Goodbye 2014!

I cannot believe that 2014 is almost over!  I am looking forward to 2015 and all that it has to offer!  This year has not been the 'best' year but it has taught me a lot about what is really important and that I am not in control.  The 'mom' in me always wants to fix things....but I can only control MY actions and my reactions.  And I can't do a thing about things that happened yesterday or last week or last month, etc.  And I can't do a thing about things that may or may not happen tomorrow or next week or next month, etc.  I can only 'do' today....this minute.  I do have a choice whether this day will be a good day or a bad day.  Depending upon my attitude....it can be whatever I want it to be!  And in 2015, I am going to choose to have a better attitude about every day.  To not get upset about things that really are not my responsibility.  To look for the good in people and in situations when it is so much easier to not do that!  I want to be a more loving, peaceful person in the new year.  I want serenity to become my main priority and to do whatever I need to do to make that happen.  To not take everything so personal but to stop and pray before I do or say anything.  I want a closer relationship to God so that He is never far from my thoughts and that my actions reflect that He is a large part of my life.  I am going to get my 'house' in order.....my spiritual house, my mental house, my physical house.  2015 is going to be a wonderful year...I know that there will be obstacles on this journey in 2015 but I know with each obstacle....I will become stronger and will learn something valuable in each one. 

I scooped my backyard because I just wanted to wake up to the new year with a nice and clean backyard!  I would like to wake up to the new year with all of my laundry done and my ironing all done as well but priorities people, priorities!  It is going to be raining for the next 3 days and there is no fun in trying to scoop after a rain!  Now I'm sure Allie is anxious to get out there and 'christen' her backyard as soon as possible but until then....I am enjoying looking out and seeing only dead grass!

Happy New Year!

GiGi

Proud of our Razorbacks!

WPS!!!!  Arkansas Razorbacks won their bowl game last night!  They beat their rival....Texas Longhorns....31 to 7!  I bet Fayetteville was celebrating!!!!  It has been a long time since the Razorbacks have won a bowl game so it was time!!!!

Have not gotten much accomplished today!  Our power went out around noon and didn't return until almost 8 p.m.  When I first reported the outage, estimated time of repair was 2 p.m.  Then it was 4 p.m.  Then it was 6 p.m.  Then it was 7 p.m.  Finally it was 9 p.m.!  It was restored a few minutes before 8 p.m.  I'm sure it was a surprise when people got home from work and their garage door openers wouldn't work!  When we went out to dinner, it was kind of funny seeing all of the cars parked in the driveways instead of in the garages!  We lucked out that today was a sunny day and not too cold. I think we were in the low 40s most of the day but did have a wind chill in the mid 30s.   I did have our fireplace going most of the afternoon so we were warm enough.  We ended up going out to dinner where our meal was hot and we could actually see what we were eating!

Allie is so exhausted tonight.  She didn't do well without power!  Our smoke detector that is located outside of our bedroom kept beeping every few minutes.  I guess it had to do with the power outage. Every time it would beep, Allie would get so nervous.  By the time she would settle back down, it would beep again!   I was afraid to take the battery out....thinking it would cause all of the detectors to go off.  However, after 4 hours....that is exactly what happened!  Austin took Allie outside while I removed the battery.  It worked!  Quiet!  Finally!   When our power came back on, the smoke detector started beeping again with the battery out!  Good grief!  We put a new battery in and so far, it is quiet!

Appreciating electricity tonight and looking forward to doing my dishes, laundry, ironing, vacuuming, etc. tomorrow!

Change is good, right?

It has been quite a year!  I thought that we would be living in Northwest Arkansas forever or until we won a lottery and moved to Florida into a condo on the beach.  Things didn't quite work out the way that I had planned.  Just another reminder that 'Thine will, not mine, be done'.  We did move south but not THAT far south and instead of living near the ocean, we live near the Arkansas River.  I don't know if it is just that I am a lot older this time we moved or what but I had a harder time adjusting this time.  I was definitely torn in my feelings.  Part of me missed Northwest Arkansas.  I loved my house, my yard, my friends, my family who lived only a couple of miles away.  I felt comfortable living in Fayetteville.  If I needed to go anywhere....I just jumped into my jeep and went without thinking a thing about it.  I loved my church, my Bible Study group.  We have lived in Maumelle before and I loved it then and I know that I will love it again.  I love being only a mile from my oldest son and his family....especially my granddaughter.  I love being able to see them anytime that I want and especially being able to spend holidays with them.  I love living closer to my brother and sister-in-law.  I am just having a hard time adjusting to the differences in my life.  The yard is a lot bigger and not as level so it is harder to take care of.  We are renting for two years so it isn't even my yard so I don't want to spend a lot of time or money landscaping. There are tons of places to go here but they involve interstate driving for the most part and that scares me to death!  The few times that I have driven on the interstate I say a prayer as I'm merging onto the interstate and close my eyes!  I know that probably isn't the best way to do that but so far it has worked for me.  Needless to say, I have been avoiding the interstate as much as possible.  Lately, I've been thinking a lot about this new adventure we are on and I know that I've been looking at it all wrong!  THIS is where God wants me to be.  And instead of kicking and screaming and dreaming about what could have been....I need to be looking at the positives of this move and be grateful for the opportunities that are HERE.  I've been doing this all wrong.  For the first time in YEARS....I've been able to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with all three of my sons and their families, with my brother and sister-in-law and my parents.  We have made so many new memories and laughed till we cried.  Change is good if we just have the right attitude about it.  I didn't at first.....but the last few weeks.....I've felt like I'm home....home is where your heart is and I think I finally got my heart where it needed to be....HERE in the present and not in the past.