this year's goals

since i began being 60 i wrote 60 goals. well some of them are 'to do' things, but they've been on my list for a couple of years so i figured this is the year to finally get them off! my friend jo lynn wanted to know what they were, and at first i thought i'd just send them to her. but i realized by placing them on my blog i was REALLY committing to getting them done. just that thought made me realize i hadn't really committed solidly and so i had to post them for my sake. now of course, i'll have to end this year's journey with another picture of everything checked off. and so i begin...with an ernest resolve.

oh...and i counted the books read, and temple attendance as 24 goals in case anyone is wondering how that adds up to 60.

tofw

it was another amazing day in my birthday week! shell and i were on the staff of time out for women again and to be honest i wasn't really expecting too much. wrong....what a delightful wrong! it was rejuvenating, (and i've already been on a high!) fun, uplifting and most of all inspiring. the theme was 'inevitable light' and what i walked away with was a desire to understand my gifts and illuminate them. that becoming better comes from small constant changes. most of all that my Savior is always by my side... i already knew that and it was so good to feel that there. 

and what a beginning

life is amazing! 

pure light, radiant light, bursting light....that's how i would describe my heart. it's amazing the power of love. it restores, illuminates, heals, comforts, inspires, propels, builds and expands one's life. i've been sitting here reading emails from those i love and facebook messages from dear friends who bless my life, and bawling through it all. Heavenly Father just pours down bucket after bucket of blessings and i relish every drop...talk about dancing in the rain!

i honestly don't know why He is so good to me but i thank Him and glory in His name. He's given me the most amazing kids, who have always be the bright spot in my life. actually they've made my life. they've made it more, they've made it purposeful, they've made it fun and they've also brought to the family such incredible 'in-laws' whom i adore. and then there's the grandkids! truly truly blessed.

so for my birthday week, yes, i'm expanding it to a week because there is just so much fun and goodness. jen (best sister EVER) decided back in december that we should celebrate big for my 60th birthday by going on a trip. she and jana planned everything to fly out to california for a few days. 

this is how we started the trip but then i received surprise after surprise and the plane flight ended up looking like this:

i literally was trembling with surprise and absolute joy! we then spent the next three days talking, eating, going to the beach

this is what mormons girls do on the beach on sunday! needless to say it was an incredible trip. jen had us all make a list of our 5 favorite books, songs, websites, scriptures, recipes, gadgets, and 5 things no one knows about us, which we shared with each other each night. it was such a great idea. after great meals out, and great breaksfasts in, hot tubbing, shopping, exercising, lounging by the pool, we had to say goodbye and head back to reality

i realized i was so elevated spiritually by being around these amazing women. their righteousness and love is a constant and spending time with them was truly like spending time in heaven.

beginning

Today I turn 60 or maybe I should say I begin being 60. I begin a new decade of learning what my journey is all about. I think I've figured out a few things but what I think I've learned the most is how little I know...and yet I'm not discourage by that thought but rather motivated to make the most of this new beginning. 

So I've made 60 goals to work on and feel a tiny flutter of giddiness to make this year something different. And so I decided to press the moments on this paper (I really like paper so much better than a digital blog...but ease comes first.)

and so i begin...

feeling happy

today on my way to the gym i heard a song that instantly reminded me of my grandson noah dancing at mary's wedding. and instantly i felt happy. really, deep happy. it amazed me too. how that could happen so instantly. what a great blessing memories are. i've always thought shared memories are one of the truly great parts of life. so this year in my focus of seeing the joy in the moment and relishing my life i am truly grateful for the happiness i felt.

it was good to feel that complete happiness again. i felt lifted and energized and whole. and being grateful for that brings that happiness back even again.

my truth

over the holidays i finally got to hit the gym and re-discovered that i desperately need to be there regularly!! i had been starting to feel that 'slowly sinking into the dark' feeling and so in my typical fashion figured i'd fight it off with junk food. now there's a swell idea. and yeah, that didn't work out so great. (who knew?!) i hope you can hear the drip of sarcasm, but anyway i made a commitment to just tell myself that i have a meeting after school and so i have to leave on time. i take my gym clothes with me and change after school. i have to say (no real surprise here) that i feel SOOOO much better. physically. emotionally. spriritually. all of it.

thank goodness for breaks that give you time to reflect, regroup, and recommit.

as cheesy as it may sound....it was a Christmas miracle!

my new year thoughts

i've been in kind of a six month funk....ok, maybe a year, or year and a half. i think it just might be time to come out of it. i'm still kind of tiptoeing around the idea. would like to, but feeling a little timid about letting real joy in again. but Heavenly Father keeps pouring out blessings and it seems just down right wrong of me to not revel in His goodness. so guess i will. it's a new year and i'm always motivated by that. this year i have 2 things i want to stay focused on.

first, as i put on my new planner - to find joy in the moment...to be in the moment and relish the good things that are going on. not only does this mean i have to get out of my funk...but it will help me stay out of it.

second...it's that 'd' word. yep, discipline. i've decided i don't have too much of it anymore, hence more of the funk i'm sure. i've been thinking about discipline and realize that being disciplined only benefits me. i know, duh! but, thinking about it, why wouldn't i want to be more disciplined. i know i'll be so much happier. so there you have it. i'm anxious....i've started....ran 2 miles this morning, got a bunch of things done. and i'm happy. yeah, it's going to be an extraordinary year.