Hello June

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My one little word for the year is choose but last month and moving into June the word that keeps popping up in text, dreams and random everyday encounters has been gratitude. Gratitude for all the good stuff and yes, even the hard stuff. When I focus on starting and ending my day with gratitude I feel better, I enjoy my day more, I can find a way around the troubles of the day and I find more appreciation for the small things.

I will be letting gratitude guide my days for June and most likely the rest of the year. Gratitude is a daily practise for me and sometimes it can be hard to see the things to be grateful for but I think we all need a little more of it in our lives, I also know it will be worth it.

You can join me if you want, if you'd like you can share with me what you're grateful for. Start a gratitude journal, a list on the fridge, a piece of scrap paper, anything will do. Keep a notepad beside your bed and write one thing or twenty things at the end of your day that you're grateful for. For me I have a piece of scrap paper that I am jotting notes on, I will eventually put my daily list(s) in a more permanent location, I just haven't decided where. I also want to get Cory & Anna involved so I am thinking of a large list on our fridge or a wall. If you're struggling on a hard day, think about the birds singing outside, the sun that shines through your window, the smell of a freshly brewed pot of coffee, the smell in the air after in rains- the simple yet wonderful things often go unnoticed. Stop, take a breath and use all your senses- you might be surprised by what you find. The best part is that you can just start- any time, any day- just start! Even better- there are no rules and no guidelines!

So far today I am grateful for Advil cold and sinus, without it I don't think I could get off the couch to type this post. I am grateful that you're here to read what I have to say. I am grateful that I work from home and can stay in my sweats all day and nurse my cold. I am grateful that Anna tells her Daddy to "be safe" when he walks out the door to work.

What are you grateful for?

Hello May

April was a blur and if I'm honest so was February & March. The first half of April was full of fun and excitement and the last half was spent playing catch up from all that fun & excitement. I am finding it harder & harder to just sit back and enjoy my time and that is very frustrating.  I just have too much going on in my head and too many ideas that are bouncing around in there all willy nilly and never make it out into reality. I look back at my small goals from each month and am frustrated with myself that I didn't do as well as I feel I should have which is exactly the opposite of what I hope to accomplish by setting these goals. I do however realize that instead of those particular goals I list at the beginning of each month I did other things. Things that I didn't write about, had visits with people that I didn't write about & made layouts and projects that I didn't post about. I know that I didn't sit around for months like a bump on a log yet I am still full of frustration... which is frustrating. Sounds like I may be caught up in a frustration cycle? ;)
This month I am going to go small and focus on things that mean the most to me.

In May I choose to:

- Go on two dates with Cory (KC are you reading this... I need a sitter)

- Celebrate my Grandma Wolansky's 85th birthday

- Get pampered for Mother's Day - Cory are you reading this ;)

- Park dates with Anna

- Plant our garden... so excited!

- Be grateful

Past Months: February / March / April

The blur that was February

In March I choose:

- to take a deep breath

- to plan Easter fun

- to finish a mountain of work

- to read 2 books

- to get serious about Project Life

- hit the gym four times

- to take another deep breath  probably could have taken a few more

February was a blur & I a find myself a little frustrated and overwhelmed today. March is unbelievably busy for me, not usually, but this March I have a lot going on and then wham it's Easter and then wham it's April and then wham it's Cory's 40th. Wish me luck.

xo

I choose: February edition

In February I choose...

- to wrap books for a Valentine's day count down (doing that today)

- to make Valentine's (& mail them)

- keep going to the gym 2x / week

- read 2 books

- decorate for Valentine's day

- do a studio tour on the blog

- create a baby card kit for Treasured Memories

- create a Valentine scavenger hunt for Anna

- start a project life style scrapbook for my grade 11 trip to Indonesia

- have 2 date nights with Cory

- have a girlfriend date 

- take Valentine inspired photos

- find my camera manual

- stay up to date with Project Life 2013

January Goals

source

This month I choose:

- made from scratch

-  a scrapbook product purchasing freeze (adhesive doesn't count)

- to stay up to date with Project Life

- to take part in an online class

- Monday Morning Moksha

-  to try 5 new recipes

- to finish my 2012 December Daily

- to complete 2 weeks of 2012 project life

- to make Valentine cards

- to use my gym membership 3 days a week

- to go on one date night

- to make bread

- to read 1 book

- to limit my online time to 1 hour per day 

- to call my Grandmas

- to scrapbook 8 layouts for myself

- Sundays for a Family Day

- to look into meditation 

- to be less judgemental with myself

Choose- my one little word for 2013

My word for 2013 is choose.

I have been trying to make choose a part of my day for the past few months. The biggest way that choose has been influencing me is by waking up and actually saying to myself "I choose to have a great day, I choose to be kinder and gentler with myself." and you know what... I did and I was. When I forgot to start my day with those intentions I had a crap day, I was meaner and more easily frustrated. It was a huge force for me and I knew that it was the perfect fit for the new year.

I have signed up for Ali Edwards' One Little Word workshop at Big Picture Scrapbooking and will be building and album throughout the year to bring focus to my word, to make it more concrete.

If you're unfamiliar with this all...  the concept of One Little Word  began for me when I read Ali Edwards story a few years ago, you can read her first post about it here. The basics, choose a word that speaks to you, that will guide you through the year and help you keep focus on what is important or in my case, focus on the choices that I make.

2012 in review

As our year comes to an end and we close the book on this chapter I find myself tying up "loose ends". I always like to write this post to look back through the year in photos and to reflect on the days past. 2012 was full of highs and lows. There were struggles that we worked through and some days continue to work through. There were moments of discovery, sadness, joy, frustration, fear, excitement and love but most importantly there were moments of growth. It is those moments that help me move forward, those moments that I look back upon and am so grateful for the love & support that lives in our home. I am not sure what I would do without Cory & Anna, what I did before them. 

Regardless of whether 2012 was "the best year ever" or not, I know that it was exactly what it was suppose to be. I have learnt so much about myself and our dynamic as a family and as husband & wife. It is those lessons that will guide me into the new year with the ability to make better choices. 

My head spins at this time of year (more so than usual) with all the things I pray the new year brings into my life, into our lives. All the choices that I get to make. That every morning when I open my eyes I will be grateful for my blessings and grateful for the choice in how I shape my day and in turn, theirs. 

I will choose to be present each day.

I will choose to deal with the frustrating days with a better attitude.

I will choose to bring more hugs, more kisses, more play, more adventure and more love into our lives.

Goodbye 2012 & thank you.

xoxo

January

Best weather!

February

Love.

March

Best prize! Best winner! Best excitement!

April

Best joy! 

(upon realizing there is chocolate in all those eggs)

May

Best outdoor wedding.

June

Best first painting experience.

July

Best 1st family vacation.

August

Best new friendship and rekindled old friendship.

September

Best family picture.

September

Best new baby, Hello Farrah!

October

Best birthday dinner.

November

Best 2nd Birthday.

December

Best snowman. Best new discovery. Best excited girl (& Momma).