As 2018 comes to a close I can't help but take a moment to reflect back on the great memories it provided. My daughter began doing overnights at my parents' house once a month to give my husband and I some time together. She turned two! I got to ride a dinner train. Our family dynamic shifted as we said goodbye to one of our dogs, not a great memory but an impactful one. We said goodbye to a few loved ones but welcomed several others into the family. 

We watched each member of my family shift, grow, and change in positive ways. While it has been the most notable with my two year old, I can see how it has changed my husband and I as we grow in our parenting and in our relationship as well.

At the moment the memory bringing me joy is one of us looking at teardrop campers. It was exciting to be taking a step towards making a dream come true. But more enjoyable was the chuckle gotten from my two year old taking the salesman around saying, "Let's open this one. This one is my favor....oh! A BLUE one. Come here, let's open it. The blue one is my favorite! Look! That one is shiny! I just hold the keys. Let's open the shiny one!" Wuahahaha! And around the whole lot she led him and he kindly opened nearly every trailer, smiling and laughing the whole way.

This was the first year I found a system that seemed to work in truly holding me accountable to keeping each monthly goals throughout the year. Which means it is the first year I can truly build and move forward on those goals in the coming year. While I stepped away from teaching Project Joy, a positive goal setting class in 2018, I'm grateful that when I do return to it in a few years I will have better resources to be effective and help others be effective. In the meantime I look forward to growing and continuing my own goals in 2019.

I'm grateful for a good year behind me. I'm grateful that even with its challenges and struggles I can look back with a positive focus and say, honestly, it was a great year. I'm grateful to have found more balance this year as a parent and as a person. I'm grateful for my amazing family. I'm grateful for all the exciting things to come in 2019! I'm grateful to look ahead with excitement and confidence to say it will be another great year! I'm grateful to keep moving forward both on my personal goals and on our goals as a family. I'm grateful to enter 2019 in health and with a healthy family. And I'm grateful and eager to get to see how my daughter will grow and change in the coming year. I'm grateful for all the laughter that 2019 will bring.

What were your best memories of 2018? Even the most challenging years have great moments to remember. What would you like to see happen in your life in 2019? How can you not just envision that goal but take steps toward achieving it? How will you make 2019 a great year?

May today give us the opportunity to find closure on whatever challenges faced us in 2018. May we step forward into the new year with a positive outlook, confidence, and loving heart. Have a beautiful day!

Communication goes a long way, whether it is bridging a gap or just sharing interests. I didn't say talking; I said communication. The difference is communication has listening built in. You can't hold a conversation effectively if you aren't listening.

My husband and I are very different. People say opposites attract and that may be true but communication is what distinguishes if they will make it passed the attraction. For my husband and I honestly and a good dose of humor help a lot.

​I have friends from all walks of life, all backgrounds, going through a wide range of challenges and successes. To me, friendship isn't about what I would do in their situation. It is about being there to listen and support what they are doing to get through their situation. It is about celebrating their successes, no matter what that looks like to them, because they want to celebrate.

I have a sweatshirt that says, "Humanity is my race, Love is my religion." I get asked a lot about what I believe. But my beliefs shouldn't really matter to anyone but me. Beliefs are they way we individually choose to interpret life and speak to whatever power comforts us. As long as those are not inflicting harm on others, I have no problem with any beliefs.

It is my belief that no religion was actually built for violence. It is the followers fear and the people in "charge" miscommunication and misinterpretations that lead to judgments and violence. So let's put all of that aside and just communicate. We are all people. We are all significant in our ability to impact this world and all so temporary in the time we have to do that. Why not make our time here worth it? Why not spread love?

I'm grateful to listen. I'm grateful to do my best to speak from love and not from fear. I'm grateful when I am corrected when I don't see the error of my mistakes so that I can apologize. I'm grateful for religions that give people hope and comfort. I'm grateful for communities that support. I'm grateful for people being authentically themselves no matter what gender, belief, or career that presents. I'm grateful to have a variety of friends from a variety of backgrounds, outlooks, and with a variety of goals. I'm grateful to love each of them. I'm grateful to try each day to do my part to make this world a supportive and loving place. I'm grateful for every person doing the same. I'm grateful to know we can make a difference.

On a personal note, I'm grateful for the things my husband and I have in common like Jeep camping. I'm grateful for all our differences that help make each of us more rounded. I'm grateful we do not hold the same religion because it makes our perspectives that much more love based. I'm grateful to give both perspectives and any others we can share with my daughter so that she can choose when she is older what works for her. I'm grateful to see all this as simple; it is not complicated to give love. 

How many perspectives do you allow in your life? How can you step passed yours to give love to the people around you who are different?

May we keep it simple. May we recognize we are all the same at our core. May we show love and respect for our fellow humans. And may we make this world a more loving, accepting place for future generations. Have a beautiful day!

When my daughter was little, ok even littler, we taught her Cardinal, Bluejay, and Robin rather than just saying "bird". It was easy because our backyard swarmed with these three beautiful birds as well as several smaller varieties. I loved watching then hop and fly around each day as I ate my meals.

Towards the end of summer we lost a large tree in the backyard. Thankfully when it fell toward the house it missed by a few feet, barely landing on the deck. In the process it shattered the bowl of our birdbath. I had put a small bowl of water out on the ground but it frequently dried up or got spilled. The birds slowly left.

For Christmas my parents got me a birdbath. And yesterday when I woke it was raining. I ran to drag it outside and assemble it. I wanted to catch as much rain as possible and start the process of the birds returning.

My husband teased me because in my excitement I ran out in the rain in my robe, no pants, and snow boots. Our backyard is pretty private because of all the trees and brush. And as I pointed out, any neighbor that might see me has already met me so they probably wouldn't be all that surprised. It's not like I fully dress to let the dog out in the middle of the night or even usually first thing in the morning. I'm covered and meeting other people's standards of appearance has never been high on my priorities.

But no matter, I did get the birdbath set up and I didn't see any neighbors. The rain has continued all day and all night. It is too dark to see it out there this morning but I am eager to begin seeing a return of my flock. I only hope the wind howling and raging is tamed by the trees.

I'm so grateful for my birdbath! I'm grateful for the anticipation of the return of Cardinals and other birds. I'm grateful for nature providing the perfect opportunity for my cup...or birdbath... to overflow. I'm grateful for the joy these beautiful birds give my heart. I'm grateful to know the squirrels will also benefit and continue to entertain my dog and toddler. I'm grateful for the invasive honeysuckle's provision of berries that also attract the birds despite our best efforts to get rid of it. I'm grateful to have such a beautiful and wild backyard. 

What brings you joy? How can you attract more of it to you?

May today give us clear insight into what fills our hearts. May we take conscious steps to add more of this to our lives. Have a beautiful day!

I find myself lying awake in these wee hours thinking about comfort. I woke when my daughter cried out searching for her binky. But alas her comforting binky broke nearly three days ago and was not there for her to find. It only took her a minute or two to cuddle back into her pillow and go back to sleep but that was enough to pull my heartstrings and get my mind wandering.

A binky seems like such a simple thing. It is a replacement when nursing ends ,or at least when it isn't happening in that moment, but mimics that same comfort. But between the binky stage and adulthood we have to find other ways to comfort ourselves. 

There are stages of comforts and there are degrees of comfort needed depending on the situation. And throughout life we lose other comforts and have to find new ones. I know for me my mom is still one of my biggest comforts. I know that some day she may not be there and the thought is utterly terrifying. I think of my other comforts, from other people to gratitude to making a blanket cocoon, depending on the situation at hand. 

There are other comforts some people seek through escapes. Some people are able to zen their way through a situation or talk it out while others need some kind of tangible comfort. I'm sure, like me, most people have a variety of types of comfort depending on the situation and vulnerability level. 

After four days of Christmas celebrations and two days of large groups I have watched my daughter struggle at bedtime. The schedule is thrown off, she is overtired and overstimulated. People say, "yes, it is so hard at this age." In reality I feel the same. I love seeing family and celebrating to the max but I too feel the vibration of overstimulation, struggle to sleep, and seek extra comforts to unwind again. 

It is harder at two-years-old because your resources are fewer. And what a time to have to go without your main comfort object! So as a parent how do we help teach our children healthy comfort practices? I laid in my daughter's bed for fifteen minutes last night modeling a "woosah" calming breath to remind her to just breathe as she had herself all worked up. Eventually it "worked" enough for her to tell me "mommy quiet. hold my hand." Haha!

What works for us doesn't always work for someone else. She didn't want a lesson she wanted me to be present. And I can definitely respect that. We held hands for just a couple minutes and she was out like a rock.

I admire her awareness for her own needs and I'm so grateful she can communicate that to me. I'm grateful to let go of what I think I know or what I think is best when she tells me otherwise. I'm grateful to respect that even at two she knows what she needs. I'm grateful to be here for her as she shifts her comfort skills. I'm grateful to give her models of different types of comforts and I'm grateful to step back and let her choose what works. I'm grateful to recognize and read my own energy and see where it is not just my toddler overtired and overstimulated. And I'm grateful to have a bag of tools to use to help myself rebalance. 

What are some ways you find comfort? Are they supportive in helping you achieve your goal? Do they restore balance or just get you through the moment?

May today remind us we all share some core challenges and we all have our own ways of getting through them. May we seek and find what works for us and find comfort and balance in the process. Have a beautiful day!

For my family, Christmas morning is like Christmas round two...or three or four. Many of our celebrations happen on Christmas Eve and yesterday was no different. 

I stuffed myself on "hanky panky" appetizers and was too full for Christmas dinner, as usual. We opened more presents that we needed with the joy and eagerness of children. And we reconnected with my aunts, uncles, and cousins on my dad's side of the family that we don't get to see often enough.

Listening to all the wonderful things my family is up to these days is inspiring. One cousin is helping to make great humanitarian projects happen smoothly around the world! I love that! It fills my heart with gratitude to hear people making positive changes. And it made me happy to hear that he in turn reads this blog!

Christmas Eve may have wound down with an overstimulated and overtired toddler needing extra mommy cuddles, but even with a handful of parenting faux pas throughout the day I considered it a success. It was a wonderful day!

I'm so grateful for our Christmas Eve traditions. I'm grateful for the amazing generosity of my family. I'm grateful for my two-year old's kindness in "helping" everyone open all their presents. I'm grateful for the little laughs like this that come from such a fun, explorative age. I'm grateful to remember patience as we rode out a nearly two hour meltdown and I'm grateful for the grace to just hold her calmly. I'm grateful to be able to come home to the dog with gifts for her to open as well. 

I'm grateful for my amazing huge family. I'm grateful for the way Facebook helps us stay connected through the year. I'm grateful to get to meet the new babies of the year in person and hear the celebratory stories of the season. I'm grateful to be present for those who are going through struggles and make extra time for them in the new year. I'm grateful to hear about the positive things going on in the world and all the beautiful surprises that the coming year may bring.

Last but not least I'm grateful to wake up Christmas morning for another Christmas celebration. I'm grateful to get the morning to sleep in and take our time celebrating with our toddler and fur-baby. I'm grateful for the beauty that this morning brings. I'm grateful to see the stockings stuffed and the tree of presents even if I was the one that put them there. I'm grateful for the excitement of awaiting my daughter's reaction when she sees she is getting her own mini trampoline. I'm grateful for a merry Christmas and more time with more family.

Merry Christmas morning! What is your favorite part of this day? What excitement does it hold for you? Who will you spend time with today?

May today remind us the bigger beauty of just being together. May we remember the true spirit of Christmas has nothing to do with presents under the tree. And may we find the good in each moment to cherish this day. Have a beautiful day!

Christmas Eve has arrived! Tonight is the night that Baby Jesus will be born and Santa will spend all night delivering gifts to good girls and boys. And since we have passed the Winter Solstice, the night will be slightly shorter to get all this done. 

It is fitting the days will be getting a little longer as hope is celebrated and re-birthed. Those who have been struggling can hopefully find some solace that Spring is coming again. And no matter how you choose to celebrate, or even what religion you choose to identify with this season, I hope you find time to spend with the ones you love.

I will not delve into my beliefs here but I find such strength in the rich symbolism this time of year. It was not always the case. I used to really struggle this time of year. Having a young daughter and all the magic she sees in the holidays definitely helps. But it was also coming to an understanding within myself and allowing old pains and confusion to heal that helped the lights shine a little brighter on the tree and the season taste a little sweeter.

Everyone's story is different but no matter your story I hope you find some peace this holiday season. I hope you find people to be with that bring you joy. And I hope you find comfort in the days beginning to grow longer again.

I'm grateful for a peaceful Christmas Eve morning. I'm grateful for a fun weekend with family. I'm grateful to wake back in my own bed with my own pillow. I'm grateful my daughter slept fairly well last night despite the "death" of her beloved binky. I'm grateful for a day ahead of family and celebration. I'm grateful to be welcomed home by an eager and playful "puppy" of twelve years. I'm grateful the only stirring is that of my fingers on the keyboard and not the rest of the household, and especially not a mouse.  I'm grateful for a beautiful new day, and a slightly longer one at that.

What is your favorite tradition on Christmas Eve? Who do you choose to spend your time with at the holidays? And what are you grateful for this morning?

​May today remind us of all the beauty in today. May we find comfort and strength in the symbolism and love all around us. Have a beautiful day!

I found myself struggling to sleep last night with the anticipation of the upcoming holidays. Sure Christmas is still technically four days away but the celebrations kick off today!

The presents are ready and wrapped but the to do list is still not completed. There are still ugly sweaters to be made and stuff to be packed. The baked goods need divided into which parties they will be going. Yet it is not stress but sheer excitement that kept me awake. Christmas is almost here!

I'm grateful to be enjoying the season this year. I'm grateful to get a fresh view of the holidays as I see it through my two-year-old's eyes. I'm grateful for the excitement I have to get to see so much family in such a short amount of time. I'm grateful for the laughter and fun we will have together. I'm grateful for five whole days off work to just be with family and play. And I'm grateful for the spirit of giving, even when I find myself needing to reel it back in a little. 

What is your favorite thing about the holidays? What is one tradition you kept from childhood? If you are someone who struggles during the holiday season, as I used to; who can you reach out to and spend time with to lift your spirits?

May everyone have a safe and joyful holiday season. May you feel the love and generosity of the people around you. May we give as much as we get and find joy in being in balance. Have a beautiful day!

Teachers literally build our future one day and one child at a time. The way they help shape young minds will determine where we will go in the future. Encouragement and empowerment brings great change as children grow with confidence to impact their world.

My daughter is two and yet even at this young age I can se the impact her teachers have had on her. I hear phrases they use through both her play and her interactions with me. And when I ask her what she is thankful for, her teachers always make that list. 

I'm so grateful for my daughter's teachers that seem to have a great balance in liveliness, joyful spirits, and ability to guide. I'm grateful for their commitment each day to my daughter and her friends. I'm grateful for all the teachers out there who are working to shape our future. I'm grateful for the teachers that truly love teaching and children. I'm grateful for the years I spent teaching and I'm grateful for each and every student I had the privilege of interacting. I'm grateful to be a different sort of teacher now as a mom. I'm grateful for the holiday break coming and to get to have my daughter home with me. I'm grateful the teachers will get a short break as well to rejuvenate and take some time for themselves. 

Today I "raise my glass" to all the teachers out there. Thank you for all you do! Thank you for finding a way to encourage each child to reach their fullest potential. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday break and get a little self-care time.

I still have teachers from my youth that I think of frequently. I can pinpoint a handful of teachers that truly inspired me and shaped who I became. And honestly most of those teachers were from my young, elementary years. I used to go back and visit them but they have all retired by now. But my gratitude continues for all they did to inspire me.

What teachers inspired you? What was one specific instance you remember of a teacher making a lasting positive impact on you?

May all the teachers find time to renew their spirits and reconnect to their love of teaching. May all the students take a break and come back with appreciation. May we all give thanks for all those who impacted how far we have come. Have a beautiful day!

We are meant to keep moving forward. Life is always moving forward, like a river current. Sometimes it sweeps us along fast while other times we find a slower lull. 

The holidays always seem to sweep me along faster. The days fly by and there is usually more to do than hours in the day. The best we can do is prioritize and try to do what we can do.

Taking the list one item at a time means progress. And progress is good enough for me.

Yesterday I had a whole list of things to get done. Instead I lay on the sofa most the day with my sick child. Some things on my list will probably not get done now and that is something I have to accept. If it means not participating in an ugly sweater contest because I didn't have time to make the sweaters, we will survive. 

Prioritizing means knowing what means the most to me and letting the rest go. My family's health is most important and so I will probably not do a few more things off the holiday list in order to clean the house from any germs spread yesterday.

It also meant sleeping in my daughter's room last night so we could both get a little sleep and just sitting to do my blog two hours later than usual. We are still moving forward and that is good enough for me.

I'm grateful to keep moving forward. I'm grateful to slow things down yesterday, brush off the list, and just be there for my daughter. I'm grateful for the many ways my husband and my mom picked up some of my slack. I'm grateful my daughter seems to be feeling more like herself. I'm grateful to get to just lie on the sofa yesterday with my phone out of reach just being in the moment stroking both my daughter and my dog's hair. I'm grateful to keep my focus on health as we get closer to the holidays. I'm grateful to not worry about the things on my list that aren't part of the grand scheme, parties will survive without one extra chocolate covered treat.

What can you prioritize today? How do you keep moving forward when there seem to be more plates than hands? 

May today restore health. May we find what is important and prioritize our day moving forward from there. Have a beautiful day!

My two-year-old daughter has been working on her negotiation skills. This includes stalling things she doesn't want to happen "just a couple more minutes." A common phrase in our house, "I don't have to go to bed yet; I can play just a couple more minutes." 

There are times, as a mom, I wish things would progress a little quicker...like potty training. But ninety percent of the time I can't help but wish stalling life, slowing things down, could be as easy as one little phrase.

On Christmas my daughter will be twenty-eight months, two and a third years old. Where did the time go? Granted a large portion of it is probably a blur because of sleep deprivation, but I still can't believe the bitty thing I brought home from the hospital is in "school" now.

How can I get just a couple more minutes? The one thing I have learned is being present makes all the difference. I don't mean being physically home with her; but actually engaged. From our dance-offs to making sugar cookies, to just snuggling up and reading books; it is the moments spent truly engaged with her that help slow down time a little bit.

And now that she is getting to be a better sleeper and in a big girl bed it is nice to indulge her. "Mommy, snuggle me just a couple more minutes?" I'd love to! 

There will come a day when this sweet toddler will become a teenager, an adult and our time together will be limited. Until then I will just keep asking the Universe for just a couple more minutes with my baby.

I'm grateful for my sweet, smart, ornery little girl. I'm grateful to see how her personality has developed. I'm grateful to do my best to guide her in constructive ways and teach her how to be a good person. I'm grateful for my little helper that loves spending time with me. I'm grateful for all the invitations I get to come play and even more grateful for all the times I get to say yes. I'm grateful for cuddles as she drifts off to sleep. I'm grateful for all she has taught me. And I'm grateful for just a couple more minutes...

What would you like to slow down and enjoy? How can you be present with the the people or events that are most important to you?

​May today remind us that time is a relative concept. May we choose to spend our time consciously and claim just a couple more minutes for the ones we love. Have a beautiful day!