Back to Resolutions

For the year of 2012 I had a secret resolution. One no one knew about but me. It was a project to see if I could do something to bring happiness. The goal: consciously find 100 ways throughout the year to serve my wonderful husband in a way that was meaningful to him (and without thought for myself). The result: I only made it to 50 :( BUT! I did work on it throughout the whole year, not just at the beginning and then stopping.

I found that it was hard to find little things that I could do for him that were entirely for him and that did not often involve purchasing something. The times that I did forget myself and focused more on making him happy, however, were very happy times. I feel like I learned a lot from this resolution and I may even try it again later - shhh . . . don't tell the Mr. ;)

Here's a quick review, in picture, of my journey to happiness:

Sweet Nostalgia

Oh the Holidays! Such wonderful times!

The warm cuddle times!

The sweet abundance of a seemingly endless food supply!

The great warm weather for outdoor activities :)

The random moments of relaxation and "picture perfect" moments actually caught on camera for once.

The great company and close-up view of wildlife. (Seriously, what are all these pale creatures stuck on a wooden platform doing in my grazing area?)

The soft sitting areas, friendly animals, and kisses!

Ahhh! Sweet nostalgia already!

P.S. We had a wonderful time with the Remund side too! Unfortunately, most of the actual documentation was done by the pro - Miss Britt, Photographer. Though the melodies sung (by the adults as well as the crying trio), food shared (both intentionally and accidentally), and great nap times were so fabulous!

What a Blessed Day

Over the Holiday season, we had the wonderful opportunity to bless Munchkin while we had so much family around! What fun it was - and our little man was such a stud!

He knows he is the center of attention, so naturally he had to delay his own blessing by a whole half hour! The little Munchkin has us all wrapped around his little finger!

Oh! You mean you are waiting for me?! Couldn't be!

Wait! Hold the phone! . . . I need my cuddle time first and foremost!

With Munchkin's grandparents and great grandparents on both sides :)

Adorable blessing tux courtesy of Aunt C (thanks much!)

Weighing In

I have been thinking a lot lately about weight and healthy weight loss lately. Mostly because I have learned something interesting. In case you weren't aware, pregnancy tends to bring a long period of weight gain followed by a variable period of weight loss. From my experience, I learned something quite interesting: my actual weight does not really affect how I feel (about myself, about life, etc).

"If I could just lose those 5 extra pounds . . . " then what? Honestly, from my experience, it's not the pounds that make a difference (unless we are talking mass weight loss here). I have been lighter than ever before in my life; I have been heavier than ever before in my life. During both periods I have had great days as well as ones where I want to lose just a little bit more.

Clearly, the actual weight isn't what makes the difference. I believe it is something else, something far more simple than just losing the weight - the small, simple things I do each day for my body. I feel so much better when I eat right, don't eat a lot of junk food, and get some form of exercise.

Those simple, yet sometimes difficult everyday things seem to be the difference between an I-feel-great-about-my-body day and an I-wish-I-could-change-my-body day. :)

What do you think?

Our Baby is Adorable!

Munchkin is so darn cute! I am just saying (not that I'm biased or anything!). And such a big boy too; at 2 months he was 12 lbs 7 oz. and 24 3/4 inches long (sorry Germanys). 

And he has learned a new trick:

We have full-on conversations now :)

Oh, and he LOVES games with daddy!