2012 Resolution

After quite a bit of contemplation, I've decided to go easy on myself this year.

You see, 2010 was a busy year. I had graduated college and gotten my dream job. Somehow, even though I had met my goals, I felt like this wasn't enough. I was left with this empty feeling of “now what?” I had been working toward graduating and once I grabbed my diploma I was left feeling like I didn't have anything else to do. “That's it?”

Not that going to school and working and interning was easy. But I was goal-less. I mean, I was out of short-term goals.

So I set this massive list of things I wanted to do in 2011 from finding a church, to running a 5K, to family and work stuff. But some of the things were just there to give me a goal, not necessarily something I even wanted to do.

2011 is gone.

We celebrated my sister's graduation. She moved away. We celebrated birthdays, holidays and other “firsts,” including taking Vincent to Six Flags and his first time camping at Lost Valley Lake. We took our first real vacation since Vincent was born and visited the Gulf shore. My mom turned 50! My twin sis and I hit our quarter-century birthday. My amazing son turned 5 and started preschool. He learned to read and write better. He learned to tie his shoes. He started “working out” with Dada. He got his first real bike.

Several of my friends are expecting babies or had one in 2011.

We visited Lone Elk Park, the World Bird Sanctuary, the botanical garden, butterfly house and many places on vacation. We went to the fair.

Gary got promoted at his job, twice.

I got engaged!

I lost my grandfather.

And this list probably leaves out a ton of 2011. But you get the idea. Even though I felt like I didn't have anything to do, I did a ton. We did a ton as a family. We grew closer and celebrated our love daily.

That's why, in 2012, my resolution is to enjoy the small things.

I read a blog post recently about how “only tourists look up.” Since they're not used to the sights you see every day, they take more time to notice and look up, so to speak.

I resolve to have the tourist attitude and continue to enjoy each day for what it is and keep celebrating the small stuff. After all, it's all the small stuff that makes up a person's life.

My other resolution is to exercise more and get tone. I don't want or need to lose weight, but I want to look stunning in my beautiful wedding dress, which is still to be determined.

I hope that whatever you resolved to do in 2012 you can accomplish. But even if you don't, even if you fail miserably, I hope you enjoy the small stuff.

I realize that my my blog is starting to have waaay too much text. I'l try to get some photos in this week. That's all for now.