Play

Inspired by Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project, I took some time at the beginning of this year to write out a monthly goal to help me start taking steps to be the person I want to be and live the life I want to live. For example:

                              February: Love isn't love 'til you give it away.

                              March: Clean in the cracks. And schedule it!

                              June: Write. 

                              August: Cook.

                              November: Create.

I chose November to be a month to create things, hoping that I could get Christmas things out of the way, leaving December for...

Play.

December is an excellent month to play, between the get-togethers, concerts, plays and musicals. I often get stressed with so much on my plate, but I made a good attempt to get some of those things out of the way, such as gift buying. Now all I have to do is enjoy myself and soak up the season (for the most part).

I made a list of things I could do to feel the Christmas spirit and really enjoy myself this month. To be reasonable, my goal is to do at least 5 of these things:

Make a ginger bread house.

Go to a Christmas concert.

Read a Christmas book.

(any suggestions?)

Give.

Make a Christmas decoration.

Clean to Christmas music.

Go sledding or play in the snow.

What do you do to feel the holiday spirit and enjoy yourself this time of the year?

More Thankful.

I meant to follow-up my last post with another, more substantive gratitude list. Instead, I chose to drive on snowy roads, field worried calls, hold my newest nephew, play with my less new nephew, stand in line at Kohl's 3 in the morning where I did not by a thing, eat myself into a chick-flick-watching coma, and hang out with my family.  Thanksgiving has passed, but not the gratitude in my heart. So...

I am grateful for my family. They make me laugh, make me mad, give me hugs, let me grow, feed me, encourage me, pinch me, tease me, share a kitchen with me, teach me, worry about me, and love me. I am so grateful for them. I've been thinking more and more lately that I would choose them to be my best friends if I wasn't thrown in a family with them. What luck.

I am grateful for my friends. I have a good handful of friends that I can call to tell about my newest endeavor, latest heartache, or yet another story of how cute my nephews are. They love me and they think the best of me.

I am grateful for my job. Yes, really. My actual job isn't too bad, but it's the people I work with. They are awesome. I've learned a thing or two about real estate and how to handle difficult people and conversations. I see good people living even better lives and it makes me keep hope in people. They are such a good support to me.

I am grateful to serve in Primary. At church, the Primary takes care of (the little ones) and teaches kids from 18 months-11-year-olds during a 2-hr block of our 3-hr church. At first I was not overly excited. I mean, those little rascals can be scary sometimes. They often have wet hands, most often from being in their mouths, chatty mouths, except for when you want them to use them to sing, wiggly little bodies that do everything but sit still. And then they sit on your lap, sing at the top of their lungs, tell you a sweet little tidbit about Jesus, listen, participate, learn...

I am grateful for opportunities. This means going to school, getting together with new people to make freezer meals, being able to experience a live concert, to do new things and to grow my abilities and interests... 

And I'm grateful to move into the Christmas season, hoping I feel its spirit as strongly as the Thanksgiving spirit of thankfulness.