I love this time of year when we get to reflect on the past year and look ahead for what the new year will bring.
When I think about the things that I was able to accomplish this last year I am proud that I have finally lost the extra weight I had been carrying around these last 6 years. It felt so good to loose those 20 lbs and keep them off. I started working out at the gym and cutting back on calories last March. I am 2 lbs up from my low weight (this year) and I am anxious to get back to the gym so I can work it off. Actually I have about 5 or 7 more pounds that I would like to lose this next year. But if I were only to lose back those 2 I would be happy with that. Mainly I am just looking forward to getting back to the gym because I love the way I feel after a good workout. I am ashamed to say I haven’t been in almost a month and I can tell a BIG difference in the way I feel.
When I think about what I would like to see happen for next year, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is definitely on the top of my list. Some of the things I plan to do to make that happen are…
1. Make an appointment with a personal trainer (at my gym this is free once a month)
2. Drink more water
3. Take fish oil and vitamins daily
4. No more alcohol in the house
5. No more sweets in the house
6. Limit eating out to once a week (including breakfast and lunch)

I also have some non health related goals.

1. Start going to church regularly once Eva turns 2
2. Stop spending money on things I don’t need
3. When I feel frustrated take a deep breath and count to ten instead of yelling.
4. ??????

The last goal is something I am still trying to figure out. I want it to be related to a career or school goal. You see, my husband started working at an accelerated college this year and was told that I would be able to go back and get my Masters for almost free. That was a big part of my decision to stay home because I knew I would be returning to school soon. Well now he is not so sure, so far he has found out that they will pay 80% of my undergrad but not for grad school. Soooo now I am back to square one. Honestly though, I feel like this might be a blessing in disguise. After seeing that movie (Marley & Me) and after writing down what my childhood dreams were I have been thinking a lot about my dream of being a journalist. It might just be a phase but I just don’t feel like I am ready to give that dream up yet. I know that my writing skills are nowhere near good enough to be a journalist but if I go back to school I know I could learn and improve.
I am a firm believer that writing down your goals and being intentional about them goes a long way in things happening in your life. I am excited to re-read this next year and see what has happened!

*Photo Credit: Big Stock Photo

Last night we snuck out of the house to see a movie (Thanks Mom). We ended up seeing Marley & Me because I always wanted to read the book but never got around to it. After getting through the first half hour, which I mostly already saw through previews, it turned out to be a great movie. I came home last night and hugged my dog a little bit tighter. This movie embodies that love/hate relationship we all have with our dogs and how that relationship changes when you have kids, and then grows even stronger as the kids grow older. It‘s not just a movie about a dog though it really is a movie about marriage and kids. How your marriage changes and grows stronger through time and how when you first have kids you say to yourself “What the heck did I get myself into?” But as time goes on you get better at being a partner and a parent, actually you just get better overall.
I am still in that beginning stage of parenting where I am still trying to figure this all out and this was a good reminder to me that….Yes, things do get better.

My husband bought me Randy Pausch’s book “The last Lecture.” I was so moved by his story and have really been  getting a lot out of his book. The main focus is  basically about how he was able to live out some of  his childhood dreams. Naturally it got me thinking about what my dreams were as a child. This is the list I came up with so far.

1. Be WonderWoman
2. Learn to play the piano (and be good at it)
3. Be Anne of Green Gables long lost cousin so I could visit her in beautiful  Novia Scotia
4. Help suffering children
5. Own a horse
6. Be a “super mom”
7. Save the world

I have only semi-realized one of these dreams, number 4.  I went to school so that I could work with disadvantaged kids and enjoyed working in that field for over 4 years (until I became a full-time mom).

I don’t think I have reached “super-mom” status yet.  Talk to me in another 6 years when I have more children and am carting them off to soccer practice, spanish and piano lessons, and holding a full time job while going to school for my PHD.

No, seriously, I hope to accomplish a few more things on that list at some point in my life.  I plan to make a mind movie to help motivate me along the way.

So…what were your childhood dreams?  Have you accomplished them?  I would love to know!

Two children that I love today fell off the back of couches. One was my daughter who fell off the pony-wall actually which is right behind the back of our couch.  She fell on her head and thankfully was not hurt too bad, just cried for a little while as I monitored her for a concussion. The other was my four year old niece who bruised her fingers pretty bad, but thankfully they were not broken. This got me thinking if there is a higher incidence of accidents around the holidays. You know with parents being preoccupied with buying and wrapping gifts and making food for family get togethers.  Then it got me thinking of all the people I have heard of recently who have had tragic events in their families.  It seems like there are more this year than usuall.  For those people please know that I am thinking about you today and throughout this holiday season and if I could I would take your pain away.

On a lighter note…

I was listening to “Talk of the Nation” this morning on NPR and they had a wonderful Christmas addition where people made up their own versions of “‘Twas the Night before Christmas”. I am a very sarcastic and tongue in cheek person myself so of course I loved this. I hope you enjoy it too!
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas 2.0

Merry Christmas to all and to all a safe night!

I heard “The Little Drummer Boy” Spanish version on the radio the other day and thought it was so beautiful. This is the best one I have found so far on You Tube. Enjoy!

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