New Dog Learning Old Tricks

Just call me "Modern Millie"...

Before moving to our new locale, I thought I was hip, cool, collected, together... A  truly MODERN woman!

WRONG!

 Full-time job, full-time mom, full-time wife - and more often than not in that order!  I was not a rock-star or superwoman at any of it!  I was paddling upstream with one broken high heel as my oar. 

Have you seen the Got Milk? commercials with Salma Hayek (Penelope Cruz's look-alike) frantically searching for milk?  That is what I now realize I felt like (and quite possibly looked like)!

Then, BOOM!, God said "Melody, child of mine, REST in me!" HUH?!?!  Rest...what is that!  I don't have time to rest, God... you have given me two full-of-life little blessings, I have things to do, some of them for you (what!?!), and you want me to rest??? 

Hold the presses! 

1. How was I doing "things" in honor of my Father without His blessing?  He was telling me to REST, right, yet I thought I was busy doing work FOR Him?

2.  How was I living out my first calling to my Father if I was not honoring my husband by putting Mike second only to God on my totem pole?  (1 Peter 3:1-6)

3.  How was I mothering my children and showing them God's love when my focus was never, let's be blantly honest, fixed on them?  (Proverbs 22:6)

Man, it is SO good to finally have opened eyes, an open heart and mind to the TRUTH!  How many other beautiful women of God have been listening to half-truths of their worth in the home?  Ladies, the enemy is out working, spinning these lies, twisting them so that they sound true. 

I no longer want to be "I am woman hear me roar!"  I yearn and strive each day to belong to my Heavenly Father, my husband and my children. 

That is where I have found myself. Thoroughly Modern Millie, as I now call myself.  I am a modern daughter, wife and mother learning some wonderful tricks of old. 

As Ryan so sweetly sings these days, "The Bible tells me so..."

Just a Few Handfuls of Love...

I hate to admit that I just uncovered this draft...and I have no idea why it didn't get published for the world to have this very, ahem!, important update from the Hansen homestead.  (This had to have been started around April, maybe...oops!)

• Andrew is a funny kid and he has a great, fun loving personality.  I have really enjoyed him the last several days.  It is nothing that he has done.  It really is all me.  It's funny because I know that I am a good mom.  I at least try my hardest to be.  Andrew is a great kid, just very independent, self-reliant and bullheaded.  The red headed temper doesn't help much either.  This past Saturday was the first time since we have moved and I have been staying at home 5 days a week (working part-time for a university) that I have felt like a REALLY good stay-at-home mom.  It made me sad to think about everything I have missed, but gratefully and completely blessed to be finding my path to what life can be like for all of us in our new journey.  (Update: As you know, I am now thankful to be able to stay at home full time with my little red and blond headed monsters!)

• Speaking of Andrew being a funny kid... Tonight at the dinner table Mike asked Andrew if he had told anyone at school about going fishing and making a catch (family trip to the pond on the golf course last night).  Andrew said, "Ah, man, no! I told myself I was going to remember, but I didn't."  Mike said, "Boy, you sound like your mom."  To which Andrew replied, "Well, I better change my voice, ahem, ahem!" he said clearing his throat.

• Ryan's favorite song right now is "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."  He has just been singing it randomly out of the blue.  His little voice becomes so high and sweet sounding.  He will sing and sing until he gets to "like a diamond in the sky"... and then he gets stuck, like a record player (if anyone can remember what those are) and he sings that one line over and over and over and over again until you help him continue on.  It is pretty funny.  We counted eleven times before my sister couldn't take it any more and helped him get to the end of the song.

• Andrew is playing t-ball this spring.  He is in the "competitive" t-ball group.  It is amazing to sit back and watch the dynamics of the parents of each team we have played so far.  Our team's parents are very laid back, positive and cheerful.  The parents of the team that we played last week were intense, focused and yelled a LOT.  Might I remind you that while we are on the "competitive" side of the league that these kids are just 5 and 6 years-old. 1.2.3.4.5 & 6.  We had to chuckle under our breath at one mom who was KEEPING STATS and argued with the 13 year-old umpire about how many runs they had during one of the innings.  Ridiculous.  What happened to letting kids have fun?  Especially at school these days!  But that is a soap box to be saved for another day.

Laundry, Laundry, Who Likes Laundry???

Hmmm... I don't want to even say (type?) the word. 

It is like saying "the Scottish play" name in a theater.  Bad luck for everyone involved.

That is how I feel about laun... laund... laundry!

There, I said it (typed it!).

After spending an HOUR sorting out Mike's clothes that he wanted wrinkle free by putting them in the dryer - all 100 articles of clothing (okay, an exaggeration, but not by much), I thought there has to be a better way to do this thing called laundry.

I don't mind sticking a load in the washer, moving it to the dryer and then placing it in a laundry basket... or more often reality in our home, a pile on the bed that then gets moved to the floor, then back to the bed before going back to the floor again, and then moved to an undisclosed location when company is coming over.  (No, you will never find my hiding place so don't even try!)

I have been on the search for some fabulous, laundry-hate curing tips. 

Here are my top 10 that I have (or will) put into practice...

10. To help reduce wrinkling, fold or hang clothes as soon as possible after the dryer cycle ends. If this is not possible, slightly dampen a cloth, add it to the load and then run the dryer for a few minutes. The moisture and heat will help the wrinkles fall out. It's also a good idea to run a cool-down cycle at the end of the drying time. All laundry items are more prone to wrinkling if left sitting in a pile when they are hot. If your washer has steam washes, this can also reduce wrinkles.  (Tip from LG Laundry Tips)

9. Sort your laundry by fabric type, color and water temperature. Keep clothes that require hand washing or dry clean only items separate. Divide the rest into 5 piles for best results:

• 1. Whites — everything white, underwear, t-shirts, handkerchiefs, etc.
• 2. Lights — including striped whites, off-whites and pastels
• 3. Darks — everything dark, like blacks, blues, browns
• 4. Brights — reds, yellows, oranges, fluorescents
• 5. Delicates — fine linens, lingerie, some synthetic fabrics

Who knew that there was more sorting to do than just WHITES and DARKS?  Yikes! (Tip from LG Laundry Tips)

8. You can make your own homemade laundry detergent...cheap!  I found Bethany and her blog The Big Red Pot on Pinterest.  She gives some directions and shares a tutorial about how you can make your own laundry detergent.  Certainly going to give it a try!

7. White distilled vinegar is my new bff.  It can do EVERYTHING!  Check out the WDV resume HERE.

6. I actually learned this tip from my mother-in-law... Use your washing machine to prolong the life of your shower curtain (vinyl, heavy plastic or cloth).  Just add your laundry detergent and a little bleach and hang that sparkling baby back up in your shower to dry.  Amazing!

5. Body oils rub onto shirt collars and attract dirt, leaving them grimy and worse for wear. Reverse the damage by grabbing your shampoo and a clean paintbrush and paint a line over the soiled collar before washing.  (Tip from Shine from Yahoo)

4. Get organized. Get your children involved as soon as they can help with even the simplest of tasks when it comes to laundry.  I make Andrew help with the laundry by making sure all his dirty clothes make it into his dirty clothes basket.  Now that he is capable of doing more, I will certainly be taking some cues from Amy at The Idea Room who has a laundry system like no other!  I will strive for this organization in my laundry life!

3. Like the homemade laundry detergent, I am blown away with the idea of making your own dryer sheets.  Totally going to try by following the Damsel at Old School blog and her tips for stopping static cling and saving some money too!

2. Taking advantage of spaces for storage that you might be missing - I sure have been, but not after reading the wonderful tips from Infarrantly Creative. She has found ways to utilize the space on the inside of her cabinets all over her house - and especially in the laundry room.  Brilliant!

1.  Clean your washing machine.  It is important (so I have learned the absolute hard way)!  I have front loading machines and no one told me how I would have to care for them in any specific way to prevent build up of gunk, mold and mildew.  But, boy do you ever!  Gross, gross, gross!  I have searched and tried several different ways of cleaning my washing machine, but ecokaren's step by step instructions are the best and most helpful I have found that work!  Just one more thing to add to the list of cleaning chores, but so, so worth it!

Whew!  This just makes me tired thinking about laundry.  I will be dreaming of laundry fairies dancing with magical folding wands tonight!

Happy washing!

Wedding March

Last week Mike and I celebrated 7 years of marriage. 

Also referred to as the beginning of the "seven year itch."

Let me tell you that after our anniversary celebration, there is no way that itch is even close to separating our undying love for each other.

I would just like to recount our expression of love for each other in the form of a romantic evening aka The One Night Stand.

Mike said, "Would you like to leave on Sunday night so that I can go straight from the hotel to the golf tournament or would you rather meet me after the golf tournament on Monday?"

Melody thought, "Gee, me and golf OR golf and me? Really, how nice to be considered as first in that sequence..."  And what I shouldn't have said (you think I would have learned this lesson by now!), "It doesn't matter to me, whatever works best to work me into your busy schedule."  Yikes! Why do we do this to ourselves, ladies?

Mike said, "I'll meet you at the restaurant."

Melody thought, "Oh, how romantic. A nice hour and a half hour drive...separately."  And then we drove to the movie and the hotel...separately.

Mike said, "I'll have to get up and leave for the golf tournament by 6:30am."

Melody said, "Well, be very quite as you leave the room."

Then I thought, "Awesome - who can say that they have essentially had a one night stand on their 7th anniversary... or any wedding anniversary for that matter?"

Until I woke up, walked into the bathroom and saw this...

Then reality set in and the thought of a one night stand was quickly wiped away.

I honestly couldn't be more happy or more in love with this man than I am today.  He is a wonderful husband and father. 

Thank you for the wonderful 7 years of growing, loving and blessings!

Battle: Geeks vs. Jocks

It honestly is a blessing from God that Mike and I are married...that we even started dating...that we even met.

You see, my doting, loving and constantly appraising husband has reminded me on numerous occasions that it is very fortunate that we met in college because he NEVER would have dated me in high school.

This is where the battle of the Geeks versus Jocks comes into play.

He was the jock.  He played three sports extremely well at one of the biggest high schools in Oklahoma.  There aren't many people that can say that they went to a high school with over 1,000 students in their class and competitively played baseball, wrestling and golf.  Unheard of.

And while I played sports - basketball (my fav), softball, track, golf (if you can call one year's worth really playing...but Mike did and then landed a golf scholarship to play on the college team), and cheerleading - I also was on the speech and debate team, served as an officer on the National and Oklahoma Honor Societies, and played the saxophone in the band.

Yes!  I was a geek, a nerd, an ugly duckling as Mike fondly says, and follows that comment up quickly with "who grew into a swan."  He is a smooth one.

You know, just when you think that the "dork-iness" has left you, you find yourself painting the entry hallway of your new home.  Minding your own business, painting away, listening to some of "today's top hits" on the TV. 

There might have been some rockin'-body JLo moves and once or twice the paint roller might have turned into a glitter microphone.  Who can resist the urge to dance to "I Like It Like That" by Hot Chelle Rae?  All in the privacy of your home...right? 

WRONG!

I completely forgot about the front door standing wide open while I was "hmm, hmm, rockin' that body" (along with killer robot dance moves.)  All of a sudden I get that creepy feeling that someone is watching me.

I look over to the open door and standing there watching me is our 10 year-old neighbor.  His mouth agape and I know he is contemplating whether or not it is too late to duck and run.

Satisfied with the knowledge that the geek never leaves you,  I nonchalantly walk over to the door and let him in to go upstairs and find Andrew.

The only thought that ran through my mind was - "Man, this is going to be SO MUCH FUN when Andrew and Ryan are teenagers."

Hansen Sunday Comics

Some of our funny moments from the last couple of weeks:

• Over the Christmas holiday I made some cute gifts for our neighbors out of mason jars.  I spray painted the lid red, added a glittery letter for each neighbor's last name, and then bought some festive ribbon to place around the top once the goodies were inside.  Well, it took until we moved last weekend to deliver our nice little Christmas gifts to the neighbors.  So much for being on top of spreading holiday cheer.  But in my defense, we just recently celebrated Epiphany and the wisemen going to see baby Jesus and sharing their gifts with him, right?

• During the loading of the moving vehicles, I sent Andrew on the mission of delivering the holiday goodies to each of our neighbors.  He felt very big doing this task.  He would take the jars one at a time, ring the neighbor's doorbell and tell them it was fun being their neighbor.  (I made homemade turtle candies to place in each of the jars.  Homemade Turtles: Ingredients - small pretzels, pecan halves and Rolos; Directions - Preheat oven to 250F, place pretzels on baking sheet, place an unwrapped Rolo on top of each pretzel, bake for approximately 5 minutes until the Rolos are softened (not completely melted).  Remove from oven and lightly press pecan half on top of each Rolo.  Enjoy!)

• Terrible two's have certainly taken over the body of my cuddly little guy.  He will start to throw the biggest fit and then I will ask him if he needs a time out.  He immediately snaps out of the tantrum, puts on a huge smile, lunges into my arms and yells "Mommy!"  Then I melt.  How can you stay strong with cheeks and a smile like that?  I will be tough, I will be tough...

• I took Andrew to his basketball game last night in the city we used to live in. (Mike and I are both adamant about finishing what you start, so now we drive.)  After the game we went to eat at a restaurant with my sister.  After chomping on several bites of yummy BBQ Andrew announces, "Alright! My tooth is loosed! My tooth is loosed!"  On the way home he called Mike to tell him the news.  "Daddy, you aren't going to believe this! I was eating some turkey and I accidentally bit the fork - and MY.TOOTH.IS.LOOSED!"  (yes, "ed" loosed!)  Tooth Fairy start saving your gold coins now!

• It really is great to wake up and have Mike right there in the mornings.  I have really missed that...until this morning.  When you have short hair, things tend to be a little crazy in the morning.  Well, me being the oblivious person I am in the mornings (right, just the mornings), I finally realized he was snapping pictures of me on his PHONE!  Nice, now we all know what the talk at the golf course is going to be about today.  Lovely.

The Eyes of a Child

Do you ever feel you have so much on your list to do or be involved in that you find yourself yearning for a certain date?  Awww...that date that the craziness will be behind you and you can take some time to relax and stay at home and make a plan so life doesn't get SO crazy again.

I seem to be yearning for dates like these over and over and over again.  What's wrong with this picture?  I never feel like there is the opportunity to slow down.  My sister says "Hello!  You do it to yourself!"  And Mike says, "Jesus said no, so you CAN say no too!" 

As much as I sometimes get worn out and burned out, I love giving of myself and  being a part of so many different, wonderful and fulfilling things - family, church, friends, work, and my jewelry business, just to name a few...

The hardest part about juggling everything right now is trying to sell our home.  It is so hard trying to be disciplined to make my bed every day, keeping the entire house picked up, and staying on top of the boys' rooms.  It has been on the market for 5 months now.  We have had excellent traffic of potential buyers...just no one making an offer.  I told our realtor yesterday that I was going to start charging admission to the newest museum in town - our home!

With Christmas right around the corner, Andrew is VERY excited about all of the traditions and the journey that marks this season.  I am focused on living through his innocent eagerness of the season to remember how I should be feeling, and to put aside all of the anxiety and pressure of grown up demands.

Rejoice in the meekness and grace that surrounds us all!

Antics to Relate To...

Here are just some random happenings of life in the now:

1.  Our house has been on the market since June.  We have had great traffic, but no offers.  I knew this was "our" house from the moment I stepped foot in the door.  When Mike and I were looking to up size for our growing family, we had our selection narrowed down to our current house and a newer house in another addition across town.  I had agreed to the other house.  But then the next morning when I woke up, I had a huge sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.  I got into the shower and just started to weep. 

Walking out the door, Mike took one look at me and asked what was wrong.  "Oh nothing, I'm just being a silly girl, don't worry about it I'm fine." Knowing better, he asked again.  "Well, it's just that I'm grieving for the other house.  I've already had dreams of Christmas' and birthdays in that house.  I will be fine, it's just silly."  Needless to say, he decided that this house was where we needed to be.  Now my feelings are hurt a little - why doesn't anyone else love my house as much as I do?

2.  Andrew is still on this Rapunzel kick.  He came home today with a picture that he had drawn of me with hair like Rapunzel.  "See mommy, I made you so beautiful with long, long hair.  Don't you like it?" 

What you can't see is the picture that he drew on the reverse side of Rapunzel... it was very anatomically correct.  Let me just say it was not a picture of mommy!

3.  Date nights with your husband is a must.  Girls' nights out are much needed too.  I was supposed to have a girls' night out tonight to play Bunco.  It didn't happen.  Life is hard.  But there is a reason for everything...like being home to field the question, "Why did you think to draw this picture Andrew?"  (See Antic #2)  It will get better.  I will have a night out with the girls soon.  Twilight-Breaking Dawn is coming!  Tickets are purchased.  I can't wait!

4.  Getting everyone up and around in the mornings isn't easy.  Being a pseudo-single mom for the time being, I have had to be creative to encourage the 5 year-old to get ready halfway on his own in the mornings.  So I created a "Good Morning Checklist" for him to complete each morning. 

It has worked so far.  I layout his clothes every night and make sure the checklist and stickers are right next to the clothes.  I used pictures to depict the "tasks" that he is to do each morning.  He understands that he must complete each task above the solid black line before he gets to play which is represented by the Disney Cars vehicles.  If he is able to place a sticker in each box including the play box for the entire week, then he receives $1 as a reward.  He recently decided to save his earnings for a Disney's Cars vehicle that costs around $7.  That decision standing in front of ALL the enticingly cool racing cars at Target was pretty impressive and I was very proud.

5.  They say that Dog is a Man's Best Friend. 

And I would say that is true, our dogs were our children before we had human children.  There is nothing better than coming home to the excited, wagging tail of your canine children...until you come home to your human children.  This weekend I had commitments to keep and so I had a sweet college student watch the boys for me.  They truly loved spending time with her.  But when I returned home both Saturday and Sunday, Ryan ran full throttle into my arms happily giggling and screaming, "Momma, momma!"  Warm.My.Heart.  Nothing better. Nothing.

6.  I do love to be in the kitchen, and when I have time I experiment.  Nothing crazy, but I do like to come up with meals that are quick, easy and healthy.  The zucchini chicken pizza is one of these inventions.  I hadn't put it together in awhile and I don't know why.  It is simply yummy.

Hansen's Zucchini Chicken Pizza
Naan bread (typically in the bakery section)
Garlic roasted spaghetti sauce
Zucchini, thinly sliced (1 or 2 depending on your preference)
Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
Chicken (canned or cooked and shredded chicken breast)
1 cup of shredded mozzarella/Parmesan cheese
Italian seasoning

Layer all ingredients on the naan bread as desired.  Season to taste with the Italian seasoning.  Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 20 - 30 minutes until cheese is melted.  I usually can get 4 - 6 servings depending on how I cut the two pieces of naan bread.  (I have also cut the bread into pieces and then let everyone make their own slice before baking.) Enjoy!

The Journey to Maritial Bliss

As you know from a previous post, I have committed myself to reading Dr. Gary Smalley's Hidden Keys of a Loving, Lasting Marriage.  My first impression of Dr. Smalley was a great one.  He was one of the keynote speakers at Premier Design's National Rally this July, and I loved what he had to say on building lasting relationships and overcoming the anger in our lives. 

He told great stories of rasing his children.  My favorite thing he shared was about making sure his family had "family values" that consisted of 1. Love God  2. Love each other 3. Love God's Creation.  He said he would often say to one of his children, "Quick, tell me what is the most important thing in this world!"  And his children would roll their eyes and say, "We know Dad...love God, love each other and love God's creation."  There were many more wonderful examples of instilling the love and focus on God in the life of the family.

So, when I picked up his book to begin reading, I was a bit taken-aback (okay, appalled really) when I skimmed the table of contents and realized that the book was written in two parts - one for husband's and one for wives.  But that was not the part that stopped me in my tracks, oh no!  It was the fact that were ONLY 12 chapters for men and 16 for women!  Like we as women need more work than men on this little thing called marriage...  Now, I am not too much of an "I am woman, hear me roar!" advocate, but this sent my kettle steaming.  And I honestly can't tell you why this bothered me, but it did.

So, where did I start my reading?  You guessed it, at the beginning of the men's section.  I just had to know what he was telling them they had to do to unlock those hidden keys of marriage.  And boy was I shocked...

He lays it out on the table just like it is, saying that the main problem with men is that they do not share the tenderness, gentleness and understanding that women need.  However, he then goes on to say that one of the main reasons that marriages fail is because women have built up a fantasy of "storybook" expectations. 

Boy, how many times have I thought to myself, "Hmm, this is not what I was expecting 'better or worse' to be about!"  Especially when things don't go the way I had dreamed them to be.

So far I have made notes on the fact that I need to make sure my perception of Mike and my relationship is grounded solidly on God's good book, the Bible, and not my own storybook.

California Dreamin'

Today was a great day.  I feel a huge sense of accomplishment with the overall outcome of today's busyness and blessings.  Andrew and Ryan had good days at Big School/little school.  I crossed everything off of my to-do list at work for today.  I took the boys to their makeup class for karate (Andrew) and mommy/me gymnastics (Ryan) due to Labor Day. 

Ryan did an amazing job this week.  It was awesome to observe him watchiing his teacher and then running up to try to do exactly what she did by himself.  He is getting a little more independent.  He was even saying "peasz" and "tank ouh" without prompting.  (We are back to being my precious cutie-pa-tootie!) 

I do feel bad because Andrew was used to Mike and I watching him during his karate, and now that I am taking them by myself and have to be with Ryan, I know he is missing the satisfaction of having a loving eye on his ninja turtle moves.  I had to promise him that I would come and watch him for a little bit next week.  How could I tell those big blue eyes anything but "of course!"

Andrew and I ended the day (or at this point, his day) by watching Cinderella cuddled up in bed with a big bowl of popcorn on our laps (Mike forget you read this!).  Now Andrew is passed out curled up beside me (occasional special treat for a great week is getting to sleep in the BIG bed).

And I am left thinking about my hubby.  I don't know why, but my mind drifted to the great time that we spent in Oceanside, CA at the end of April.  It was a wonderful time just the two of us.  (He is very good about carving time out of our busy lives to get away and spend some quality time together.) 

We spent a perfect afternoon at the San Diego Zoo, walked along the beach, and then the next night took a drive along the coast line on our way to dinner at a great restaurant. 

We also played in the ocean one afternoon.  After emerging our big toes in the ocean water, we were bewildered at first by all the little kids who were splashing about and weren't freezing to death in the sharp chill of the water.  That is a cherished, fun memory.

However, it is the trip to the restuarant that will be the most memorable.  We are crusing along and Mike asks "If we could move tomorrow, where would you prefer to live?  Here or Boston?"  "Well, I do love Boston and its antiquity, history, charm, but I would have to say Oceanside.  People 'get me' here."  As I replied we had stopped at a light and a gentleman (yes, I'll say gentleman) started to cross in front of us.  His hair was dishevled and long, no shirt and he had a surf board tucked under his arm. 

"You would pick here" Mike stated.  "I mean, just look at that guy.  He has never been any where on time in his life."  "That does not mean that you aren't important to him." I say in defense.  "You are very important to him, and he will show up when he promised he would!  He is just running a few minutes behind because he was soaking up life in the moment and he knows how to relax, take it easy and have a little fun..." 

My southern CA peeps enjoying life...

You can imagine what Mike's response to that comment was...  I do believe I won this discussion by pointing out that this laid back, surfer dude's life expectany was going to be at least 10 years longer than all the uptight, on time Boston-lovers!

Mike and I in Boston soaking up a little local color in the shade of green!

Love, Family and A Little Self-Reflection

This Labor Day weekend was a great weekend filled with loving family.  We swam (Papa and Andrew), had a picnic and played at the park, ate yogurt, enjoyed breakfast outside (in cool weather after 100+ days of 100 degree weather!), and fiinished up the weekend at the zoo.

Weekends like this one are good for the boys and me.  Since our little family is separated for the time being (until our house sells), it is nice to feel like we are put back together again over a weekend... for the most part.  The separation has been harder than I thought it would be.  There is no denying that plain fact.

This weekend I was reminded of 4 things:

1. God.Is.In.Control.  I have a purpose in this move and it revolves around God and my relationship with Him.  I have to let go and trust.  I must learn once again to silence my thoughts in prayer so I can hear God's whispers to me.

2. I love Mike tremendously.  God blessed with with this wonderful man and I will fight for him.  Even if it is against myself. I choose God and Mike every single morning I wake.  I will not take him for granted.

3. Life around and near family is wonderful.  Someone recently told me how lucky our boys will be to live so close to grandparents who will be  involved in their everyday lives.  I completely agree.  God has blessed us with four amazing grandparents.

4. Change, even for good things, is extremely difficult.  Even for a girl who likes change.

So, I have to come completely clean and share that I have made the comment outloud many, many times that I am trying to keep a positive attitude about this change - The Move.  But what I realized this weekend is the fact that I am not WORKING on a positive attitude. 

I am making a commitment to w.o.r.k. on this positive attitude by:

1. Seeking God at a purposeful time each day.  Praying. Listening. Reading His word.

2. I am going to start reading Dr. Gary Smalley's Hidden Keys of a Loving, Lasting Marriage.  He was one of the guest speaker's at Premier Design's National Rally in July.  (I will share more on the Dr. Smalley/National Rally experience later.)  I will ask Mike to read along with me.

3. I will get the adequate rest, nutrition and physical activitiy (expressed frustrations in previous post) I need in order to ensure I am not letting my body's well being (or lack of) get in the way of, run, dictate (all the above) my emotions.

4. I am only going to say positive, encouraging things about our change.

By sharing this with you, it will hold me accountable. 

Here's to change and a wonderful, blessed life.  Cheers.