Goals

Those pesky little things that nag you when not reached. Sometimes I wish I wasn't so goal oriented, but as a friend told me recently, "that's just who you are!" One of my goals for 2012 was to blog more. I didn't set specific criteria, i.e. once a day, week, month, etc. I just wanted to do better each month compared to 2011.

I started off a little slow by only blogging once in January & February, which was the same as the year before. When March & April rolled around though, I was off to the races. I blogged 4 times in March and 5 times in April, compared to once in each month of 2011. I should have felt happy, right?

Nope. Just as I am goal oriented I'm also always pushing to improve and am never satisfied. So I looked back to 2010. I was so surprised! I blogged all the time when I started this journey, a total of 31 times for the year and I started in April.

Thus, my goals changed. I now compare to 2010. What is wrong with me? This blog is supposed to be enjoyable. It's not competitive, yet somehow I'm competing with myself! How is that even possible? This takes my competitive nature to a whole new level.

Being goal oriented isn't all bad I suppose. It's allowed me to build a pretty successful career, while also raising two beautiful kids & maintaining a happy relationship with my hubby (blah blah blah blah). I know I should blog when, "it feels right," but I do want to continue to push myself to write. Regardless of how chaotic things get this is an outlet that allows me to get some thoughts out of my brain & hopefully as I look back, remember this time in our lives.

Nonetheless, November 2012 is looking pretty good because this is my second entry for the month - which is better than 2011 & 2010!

Grand

/grand/
Magnificent. Splendid. Wonderful. Fascinating.

Grandparents really do add the grand feeling to parenting. My grandparents played such an important role in my life, I couldn't begin to imagine things differently.

Earlier this month we visited Joe's grandfather in the nursing home and as I watched them interact I was so overwhelmed by how much he loves him, which then drummed up feelings of how much I love mine.

I remember that feeling as a small girl, visiting my great grandmother in the nursing home and it wasn't grand. The opposite, really. I'm so grateful none of my grandparents are in that place now. I know it's hard on them but it nearly killed me to hear him ask over and over again to go home. A prideful man, who worked hard his entire life to provide for his family - begging to just go home.

This week, as Thanksgiving approaches I'm going to make sure to give thanks for my grandparents. I feel so fortunate to have so many fantastic years with them and even more appreciative of the fact that Ella & Will can too.