Just thinking (and feeling)...this is long

Hi, happy 2011! It has been a really long time since I have posted anything here. I think that, although wonderful, the holidays wore me out a bit. We had a great Christmas with family and although a few days were busy we were able to have some down time with the kids.

Now we are back into the swing of school and homework and projects that need to be attended to. We have had doctor's appointments and I have had to go for some tests and follow ups. Our little guy is testing the waters and pushing us quite a bit. He is in a stage now where he is throwing fits when he doesn't get what he wants. Anything can set him off and sometimes it can be a very long day. He goes from, a cuddly sweetheart that you can't get enough of to a tyrant that you can't hide from, without much warning. It will be nice when this phase of his childhood is over! LOL.

My little sister is home on vacation now and will be starting her maternity leave in a few weeks. I am not watching my niece anymore while she is home. I am looking forward to getting to spend some time with my sister. It is hard to do that when she works since she works long hours and everyone has such busy lives.I am looking forward to spending time with my niece just as her aunt and not her care taker, where I can spoil her and let her parents worry about discipline. I can't wait to meet my nephew and hold a newborn again drinking in that sweet baby smell.

 I am going to try to enjoy some of the alone time I will have on the days when everyone is at school or work. I think that I need some quiet to restore myself and to do some thinking and putting things into perspective. Too often I get tired and things pile up and then situations get blown out of proportion and things that are really just mole hills seem like mountains. I am going to try to push myself to get more crafting done and stop being afraid to fail or do a bad job. It is time to push the boundaries a little (or a lot), break out of my comfort zone, find some confidence and just go for it. Whatever "it" turns out to be.

This is the year to put myself in the foreground. To take care of my own needs and desires and not just those of my family. This is the year to become the person that God intended me to be. To be the best wife, mother, daughter, sister, and aunt that I can be by being the best "ME" that I can be. I need to make myself happy. It is time for me to figure out what my dreams are and to reach for them. It is time for me to shine.

I hope that everyone else out there has a wonderful 2011 and that you all get to shine.