New Years Resolutions

It amazes me how many people (myself included) make new year resolutions every year and maybe make it the first two weeks and then never really stay motivated to actually keep going all year long. How easily it is to make all kinds of resolutions to: loose weight, get in shape, start eating healthier, read and grow everyday (not growing from eating either) :) lol which seems all the growing I'm doing lately:) But every year around new years I usually start the year off with new or repeating resolutions from the previous year yet only to make it to the 3rd week of January (if I'm lucky to make it that far) on my new resolutions... Although if I would actually only start w/ 1 or 2 resolutions for the beginning of the year and keep @ it for 3 weeks "they say, you can get into a good habit within 3 weeks". Maybe that's where I need to start only set 2 goals to start the year off and then once I'm set into those good habits I can always add more resolutions as the year goes on and by the time the end of the following year comes I will have been successful in starting and setting several life changing goals and actually make them stick. Instead of trying to start 10 different resolutions and not even making it to the 1st of February completing and changing my life around only to land back where I started. (that's more frustrating to me to start something and never finish it). So, as I'm contemplating a set of life changing goals I want to complete in this new years I will think through the goals, write them out and then pick two to start the year off with. With all of you ready to start on your new goals and resolutions good luck and I wish you all the best staying commited to changing 1 day at a time!

what's your Perspective on LIfe?

Awe the joys of life! Or, is it the drudge of life for you?! Life can be exciting, fun, & an adventure just to be alive. Or it can be a drudge?! " DRUDGE: A person who does tedious, menial, or unpleasant work. To do tedious, unpleasant, or menial work." (Just trying to help us expand our vocabulary) :)
a drudge to get out of bed, a drudge to go to work, a drudge just to have to be...be there for others. At times being a stay at home mom can be a drudge, we do tedious, menial, unpleasant work each and every day. But in reality it's all in our perspective. It can be a drudge but it can also be a joy. The tedious, menial, unpleasant work has to be done anyways (like changing the baby's diaper for the 20th time today, but it has to be done). Our babies are only little for a short season. (Just ask any empty-nester). I'm having this reality hit with my baby girl who is going to be 4 in November and my baby boy Marcus just turned 1. Where has the time gone?! Before I know it Kai will be heading off to school. Exciting but sad all at the same time. I have to remind myself when I'm changing Marcus diaper for the 20th time today to find the joy in life when I'm in the trenches of life and it seems like a drudge.

Nehemiah 8:10b

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁰ ..."This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Thanksgiving Tradition

For some reason even though I have spent 4 Thanksgivings in Texas and 3 in California it just for some reason doesn't quite feel like the Thanksgiving season I'm use to.

As you can see to the right a picture of Washington State in the winter...this is more so what I grew up with by the time Thanksgiving rolled around. We would have the big feast around the table with family and friends and then after the feast and saying what we are grateful for we headed out to the sledding hill or drove up to the mountains further to get some great tubbing in. They say that as you get older and you have kids of your own that holidays feel like holidays when you were a kid but to be quite honest the 7 years I've been away from home and family, even though I have a wonderful family of my own it just doesn't feel the same. Maybe next year I'll take my husband and kiddos up to my family I grew up with to enjoy a snowy, wintery Thanksgiving tradition with them (which by the way, they have about 5 inches of snow as I write this blog...wishing I was there with my kiddos). In the meantime this year will be spent with probably 70 degree weather, football and the feast which has become my new tradition with my immediate family now. For everyone out there travelling and going to enjoy a special Thanksgiving with whomever may you have safe travels and an enjoyable time of giving thanks for what God has given you.

This year I'm thankful for having my husband and kiddos to celebrate this holiday season with.

The Biggest Loser‏

I really enjoy watching the biggest loser. They just had the season premier this past Tuesday. It's very inspiring seeing people beginning the journey to completely change their life. I have to give it to them for the courage it has to take to stand up before all of America to do their weigh ins, just in their sports bras and spandex shorts for the women, and for the men just in their shorts. It would be extremely difficult to get up their to bare it all like that...although the grand prize might be tempting enough:) (A quarter of a million) hmmmm, I still think it would take a lot of courage to do what the contestants do. For me the reason I really enjoy watching the show is because it inspires me to get out & go for a run, hit the gym, just try to get back to a healthy weight and being all around healthier so I have the energy to play with my kids and be a good example for them and my family.

That small little place I can call my own‏

That Small Little Place

As a mom, whether you have a career you go off to everyday, or you're a stay at home mom like myself it seems as though everyone that exists in our world (whether it maybe @ home or @ our job) seems to clamor for our attention. Even that small little voice inside that says "don't forget about me". If only there was that small, quiet, little place we could escape to for at least one hour a day just to be by our self.

Whether it's to go for a run around the neighborhood,

go to the gym workout those frustrations, our local coffee shop-just to sit in that

big comfy chair with our favorite cup of yumminess...

YUMMINESS

or even the thought of being able to hide out in our closet (is quite a nice thought right about now) ;) Yes, these all at once use to be my small places at one moment in my life that I called my own small place {even hiding out in my closet} I use to have a hard time with confrontations plus I hated crying in front of people, (just ask Tommy...while we were dating he found me in my closet a few times).lol I had the false belief that crying is a sign of weakness. I use to also just take off for a run to clear my head (which is a great way to clear your head, but definitely don't advise you to go on a run when you're in the middle of an argument with your husband, they don't really appreciate that). FUNNY STORY: or, at least, I maybe the only one who finds the humor in this story, but just bare with me...when Tommy and I first got married I had a hard time disagreeing with him or actually talking calmly through our disagreements and so I would take off in the middle of our arguing and would go for a run, well Tommy would call me over and over and I would just push the ignore button...now I can see that definitely was not the best form of communication :)
Luckily as time has passed I've been able to face confrontations and our disagreements a little better.
Back to that small place we can call our own would be nice to have just so we don't have to do anything but think, ponder, even dream about our future...That still, quiet place we can get lost in, away from everything, and all responsibilities and call it our own space. Oh, just the thought of that place I could call my own, daily, just for one hour each and everyday...now that would be a dream come true:) I've read so many books, article, blogs, statements that say "in order to be able to take care of the ones you love you must first take care of yourself". Which is great advice, but when do you find the time to actually be able to do that?!
JUST THE THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK!!!

The Challenge

I challenged myself one day to send one encouraging text every hour to my husband to help build him up and make his day better. One of the reason I decided to challenge myself to encourage my husband is I'm the optimist and he's the realist in our relationship. He can be very hard on himself and just needs to have an encouraging cheerleader behind him cheering him on. I believe that is one of the reasons God put us together, He thinks the world of my husband and my husband just needs to be reminded of that every now and then and I don't mind being the vessel used by God to let my husband know how special he is in God's eyes. So as the day proceeded on I began to wonder if I could do it for a full week. (Everyday, send an encouraging text every hour while he was at work) just so I could see how it impacted him by the end of the week. At the end of his work week I could definitely see he acted more confident at the end of the week. So I began to wonder if I could do it a full month... We'll see what happens ;)

Draw Strings and Elastic Wastebands

What line do we cross over in life as we get older as women that draw strings & elastic wastebands become a main part of our wardrobes? I use to be able to wear cute jeans that fit great on me, or slacks & button up shirts that made me look more sophisticated & pulled together. Yet only 4 years later plus 2 kids during the time that has passed, my husband's elastic draw string shorts seem to be the most comfortable & have become my staple daily wardrobe.

(sorry not brave enough to show you how stylish I look these days) lol
With still 27 lbs to loose from both pregnancy I'm a bit disappointed in the way I look & dress...(feeling quite a little frumpy if you ask me). I don't really want to go clothing shopping b/c I have a lot of cute clothes to wear, they just don't fit right now. Plus I know I will loose the weight, I've lost it before when I was about 25lbs overweight I can do it again... It's just more of a challenge with two little ones @ home. But I am determined to get back into shape. So, I've joined a community Get Fit Program that last 8 weeks which will help me with my jump start that I have already started. One of my motivation to get into shape is in February my husband & I are looking forward to running a marathon together...

Onto my adventure in loosing these extra 27lbs & a more fit me...

I'm definately looking forward to getting back into my cute clothes.

(my beautiful kids are oh so worth the extra pounds but I'm ready for the pounds to come off and be back to my normal self)