Life's a Hoot at 50.: January 1st Wishing You the Happiest.....2011

Sunday, January 2, 2011

January 1st Wishing You the Happiest.....2011

Wishing you all the Happiest New Year of all. 2010 has been full of blessings and some disappointments as well, but I choose to focus on what I have been given, not what I fear may be taken! So take a deep breath with me and we'll brave the new year with the will to hope, the faith to endure and the courage to make mistakes. I love you all dear friends and family.

Laura

2010 HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED...

Watching Russell through each faze of his first year. He is absolutely adorable and sweet! Take a peek!

He'll be an Eagle Scout before he turns two if I know Justin! :)

So is he cute or what!!!

Even when he had RSV and was in Primary Children's Hospital, he smiled! I could eat him up!

Next on the list is Stan's trip to the Dominican Republic to help clean and pull teeth. Our friend is a dentist, Scott Wall, and he invited Stan to go with him on a service trip! Not too shabby, eh????? He had a blast!

In March, Sharman, Stan and I went to Uruguay to pick up Synthia from her mission there. It was incredible to hear the converts' testimonies! It was a remarkable experience to be with Synthia and meet all the people she got to know and love!!!

Synthia hardly recognized Shayla or Sam! :) It has be great having her home for a while.

In June we went with Scott and Denise's family to Coredelaine, Idaho... a piece of heaven on earth. Mary and Baden live only 15 minutes from where the cabin was.

We fished...... and fished...... and some folks fished some more.............. (namely Skylar and Justin)

and napped

and ate

and threw rocks in the lake...

and celebrated Eliza's birthday...

and jet skied and sat on the beach and had a great time. THANKS SCOTT AND DENISE!

In July we had a barbque with the Hales........... and families!

August 24th, little Sophie Ellen was born to Mary and Baden!!!

Shana and I went to Spokane and had a blast with the Foxes!

In September I started to teach again at Wasatch Peak Academy. I teach Spanish to

1st, 2nd, 3rd and 6th graders and really enjoy it! Go Patriots!

In October we had family pictures taken! THANKS RACHEL!

REALITY!!!!

In December I turned 50, YIKES, had hernia surgery, (no pictures available), Christmas came and now it's a New Year. Synthia is headed off to Jerusalem for a BYU Study Abroad. Sharm surprised me this Christmas with a trip to Jerusalem. I cried! :)

Once again, I'm focusing on what I have been blessed with, not my fears and worries. Those fears often don't even happen, but others do, and so I'll prepare myself better this year to face what challenges my come! God bless all of you!

Laura

3 comments:

Bear of Very Little BrainJanuary 3, 2011 at 4:19 AM
I commented last night but see nothing here this morning. I just said I love this whole blog - your background, the pics in this post and the commentary. What a year! Love your outlook - it's filled with positive attitude; real life, too. How well we know! I'm so excited for you to go to Jerusalem! Wow! We've got to talk. I'm comin' soon! God willing (always). Oh, and are you feeling good - back to work soon. I love you! :)
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LauraJanuary 3, 2011 at 6:55 PM
Mom, besides the horrific picture of me on the lake;) I love Love LOVE it!! You are the best!!
-Shay
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SynthJanuary 7, 2011 at 10:29 AM
Hey I love the blog!!! Thanks for doing that! I miss you guys lots! -Synth
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Best Books

"501 Spanish Verbs" by Barron's
"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
"Einstein Never Used Flashcards" by Kathy Hirsh
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"Glass Castle"
"Kitchen Table Wisdom" by Naomi Remen
"Manage Your Fears Manage Your Anger" by A. A. Low, MD
"Mental Health Through Will Training" by A. Low
"My Grandfather's Blessings" by Naomi Remen
"The Road Less Traveled" by Scott Peck
"Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson
"What Your ______ Grader Needs to Know", the series, by ED Hirsch, Jr.
1001 Pitfalls in Spanish by Barrons
The Book of Mormon

Dr. Abraham Low's Self Help Tools - 101+ " Recovery Spots"

Disclaimer: The following Recovery "spots" are accurate to the best of my knowledge, but they may not be exactly as Dr. Abraham A. Low stated them. Before using these as exact quotes, please refer to his books or website. http://www.lowselfhelpsystems.org/

Endorse!!!

Don't indict.

Endorse for the effort, not the outcome.

Drop the danger, judgement, and diagnosing.

Temper is, among other things, blindness to the other side of the story.

Comfort is a want, not a need.

There is no right or wrong in the daily trivialities of life.

Calm begets calm, temper begets temper.

Helplessness is not hopelessness.

Some people have a passion for self-distrust.

Temper maintains and intensifies symptoms.

Do the things you fear and hate to do.

You will get better in proportion to the discomfort you are willing to bear.

Fear is a belief and beliefs can be changed.

Nervous symptoms are distressing, not dangerous.

It's a triviality, not an emergency.

Bear the discomfort.

Brave, face, endure.

You don't have to be a hero, saint or angel.

Strive to be average.

If it has happened to one other person, it is average.

Drop the need for excessive responsibility.

Drop the need to be exceptional.

We want to be exceptional, but fear that we aren't even average.

Every measure of self-control brings a measure of self -respect.

Trust in your own validity.

Drop the temper.

Temper is a luxury I can't affort.

I Can not means I care not.

Move your muscles.

Feelings aren't facts.

Interpret securely, don't exaggerate insecurely.

Approval of others is a want, not a need.

Fear of the permanent handicap.

Feelings rise and feelings fall.

Act your way into right thinking.

Do things in part acts.

Look at the total view, not the partial view.

Objectivity terminates panic.

Decide, plan and act.

Humor is our best friend, temper is our worst enemy.

Treat your mental health as a business and not as a game.

Go after your mental health with a strong determination, not a lose wish.

Thoughts can be changed.

If you can't change a situation, you can change your attitude towards the situation.

Get out of duality.

A firm decision steadies us.

Be self-led, not symptom-led.

Wear the mask. It's group minded.

Don't put a ceiling on your feelings.

Don't take your "own dear selves" so seriously.

A thought created it, a thought can drop it.

Focus on what you do have, do know and can do.

Excuse, rather than accuse.

People do things that irritate us, not to irritate us.

People can be rude, crude and indifferent.

Expectations and disappointments.

You are entitled to your initial flare.

Trigger spot.

Don't lower the bridge of temper.

Temper blocks logic.

Brave, face and endure.

Have the will to hope.

Seize fire and others will lower their weapons.

We have the right to dream, hope and anticipate.

We have choices.

When you are in temper, express yourself to an understanding.

When we express ourselves in temper we end up with self disgust. It's damaging.

Desire spontaneity and act on spontaneity.

Avoid self importance. (As if people have time to sit around and think about what you did.)

An insincere gesture of generosity is far more valuable than an outspoken expression of enmity.

Don't go for the symbolic victory. Remember, "Peace over Power!"

You can command your muscles to move.

We cannot control outer environment, only our inner environment.

Endorse like an ever flowing river. Endorse, endorse, endorse. (I know this is a repeat. Just wanted to remember it!)

Everyday is full of frustration and disappointment. It's average.

Lower your expectations and your performance with rise.

Anticipation is often worse than the realization of an event.

Our self worth does not depend on our performance.

Remove the danger.

Thoughts produce symptoms and thoughts let them go.

Feelings rise and feelings fall.

You are a "capable lot".

You only know that you don't know.

Drop the vanity of knowing better and best.

To be simple is to be great!

Stop, spot and reject bad thoughts.

People do things that annoy us, not to annoy us.

Excuse rather than accuse. Accident vs. intent?

Resist the impulse.

Be group minded.

Peace within is attractive.

Don't let an incident rob you of the peace you strive for everyday.

Mistakes are a healthy and valuable part of life.

Don't blame, complain or explain.

Do things in "part acts". (baby steps)

Comfort is a want, not a need.

Tempermental lingo is self sabotage.

Take a "ho-hum" attitude toward a distressing task, (or symptom.)

I choose to hope rather than to feel gloom, doom and despair.

Drop the judgement on others and you then can drop it on yourself.

Refuse to sacrifice inner peace for trivialites.

Temporary peace or (peace from outer environment), isn't really peace.

Discomfort is a thing to be patiently borne, bravely faced and humbly tolerated.

Don't let the trivialities of everyday life get you worked up.

You can feel guilty without being guilty.

Some things happen by chance and not by choice.

There is no right or wrong in the trivialites of everyday life.