Happy New Year!

Cheers to 2014!

On that note I suck! What a way to start a blog post eh? Well I was on a roll with watching what I ate and after getting down 10 lbs I threw it all away after a wonderful week in Mexico!

Mexico was amazing. We stayed at the Grand Mayan Nuevo Vallarta, a timeshare resort so we actually purchased groceries and made most meals so you'd think we ate better. We probably did VS eating all inclusive but we drank enough calories to make up for not eating all inclusive. Each day we were busy walking around the resort, down the beach, riding the lazy river or cooling off in pools. We did a lot of walking but nothing active enough to burn the calories.

During our trip the girls swam with Dolphins for the first time which they said was totally amazing. They also released sea turtles. 3 total! One dark black baby turtle we found on the beach and another 2 lighter grey babies that we released with the resort release program. To say the least it was once in a lifetime memories they will cherish.

We liked the resort a lot. It was very clean, well managed. The suites were amazing with pools on the balcony. My hubby loved his time golfing with my brother in law and father. We found Puerto Vallarta very American and it reminded us a lot of our trip to Florida including the lovely weather we had all week.

Jay and I said that if we were to return to a resort again we'd likely go back to the Bahia Principe Tulum in the Mayan Riviera in Cancun. We really enjoyed that all inclusive resort and while we like lazy rivers and they don't have one there, there is so much else that makes up for it. So I guess maybe we are in the starting stages of discussion for our next trip haha.

Christmas in Mexico did not feel like Christmas at all and the girls were rather disappointed by the lack of tradition and missed the feeling of the holidays. So we will not do another trip over Christmas but rather plan for after and enjoy ringing in the New Year there.

So it's now 2014. I am pretty content with myself and have a good mind set but seemed to have lost will power somewhere maybe at the airport? LOL So time to get the will power to return and get into healthy lifestyle habits.

I didn't set much for resolutions to be honest. I would like to be comfortable within myself in 2014 and find happiness in everything and new passions that I can enjoy along the way that I won't feel limited by due to my arm.

I asked my oldest daughter what her resolutions were for 2014, her response was, "The year is just a number, I won't change because of a number just keep doing the best I can each day." Kids really are so pure and we should take a page or 50 from their books and see things clear.

I figure that if I can focus my mind, educate and help it find a content place to remain free of anxiety, stress, frustration and anger that I will be in a place where anything is possible. I picked up a couple books the other night. They look good, one is about learning to breathe and how simple breath can help with life. The other is about how to train your brain to be happy.

Now having said all this I am not unhappy, just seeking ways to feel more uplifted, and seeing the world through more positive view.

My hopes for the new year is to continue to find balance, see the To Do list dwindle away, one or two big projects completed, much more camping, perhaps a trip to somewhere tropical, be more active, eat healthy like I had been and cook meals as I enjoy doing. I hope to do things that I enjoy and the above are all things that I enjoy. I believe if I live my life doing things that make me happy then everything else will fall into place. I have noticed that as life has found more balance in the last year even with the girls growing and more falling onto their plates myself and my family are all happier.

Cheers to 2014! May it bring will power, happiness and good health to all for success on whatever path you choose to conquer!