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Reflecting Is Good For The Soul

It is always interesting how looking on the past has a way of sparking a bit of positive motivation for the future.  I am not sure if it is just a "me" thing, or if other people feel that way too.  I hear quotes about not "living in the past", and I totally believe that to be true, but the simple act of reflecting seems to be quite healthy.

As I sit here in reflection of 2011, I am thinking about my "One Little Word" that I picked, (you can view that here).  I am thinking about how it worked for me, and how I maybe could have improved, (I always think that!).  I am thinking about how I incorporated it into my daily life.  I did a pretty good job at doing a lot of what I planned.  It didn't all occur at once, it happened at lots of different times throughout the year, but I do feel like I did "Live".

I didn't let work get to me as much as I had done the year before, although that does continue to be a challenge a lot of the time.  Towards the end of the summer I got a new boss that I absolutely love.  I made some good progress at work and did earn another promotion.   The new job that I did throughout the summer was quite fulfilling.  The promotion did require me to travel, but I actually quite enjoyed that part of the job!  I got to see parts of Idaho that I had never really seen before, and now appreciate the beauty of my state so much more.

 

Besides traveling for work, I traveled for pleasure.  LOVE that! Traveling is one of my favorite things to do, and believe me if I could, I would do it way more!

 

I took trips with friends...

 

I took trips with Bryan...

I took trips with the kiddos...

I do know I had a more positive approach to work and life in general so I have to credit the positive attitude because I honestly believe that attitude is half the battle.  One thing I am trying to make an effort to do is be an inspiration to others by being positive.  I know I am not happy and positive everyday, but I do try.  Always room for improvement there. :)

I would love to say that the year was fabulous and amazing and all rainbows and lollipops, but I would be lying.  I had many struggles personally as well as a few professionally, and the two definitely collided to create those struggles. 

Bryan was in school and working full time.  This was definitely a challenge.  I changed a lot of things just to make things work.  I changed how I did things, how I reacted to things, and I definitely "chose my battles".  The positive out of that situation:  I became much more aware of my own temper, lack of patience and  habit of overreacting.  There was no room for this at all.  I learned how to be much more organized, money conscious, and prepared.  There were calendars, lists, and meal planning.  I learned how to balance a bit more and enjoy the moments at home with my family because there were so few of them, and to leave work at work.

I also had some friendship struggles.  Those are never really any fun, especially if they end and you go your separate ways.  It is extremely difficult if it is a friend you would consider family, just because it is truly like a death.  I think we go through the same steps of the grieving process, because in the end you know it was both of you at fault, and no matter what, they are missed deeply.  They are still loved with all your heart.  They just can't be your friends anymore.  The positive out of that situation:  I learned that there are other people around me who care for me, possibly people who I had been neglecting.  There are new people to meet.  There are always people who could use a friend, and those people could turn out to be some of the most quality people you will ever meet.

Ultimately I know in my heart the struggles have helped me grow personally and professionally.  It is so difficult to see the "whys" when you are in full blown crisis mode, but they eventually make their way to the surface.  It is how you deal with the struggles that really matters anyway, right?  It is what you learn at the time, or even later that truly makes you understand that there was a purpose for the struggle in the first place.

I will continue to grow and fully engage in my word from last year by taking those lessons , some of which I guarantee I am still learning everyday.  I will use it to propel me forward into this new year, while embracing the new word for 2012, "Grace".  By reflecting on the past, I will try to live up to the new word, and learn the new lessons.  I will do my best to become like the word I have chosen, and be an example to others.

 

 

Sunday Gratitude-It's The Little Things

Right now I am sitting at a fairly clean craft space writing this post, thinking about what I am going to do for the rest of the afternoon and evening.  I am enjoying a hot cup of tea, a fire in my woodstove, and listening to the sound of the rain.  I am not particularly fond of the rain, but it does remind me of my early childhood living in North Bend, right on the Oregon Coast. 

I am also sitting here reflecting on the past week, because that is what Sunday is for me.  It is the day I think about how the week went, and how I can improve on the upcoming one, and even though I try to be grateful everyday, I try to sum it up on Sundays and do a post dedicated to that.

The week went well.  I worked out everyday and met most of the goals I set for myself.  Work was busy, and was stressful, but I did not let the stress get to me as I had been doing in the past.  I feel really good!  I got to play soccer in which I made the first goal of the game!  I spent time with Bryan, even though now it is getting harder to see each other (more on that in another post!).  I hung out with my kiddos, and we all have the day off tomorrow, even Bryan, so we will have some great family time.  I did brunches at Goldys with friends, and dinner and live music also.  I am enjoying this afternoon just by thinking about the good stuff and being thankful for those moments!

These are the little everyday things that make life so wonderful.  Family, friends, food, days off, rainy days.  It does not get much better than this.  These are the blessings that make up life.  These are the things that make life worth living.  There is a quote that really sums this all up:

The aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware, joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware.
Henry Miller

Hope everyone has a fabulous and grateful Sunday!

The Lovely Day Of Love That I Love

Seriously, how cute are these???  Bryan got them for me at the Co-Op and I really cannot bring myself to eat them because they are so darn CUTE!!

And seriously, how beautiful are these???  Remember #2 from this post from around this same time last year?  This could not be more perfect!  I LOVE them, and they just scream that Spring is drawing near!!

Okay and seriously, how great is it that Valentine's Day fell on a Sunday this year so that we were fortunate enough to be able to do our Sunday Brunch with heart shaped pancakes and enjoy it with all that were able to join us???  It cannot get more fun than THAT!  On the menu, in case you were wondering, Sweet potato hashbrowns, left over ham butt, whole wheat/buttermilk pancakes, and mixed berry compote.  You can find the recipes on my Crafty Blog when I get them posted in the next day or two.

And for the dinner, our new tradition of heart-shaped pizza!  The kids love it, we love it, we can all make exactly what we like!  YAY!!!  We did the same thing last year and it was a hit, of course!  And don't you just love the plate? VERY Valentine-y! 

Hope everyone had a day filled with love all around them, like I was so lucky to have!

Wedding Dreams, Dresses, And Invitations

So this is what has been consuming my life the last few days!  Seems a little strange because it has been a very long time since I have been part of helping with a wedding!  What fun Janny and I are having helping our friend Anna in making the invitations, looking for dresses, and helping her make it the sweetest day of her life!  She is getting married in Hawaii and then having a small reception when they return from the Island.  We have been getting together in the evenings, hanging out, eating dinner, watching Biggest Loser, and creating these beautiful invitations! I used the new Shimmerz VIBEZ in "Penny Pincher" and it turned out beautiful!! To see the completed project check out my Crafty Blog Here!  

Valley Of The Sun = Rejuvenation

I recently went on a week-long "Inspiration Trip" to Arizona and it was an AMAZING experience for many reasons!  I was able to visit friends, I shopped, I relaxed, I stayed at a 5 STAR Resort,  I ran up and down mountains...soooo rejuvenating!  I am so thankful to my family, Bryan, my mama, my Auntie Mallory, Bryan's parents, and my kiddos, who all worked together to make it happen for me.  I have only one regret...that I didn't blog in the evenings while I was there because I had the ability/technology to, and should have because then it would have been easier and fresher in my mind. 

Anyway, this is just a small picture of the Arizona Grand Resort where I stayed.  I was very fortunate to NOT have to pay for my stay, and if it weren't for that I would not have gotten to stay there at all!  So, THANK YOU JANNY, for letting me tag along on your work trip and borrow the extra bed...(That was so comfortable it was hard to get out of!!)  You are AWESOME!!! I am so eternally grateful! 

 
And THANK YOU MATT AND KATIE, for letting me stay with them the night before Janny arrived so I could save $100 on my plane ticket!! Thank you for taking me to the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Cave Creek, dinner at the BEST Mexican place EVER, letting me have creative license with Syd's shirt, Syd giving up her bed, and Matt for enlightening me on the TASER Gun!! Your little family is AWESOME!! 

THANK YOU JoJo GIRL, who flew down from Boise to meet me, sent her husband golfing, and hung out with me for crazy adventures of getting lost, finding sheep, realizing "Lucy" was my doppleganger, forgetting to feed ourselves, (but after finally feeding herself promptly threw my portion of sandwich on the ground...LOL!)  backwards drive-thru's, and finding oooooodles of ribbon and flowers the size of my head!! 

THANK YOU ROY, JoJo's lovely husband, for using his golf clubs to get me oranges and grapefruit from the trees because I was so excited to not only see fresh citrus fruit ON a tree in real life, but eat it fresh too!!

THANK YOU CAROL WINGERT, who was gracious enough to pick me up from my hotel, take me to her FAVORITE places to shop, buy me an AMAZING brunch at her favorite breakfast place in Mesa, T.C. Eggington's, introduced me to SAS for more vintage trims/inspiration/and craziness than I could ever imagine, and inspiring me more than I ever thought possible!!  She put up with all my silly giddiness and I truly adore her and her amazing talent and big heart!!

What AMAZING friends and family I have!!  I am blessed beyond measure and the fact that all of the stars were aligned so that this trip was possible makes me soooo grateful!!