I feel like this year, 2014, has been the best year of my life.
Is it because of the things I have done, the places I have been and the things I have seen this year? No.
Having our family complete; three amazing children and a perfect marriage along with the life we have had leading up to our move here makes everything perfect. The Summer was perfect. The holidays are perfect. I am so truly happy.
What makes my life perfect? 1) Having spent an amazing 4 years in Italy with Sterling and our boys. 2) Now living within driving distance of our families. 3) Having a daughter...being able to do all the fun girly things with her I don't get to do with/for my boys. 4) Having decided our family is complete. Planning to not get pregnant again or go through labor and delivery. Knowing that these hardships of raising a baby (waiting for her to sleep through the night etc) are the last time I will go through these.
Other simple things like the trials I have faced that have made me as strong as I am today. Example: My insecurety and desire to have people like me and to know my friends are true friends. I went through that the whole time I was in Italy and maybe even before that. But now I am happy with the many friends I have here. I don't have a best friend, besides Sterling, but know that I have a list of girls I can call to go hang out or invite over.
Another example: last winter here in Rapid City was very harsh. Cold and windy together. This Winter so far it is nowhere near that. It does get cold but we have some almost warm days as well. And the wind has been very tame so far this Winter. So now when it's 0 degrees outside I don't mind going out to go shopping or go get stuff done outside. I don't mind being out the cold a little while because there is no harsh wind.
Another small thing that makes my life perfect ...I realized recently that I don't have to worry about getting fat again. After Tiberias was born I gained more weight than I have ever had on before. I allowed myself to be in maybe 2 photographs at that time. Both of them I stood on the outskirt of the picture so I could crop in the photo, cutting off part of my body to show less of my fat.
I shortly after worked my butt off with Sterling to count my calories (eat like 1200 calories a day), doing pushups and situps and hiking. Combined with breastfeeding Ty my weight melted off.
I have been worried about gaining back the weight ever since.
When we came back to America a year and a half ago I started eating not so healthy. We had gotten into a very good healthy eating lifestyle in Italy. Then we came back to all the fast food we had missed and celebrations with family. Then Sterling was away from us 4 months. Then we moved to South Dakota. I have not gotten back into a healthy eating lifestyle since. I did workout during my pregnancy with Athena...so my body stayed in shape. And after Athena was born , if I wore a tummy sucker under my clothes, I looked like I had not just had a baby. I looked great. I have been breastfeeding Athena but not working out much or eating healthy. Now she is almost a year old and I am still "thin." So recently I realized...I am not going to get fat again. I can stop worrying about it. Now that I am no longer breastfeeding Athena I do need to start working out often. Replace the calorie burning with another way of calorie burning. And I should start eating a bit healthier. But if I don't I am not afraid of blowing up like a balloon. Definitely something to celebrate!! :)
Not only that but the fact that I know how to lose weight if I need to. It takes years to learn how your body best loses weight and I do know my body.
My family has done some awesome things this year! Visited Mount Rushmore a few times as well as some other fun places in the area. Had grandparents come to visit because of the baby being born. We drove down to Provo and visited our family when Travis got married. But what made it the best year of my life, so far, is where I have been and what has tried me to bring me to this perfect state of mind and true happiness. No dream could be sweeter than my life. No hope or wish could make one happier than my life makes me.
Not only is it the past and present that bring joy to me but the aspirations for my future. Sterling and I talk about our future sometimes. We talk about having a piece of land after retirement, where we start out in a trailor while we build our dream home.
We talk of having animals on our land which we care for.
We talk of having a motor home and taking family trips sooner rather than later.
We once talked about living in or near a small town where we could open a little diner.
Sterling talks about being a cop, his dream job. And I honestly hope he gets that experience and loves it.
I dream about how I will spend my time when my children are grown. Photography, cake decorating, scrapbooking, sewing, keeping up my singing voice and performing for church and community events, etc.
The thing about dreams, with my husband, they tend to come true. Sterling has made so many of my dreams come true. With us being down to earth and financially secure (we are planners) it is totally feasible for any of our dreams of retirement to come true.
God has given us so much. And every day I thank Him for His blessings.
