Family Update in a Glance!

Family Update in a Glance!

And in an instant.....

This happens!

This is our family update at a glance!

Random happening on a Thursday night at at 8:55 pm!

Maybe this is why I can't organize my thoughts! :)

Would. Not. Change. A. Thing.!

LOVE!

To Begin...

To Begin....

I guess you just need to begin....just start!
Even if you don't have a plan....just start!

I spent the month of January just really trying to get myself together! 

I had so many goals and became so overwhelmed with all the areas of my life I wanted to improve and all the puzzle pieces I needed to put into place to set myself up for the most success as possible.

I needed to .....

             do more yoga....

             drink more water...

             workout and eat healthy.....      

             practice my happy mantra..... 

                                       and write more often!            

I'm doing pretty well!

I'm actually really proud of myself!

And that's where I'm going to begin again!

Since January 6th:

I'm trying to repeat my mantra most days!

I've lost 8.3  pounds!

I've run 64.5 miles!

I've done 21 days of yoga!

I've done 4 21 DF videos!

I've drank more water...not my 80 oz goal but more than 40 oz. each day! 

                     (Progress...not perfection!)

But I kept waiting to organize my thoughts for my next perfect journal!

I've waited and contemplated and organized my thoughts...

I really want to do a family update...

Where we all are...

What we love...

Where we're challenged!

And today....I thought...CRAP! A whole almost month and no post!

So today is just about beginning! Again!

And knowing sometimes the perfect moment to capture is a little pride in what has been accomplished so far...even if the plan for progress towards writing is still emerging!

I'm ok with it!

Just reminding myself....I'm ok with it!

Happiness Project 2.0

Happiness Project 2.0

Today is the 1st day of the rest of your life!

I'm starting right here...right now! 

Focusing on all the "awesomeness" I've found time to create! 

Not focusing on the regrets, the time lapses, the missed moments!

It's all going to be ok!

You see, once upon a time, there was a little girl who received her 1st diary when she was about 7 years old.

She loved everything about it. She didn't remember where she got it or who it was from. But she adored the way it felt. She loved the lock...and it had keys! It was awesome! She hid it every time she wrote in it..between my mattresses. She promised to place all of her deepest, darkest secrets in the pages of this special book.

Of course, sadly, I had a hard time finding time to write in it. 

I didn't have many secrets. And they certainly weren't deep or dark.

Eventually, I got "too old" (my own words), and moved on from my little diary. 

I didn't write much as a teenager. During, my high school and college years I wrote notes to friends and boyfriends but not any notes I have to hold onto.

And the pattern emerged....

In 2008, I found the need to write. I was married with a baby and I wanted to write not about my secrets but my special, quiet moments. Moments I wanted to remember forever!

And then my next entry was 15 months later.

I wrote it 2009 and apologized...TO MYSELF....for not writing more frequently...and promised to write more often!

And then my next entry was 3 months later.

And then 7 months, in June 2010 later I began My Happiness Project!

And then in 2012 I started this blog.

Since that time, I've written 88 times!

For those 88 blogs, I am so grateful!

I look back at my Happiness Project as seriously some of the happiest moments!

Let me explain....

I had an amazing childhood. I have an awesome family. 

I married the most incredible man! 

We have hit the jackpot with our children! 

Together, we have created a really special family and a really, really great life!

I have fabulous friends!

We have a great house. I have a job I adore!

THERE. IS. SO. MUCH. TO. BE. HAPPY. ABOUT!

Here comes the but...

BUT...My memory is awful!

I move fast. It's something I'm working on. I work on and off of lists and I like to have things complete. I am my own worst enemy and I am harder on myself than I am on any of my friends or family. (We all are! And we need to cut ourselves some slack!) 

Because I move fast, I miss the small moments. Teeny, tiny, really big important moments seem to slip right by me because I'm moving fast, I'm not in the moment and I'm truly not paying attention.

Gretchen wrote... 

"There is an importance of keeping happy memories vivid!"  

AND

"Recalling happy times helps boost happiness in the present!

I think I perceive the moments that made up my Happiness Project to be the happiest is because

I remember them the most!

And so...here we are...

On this day...
January 7th, 2018 

There are no promises

Just hopes of writing down more happy moments!!

Because Happy Moments = Happy Memories!

And after all....

Happy Matters!

Love, T

My Vow For Now

And on this day....11/30/2017....I vow that writing will once again be a priority for me!



Looking back at previous posts I am so grateful for these reminders!

My memory is AWFUL and so these posts remind me of moments
captured even if just for a second!

The Me I Hope To Be Part 1.....

The Me I Hope To Be Part 1....

This post is all about amazing ourselves, making changes, reaching goals, and transforming our minds and bodies!

Most days this is me....

I'm most often disorganized (well most often organized chaos)

I'm most often forgetful (can't find my sunglasses that I just put on my head)

I'm most often spread thin (no explanation necessary...we all are!)

I can get overwhelmed.

I hurry.

I struggle daily with being mindful.

I've never actually put laundry in the oven but it's not as far fetched as it sounds.

Today was the exception..

Today I was together. Fancy. Happy. Calm. Kind. Positive. Patient. Grateful. In control.

I was all of this....

I was up and out early at school by 7:45

Paperwork and classroom updates before the kids came in at 9:00

Young Author Day

Times where I was proud to be part of an amazing school team

Pick up kids

Make dinner (so not the norm)

Drop to baseball

Drop to School of Rock

Watch some baseball

Pick up at School of Rock

Watch some more baseball

Get kids home and clean

Clock check.

8:45

And then I PUSHED PLAY!

I. PUSHED. PLAY. FOR. THE. 60TH. CONSECUTIVE. DAY!

Everyone knows that Domenic typically keeps his cape hidden under his clothes.
That we make this wild life work by leaning on each other and sharing the chaos.
Tonight was one of those nights I needed to tackle on my own since he had school graduation!

More transformations in part 2....

When Perfect Is Not Possible

When Perfect Is Not Possible....

When Perfect Is Not Possible....

Which is never!

I have this idea of perfect. This idea of how's things are "supposed" to go. This way of how I want them, how I've planned them, what I've prepared, what I'm anticipating. And it's not always "perfect" that I'm looking or preparing for. But it never makes the outcomes different when things don't quite work out the way I want.

Let's be honest...

I'm a chick, a mom, a wife, sister, friend. And I'm loved and needed.

I have 3 amazing sons who are 2, 6, and 10 who have their own things going on and who often need their momma.

I work full time as a special teacher for kids for with special needs. And days and moments don't always go as planned!

I have a wonderful husband who is my team mate in all things life! 

And I'm working on me! Trying to be the best ME I can be. 

Trying to be healthy, and strong, and organized, and calm, and patient, while still dreaming and chasing goals.

AND. IT. IS. NOT. EASY.

And when 1 thing goes wrong or off plan, I crack. 

And I have to force myself to not feel like a failure. 

Because in my head, sadly I have 2 stages...

Perfection

And

Failure

And I know there is so much more!

I just have trouble seeing it.

And living it.

And I need to try harder. 

I'm working on it!

Because I don't want it to kill 

my skill, 

my spark, 

my art, 

my soul!

Here's to be excellent! Not perfect!

A Good Weight On Me

A Good Weight On Me

So I think about weight a lot and I talk about weight a lot! Probably to a detriment! But I'm determined! I'm eating clean as often as I can and I'm working out harder than I have in my life! I'm proud of myself! And I want to be healthy and strong!

But this isn't about my body weight!

I often think about the weight of stress! I'm thinking all the time. I have lists upon lists upon lists! 

But this isn't about the weight of my thoughts either!

Instead tonight...I'm completely relaxed with the weight of my children on me! LITERALLY!

I can't get up to capture this moment in a picture and it's all ok!

It's a Tuesday night!
We finished homework.
Domenic and I exercised (with Nick and Zack exercising with us here and there!).
We had dinner.
Did baths.
And we all laid on the couch to watch Survivor...and everyone's asleep.
Luke's legs are across mine and both Nick and Zack are laying on either side of me!

The weight of another body on you is funny!
It's warm and heavy!
And as their body's rise and fall with each breath, I don't want to move to stir them!

They are so peaceful!

I am so filled with love at this very moment!

And I'll probably stay up later tonight...just to prolong feeling the weight of my boys I love so, so much!