Dec. 31, 2010: Who decided black-eyed peas are lucky? I really dislike the darn things, but I'm determined to make 2011 MY year so I'm not willing to take any chances....
Jan. 1, 2011: Black-eyed peas are cooking, money has been swept in, and the riding of the broomstick with the packed bag is complete!
Jan 3, 2011: Change your hair or makeup, move around your furniture, try out new clothes, paint your walls...it really doesn't make much difference...those are all superficial "fixes". The result of each is the still the same; only the truth will set you free in the new year. Let's all seek truth...
Comment below that: All that being said, I do have some remodeling to do and I must rededicate myself to a healthy lifestyle. Ahhhhhh, the new year...
I even remembered thinking I was failing so miserably at the new year that I tried to start it again on April 1st and posted this on April 2:
Today's #TDL email is entitled "OWN your AWESOME" - how very fitting for my renew year start - and, oh!, how I plan to do just that! ;-)
We didn't remodel much that we planned to remodel - but we did repaint Payton's room and put in a new front door. When we are home in our family room, we still stare at the same 3ft. x 3ft. patch of unpainted ceiling from a sheetrock repair done so long ago I don't even remember when that leak happened. We haven't put down new flooring, yet - our geriatric inside dog, Maddie, is the hold up there.
Those exterior renovations to our life don't summarize a thing about our year as a family. We have ended this year stronger as a family and better off spiritually than we have ever been in the 13 years of our family. We arrived here through snowstorms, illnesses of family and friends, shaving out the negative influences in our lives in as many areas as possible, and focusing on helping others and counting our blessings. We have made some life-altering decisions to slow down and enjoy each other more. I have learned that we have very few true friends who will be here for us, but that our family will endure everything together. I have learned that doing things for other people in need is a great expample to our children - and you should never expect anything in return other than God's blessings. In life, there are givers and there are takers - I want to raise givers. I think this year more than ever, we have focused on showing the boys how to give...they don't always get it, but we are working on it.
All of that being said, the biggest thing I learned in 2011 is that God gave me the perfect man when He gave Grady to me - even when I wasn't seeking God's help in finding him back when I discovered Grady in 1997. (One of these days I'll tell y'all the story about how we met.) I haven't always appreciated Grady as I should have - he and I both know that. No matter how rosy a picture everyone paints of their life on Facebook, there are ALWAYS rough times in marriages - that's what makes real life real. 2010 ended and 2011 began and continued to be really rough for us in numerous ways, but that was about the time we started going to church as a family. I fully believe that each of us having a daily relationship with God is what has saved our family in the tough times. Somehow, during this year my eyes were completely opened to how great I really do have it. I am grateful that Grady seems to have been born blind to all of my imperfections...He always tells me how pretty I am and what a great wife and mom I am even on the days I look in the mirror and see an ogre.
So, here is my hope for 2012: I pray that I end 2012 as happy as I am at the end of 2011. Sure, I'd like to lose some weight and so would Grady, but other than prolonging our life together with our family, that superficial stuff just doesn't matter at all. All that matters is what our family of 2+3=5 think and we are ending 2011 happier together than we have ever been. I do believe we learned to "OWN our AWESOME", but in a better way than I ever intended.
