Live, Laugh and Love

These are my New Year's Resolutions - definitely a day, or two, late, but finished before my Christmas Cards, which, let's be honest, may never see the light of day. After two plus weeks of Christmas, of two sets of houseguests (but the really good kind), of cooking and cooking and cooking some more, of being blissfully snowed in, twice, of trudging into work after being snowed in, of 3 kids on roller skates at midnight (insanity?), these are things I want to focus on for '11:

1. To be more patient - as three adorable, and complete monsters race in and around my legs, shouting for my attention "Mommy, Sissy just shoved my head into the wall", "Mommy, he just took my bear", "Momma, it's MINE!".
   
2. To lose a few more pounds - This is after a full day of birthday cookies, cupcakes and icecream. After weeks of my mother-in-law's famous chocolate, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate glazed donuts, and Emily's Amazing Banana Bread! After I devoured a pancake, and bacon and eggs and a hashbrown for breakfast this morning and just dumped Belgian Toffee Chocolate creamer in my nightly cup of coffee - do you see a pattern here?
   
3. To live every day to the fullest -On Christmas morning, my Grandmother passed away. I am glad she is with Jesus now, and that she got to see him on his birthday, but still, it reminds me to live it up everyday. And yesterday was a fabulous birthday (thanks AMP, the bag was definitely the fastest way to my little heart), but 31 years have come and gone, and I want to make sure that I enjoy every possible second of the next 31 - particularly with those little monsters described in Resolution #1.
   
4. To blog everyday - It's January 12th. And the last blog was on Dec. 24th....Whoops.

11 years ago, before this phrase became insanely popular, my crazy blonde roommate and I had a favorite song - Clay Walker's Live, Laugh Love. This year on Christmas, we both, unbeknownst to each other, sent gifts to each other inspired by this phrase. And that is my thought for this year, 12 days in. More living and enjoying life with my fabulous friends and family. More laughing at all the joyful moments that fill my life, and always, more giving and sharing of Love.

He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much;
Who has enjoyed the trust of pure women, the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children;
Who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;
Who has never lacked appreciation of Earth's beauty or failed to express it;
Who has left the world better than he found it,
Whether an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul;
Who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best he had;
Whose life was an inspiration;
Whose memory a benediction. (Bessie Anderson Stanley)