Mixed Emotions

I've been doing calligraphy on the Diplomas for Central High School for years.  Today I did a bunch for them again but today I had some "mixed emotions", today I did the Diploma for Brodie.  He will be finished with high school Tuesday, April 19.  The actual graduation ceremony won't be until May 25 but as of next Tuesday Brodie will be finished with high school.  So....like I said I have some mixed emotions.  I can't believe that he is that old.  The last year has been difficult as Brodie has turned 18 and I've realized that I can no longer hold his hand as he "crosses the street of life".  I can love him and always be here for him but my "little" boy has grown up.  I'll always remember how upset he was that he couldn't go to kindergarten until he turned 5, his birthday was a late one in November.  He was going to a babysitter during the day where some of the other kids had been able to start school but he hadn't because he wasn't 5 yet.  The day he turned 5 I knew he was awake because the first thing he yelled was "Mom, do I get to go to school today?"  I had to break it to him that he had to wait until the following school year.   Needless to say he NEVER wakes up excited to go to school anymore, not unless I'm telling them that it is a snow day.   

Okay this post is not anything really about fun family activities and doesn't even have any pictures in it but it was something that I wanted to post for ME to refer to.  I was reading one of my favorite blogs Scattering Sunshine   and came across Holly's word for the year 2011 which is YES.  A while ago I decided that my New Year's Resolution was learning to say no and when I read Holly's word for the year I laughed, opposite of my word which would be NO, but actually the reason that I am saying NO is from this article that I read:

 "Consciously choose what you want to do. When you say “Yes” to one thing, you are automatically saying “No” to something else. Think about that the next time a request comes your way and be conscious about what it is you’ll need to say “No” to in order to say yes."

For those that know me, November was a month from HELL, sorry but there is no other word for it.  I learned the hard way that if I would have said NO to something, which I still don't think was a possibility at the time,  I would have been able to have said YES to so many things, I would have had the TIME for so many things.  I won't go into a lot of detail because it is still so recent but it did make me start to think!  January has brought the usual stressors and I've been feeling a lot of guilt this month and when I started reading some different articles about guilt and stress I came across the above and REALLY, REALLY liked it. 

Also, as I was going through November and trying to do everything in my "perfectionist way" it came time to plan Brodie and Harleigh's birthdays and I was asking Todd questions, his reply was "you need to read this" and he THREW me the Ensign opened to this Things That Matter Most .  In President Uchtdorf's talk he refers to this from Elder Dallin H. Oaks “We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families.”   So now going through November, December, and January I can now say WOW....saying NO to some good things so I can say YES to things that will develop my faith and strengthen my family....EVEN simpler SAY NO so I can say YES to me and my family!!!!!!  I guess also having the faith to say NO, that if I say no in a polite way that the person or thing I said NO to will understand, that has always been hard for me, I don't want to let anyone down but have realized in not letting others down I was not remembering the PEOPLE in my life that matter most. 

And I know I said no pictures but I wanted to throw in a few because they remind me that if I practice saying NO more often I can say YES to these PEOPLE and these things that I love to do!!!

I can enjoy some of my favorite things...from this blog post Favorites

I can enjoy cooking with my kids and enjoying PLANNED dinners together as a family~

 Playing games as a family ~

 Spending time together as a family ~

Okay, so this post was a little on my thoughts today, but I just wanted to remind myself why I'm saying NO more this year because I KNOW I'm going to need reminding A LOT!!!!!