Realizations Become Resolutions

My life in the last few weeks have been riddled with realizations both good and bad. I want to share these with you and put forth a couple that I want to turn into resolutions. They are in no particular order (of time or importance) and I hope you'll bear with me as I ramble and try to get my thoughts onto "paper."

I have a wonderful family. I have seen so much love and support from my family that I can't even begin to list it all. A few examples include:

• My parents willing to look after my children week after week while I attend classes.
• My children crying/calling me in the middle of the night showing me how much they need my love and support.
• My sister and her kids willing to look after my children when my parents can't or when I need time alone or with my husband.
• My sister sending me a note telling me how much I help her when she's the one helping me.
• My mother-in-law calling to see how things are going and invite us over for dinner.
• My husband getting up when he doesn't sleep well just so I can sleep in on a Saturday.
• My father-in-law sending small notes in response to these blog posts to let us know he loves us and thinks of us.

I have wonderful friends. Following closely behind my family in the love and support department are the friends I've found (or have found me). One prime example is the friend who, before any offer of returning the favor or compensation, agreed whole-heartedly to watching the kids the once a month my parents aren't able to. Another is the friend who bugs me about going to volleyball. She claims it's because she needs to go, but I'm sure she's just giving me an excuse since it's really me that needs the exercise (she's on her feet a lot at work). :)

I spend WAY too much time online... specifically on Facebook. This one has been a while in coming. A few weeks ago our Bishop (the religious leader of our local congregation) passed along a lesson regarding spending too much wasted time in the clutches of technology. This lesson gave me pause, but I kept telling myself I was okay and that I just needed to cut back a little. Then came the realization that as much as my computer was on, it had been a few weeks since I'd last even glanced at any of the blogs from family and friends that I'd followed so faithfully and even longer since I'd updated my own since I'd been doing mini-blogging on Facebook. I'd partially admitted it to myself (and my sister) the other day when I told her I needed to unplug my network card to force myself to study for my CS 149 exam (can't study without the computer, but the temptation of getting online was... great). The hammer fell today as I read of a dear friend (my niece) who had gone cold-turkey on Facebook as part of an effort to get her life back under control (though there is really no such thing as control in our own lives since all we can do is take one day at a time, handle what we can, and leave to Christ those things we can't). I resolve to spend a lot less time wasting away on Facebook. I won't be off completely, but I'm going to limit the time I spend on there and try hard to ignore the hydras that get away, the mice that do or do not steal my cheese, the treasure that is hidden in the swamp, and the orders piling up in my cafe.

I'm smart. I have yet to determine if this is a good realization or a bad one. It's good because it means that I can usually grasp concepts pretty quickly and do well in my studies. It's good because it means that I can apply my intelligence in ways that will benefit my family, friends, and others that I love. It's not so good because it means that I don't have to work as hard to learn things so my study habits are appalling and it's easy for me to justify wasting time since I don't have to spend as much time studying... which eventually leads to other duties around the house being neglected as well. It's also bad because Dan is smart and our genes have combined to give us VERY smart kids.... sigh.

Budgetting is hard. With the recent remodel of our bathroom, our savings have disappeared and between Christmas and other "necessities" we're realizing how far we've strayed from our budget. This is less of a realiztion and more of a resolution to get back on track. I'm terrible at the couponing that my nieces do so well so I'll have to rely on self-discipline to try and get us through.

I think the time I've spent on this has just about used up my online time, but I think it was worth it. Even if the only person who reads this is myself. Sometimes it requires taking it out of our heads and putting it in "writing" to admit things. And having resolutions on "paper" helps you to set goals and succeed.

HUGS to all of you who've gotten this far. Know that I love you for your support (even if it's just "listening" to me).

Happy New Year You!