.: April 2012

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Disney World Christmas 2011

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Tuesday, April 10, 2012

15 Things to Give Up in Life to Become More Happy

I came across this article from a friend and thought it would be good to post so I can remember it. I find myself struggling with some of these things periodically in life and always try to catch myself in the process. I think by writing it down so I can see it, I will be much more accountable to it!

Here is a list of 15 things which, if you give up on them, will make your life a lot easier and much, much happier. We hold on to so many things that cause us a great deal of pain, stress and suffering – and instead of letting them all go, instead of allowing ourselves to be stress free and happy – we cling on to them. Not anymore. Starting today we will give up on all those things that no longer serve us, and we will embrace change. Ready? Here we go:

1. Give up your need to always be right.There are so many of us who can’t stand the idea of being wrong – wanting to always be right – even at the risk of ending great relationships or causing a great deal of stress and pain, for us and for others. It’s just not worth it. Whenever you feel the ‘urgent’ need to jump into a fight over who is right and who is wrong, ask yourself this question: “Would I rather be right, or would I rather be kind?” Wayne Dyer. What difference will that make? Is your ego really that big?

2. Give up your need for control. Be willing to give up your need to always control everything that happens to you and around you – situations, events, people, etc. Whether they are loved ones, coworkers, or just strangers you meet on the street – just allow them to be. Allow everything and everyone to be just as they are and you will see how much better will that make you feel.

“By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond winning.” Lao Tzu

3. Give up on blame. Give up on your need to blame others for what you have or don’t have, for what you feel or don’t feel. Stop giving your powers away and start taking responsibility for your life.

4. Give up your self-defeating self-talk. Oh my. How many people are hurting themselves because of their negative, polluted and repetitive self-defeating mindset? Don’t believe everything that your mind is telling you – especially if it’s negative and self-defeating. You are better than that.

“The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive.” Eckhart Tolle

5. Give up your limiting beliefs about what you can or cannot do, about what is possible or impossible. From now on, you are no longer going to allow your limiting beliefs to keep you stuck in the wrong place. Spread your wings and fly!

“A belief is not an idea held by the mind, it is an idea that holds the mind” Elly Roselle

6. Give up complaining. Give up your constant need to complain about those many, many, maaany things – people, situations, events that make you unhappy, sad and depressed. Nobody can make you unhappy, no situation can make you sad or miserable unless you allow it to. It’s not the situation that triggers those feelings in you, but how you choose to look at it. Never underestimate the power of positive thinking.

7. Give up the luxury of criticism. Give up your need to criticize things, events or people that are different than you. We are all different, yet we are all the same. We all want to be happy, we all want to love and be loved and we all want to be understood. We all want something, and something is wished by us all.

8. Give up your need to impress others. Stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not just to make others like you. It doesn’t work this way. The moment you stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not, the moment you take of all your masks, the moment you accept and embrace the real you, you will find people will be drawn to you, effortlessly.

9. Give up your resistance to change. Change is good. Change will help you move from A to B. Change will help you make improvements in your life and also the lives of those around you. Follow your bliss, embrace change – don’t resist it.
“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls” Joseph Campbell

10. Give up labels. Stop labeling those things, people or events that you don’t understand as being weird or different and try opening your mind, little by little. Minds only work when open. “The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about.” Wayne Dyer

11. Give up on your fears. Fear is just an illusion, it doesn’t exist – you created it. It’s all in your mind. Correct the inside and the outside will fall into place.
“The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.” Franklin D. Roosevelt

12. Give up your excuses. Send them packing and tell them they’re fired. You no longer need them. A lot of times we limit ourselves because of the many excuses we use. Instead of growing and working on improving ourselves and our lives, we get stuck, lying to ourselves, using all kind of excuses – excuses that 99.9% of the time are not even real.

13. Give up the past. I know, I know. It’s hard. Especially when the past looks so much better than the present and the future looks so frightening, but you have to take into consideration the fact that the present moment is all you have and all you will ever have. The past you are now longing for – the past that you are now dreaming about – was ignored by you when it was present. Stop deluding yourself. Be present in everything you do and enjoy life. After all life is a journey not a destination. Have a clear vision for the future, prepare yourself, but always be present in the now.

14. Give up attachment. This is a concept that, for most of us is so hard to grasp and I have to tell you that it was for me too, (it still is) but it’s not something impossible. You get better and better at with time and practice. The moment you detach yourself from all things, (and that doesn’t mean you give up your love for them – because love and attachment have nothing to do with one another, attachment comes from a place of fear, while love… well, real love is pure, kind, and self less, where there is love there can’t be fear, and because of that, attachment and love cannot coexist) you become so peaceful, so tolerant, so kind, and so serene. You will get to a place where you will be able to understand all things without even trying. A state beyond words.

15. Give up living your life to other people’s expectations. Way too many people are living a life that is not theirs to live. They live their lives according to what others think is best for them, they live their lives according to what their parents think is best for them, to what their friends, their enemies and their teachers, their government and the media think is best for them. They ignore their inner voice, that inner calling. They are so busy with pleasing everybody, with living up to other people’s expectations, that they lose control over their lives. They forget what makes them happy, what they want, what they need….and eventually they forget about themselves. You have one life – this one right now – you must live it, own it, and especially don’t let other people’s opinions distract you from your path.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Texas Bluebonnets 2012

It is time when all the bluebonnets pop up everywhere and you see everyone on the side of the highways taking pictures. I'm not a fan of stopping off the highway, but I do like to get some shots in the Texas Bluebonnets! Sunday after church we ate then went home so Caden could take a nap. After he woke up we drove out to the spot I picked out and took some pictures. We checked thoroughly for snakes because they like to hide. I also brought a chair so we did most of the pictures on that. I can't believe the difference a year makes with Caden. Last year he was so little and this year he was so independent. He just wanted to take off through the bluebonnets and pick them for Mama. I have one sweet boy : ) He enjoyed smelling them, and even tried to kiss one of them. It was a rather warm day so we didn't stay out too long. Overall they turned out great!

Reflecting on the past.....

Last year at 6 months old!

Different day, but the bluebonnets weren't as bright anymore.

Sweet bot! I love him : )

Possibly 15 Tornadoes in One Day

Yesterday started out like any other day. The only exception was Casey was home. After we ate lunch Casey's mom called telling us tornadoes were headed our way. His parents live in Cleburne so they had already had a small glimpse of what we would be getting here in Arlington. Casey's grandma lives in Lancaster also. Casey thought she was joking because it looked fine outside. When she made it clear she was not joking Casey turned on the tv and sure enough where we just moved from was very close to the tornado spotting. After watching the news for awhile the weather started to look bad and sirens started blaring from across the street. Caden started running back and forth whining a bit because he had no idea what was going on. I just picked him up and let him know everything was ok. The weather showed how bad everyone was getting hit and people that were about to get hit. Judging the hook of the storm, it was headed right towards our house. I immediately got up and went to pack some things that could not be replaced like Caden's baby book and memories, my laptop with all of our videos and pictures on it, and Caden some snacks, clothes, and diapers. Caden sat still on the couch by Casey and didn't say a peep the whole time. I have never seen him be so still and quiet. He may have not known exactly what was going on but he knew something was wrong. Amazing what an 18 month old understands.
Casey got a softball helmet with a mask out for Caden incase anything started to happen and we needed to protect his head. When it finally looked like it had cleared our area and missed us, more spottings had occurred and we started getting hail, heavy winds and rain. By now Caden had went to sleep on my chest. Seeing all the tornadoes pop up on tv with 18 wheeler trailers flying like leaves I couldn't help but feel a bit scared. You never know what you will feel like until the tornado is close to your backyard. You could actually hear the surrounding tornadoes from my front yard. Finally when everything had cleared the area, we were so grateful for God's mercies and wiliness to spare our lives and homes around us. When Caden woke up he was back to his normal self and happy as can be. That night seeing all the devastation that was caused for many people I couldn't help but ponder how incredibly blessed we are. Reports say that they were possibly EF3 tornadoes.
On April 3, 2012 as many as 15 tornadoes tore through North Texas on Tuesday, ripping roofs from homes and businesses, tossing trucks into the air and leaving flattened tractor-trailers strewn along highways and parking lots. Dozens of buildings were damaged, but there have been no reports of deaths. Baseball size hail fell from the sky and many people lost their homes. Please remember to keep these people in your prayers. I know I wouldn't want to be in their shoes.

Here are some pictures from the storm. I didn't take all of them, but just looking at them gives you chills.