Christmas is over. But the parties are not!
Today we had our family Christmas get together with my mom, step dad, brothers and sisters and all the neices and nephew (just one nephew for now). We like to do it after the actual Christmas season because trying to get everyone together on one day with all of our crazy busy schedules is next to impossible!
Let me start this off by saying getting together in big groups is stressful for me. I don't know why, it has just been that way for some time. I haven't always been this way, it's just that something has changed in the last couple of years and I have been a little more isolated and it's hard for me to be around big groups.
So, when I knew we were getting together today I had to prepare myself for half a day with lots of people, not in my comfort zone. Don't get me wrong... my family is WONDERFUL. My two brothers and their wives are amazing people and we have a great time together. My step-sister just got married to a wonderful man and we love to catch up. The kids all love each other, are close in age and also have a great time. The anxiety is ALL ME. And I can't explain it.
We had an AWESOME time.
My older brother showed up with the most hideous nasty looking brown-ish turtle neck sweater on (he is NOT wearing it in the family photo). I took one look and gave him the stink-eye. Not knowing if he seriously picked that out because he liked it, or if it was a joke, I didn't say anything. Surely I am the one member of the family that says whatever is on my mind, usually without thinking. He was surprised that I didn't totally let him have it for wearing that sweater! Come to find out, he had just gone to an ugly sweater party and wanted to see everyone's reaction when he wore it!
My younger brother was there with his new (9 month old) son and his wife. My nephew brings me so much joy! He is so well behaved, and has the cutest little face. I just love him! And of course, the Detroit Lions were playing their first playoff game this evening and my little brother is NOT a fan. So, we heckled over this... We're 16 months apart in age, so we have a good time!
My step-sister and her new husband were there. They have such an amazing life! They always have great stories to share and we love getting to know her husband. They are a very unique couple and we just love having them there whenever we get together.
My mom and step-dad were in GREAT moods (as always). My mom lives to see her family together. She LOVES, and that's a huge understatement, to have all of her kids and grandkids together in the same room. It doesn't happen often...
So I put the pressure out of my mind and just went with it. We had an amazing time, the food was fabulous, the kids had a great time opening gifts and we ended up staying until after the Lions' game was over (almost midnight).
I am learning to relax, go with the flow and not let my imagination run me so much. For me, it's a hard thing to do, but with time and practice, it will get easier! I don't want to miss out on anything... especially more days like today!
I am NOT a morning person... AT ALL.
I like to get up, turn on The Today Show, have a pot of coffee (yes, I said a pot), turn on the computer and have quiet time to myself to wake up.
This thing is... I have kids. Young kids.
My (almost) 6 year old, Hannah, is like me. She likes to watch a little tv and chill before she actually has to DO something in the morning. For this reason, I wake her up 30 minutes before she has to even think about getting ready for school.
My (almost) 3 year old, on the other hand, is a TOTAL morning person! She wakes up bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready to tackle the day. She likes to get dressed right away, likes to get up and get going!
So today I was trying to do my thing, drink my coffee, check my emails and she is ALL OVER ME! She wants to play the Wii, wants to play a game on the computer, wants some juice. I just want to wake up! So, I pick her up and put her on my lap. I figured I'd show her what's up on Facebook (as if she would be interested)!
Instead, I seized the moment.
We started tickling... and the belly laughs were free-flowing!
And we put our foreheads together and moved our heads from side to side, making our eyes move sideways. She LOVES that! We could not stop laughing!
Then she leaned in and put her nose to mine and gave me an eskimo kiss. And another. And another.
And we laughed some more.
I love the giggles. The belly giggles, the little giggles, ALL the giggles.
Needless to say, my morning started off better than any coffee or computer could have kick started!
Happy 2012!
This year I am going to try something that I've never done before. I have a friend, Meg Daniel, who runs a blog out of Colorado. Last year, she vowed to write a new blog post every day for a year. She would write each day about something, or someone she is thankful for, or an event that happened on that day that touched her. I have been reading them faithfully... and you should too because they're touching, funny, honest and refreshing. Here's a link to her blog - Adventures Out West. She has more than 34,000 hits on her blog, and this September, she was published in an online community called Glass Heel. Glass Heel is an online community for professional women of all ages - it's a place to go to develop professionally, find networks of people to help you expand, as well as finding a great support system with other women that compliment you!
I've thought all year long what a fabulous idea this is. I told her just a couple of weeks ago that I was intending to do a similar theme for 2012.
I've been dreading it ever since... stressed about writing every day, finding the time, what if I don't have anything to write about, etc.
Then, today. Just 5 days past the offical start of the New Year, it dawned on me that I was putting way too much pressure on myself!! So here goes...
I am going to write a new blog post for each day from today, for 365 days. I'm not quite sure how "themed" they will be, but I can tell you that it will end on a positive note. Every time. Whether it be a blessing I received, something I'm thankful for, something funny that happened that day, it will be positive! Some posts will be longer than others, some super short, and some might come 2 or 3 in a day (just in case I get sick or go on vacation, you know). Today's is just below:
Time.
There are all different kinds of time.
Time outs, quiet time, drive time, bed time, dinner time, down time, snuggle time, GO time... you get it!
No matter the type of time, it's all good! The good times, the bad times, they are all memories. And memories are learning experiences. I'm only 30 years old, and I hopefully have a lot of time left to live, but I cherish every memory that I can recall. They've shaped me into the person I am today.
Today, I had a lot of free time. I've spent the beginning of the week cleaning the house after the New Year, and today was just a lazy day! I had a lot of time to think about some big decisions coming up in my life. I think I made some good choices...
So, for day 1, I'm thankful for time. Any kind of time. I try not to take it for granted. Sometimes, we wish it would go faster. Others, we wish it would stand still. Nonetheless, time is a gift. We need to cherish what and who we have with the time we have left.
I know I'm going to.
