New Year, New Goals

This is my third year to do New Year's Resolutions. It's been a few years since I did resolutions. '08's resolutions proved to keep me so focused and remembering my goals that they became a subconscious effort and when the end of the year came faster than ever I was shocked to see I accomplished so many of them!! I did resolutions again in '09 and now here we are again in '12. My, how time flies.

Fireworks at my sister's

New Year's Eve 2011

Personal

On girl time

Invest time in those who have stuck with me through thick and thin these past few years. Specifically spend more time talking to them on the phone, make a point to get together with them, make them feel special as a person,  let them know how much they truly do mean to me, and continue to realize the importance, along with the renewed energy and love they bring, of girls' trips and girls' weekends even when it takes precious time away from my family but gives in return a happier, more confident and renewed me. The reward, the personal satisfaction of knowing I have done for them what I am so, so grateful that they have done for me.

Celebrating one of my besties wedding with another bestie

November 5, 2011

On time with my man

Continue to soak up and enjoy living with this amazing blessing of a man. Back in February of '11 I decided to concentrate more on the relationships I go home to every night than the girlfriends that I love spending time with. What a payoff this has had as Brando and my relationship is like a rock, if that's possible. He has blown my mind with his maturity and has risen to the level of insane calmness when I have my moments. We are starting to parent a teenager, and he has slowly taken that aspect over with that same calmness, maturity, and desire to develop a deep bond between father and son with Justinbustin that I am in literal awe of. In the meantime, I've noticed the girlfriends that have stuck with me, not only through the hard times previous, but through this time of restrengthening my relationship with my family. These are the girls I am truly blessed to have in my life. The reward, a lifelong appreciation for the time I have with this amazing man, and in the long run, I cross my fingers, a stronger, God-focused marriage as a result.

Annual New Year's Day family bike ride

January 1, 2012

Adding another one...

Continue to realize the importance of time and trips alone with my man. The past five or so years we have been so good about going on dates and trips together, just Brando and I. These last six months or so we have slipped a bit. Specifically, I want to remember to keep those dates and trips going as they have welded together our relationship in a way where we realize things aren't all about stress and the day-to-day grind, but are about him and I and how we enjoy each other and get along as well. The reward, the personal satisfaction of not only enjoying every moment day-to-day with each other, but rewarding those moments with times where we get to enjoy the full benefit of each other's company, and, no, I'm not being dirty.

Montana De Oro, Pismo Beach, California

Celebrating our eleventh anniversary

March 19, 2011

On enjoying the beauty of nature

This one is from '09, but I'm going to leave it in here, because, unless we move to a new town, I could reiterate these exact words this year as well.

Put a renewed effort into going out and enjoying our town. I'm not sure if it was the kids' school schedule, our jobs, or the pressure of the economy, but we've slacked off on our enjoyment of the local entertainment, nature, and beauty in the past few months and I'd like to get back into it as much or more so than we did before, as we have been having such a wonderful time doing over this Christmas break and had such a wonderful time doing this summer. Specifically, check out every new fun place we hear of in Austin, and every free new event that sounds interesting, including some of our favorites including Ballet Under the Stars, Shakespeare in the Park, South Asia New Year, Musicals in the Park, Barton Springs Pool, Mt. Bonnell, kayaking Town Lake, Laguna Gloria, Mayfield Park, watching the bats on South Congress, Whole Foods headquarters, and hopefully many new places this year!! The reward, knowing that I have enjoyed the beauty of my town to it's fullest and knowing that if I ever move away from here I will not be sad that I did not enjoy the time while I was here. Also, the satisfaction of having so many wonderful unique memories that can not be created any other time or place.

Annual New Year's Day family bike ride

January 1, 2012

On taking care of my body

Again, I may copy most of this one verbatim. Oh, it makes me laugh how similar my resolutions are this year to '09s. It makes sense though, as my life was semi put on hold in '09 when we moved, and then in '10 when we moved back again. '11 was a year of 'righting the boat' so to speak.

Put more effort into my hair. New year, new hair! Specifically, I've decided to change my part, and curl my hair a lot more to keep up with the current trend. Plus, it's soft, feminine, and feels freakin' gorgeous. To copy from '09 and continue on with the specifically, fluff up my bangs so they're not so freaking flat, get three haircuts this year instead of two, and put more effort into styling my hair even when I go out for simple things, but even more so for girls' nights out, dates with Brando, etc. By the way, this next part might be too much information for some of you! Specifically also to keep my eyebrows consistently groomed by shaping them at least once a month, plucking them at least once a week, and going into have them professionally shaped at least twice a year!! Oh man the way I look when I neglect them or forget to reshape them for even a week or two!! The reward, the personal satisfaction of having pictures where I put my effort in to look my best and can look back at and not nit pick at myself for not doing this or that with my hair and face!

New year, new hair, new part

New Year's Day, January 1, 2012

Adding another one...

Let go of the stress about my face and inevitable aging. Specifically, realize I look the FREAKIN' same in pictures now as I did two years ago. If anything is changed, it's only that I photo shop less because I realize this is what God gave me. I can love it, or I can photo shop it and think I've changed every time I see an unphotoshopped photo. I am not going cold turkey here and I am not saying my resolution is to stop photo shopping. The reward, the personal satisfaction of knowing I am aging with ease and grace and putting less lines on my face by doing so.

Nannying a little girl

October 10, 2008

Li's birthday celebration with Li and KT

October 28, 2011

On my thought life

Balance. Rhythm. Specifically, realize life is about rhythms, stop beating myself up when life is swung one huge way because Justinbustin has a regionals coming up, or a transition to school is starting, or a transition to Christmas vacation is starting. Realize life is a rhythm, full of seasons, just like nature, and that it's only for a season, and probably a short one at that, that something is happening. The reward, the personal satisfaction of going through these seasons with much more ease and calm.

Guest Speaker for Justinbustin's robotics club

December 16, 2011

Aspirations

On school

Think about doing school online. Specifically, research it, try out a class, and decide if it's for me. As per above, that's all I'm going there with it right now. The reward, the personal satisfaction of satisfying my insatiable desire to learn, as I love to do.

Butterfly hatched from the caterpillars off our parsley plant

May 29, 2009

On my home front

I'll keep this one from '09 as well, as I still like the sound of it.

Keep my home maintained and decluttered and invite more people into my home. Specifically, set aside a time every month to declutter each room and throw out items that are no longer needed. Also, maintain our daily habits and routines by cleaning up after ourselves and teaching the boys that in our family we clean up after ourselves. Teach them that we work before we play, so that once we're done working hard we can play even more than we would've been able to before. Make a point of having multiple couples over once a month for dinner and a movie or margaritas and chips and a game night. The reward, giving myself permission to buy one new kitchen, decorating or entertaining for my home each month as I succeed.

Gingerbread house making party

December 18, 2011

On my family front

I'll hang onto this one, too, as I've started this back up in the last few months, any way.

Continue to take pictures that are actually a happy moment this year. Also, to take more fun and goofy pictures rather than smiley ones where you say 1-2-3 cheese all the time! Aw, it makes my heart smile thinking how many happy pictures we took last year. Specifically, making sure that I continue to capitalize on those happy moments before or after the fact and remind them how happy they will be to have those pictures later. Also, specifically, find and pay attention to interesting and fun set ups and faces in magazines, other pictures, etc. that will make our own pictures more interesting and fun.  I am so camera happy that people get irritated with me for it sometimes! Thanks to people like KT for encouraging me by telling me how good I am at snagging other people to take pictures for group photos. Most of the time I feel like I embarrass everyone I'm with when I do that. Good thing I don't care either way! I've also learned to take group photos by catching them naturally - when people are already standing together and talking and saying, "Look at me and smile!" The reward, the personal satisfaction of moments of our lives captured to look back and smile on.

Annual New Year's Day family bike ride

January 1, 2012

Adding another one...

Take more family vacations. Specifically, take the boys' snowboarding and skiing again and to Disneyland. Last year, we went snowboarding and skiing, and once snowboarding before the year before. The boys loved it. I didn't realize til' just now those were truly family vacations. I'm so glad we've already done them and I can't wait to do even longer ones this year. The reward, the personal satisfaction of knowing we took that time together as a family to create lifelong memories that I'm crossing my fingers will be stress-free as possible as a result of our maturing relationship as per above resolution.

Justinbustin's first time snowboarding

December 23, 2010

Mommy, Justinbustin's, and Shawners' first time snowboarding

December 23, 2011

Shawners' first time snowboarding

December 23, 2010