#16 Things that Lift Me Up

Micah's love of music

It is so incredible to watch your child enjoy the same things you do. I love music and I love to sing. It just thrills my heart to see Micah loving it too! He has a great memory and can sing along to the words of a song. The other day he was singing and I looked back at him and smiled. He said, "Don't laugh at me". I told him I wasn't laughing and Richard explained to him how happy it makes me to hear him sing. He has a lot of favorite Christian songs that he likes and he will belt them out!!! At school they have a CD they sing and dance to and he has come home singing some of those songs - I think it is like a Kidz Bop CD or something. He was singing The Backstreet Boys "Bye, bye Bye", but this week it changed and he walks around our house singing, "PEANUT BUTTER JELLY TIME!" It is hilarious to hear him singing about something he can't even eat! I love that along with all of the negatives he inherited from me...he also inherited my love of song.

An Attitude Adjustment

I can't afford a psychologist anymore, so this blog has become my therapy sessions, thus the babbling that is about to come. I would apologize for this, but hey, you are the one who chooses to read it!

We had such a great vacation that coming back to work was somewhat of a shock to the system. I came back to work after the New Year invigorated and what I was met with left me in need of a serious attitude adjustment.

My job is typically stressful but I would say that I thrive on stress. However, lately it has become an awful lot to deal with.

The tension in our office has been high and the morale low for several different reasons, namely the 5% cut in pay we have taken due to furloughs and the rise in health care premiums. (I would like to pause for a moment and state that I am very thankful to have a job, despite these issues and I realize that almost everyone is facing the same types of things or worse.) Although these economic changes have caused a strain on the budget I have been able to take these changes in stride, much more so than other changes in my job.

I am a big believer that change is good. I can usually become acclimated to change quickly and feel comfortable and confident in the work that I do. Lately, there has been so much change in my job I feel like I am a dog chasing my tail or a hamster on one of those darn wheels! It has become very frustrating for me to not know what is priority (because everything is priority and everything was due yesterday), to not know what the focus is, to not know what it takes to succeed, and to not know how success is being measured. Thus, my bad attitude.

I had a revelation the other day that my bad attitude has been cropping up in more areas of my life than just my employment. It rears its ugly head when I look in the mirror, when I think about exercise, when I binge eat, when I isolate myself from others, when I find myself unable to sleep at night but as equally unable to rise in the AM.

In my insomniac state the other night I found myself Googling and self-diagnosing. When I shared with my friends at work that I wasn't just lazy - I have Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome, they laughed at me! I assured them that it was a legitimate syndrome as I had found it on the Internet and I had every symptom...well except for the fact that it is rare to be diagnosed in anyone over the age of 30.


So, what IS my problem? I am in need of an attitude adjustment!



I shared with my mom recently, that most of my life I have felt like I have been just surviving, instead of living. I want to live. In order to do this, I have to get a new attitude toward life, stop playing the victim, stop whining about why life isn't fair and on and on...



Life is what you make of it. Cliche - yes, but true.

You may ask how I plan to execute this attitude adjustment. I plan to...

...get up every morning, look in the mirror and tell myself I am beautiful
...put my makeup on, even on the days that I don't feel like it
...go to the gym and at least, walk on the treadmill (but I do have a 10k to train for - ACK!)
...shut my mouth at work about how much I hate the lack of direction and all of the changes - if you hate it, just wait, it will change. I have always been told "in the time you stood around bitching about it - you could have had it done by now." (thanks Gerry dad - see, I did listen!)

...take time for myself

...develop a good sleep pattern and bedtime routine

...attend Weight Watchers and do the program - for the LAST time!

...stop beating myself up about mistakes in the past and spend less time worrying about the future



I am sure I will add to this list as I go. God has been affirming this attitude change in me as these two songs have become my anthems (if you didn't already know - God speaks to me through music).



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k84adRm9u5k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTVGt9dNuHU

#15 Things that lift me up

My amazing husband

I am incredibly blessed to have such an intelligent, funny and loving husband. I am so very proud of him.

http://news.mywebpal.com/partners/680/public/news942978.html

#14 Things that lift me up

Vacation!

Happy New Year to all! I hope you enjoyed ushering out 2008 and welcoming 2009. We have had such a great holiday season. It started in Ohio as we spent the Thanksgiving holiday with my dad, step-mom and the rest of the family. The boys met their cousin, Eloise, for the second time. She is now toddling and they were enthralled with her. My dad and Susan had a house full on Thanksgiving day as we feasted on "roasted beast". I believe there was approximatley 30 people. The day after Thanksgiving the "girls" went to Worthington (as tradition would have it) to eat a nice lunch at La Chatalaine and browse the local shops. It was nice to have Eloise with us (as well as in spirit)! On Friday we drove to Michigan to see the other side of my family. My mom, Gerry, Ryan and Lauren came up too. Lauren had never seen snow fall so it was fun to watch her get excited about that. The boys also had a blast with their boys cousins (much more rambunctious than Eloise). On Saturday night we drove to Detroit to see Tammy and Dan's beautiful new house (new to us anyway) and were beat at poker, yet again! We came home on Monday, December 1st - our 7 year wedding anniversary!

Being at work between Thanksgiving and Christmas was hard, but we endured...looking forward to our week in Florida. The day after Christmas we packed up the car again and headed to sunny Florida. It was absolutely beautiful all week! Not a rain cloud in sight. Great Grandpa Brown is currently visiting mom and Gerry due to Aunt Lynda and Uncle Tim's trip around the world. It was so great to spend time with him, although I know he was so relieved to see us go! It is like a three ring circus when we come to town! Richard and I went out to dinner one night at Salt Rock Grill on Indian Rocks beach, which was so decadent. I had the best creme brulee!

Saturday, I went with my mom, Jill (one of her quilting buddies) and my sister-in-law, Lauren to Dade City. The quilt shop in town was having a huge sale so Lauren and I tagged along for a "girls only" lunch and we hit the antique stores.

We went to the beach two days - a blast! I didn't think to bring bathing suits for the boys but that didn't stop them from stripping down to their underwear. The last time we took Micah to the beach his ezcema was really bad and as soon as he got in the water he screamed in pain as the salt water seeped into his open wounds. What were we thinking? I ran him to the parking lot and hosed him down in the public showers. This time, however, his skin was completely clear and it was such a joy to watch him play in the surf. They even built a couple of sand castles and collected sea shells. We also saw two dolphins playing - how neat!

The second day at the beach Noah picked up the pail of sea shells I so carefully picked up from the shoreline and started to walk away with it. I asked him where he was taking them and told him I wanted to take the shells home with us. He scowled at me, stuck his finger out and said, "The sea shells stay on the beach!" The people next to us laughed and said, "Well, I guess he told you!"

Noah is finally potty trained. He had a few accidents while we were on vacation and he needs to work on his aim (sorry mom) but he hasn't worn a pull up in about a month. He did almost get us arrested on the beach (not really) when he pulled his underwear down and commenced to peeing on the sand. If Grandpa hadn't picked him up and carried him to the water we would have had one angry, bikini-clad co-ed on our hands! :) Whew!

Sunday, Grandpa Goodrich and Aline came to visit. They brought with them a Hess Gasoline truck and tractor for each of the boys. That was a HUGE hit! The boys have played and played with those trucks. I am surprised the batteries have not worn out yet. Aline brought her delicious cookies and a few pies, which we feasted on all week. (Good thing I start Weight Watchers next week!)

I was able to go to lunch with one of my best friends from high school on Tuesday. She and I drifted apart when I went to college and we haven't seen each other in 14 years. It was such a healing experience to reconnect and realize that real friendships are preserved within the span of a lifetime. You are always able to pick up right where you left off.

New Years Eve, Ryan and Lauren hosted an 80s themed party at their house and Grandma and Grandpa babysat for us. I haven't been so excited to go to a party in a really long time. I also haven't used that much hair spray in a really long time. We dressed up in 80s attire, danced, sang, played 80s trivia. It was so much fun! Keri and Doug came down from Michigan that afternoon so they were able to come to the party too.

We played lots of cards all week -Euchre, poker...I am getting better and one of these days I am going to win a big pot.

We came home today and plan to head back to work tomorrow. Our vacation this holiday season has been so relaxing and enjoyable. We are blessed with such great family and friends. I have put some pictures from our trips on facebook and will get all of them on snapfish in the coming days and send them out to everyone.

I have lofty goals for 2009. I plan to fight and beat this addiction that has been slowly killing me the last several years - as I said, headed to Weight Watchers on Saturday. I also plan to start running again - I have made a promise to Elena to run the Peachtree 10K with her in July. I also hope to regain some of my lost confidence during the coming year. Whatever your goals, hopes and dream for 2009, I pray that God will meet you where you are and bless you immensely.