Goodbye 2011

Well, it is the last day of 2011.

I really don't have any words of wisdom or advice to give. I don't want to make any resolutions for fear of just disappointing myself. I have no funny anecdotes to talk about. So, lets just talk about changes I would like to see for the new year. No pressure. No stress. No disappointment if I don't achieve them K? K.

1. I would like to keep up with my exercise routine. Maybe even amp it up a little bit. It has been quite successful for me and I am happy that I have finally found something that I like...gladly.

2. I would like to eat healthier and make sure that I am cooking dinners at home rather than eating out so much. While I am not fond of meal planning or cooking I would like to be better at it in 2012.

3. I would like to be a better watcher of the overall budget utilizing the couponing knowledge that my mother has instilled in me and keeping a tighter eye on waste. Not waste as in poo but waste as in buying that which is not needed or goes bad before we use it.

4. I would like to become a way more organized person. Sending clutter into oblivion with my fabulous organizing skills that I will call upon.

5. I would like to always find the good in things and helping my fellow planet mates to do the same.

6. I would like to attempt to at least blog once a day.

I am not going to say I want to lose weight even though I do because I mainly want to just be better at everything. I will turn 40 in 2012. You heard me. 40. I'm okay with it. I just would like for my 40's to be way better than my 30's in every way. I think it is possible as my 30's were a blur of motherhood and just attempting to keep my head above water. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed all of the changes that my 30's brought but I am looking forward to all that my 40's have to bring.

So, reader. I'm glad you're here and Happy 2012!!!!

Driving tips

Can we talk about some simple driving rules that I was pretty sure everyone knew to follow, but apparently I am incorrect?

1. The first lane aka the slow lane is thus named as such because it is the lane that people are to merge into traffic with. It is impossible to go from 0 to 70 in most cars therefore it is assumed that the "slow lane" will be able to allow drivers to adjust their speed and then progressively move left as need be in order to maintain a pleasing flow to the traffic pattern.

If you are going to use the slow lane to get around the people that have annoyed you by not going the speed of light in the "fast" lane then the only person you should be flipping off is yourself for being stupid.

2. The far left lane aka the fast lane is called this because people go fast in this lane. If you think you are going fast but someone is riding your tail then you must move right as you are not going fast enough. It doesn't matter if you are already going the speed of light if they are riding your tail then obviously they are willing to take their life into their own hands and therefore should be allowed to pass. Let them get a ticket you are not the judge and jury for their driving decisions. Just get out of their way.

3. All that being said do not ride on someones bumper flashing your lights and honking your horn in order to clear your path. They may seriously have no clue that you, the most important person of the year, has graced us with your presence! Unless you are on fire or about to explode take it down a notch or go around them you do not have to use the fast lane for your escapades. Next time plan for the fact that you need time to get where you are going we haven't figured out spontaneous transport yet. Sorry. Oh, and don't flip anyone off whilst passing as Karma shall bite thyself in the rear!

4. A turn lane is there for a reason. Never ever ever stop your vehicle in a row of traffic as to not utilize the turn lane that has been provided for you. I don't even want to know your reasoning. Use the turn lane.

5. If it is not possible to turn left due to traffic and you are holding up a million cars that are all turning right just turn right and figure out another way to get to your destination. No one needs a million people hating them. No one.

6. If it is trafficated and you are trying to get through a light and you see that there is no way you are going to clear an intersection don't block the intersection because you feel it your right. There is a groove to it and if you, one car, block the intersection then you are messing up the 13 or so cars that need to get through and if you would have just stayed put the congestion will not occur.

7. This being said if someone is waiting to see if there will be room for them to get through the light do not turn right on red therefore taking the courteous person's possible spot. It's all about flow people.

I'm sorry. I must stop now. I was trying to write this whilst my children were occupied and verily I say unto you I had one last nerve and I will be dag gone if they didn't just jump on it and do the hokey pokey. Holy cow!

Have a lovely day people I think I need a time out!!!

How much can you handle?

I've been seeing and hearing a particular verse lately. You know the one that talks about how God will never give you more than you can handle. It's true you know. He won't, but you have to understand that you can handle a whole heck of a lot more than you want to handle.

Let's take parenting for instance. So, one day before embarking on all that is the good ship kiddo, you are looking through the want ads for a new job. A change, a new direction. If you were to see this job description would you apply?

Wanted. Full time position with no vacations or time off. This position is not monetarily compensated. Sick leave is also not available for this position.

During the first nine months of the position your physical person will be completely utilized for the construction of your project. Vomiting, weight gain and hormonal imbalance should be expected and not necessarily understood.
Post the 9 month production phase your project will get progressively more and more challenging, applicant must be able to think on their feet and be a forward thinking proactive individual with absolutely no concern for their own well being. The project will be your primary concern 24 hours a day. 7 days a week.
Applicants must understand that their lives prior to this position will be completely subject to change and may or may not be recognizable post project arrival. Sleep deprivation, bodily fluids, sudden tantrums are all par for the course. If applicant allows multiple projects will be created in time.

Is that an ad you would answer? Would you say to yourself, yeah, I wouldn't be able to handle that? How about something more extreme? What about the untimely death of a loved one? Whatever your situation you are strong enough to get through it. There is a saying. How do you eat an elephant? 1 bite at a time.

Whether you are a new mom that feels completely overwhelmed by all that is your new life or maybe you have lost a loved one and can not imagine your world without them these holidays. Find strength in your trials. Stand firm in the knowledge that you are not alone. This too shall pass and when you get to the other side you will be a stronger and more confident individual.

I encourage you to get out there. Find others that understand what you are going through. You are not the first person to go through what you are going through get out there and connect. You are God's instrument let him use you even in your times of trials.

Leap of faith.

There is a country music song that is stuck in my head right now.

Take a leap of faith, wash away your doubt, honey come what may we can work it out. The first step's always the hardest one to take. Take a leap of faith!

Hold up. I know what you're thinking. That I'm trying to brainwash my husband into a third? Nope. Like I said he and I balance each other out, we are perfect for one another so if he isn't feeling it then we aren't supposed to go with it. I truly truly believe that. Just as if I wasn't feeling something and he was it would work the same way. He's just a whole lot better at swaying me over to his side than I am.

I will admit that it all started with our discussion and how I had felt guilty that I didn't want to analyze and mull over and disect like my husband does with all of his decisions. He is a highly intelligent well thought out individual who is most definately who I go to for advice in all things complicated, but hold up a second. This does not make me wrong or mean that I think my way is not the better way.

Sometimes my husband analyzes things so much that they never happen because he can't decide which one to go with. Thus today's post.....

Are you struggling with a decision? Are you over thinking something that seems to be a massive point in your life? Are you worried that you are going to make the wrong decision? I challenge you to change your perspective a little. If you are really truly struggling and both ways seem to be equal on the pros and cons for all people involved then I want you to realize something. There just might not be a wrong decision.

You have to realize that the choice you make is the right one. No matter what happens, be it good or bad you can't look back and think if only I had chosen the other path. You can't do that. The other path might have had a big grizzly bear on it that would have eaten you in the first five minutes of your choice. You don't know!

God's big huge plan that we are completely incapable of seeing in its entirety is wonderful and perfect and hard and challenging. There will be struggles. There will be pain. All that we go through makes us who we are.

When you were a newborn baby you couldn't do anything for yourself, but as you grew and your brain began to form and you were introduced to new and different things your body adapted to what you had learned and you grew from it. You became the person you are today from all of the situations and choices and people that you have been surrounded by for your entire life.

This choice you are struggling with will it kill you? Will it kill someone else? Does it go against the 10 commandments? Then just put the two choices in a hat pick one and go with it. Whole heartedly absolutely go with it. If you look back and worry that you made the wrong choice it will do you absolutely no good.

Live the life that God has blessed you with and live it to the fullest. Stop worrying about making sure the path you are on is the right one. As long as you keep your heart and mind open to what God has in store for you. You will be fine. No Grizzly bears. I promise.

Have fun on your leap!

Two or Three that is the question.

Okay, so I was good. I was fine. I was happy with my little family of four plus a dog. It wasn't even that my neighbor had a baby, it wasn't that my sister in law had a baby. I promise. It was a new friend. A beautiful precious new friend who I am going to look forward to getting to know. She has the most inventive wonderful blog where she chronicles all that is her life. She has three. Grr. There are beautiful photographs of her older daughter reading to the baby, and precious pictures of the stages that became a blur in the world of having two under the age of 2.

I realize that I am out of the woods. My kids can bathe themselves, feed themselves, dress themselves. They still need me but they don't NEED me. You know?

So, last night when my husband and I had "the talk" and he asked me to present the pros and cons and to talk to my doctor and to pretty much put together a power point presentation of why another child is a good idea for our family unit. I shut down.

I need to tell you something. 1. God has a most interesting sense of humor. 2. God knew exactly what he was doing when he put my husband and I together. (Some days I'm pretty sure it was more for his enjoyment than anything but I digress)

When it comes to decisions I am more of a pull the bandaid off and deal with the consequences after. My husband is more of the let's map out all of the details and then decide. I have to agree with him that when it comes to something as serious as the life of a child and how it will effect the lives of the 4 other members of this family his way is the more prudent way. I know this. I promise.

It's just I'm getting older and the age gap between my current children and the new possible addition is getting wider and I can argue either side and I just kind of want to give it a shot and if nothing happens before the end of the year be done. Turn the page. Decision made. Don't look back. I can't explain it any further than that. I just feel like I have been doing the 2/3 dance for almost 8 years and I just want a conclusion.

I understand that from the outside looking in it might seem hasty but in the world that is my head I have been singing this song for way too long and I just want to change the station.

Thank you for letting me vent that. I feel much better now.

I took my own advice.

So, I finally took my own advice and I have to say I am pleasantly surprised.

Since starting Zumba there has been this little, and I do mean little, girl on the front row. She is perfect. She doesn't mess up and her moves are just as snappy as the instructor. I had pretty early on decided that she was mocking me because if I was wearing a purple shirt and black pants she would be wearing the same color combination causing us to look like the XS and XL version of a picture. You know kind of like Before...After. So, needless to say I had decided I didn't like her pretty early on. I would even get mad at her when she would be doing something completely different from the instructor saying in my head "Oh, is that not hard enough for you little girl? Did you have to completely change the routine because it wasn't good enough for you?"

I guess I need to stop here and tell you that the little voice in my head gets pretty rude sometimes.

Anyway, after writing that post about not judging a book by its cover I decided if I'm going to type it I have to live it. So, I went up to her. There is this one song that she does particularly well she looks like she is on Dancing with the stars and she is the professional! I told her how good I thought she was at it and to please not think I'm some crazy stalker lady. Want to know what I found out? She's sweet!!! She was embarrassed that anyone was watching her but thanked me profusely! So, no if she's not there I miss her and I tell her so. I asked her the other day why she goes off on her own little tangent in some of the songs, you know what she said? She said Oh, I have no idea how to do what the instructor is doing there so I just do my own little thing so I don't look stupid. I DO THAT!!!! Here I was thinking she was snotty and she is more like me than I realize.

I also want to add that I know there are some other women in the class that think the way I thought before I talked to her because I've heard them talking about her. So, people of the world. Do not create an image of someone before you speak to them. You have no clue what the book says until you open the cover and read at the very least the prologue!!!

Enjoy your day!!