Here is my annual Reflection blog post where I answer 20 questions about how my year went, how I grew, what I learned, and some of the things that stuck out to me throughout the year. It's my favorite post to write and to look back at every year. And I especially love seeing how my kids have grown from last year until now. It is bizarre how much a child grows in one year!
January 2022 vs January 2023
Rose
Lucy
Quinn
1. What did you do on your birthday and how old did you turn?
I turned 27 this year. My birthday fell on Easter this year (for the first time in my whole life! I've been waiting forever and ever for my birthday to fall on Easter Sunday, since I was almost born on Easter and then ended up arriving the next day instead), and Lucy was sick for both her birthday (a few days before mine) and my birthday. So, most of our plans for my birthday ended up falling through. In the morning we did a small Easter egg hunt in the backyard. We went to church in the afternoon. And then we had BLT's in the backyard for dinner (my dinner request), and then I made a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting for us to eat for dessert. Later, in May, my parents came for Chris's wedding and they watched the girls so Ryan and I could go to Salt Lake City to eat at a Sushi place that we like, which was our original plan for my birthday.
2. What are your strongest memories from this year and why?
The most defining memory of this year is Quinn. Pregnancy felt really hard for me, so the first half of the year is overshadowed with my frustration with my body, with the lack of sleep, and with two small children who felt really difficult to deal with when my body felt so uncomfortable. Then Quinn arrived and that was wonderful. He's been the easiest, happiest baby. I'm still struggling to grasp this parenthood thing, but having Quinn join our family has been really wonderful overall. The girls adore him, and he loves them right back. I'm starting to feel more like myself again, and we are figuring out how to have fun together as a family of 5.
Oh, and Ryan stopped working at Hoyt and started working security for our church halfway through the year. That's been our other big adjustment this year. He has really loved his new job, but I've had some trouble adjusting to his new schedule. I'm glad that he really enjoys it though. He's had many years of difficult jobs and it's great that he's found something he really loves! (He did have to shave his beard though, which was very sad for all of us.)
3. What did you do this year that you'd never done before?
I went camping THREE times while pregnant. That's new. (I've camped while pregnant before, but never so many times.)
I gave birth to a baby boy.
We went to Bear Lake for the kids and my first time.
I shoveled a driveway for the first time haha. It was as not exactly fun, as could be expected. But not as boring as I also expected it to be. I'll probably let that be a Ryan job though.
I buckled three kids into carseats a lot of times.
I went on a mini girls trip (without kids!) for the first time! With my friends Katie and Bette. We stayed the night in Salt Lake City, ate Indian food, visited an art museum, in the morning we ate yummy baked goods from Eva's Bakery, went to a park, and then DI, and Ryan stayed home with Rose and Lucy.
I took the entire month of December off from social media. And I thought it was really refreshing. I'm so glad I did it, and I plan to do it again every year.
I started therapy for my postpartum anxiety. That's been going really well!
I grew my own tomatoes! (Technically my dad planted the tomato plants for me... but I watered them every week and enjoyed eating tomatoes from them!)
4. What did you want and get?
A Macro Lens to take close up pictures of Quinn when he was born
Lots of chocolate
A pretty new leather camera strap
5. What did you want and not get?
A vacation 😂 (to the beach, for at least a week, where no one asks me for food, or help, or to wipe their butt, and I can eat whatever I want whenever I want.)
6. What would you like to have next year that you didn't have this year?
I would LOVE to travel more. Outside of Utah. We stuck to Utah all year, so I'm hoping that this year we'll be able to go to a handful of different states!
7. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions and will you make more for next year?
I forgot to look at my 2022 goals during the year haha. But I did accomplish some of them! Some goals that I accomplished: moving Rose into a toddler bed, and turning her nap time into quiet time. (The goal underneath that one was "be kind and patient" and that one I did NOT accomplish. Turns out moving Rose into a toddler bed and switching to quiet time was a VERY difficult transition for us.) Another goal that I accomplished was "no more scrolling through Instagram reels on Sundays". I have switched to not using Instagram at all on Sundays and that has been really good for me.
I had some photography business goals that ended up being harder to accomplish than I expected. So, those are on hold. But I did finally reach my 2021 goal of having 400 followers on Instagram. And I made almost as much money as I did the year before. (Which feels impressive with having a baby and taking a break in the middle of the year.)
My spiritual goals for 2022 were a little vague... so I think this year I will come up with more concrete goals for my spiritual self.
8. What was your biggest achievement of this year?
Carrying and giving birth to a beautiful baby boy, surviving and keeping 3 little kids alive, teaching Rose how to stay in her toddler bed at night (though it came with some definite hiccups), I started teaching Rose how to read and she can read a handful of words and sounds now, I had several new photography clients this year, I read 37 books(!), and I made new friends and became more confident and outgoing, and better at inviting people to do things with me.
9. What was your biggest failure?
For the past year I have had to really fight not to feel like I'm failing at everything. But my biggest failure this year has probably been how often I've lost my temper with Rose. I am not an angry, fight with other people kind of person, and I have never been the kind of person to raise my voice, ever. And I have been following positive parenting accounts since I was in high school, so I always thought I would just easily be able to not yell at my kids. No problem. But boy oh boy, those kids can TEST you. And I am realizing that I have never actually been tested before, so I didn't have the experience needed to NOT get frustrated and keep control of my emotions. So, I'm working on it, and also working on not beating myself up every time I make a mistake. So, my failure is that I got frustrated with my kids more than I would like, but I'm using my mistakes to teach my kids that everyone makes mistakes and that we are all human. And to hopefully teach them that when they make mistakes, they can learn from them and get better. And I'm learning that it's okay for ME to make mistakes and that I'm human and can learn and get better, too. #formerperfectionistinreform
10. What did you rely on when you were overwhelmed?
I spent a lot of time using Instagram as an escapism tool last year, so this year I'm working hard to get that under control. My goal for this year is to have 1 day a week (Sundays), 1 week a month, and 1 month a year without social media.
A healthier tool that I have used when I've felt overwhelmed has been to go on walks. My postpartum anxiety has been kind of tough to deal with and I feel overstimulated and overtouched a lot. I love my kids to pieces, but I still get overwhelmed by how little space I get from them. So, when I feel myself getting really on edge, I've gone on a mile long walk, or Ryan has sent me on a walk to get some fresh air, some space, and to clear my mind. It's been super helpful especially in the winter when we spend so much time cooped up inside.
And of course, chocolate. I love chocolate. This year I have particularly enjoyed Double Stuffed Oreos and a glass of milk. And nerd gummy clusters.
11. What are your strongest recommendations for entertainment from this year?
My favorite ways to spend my time this year were:
- Watching through Psych with Ryan
- Reading books (My favorites were: Finlay Donovan is Killing It, Truly Devious, The Maid, and The Bodyguard)
- In the summer, my favorite way to spend my time was to take the kids to the outside pool, or to drop the kids off at child watch and go to the pool with just Ryan.
- Ryan and I love doing game nights with friends after our kids go to bed. We had game nights with some long time friends and also made several new couple friends this year.
- We loved camping this year and had fun taking our kids to different family friendly hikes where they could play with leaves and water and rocks and sticks.
- Rose and I started making fairy houses this year, but they dissolved in the snow, so we'll have to work on our fairy house making skills in 2023.
12. What song will remind you of this year?
The playlists I listened to most this year are: King and Country, Shania Twain, Faith Hill, and 90's Country music.
Quinn learned how to fall asleep to King and Country so that's what we have on repeat most in our living room. That or Disney songs.
At bedtime, the songs we sang the most to the girls were: Sunbeam and Popcorn Popping.
The girls also enjoy listening to "ballet music" that they can dance to in the kitchen.
Oh, and I forgot that earlier at the beginning of the year Ryan sang "Sky Full of Stars" from the movie Sing 2 to the girls almost every night for months because they loved it so much. And Rose loved the song "This Girl is on Fire" from that same movie and sang it every chance she got. One time in Primary Singing Time, the music leader said "I can't hear you! Sing louder!" and instead of singing "I am a child of God" or whatever it was they were singing, Rose sang at the top of her lungs "THIS GIRL IS ON FIIIIIIIRRRRREEEEEE!" haha I wish I had been there.
13. What was your most enjoyable purchase?
I really enjoyed paying for Rose to do ballet and Lucy to do tumbling tots. They both loved their classes and their teachers and had a fun time learning something new. And I loved watching them blossom and learn so much from their classes.
I also love love having a membership to the rec center. I love our rec center, I will sing its praises forever haha. I love going to the prenatal/postnatal exercise class that I have been going to every week for over a year, and I love the pool. and I love taking my kids to child watch.
15. Did you travel? If so, where?
2022 was not our year for travel. We did go camping a lot though. And we visit family 1-2 weekends a month. So we did travel frequently, just not to anywhere exotic.
- In March, we went camping at Capitol Reef with Jason, Tressa, and Preston. It was my first time visiting that national park. We didn't get to see very much of it because it was very cold and rainy/snowy. And we had two pregnant women haha. But it was still a fun trip.
- In April, we had a Vorkink camping trip to Goblin Valley. That camping trip had all sorts of things go wrong. On one of the days we drove 45 minutes to hike around Goblin Valley only to find that they weren't letting any more people into the park. Then later that afternoon, there was a crazy wind storm that threatened to blow our tents away for the rest of the night. But, the kids had a great time playing in the sand and the rocks, we did get to go to Goblin Valley on Sunday and play hide and seek, and we really enjoyed taking a break from the rest of the world for a few days.
- In June, we went camping at Buffalo Peak with our friends from church. They have twins who are Rose's age, and are also her best friends. That was a really fun camping trip! The weather was so nice, we had yummy food, and we were in a really beautiful location with great friends.
- At the end of June we had the big Vorkink family reunion at Bear Lake. This was our most "exotic" trip in 2022 so even though it was the last week of my pregnancy, I was determined to go, and we did without having a baby in the car haha. It was so nice to see some of Ryan's aunts and uncles who we haven't seen in a while and to have fun playing in the lake, playing board games, and eating delicious food (a highlight for me on any vacation haha).
- In August, we had one last camping trip to Affleck State Park (in between Salt Lake and Park City) with my cousin Adam and his family. We had fun staying up late with Adam and Katie and exploring the area with the kids, and driving to Park City to go to my favorite thrift store, CPCC.
- In October, we went to Park City and stayed with Jason and Lisa in their timeshare for a few days. We played in the pool, played board games, walked around Main Street, and visited the thrift store again. (Ryan and I took an afternoon to go on a date to the thrift store and then the grocery store where I also got some Starbucks.)
- We also stayed with my parents at their various Airbnb's a few times throughout the year when they came to visit. We were still in Provo, but it was fun to feel like we were traveling. They came when Chris got married in May, when I had Quinn, and then again after Christmas.
16. What do you wish you'd done more of?
I wish I had gone outside even more. I'm really good at getting outside in the summer, but I want to be better at being happy and loving nature around me in every season.
I would have loved to travel more haha but there's time for that in the future.
I wish I had spent more time taking the girls on dates and spending one on one time with them. As well as prioritizing dates with Ryan.
17. What do you wish you'd done less of?
As always, I wish I had spent less time on my phone/Instagram. But I am making progress with that goal finally.
I wish I had done less complaining. I want to be more grateful in 2023.
18. Compared to this time last year, how are you different?
I'm not pregnant anymore! (hooray!)
My hair is longer.
I feel less anxious and happier than I did a year ago.
I feel more capable in some ways. (Like church on my own with three kids when Ryan has to work, is not too bad.) But less capable in other ways (how in the world does someone give 3 kids individual time AND also keep a house clean AND also grow a photography business AND also not die from exhaustion?)
I think I'm a better friend and better at making friends.
I feel more comfortable in my own skin.
19. Compared to this time last year, how are you the same?
I'm still a mom trying my best.
I still take way too many pictures every time I get my camera out.
I still love dessert, and reading books, and watching cheesy romance movies.
I look pretty much the same minus the bump.
And I still feel pretty much the same with more stable hormones. And less of a mood.
20. What's a life lesson you learned this year?
So many life lessons this year.
- It's okay to be human. It's okay to make mistakes. We weren't put on earth to just know right away how to do everything. I'm here to learn and grow and develop into the person God wants/needs me to be. I have time to make mistakes and I have time to figure out how to do better. It's OKAY.
- I can feel joy in every circumstance. This is more of a lesson that I am trying to learn. But I keep getting reminders that I can feel joy even when I'm struggling to feel happy. I think I need to be more grateful for the little things.
- Comparison truly is the thief of joy. My time spent away from social media helped me realize how much of my perception of life is skewed by how much time I have spent soaking in what other people do with their time and their money and their lives. Going along with the last lesson I learned, I think that I would feel more JOY in my life if I wasn't so busy comparing it to everyone else.
2022 Statistics:
# of children: 3
# of camping trips: 4
# of books read: 37
# of pictures on my phone: 15,642
# of videos on my phone: 2,534
# of times I have buckled seatbelts: 46129875629104037596
# of times I heard the phrase "I'm so hungry!" 751874893161474764236173564631971753431741758017497177548794
# of nights I slept through the night: 14 (It's probably quite a bit more then that, but it sure feels like I've been woken up a lot by a lot of small children... and a husband who has worked really weird hours over the last year.)
# of times someone in our family was pepper sprayed: 1 (Ryan got a new job working security for the church and had to be pepper sprayed during training.)
Other noteworthy things:
Rose started going to Primary as a Sunbeam in January 2022 and was pretty nervous at first but totally blossomed after a few weeks. She overcame a lot of fears this year. Tumbling tots in April was really scary for her, and now she jumps off the couch and can do a somersault in the living room. The first time the primary sang in Sacrament meeting she cried the whole time, by the end of the year she could stand on the stage with the other primary kids and only cried a little bit. For the primary program she even whispered her part to her teacher. After seeing how nervous she was the first time, she came a long way. Rose has been amazing at making friends this year. She loves other kids and comes up with the most creative imaginative games to play with her friends. Rose also did ballet in the fall and was very nervous the first couple of classes and by the end of the semester was asking if she could be the line leader. There was a performance at the end of her class and I wasn't sure if she would do it, but SHE DID! I'm so proud of the progress that she has made this year. New things make her really nervous, but she has overcome a lot of fears throughout the year. I have loved watching her become more independent, figure out what she likes (pink, ONLY pink), watching the way she loves her little brother and sister and likes to help them, seeing her discover the world around her and be so excited for everything she finds. She has been an exhausting delight to watch grow. This year Rose loved fairies, pink, playing with Quinn, reading library books, looking for dandelions, making fairy houses, and going to her best friends house during quiet time.
Lucy blossomed in nursery and child watch this year. She started off also really nervous and sad to be left, but has figured out that she loves playing with the new toys and always has fun. Now she talks to her teachers too. (She can be incredibly quiet when faced with new people.) Lucy did tumbling tots in the fall and has grown a ton since then. She can balance on the curbs outside and loves to jump off the ground with two feet (which she couldn't do at the beginning of the year). She is saying so many words and sentences and starting to remember the words to some of her favorite songs as well. It's fun to see how much she has grown. This year Lucy has loved Moana, doing ballet like her sister, looking at library books, elephant and piggy books, going on Mommy and Lucy or Daddy and Lucy dates by herself, eating meat at Tucanos, and jumping whenever she can.
Quinn grew like crazy in the 6 months he was here this year. He weighs as much right now as Rose did when she was 18 months old. He learned how to hold his head up, roll over, roll back, and grab toys (or things he thinks are toys like tv remotes or diapers.) He has been the happiest most chill baby we could ever ask for. I didn't get a lot of sleep while he was in our room for the first 6 months, but he went back to sleep really quickly after I fed him. Quinn loves his big sisters (he smiles every time they come in the room), he loves to look for Daddy, his favorite toys are things that are dangerous (like plastic bags and sharp things). He is not interested in solid food yet. Hopefully, that will come soon.
Ryan really enjoyed working at Hoyt and is now really enjoying his new job. He also went to school full time and is getting so close to graduating. He has been a champ at learning how to change his schedule and learn new things for work.
I worked on my photography business this year, but didn't push it too much because I was so tired from being pregnant that I gave myself a little bit of a break. I was a full time mom and a part time photographer. I'm still working on finding the balance, but I know it takes time.
Past Reflection blog posts:
