my Kids Need Right Now
Simple Evening Routine for Children
Belly Binding with a Woven Wrap
Potty Training in a Day
Why Family Integrated Church Isn’t Always the Answer
The Pain of Waiting for a Baby
Making Time for Your Marriage When You’re Exhausted
Managing Meal Time with Babies and Toddlers
How Much Does it Cost to Feed My Large Family?
What I Learned While on Bedrest
As Long as Baby is Healthy?

Homeschooling

What Would School Look Like if YOU Set the Standards?
Homeschooling When Everyone Needs You
Making Geography an Easy Part of Your Homeschool
Year Round 4 Day Homeschooling Schedule
Can You Homeschool an Entire Grade Over the Summer?
Simple Homeschool Organization Methods That Work
Using Apologia with Multiple Ages
Traveler’s Journal for Homeschool Planning

Homemaking

Modest Makeup for Teen Girls
What Does Working Together as a Family Look Like?
How I Manage My Home While I Homeschool
Making Chores Easy with a Chore Board
VidAngel for Filtering Movies
Getting All the House Cleaning Done with a Weekly Chore Rotation List

Recipes

Large Family Banana Bread
Large Family Zucchini Bread

Now for 2017…

I seriously hate to say I’m going to do this and write about this and vlog about this, etc, but I do have some plans.

First of all, my family will always come first, so during Mercy’s 2017 surgeries and recoveries, I will unapologetically be absent, but more than likely, you will be able to find me on Instagram and Facebook because they are easy places for me to document and update (like this photo from my Facebook page showing Mercy’s 2 month photo):

Secondly, I am going to be working behind the scenes restructuring to make the blog more user-friendly and give you the most solid and useful content.  I am also hoping to have a better content calendar so what I write about is timely and relevant.  (I tend to be about 5 steps behind at any given moment these days.  I used to be much more on top of things, and that is where I’d like to be again…here and in my “real life” as well.)

I do plan to continue putting out video content for my YouTube channel and working toward a once-a-week Facebook Live session.  However, these will not replace blog content, so no worries if you just aren’t a video person.

And finally, I just want to be more purposeful.  This isn’t just a blog thing.  I have been simply “surviving” for far too long.  Granted, it was where God had me, but I can feel myself moving forward again.  And it feels wonderful!  For the blog, this means giving you relevant content that speaks to what YOU need to hear from me.  So, please do not hesitate to email and ask me to write about something specific.  That is the heart and soul of blogging…finding answers and encouragement!

Now, it’s your turn!  How was your 2016 and what are your plans for 2017?  Leave a comment or drop me an email!  May you have a blessed end of year!