Thankful Thursday #2: Technology

And now for another installment of the Gratitude Challenge!

Prompt 46: Technology

Technology has been a part of my like since - well, before birth, really. And it's grown to be more of an integral part of life. Now it seems like we can hardly function without it.

One thing I truly love about technology, though, is that my phone (which is almost always with me) allows me to constantly have a camera with me. I love taking pictures, so this is a much better option than constantly carrying around an actual camera. I know this firsthand because I really used to carry a camera almost everywhere.

 It also allows me the chance to instantly photo-document things -- like the goofy way our dogs are sleeping -- and share them seconds later with my hubby on nights he's working. I know we'll also utilize this when we have children so they (and he) don't feel like he's missing out on as much with his work schedule being what it is. I also love how I've been able to incorporate this into my classroom this year to share what we're up to each day.

Another huge plus is having all this information at my fingertips. It can be something trivial like looking up who played a character in a movie, but it can also be something more useful like directions. Y'all know I am not known for having a stellar sense of direction, so using my phone as a GPS is a necessity. I also love being able to Google answers to questions whenever. We like to kill time on road trips looking up facts, history, or places to see while we're traveling because yes, we are just that cool, thankyouverymuch.

We are truly in the age where the sky isn't the limit anymore. Sure, technology can frustrate us or stress us out, but it also is a wonderful tool to have by my side each day.

source: here

Gratitude Challenge: Things You Like About Winter

Okay, so I missed this past Thursday...but here we go.

I wanted to jump to this prompt because last week we had ice, ice, ice, and more ice. We already had Monday off of school, but we also had Tuesday off as an "ice day". We were definitely in the throes of winter!

Prompt 49: Things You Like About Winter

• Weather that makes you layer on the warmth and cozy on up into blankets
• Christmas season! The music, the decorations, the smells of special baking and cooking, EVERYTHING!
• Time to recharge with family on Christmas and New Years
• Using the fireplace
• Crocheting warm things
• The way a layer of snow muffles the world to create a quiet surrounding that makes it easier to think, breathe, and be still. 
• SNOW DAYS - they are made for PJs and hobbies to be shamelessly enjoyed.
• The beauty of fresh fallen snow and layers of ice on trees
• The delight and excitement of kids when it snows and the dreams of all they can do outside
• Seeing yards full of snow creations

Added bonus: here are a few pictures from around our yard after last week's winter storm.

Thankful Thursday #1: The Gratitude Challenge Begins

source: here

I stumbled upon the Gratitude Challenge one day while getting sucked into a black hole browsing Pinterest.  You can find it here. Feel free to join me - whether you are a blogger, a paper & pen writer, parchment & quill, whatever! Get your gratitude on!

Prompt 1: Why start the Gratitude Challenge?

Life is messy and it's not always the fun kind of messy - you know, like baking and decorating sugar cookies kind of FunMessy. Nope, sometimes it's more like the "finding the leftovers you can't even recall making and now it's growing weird colors and smells" kind of messy. That's the kind you wish you could sneak back and let someone else deal with it instead.

All of this bloodshed, destruction, distress, anger, and ugliness in the world today crosses lines we never even dreamed we'd have to worry about. It makes your heavy heart ache and tears frequent when you face the barrage of bad news.

Yet even in this mess there's a lot left unsaid about how many beautiful, good, lovely, and delightful things are still out there for us to enjoy. It's the good stuff that's more powerful than the bad.

source: here

Me? It's rather use my time and energy reminding people of the beauty rather than fueling the sadness and anger. So here I go - the Gratitude Challenge.

Here's how it's supposed to go:
52 prompts.
1 each week.
1 whole year.

EEP!

Yes, once I blogged for a 365 day challenge, but my faithful readers (hi, family!) will remember my actual total was in the two hundred range. 288 to be exact. But there's a certain pressure that comes with deadlines like this. I'll commit to once a week ish, and 52ish prompts. Quite frankly, I will consider this challenge a success if I manage to do at least 10. I do miss having motivation to blog. I miss having the luxury of more free time to blog. And I miss taking the time to truly reflect on the awesome things going on and capturing snippets of the good in my life. I miss sharing these snippets with people that don't mind reading what I write.

So here we go.

See you next Thursday as I aim to tackle another prompt!

#yogarevolution

I let myself get behind on this daily yoga practice -- Yoga Revolution -- one for every day in January. Like almost a week behind, guys.

It's not that it's too hard. Adrienne is amazing. It's more that I let life get in the way.

I have issues with time management. I know, who doesn't, right? But I feel like I'm really, really bad at it. A lot has to do with my tendency to sabotage myself by envisioning all the ways I'll fail before I even try something - a product of my anxiety. The battle rages on, and while I find myself winning more than I used to, I still have days where I push myself back into a teeny, tiny box and hide away from potential...anything, be it good or bad.

I tried to tuck myself back in that box tonight and talk myself into giving up.
It started with a debate about whether to jump right back into the challenge where I left off or
diving in on today and just skipping the days I missed altogether.
Before I knew it, I was painting my nails. Um, for those of you who aren't familiar with yoga, it is heavily dependent on your extremities. I'm no yogi, but I'd have to venture a guess that wet nails really probably aren't recommended by any experts.
Fortunately it was a quick-drying polish so my procrastination/sabotage was short-lived.

Despite my inner voice's groanings, I turned on the video (from where I left off, for those of you who were being smothered by the suspense) for today, got my butt on my mat (by mat I mean "blanket" I wrangled away from the sleeping dogs...don't worry, they still have five left), and Did. That. Practice.

And you know what?

I feel freaking awesome.
I am more relaxed.
I feel stronger.
I am good-sore.

And I am ready for more tomorrow.

Hopefully with an earlier starting and ending time.

(Christmas break always messes up my sleep schedule. It doesn't help that I had wicked insomnia over Christmas break and saw 3 a.m. more often than I would have liked.)

But this is a step toward victory, my friends.

Goodbye 2016 & Hello 2017.

The new year is here
and with it comes potential
for the challenges
for the good

and everything in between.

2016 wasn't a bad year-
it also wasn't extraordinary in itself
(though it was filled with some extraordinary times)-
and I wasn't as passionate about bidding it farewell like I was with 2015 or my tonsils -
which I had taken out this year
and wouldn't wish that experience on even my greatest of enemies
(but that's a story for another time).

But 2016 was a year of finding my feet again
and fighting for my voice to surface and be heard -
assertiveness
strength
health
and for that I'm thankful. 

It was a year of learning
and working
on continuing to grow in our marriage
embarking on new adventures together
embracing this love for & the art of photography
taking a grand family adventure to the beautiful and captivating Hawaii
(Confession:
If you catch me daydreaming ,I'm probably back there again
savoring the laughter with family,
togetherness,
the vibrant colors,
the sunshine,
the hikes,
the dreamy beaches,
the photographic everything,
and the ocean breezes.)

It wasn't a bad year,
and it wasn't extraordinary,
but indeed it held greatness.

So I have a hearty hello for 2017.
If it's half as full as this year was - well, that'd be wonderful.

One thing's for sure:

adventure awaits.