resolution blues

{one of my layouts for Graphic 45 at Winter CHA 2010} 

so, i was in church the other day & we were all talking about who made a new year's resolution & who didn't . . . well, apparently, this week holds the highest rate of people feeling the blues for the entire year because people who made resolutions have already not seen them through a they "promised" themselves they would have.  no worries, though!!  if you're like me, sometimes you just need a good old mathematical equation to show you the cold, hard facts pointing in YOUR favor & those blues will soon be lifted for a more cheerful hue!!

so, here we go . . . first take today's date (in January), and subtract 7 from it {because most of you kept that resolution for at least 7 days of the month so far!!}.  Now, take that number and subtract it from 365.  Now, take that grand total and realize that you STILL have MANY MORE days to make a positive change in your life, so DON'T DESPAIR!!  Give yourself a little room to grow, grant yourself some wiggle room for the days you've missed in the past with your resolution & start fresh TODAY!!!  Life is about learning that we are all not perfect & learning to appreciate those things we need help with, and then working {that's right, I said workING . . . it's a lifelong thing, people!!} to make ourselves better.  don't give up on YOU!  if there's one resolution you SHOULD keep this year, it is that one:  DON'T GIVE UP ON YOU!! So, forgive yourself for your little mistakes & realize that change happens over time, you'll mess up every now & then, but you'll also get better at not messing up the more you try.  So, keep trying & don't give up!!

much love,
natasha

excitement, trumped, and resolve

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I can finally toot and share with you all that I am on the http://www.cropaddict.com/ design team for Jan-Jun 2009, will be published as the feature for http://www.scrapbooking.com/ 's Feb 2009 "Love" section for one of my mini albums, AND will be the guest DT member in Sept 2009 for http://www.kitcardshop.com/!!! I've been SUPER excited (as in grabbing my 7 year old and jumping up & down w/him when I received the emails!) to share the good news, but I had to keep everything on the dl until now. As wonderful as all of this is . . . my littlest mon-chi-chi, Hudson, has been SO sick with RSV since Saturday and even visited the ER ON Sunday after a fever of 103.8 all night even after the Motrin/Tylenol doses. It got really scary when his heart rate was over 200, and his respirations nearly 60. Last night was another rough night w/him even after Albuterol nebulizer treatments every four hours. It gets scary even for this NICU nurse/mommy when you can hear your baby wheezing from across the room . . . and he's JUST had his neb treatment. So, here we are today, New Year's Eve, and back to the doctor's office we went only to find out now he has pneumonia on top of the RSV. BUT, despite all of this, I did write my next to last entry in my gratitude journal last night . . . "I am grateful for this new year, for hope, faith, and love, for Hudson's return to good health, and for finally feeling better myself." It is so hard to be grateful when we go through our trials, but as I was in the doctor's office this morning, there was a wallhanging that was titled "Feel Great" with the following instructions:

1. eat well

2. exercise your body & mind daily

3. hang out with friends

4. think positively

So, there it is, my New Year's resolutions: numbers 1-4 above . . . especially number 4. I LOVE my gratitude journal. Not because I think that I'll be blessed with abundance just because I recognize what is good in my life, but because it is amazing to see & record the hand of God in something EVERY day. So, I hope that 2009 finds you & your family healthy, wealthy, and happy -- but, most of all, I hope you are blessed with the spirit of simple gratitude, give thanks for those you love, and those who love you, and always remember that the Creator has blessed us with so much wonder & beauty, all we have to do is open our eyes to it.