A New Leaf

I have a couple goals for 2013, and one of them includes being a happier person. This last year has been hard for me. I've had two babies to take care of, a post baby body from two babies that certainly isn't up to my own standards, HUGE decisions to make for the good of our family, a goal to nurse a baby for 12 months, church callings that take lots of time outside of church, a touch of depression that certainly didn't help anyone, and this is just the beginning of my list. As I look back on this year, I am happy about what I accomplished. I'm happy about where my family is now, and I'm excited about what the future brings. But I digress....there were times in 2012 that I wasn't happy. I wasn't happy with me, and I was choosing to nit pick many areas of my life instead of enjoying things. I was looking at others and thinking, why can't my situation be more like that. But all of that can/has already changed, and I plan on only making it get better.

I have dubbed this year the year of downsizing and ridding myself of things that clutter my life; this includes over-decorating, keeping items that I haven't looked at in years, and I hate to say it, but people who bring me down, are negative, and don't help my cause. I have had to sit down and figure out what in my life really matter. Here they are in no particular order:

My Children. I want to spend MORE time with them teaching, learning, and accomplishing.
My Husband. I want to spend MORE time with him, communicating, learning, and accomplishing.
My Friends. I want to spend MORE time letting them know how much they mean to me, how much I care about them, and how no matter where I am, or where they are, friendships can and will continue if you give them the love and time they need to grow.
My Church and My Savior. I think we all owe a lot to him, and what better way to show that appreciation than to serve, serve, serve. I want to expand my circle of friends in the church, again, no matter where I am.
My talents. I've decided to part ways from my scrap booking days, however I will continue to make my homemade cards, and create fun crafts. As far as talents I wish to nurture:
--Sewing. A new found love of mine, and I'm hoping I can get pretty good at this.
--Organ playing. I recently found that playing the organ is so much fun...but challenging. I hope to learn this quickly and so I can be of service with this talent.
--Having more patience. My daughter is turning that wonderful age of 2 in a month. I will need all the help I can get. We are all happier when I'm happy.

As I have been cleaning out, packing up baby clothes for storage, creating a large pile for yard sale, going through boxes in the basement, and reminiscing of what life has been, I've shed tears, remembered great memories, and felt a cleansing process begin to occur. Life doesn't consist of what is just handed to us...we MAKE our lives. We make the choice to be happy, and we MAKE the choice to be negative. We choose to be offended, and we choose to learn from experience, we choose to be mad, and we choose to trust.

Future me: Don't forget that we can make our lives as happy as we want wherever we are, whenever it presents itself, and no matter the situation. There are other people on this planet and we can learn to co-exist, or we may get over looked and feel like we don't exist due to the negative nature we portray. Inside every human is the rite, privilege, and responsibility to be better, grow and nurture. Lets make that our goal always.

Below I have provided a picture that I took one day when Peter and I were making the trek from Driggs Idaho to our home in Sandy. Something about this picture draws me to it. I feel peaceful, quiet and creative when I'm at this location, unless its at night...then I'd probably be really creeped out. haha I hope this picture can do something for you.