2009 New Year's Resolutions

At the beginning of the year last year (2009) I decided to make some New Year's Resolutions for the first time since high school. I felt that if I wrote them down I would be more likely to keep them. I am pleased to say that I have been able to keep them and have even done better than I ever thought I would on number 1 and 2.

1. Eat Healthier and hopefully get Mike and Kelsie to do the same
2. Exercise more
3. To have more patience especially when it comes to Mike and Kelsie
4. Take a little more time to myself (hopefully this will help with #3)
5. To cherish everyday and not take anything for granted - life is just too short

Resolution 1 - At first eating healthier didn't come easy, and honestly it still doesn't sometimes, but I have made some huge improvements over the past year. Mike and I both have reduced the amount of red meat we eat, increased the amount of fruits and vegetables we eat, and decreased the sweets we eat. I even took it a step further in that I gave up sodas completely and I drink mostly water. Kelsie as you can imagine is a challenge when it comes to changing her eating habits. However I am pleased to report that she is eating a larger variety of food than when the year started and she has been eating lots of fruits again lately. Vegetables and meats are still a struggle with her, but the idea was improvement not a complete overhaul!

Resolution 2 - Working exercise into my daily routine just didn't seem possible to me at first, because it seemed like I was always tired. In fact for the first two months of the year I just couldn't seem to make it work. However in March I got very serious and decided to wake up early enough to fit at least 30 minutes of exercise a day into my routine. Once I got started it just grew from there. Since March I am proud to say that with every few exceptions I workout from 30-60 minutes everyday and I even have some days when I work out twice a day. I am also very proud of the fact that because of the first 2 resolutions I lost 27 lbs in 2009! I feel so much healthier and I have a lot more self esteem. I still have some more toning up to do, but I am very happy with how far I have come.

Resolution 3 - Again I am not perfect, but I feel like I have made some great strides in this area as well. I think feeling better has made me much more patient in all areas of my life and I am so thankful for that. It can be very stressful staying home with a 3 yr old especially when they throw attitude your way about what seems to be everything some days. Over this past year I have tried to find the humor in everything even the most taxing situations and that has helped me to take a deep breath before deciding how I react to Kelsie and Mike in those times when you just want to scream.

Resolution 4 - Mike, my wonderfully supportive and loving husband, has helped tremendously with this one. He seems to know when I need a break and often pushes me to take one even when I don't feel I deserve one. I am one of those lucky few that has an equal partner in parenting and in household responsibilities. Although Mike works and I stay home he recognizes that being home doesn't always mean you can accomplish everything you need to with a 3 yr old underfoot, so he willingly helps with the household chores that often have to go undone during the day. Having the frequent breaks have made all the difference in the world to me and I cherish my husband for making sure I take them.

Resolution 5 - This last one is a tough one and is something I plan to continue to work on each year. It is sometimes hard to cherish those days when nothing seems to go right and you feel like you have failed at everything you have attempted that day. I do cherish my life and my family. I am so thankful to have a wonderful daughter and husband to love and share my life. They make even the hard days bearable and worth it all!

I am very proud that I made such strides in accomplishing all my resolutions this past year. I am thankful that my husband has been so supportive and willing to help me in my quest. Hopefully I will be just as successful in reaching my 2010 resolutions (but that is a different post altogether! :))