Did Ya Miss Me?

So, it's been almost a year since my last blog post, and maybe you missed me and maybe you didn't even notice I was gone, but either way, I'm back. I took a break from blogging last year because I thought I was too busy. And I am busy. But I'm not too busy to watch my favorite TV shows, or to take a nap on the weekends, or to craft, or cook big elaborate meals that no one eats, or a million other little things that don't matter. And this matters. If not for any other reason, it helps me review the big moments of the year for my Christmas card. This year our card was lame because I didn't have the blog to remind me of what happened. :) Anyway, I'm back, and I'm going to try to be back every single week of the entire year. They might not all be significant posts, but my goal is to post something each and every week. So hold me to that, if I haven't posted in a while tell me to kick it into gear. Thanks, friend.

So now on to my yearly goal. If you've followed me for very long you know I hate new years resolutions, and prefer, instead, to find a theme for the year that can encompass all the things I want to accomplish during the year, without being too specific so I don't set myself up for failure... :) Last year we tried to "give a little bit more", and I think it was a success. We changed, we grew, and we became a little bit better people. The big "wins" include me seeing more successes in my cases because of the extra effort I put into supporting my families, Ethan saw better success at school, both in grades, as well as navigating school life a little better, and Adia having some really touching experiences as she noticed and tried to include kids at school who really needed a friend. I'm proud of the changes we saw, and the experiences we have had, and I think we will try to continue on with that.

This year I have thought a lot about what I wanted our goal to be. We are in a place in our life where things have steadied and we can now look back on everything and see the blessings and the beauty in the way things are turning out. We have a pretty great life - not to brag or anything, but we are super blessed. I'm a firm believer that the harder I work the luckier I get, but I am also very aware that I  can't do everything, and I recognize the hand that God, and many others have had in getting us to where we are. So this year our goal is "Be Grateful".

I think it is just what we need right now. And I think it will help us in a lot of different areas. If we are grateful for our house, we won't complain about cleaning it and caring for it, if we are grateful for school we won't complain about going, or about doing homework, and we will give our best effort all the time. If I am grateful for my job, I will be happier to go there, and will do my best work all the time. If I am grateful for my health I will eat better and exercise more, and take better care of myself. If I'm grateful to be out of my truly horrific marriage I wouldn't complain so much about being single. (That doesn't mean that if you have a great guy for me you can't set me up though:) If I am grateful for the people in my life I will be careful about the way I treat them, and make them feel like the beautiful gift they are. If I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ, I will happily and willingly do the things asked of me to maintain the church and further the work (even if that means Primary:). The list goes on and on. There is no end to the way this goal can change our lives, and in turn, the lives of others! When I think about it, it makes me pretty excited!

But I do realize it's not just as easy as that. If it were, I would already have an attitude of change, because I'm already thankful for those things. It's more than just being grateful, it is an actual change of heart and mind. And it's going to take some effort. It will take me reminding myself, and my family reminding each other, and maybe even you reminding me, until it becomes a habit. It will also require me investing a little more into everything I do, and opening my ears and closing my mouth. And I have some great projects planned - things that will consistently push me to express my gratefulness on a regular basis. Things like writing thank you notes, baring my testimony, and doing more service. It will push me out of my comfort zone, and make me take the time to write letters or make phone calls (this one might kill me, I HATE talking on the phone!) It will be something to work at, but I hope that it will make our little family happier, and put things into perspective a little bit.

So now it's your turn, what are your goals for the new year?