Entering a new year...

So tonight is New Year's Eve. As I type this people around my lovely city are catching cat naps, eating dinner and preparing themselves to head out to parties. I am sitting on the couch with my toddler and dog keeping me company, Dave catching a sanity break upstairs and have the lovely smells of the soup I'm cooking surrounding me...and there's no place I'd rather be. Why get all gussied up to head out into 5F weather?! Insanity!!! Nope, keep me in my cosy home with the people I love and adore so much (and my feathered and furry loved ones of course) and I am happy as a clam.

Now onto the resolutions people feel so inclined to write every year. Why do people set themselves up to fail? I know the gym will be packed for the next several weeks by people wanting to "get fit in 2011". Diet franchises will be doing great business as well. I'm pretty sure some home improvement places will be doing a good trade as well with people wanting to get organized and renovate their houses this year. I've nothing against all that...good for them, it's just not for me. Too much pressure. No, this year instead of listing things out that I am bound to not accomplish ( I know me by now), I want to reflect on the things, small things, that I can do to help me become a better person. Last year I wanted to get to know my friends better and attend at least 1 bible study, and I did that. Success! Not only did I accomplish those things, but I got so much back in return.

This year....hmmmmm....definitely sinking my teeth into my faith more. I am loving that Delanah didn't know about Santa this year, but managed to get everyone at our house on Christmas to sing Happy Birthday to Baby Jesus! :) It was awesome and unexpected to get all of our guests to join in. We had to sing through twice to let some of the other kiddos blow out candles too. I am also really enjoying teaching Sunday school and have really enjoyed watching the kids change and grow over the past several months. They're catching on to things now and it's a beautiful thing to see.

I want to date my husband more this year. We've already spoken about leaving Delanah with my parents this August to travel to England for a friends wedding. That's a pretty awesome date! I have one person lined up to babysit Delanah; she teaches Sunday school with me, is great with the kids and I trust her. I remember babysitting when I was her age and I am now realizing what trust the parents had in me to let me do that! I am looking into interviewing more people, mother's helpers if you will, to help me out with DG, especially when Dave is traveling, so I am not so completely exhausted when he gets back from his trips. Yes, I think it's time to court my husband again!

Hmmm...this one I started a few weeks ago and have had success already....taking my health back. I'm over hating how I look and getting upset and depressed about it. Thank you WW for starting a new plan that I am loving following! I am getting more confidence in leaving DG in the daycare at the gym to. Had to work to convince her it was time to go last time!

Yes, I guess these can fall into the category of "resolutions", but I'd like to think of them as more of life improvements; becoming the wife/mother/person I want to be.

Home again...

...and it feels so good! Well, hmmm, maybe I should edit that. I woke Friday morning, after a rough night sleep and using a motion sickness pill to fall asleep, with a really sore throat. Chaos ensued just trying to get our tickets and then get to the gate, not a good way to start so many hours of travel. DG was great on the flight to New Zealand and I was fading fast. More chaos greeted us in Auckland as our plane landed an hour late, our flight was in final boarding, DG was nap-less and full of energy, I was nap-less and losing energy and we had nothing but lines to get through. After a major meltdown, DG, not me, we were ushered to the front of the last line and made it on the plane. It wasn't as empty as we had been led to believe, but right across the aisle from us there was one person sitting at the opposite end of the row, so I leaped at the opportunity and moved across the aisle. I definitely didn't want to expose DG and Dave to what I had and it would give us a respite from traveling with a toddler.

As the flight went on my throat got worse and worse and even a flight attendant stopped by to ask if I was okay as I was apparently looking quite pale. The flight from San Francisco home was nothing and that was the only sleep I had gotten in 24 hours! 1 1/2 hours of sleep! Not cool. We got home to a flat tire, broken credit card machine leaving the parking garage and a rude pay out from the boarding facility, but darn it, we were home!

Painful sleep last night, I couldn't tell if it was my cough and fever keeping me awake or jet lag. Either way...ouch! Hoping tonight, thanks to Nyquil, it's better!!! No one started moving until 10:30 this morning and I was given couch duty, but it just felt great to be home. DG was so cute last night, she kept running from room to room, excitedly pointing out everything and anxiously waiting for Dave to bring Bay home. After spending 2 weeks being told not to go anywhere near dogs that may bite her, it was great to see her so free and loving with her puppy. She took good care of me today, giving me lots of cuddles and making sure I had something to drink...that's my girl!

I didn't get anything done I had wanted to get done today, but that's okay, because we're home!!! It feels so great!! I had a great time, but nothing beats making it home.