Happy 2012!

Last year around this time, we were fighting off snow storms and trying to stay warm despite power outages and below-zero temperatures. It was our first Cambridge winter with a baby, and our last Cambridge winter EVER.

Today, we celebrated the new year with open windows and 60 something degree temperatures. We're a little more South than last year (or a lot), and we got to spend the holiday season with family.

I like to look at life in terms of overall successes, instead of day to day failures. We're better off this year than we were last year, and not just in terms of warmth and sunshine.

This year we learned how to find and appreciate the balanced life. There's a time for work and a time for family. Yes, Jose has an awesome job that keeps him away 60-70 hours a week sometimes, but that's not all I'm referring to when I talk about "time for family" (he does a great job of balancing it all, by the way). We've learned how to make it work. Our time together is richer. We spend less time on the computer and more time talking to each other.

A full time job as a mom is also work. I've learned how to accept help without feeling inadequate. I'm learning that by taking these breaks, I'm actually investing in my family. I have more to offer, because I get a chance to refuel. Thankfully, I have a wonderful helpmate for a husband who supports and respects my job. Sometimes a break means hiring a sitter for a few hours so I can cook a meal without interruptions. Other times it means taking my parents up on their offer to babysit when they visit so we can go on a date (because they truly enjoy it! Plus, this is their not-so-indirect way of making sure they get more grandkids HA :).

But this year I want to focus more on words instead of actions. Whether I keep them to myself as thoughts, speak them into prayers, or share them with someone else, I want my words to reflect appreciation... Speaking more appreciative words to my husband... Spending more time praying for the blessings in my life (people) and thanking God for them, instead of planning and organizing...

I can already tell you that I've messed up on January 1st, 2012 :)! There are a few hours left, though. That's why I like to look at the big picture. If the picture I see on December 31, 2012 is any clearer than the one I saw on December 31, 2011, then I must be doing something right. And don't get me wrong, I love what I see. Just a few touch-ups need to be made. But honestly, it has to do with where I'm standing... and next year I hope to be standing closer to the Light that reflects the truth. That's what I hope for every year, or every day, really.