Texas

*Note: You may have not noticed that I have changed the background of the blog. Take note of my awesomeness and the incredible things I can do with Microsoft Word and Paint. That’s right, I rock!*

In the past, visiting Texas has been a pain. So many people demanding to see my time and not enough people pleased with the time I’m able to give them. I typically have a “out of body” experience. I go where ever I’m demanded to be and while there I count down the time until my next visit. It has almost always been a miserable experience for me.

This trip has been different. I’ve enjoyed the time I’ve spent with others. I focus less on where I need to go next, and more on the time I’m currently spending with people. You may be wondering what has made such a difference. There have been sever major changes and one of those changes is that we are able to be here for a month. In the past, visits haven’t been longer than a week and a half. Three and a half weeks has allowed us to take our time and visit all kinds of people. I am LOVING it!

So here is a small play by play of how the first week has gone.

Dec 29th: We went to the mall and did a photo shoot.

                                    The Great Grandkids: Jay Bear, Quino, Feathers and Hulk

Dec 30th: Another small photo shoot with Quino and a real tree

Jan 1: More Family, More Photos

                                 Cousins

Neecie, Jay Bear, and Quino

Me Being Mobbed by Raqi and Hulk

Giving the Memaw Kisses                              

What I’ve learned this year

New Years is such an exciting time. I love setting goals for the next year and reflecting on things that I’ve learned from the past year. I’d like to share with you what I’ve learned this year.

1) We teach people how to treat us.
                Gone are the days of allowing people to walk all over me. I now am more open with others. I express my feelings and opinions. When people can’t treat me with respect, then I spend less time with them. No one is ever entitled to mistreat me. This does not entitle me to be mean to others, but it does allow me to stand up for myself, my family, and my parenting style.

2) Change takes time
                This has been a difficult but important principle for me to learn. I want change to occur immediately. After years of not exercising, I immediately want to be consistent at it. I get frustrated with myself when Quino goes through a growth spurt and I barely have the energy to cook dinner. So I remind myself, change takes time. It allows me to be more patient with myself; it gives me room to err. It also reminds me that, even though it does take time, I have to be actively working towards change.

3) Set small reasonable goals
                Having Quino in my life has been one of the most rewarding experiences ever! It is also the most draining. I have big plans and dreams for how our house will look, be organized and run. This often leads to disappointment, because Quino is only 5 months old and is still very needy. Whenever I get discouraged, I look at my goals and I change them. There is nothing wrong with small, reasonable goals. They allow me to do bare minimum some days without feeling like a failure. Other days I can go above and beyond and feel like a champion! Either way, I feel successful

This has been a year of great change for our little family, some hard and some good. What matters most is that we strive to learn from our mistakes and become better people. We surround ourselves with things and people that uplift us. We show love and compassion to others. We continually grow and improve as a family. I’m grateful for what I’ve learned in 2011 and I’m grateful for a new year with new opportunities, joys and learning experiences.

Happy New Year from Feathers and Quino!