I may be college educated but I, for the life of me, can never remember whether I should be wishing people “Happy New Year!” or “Happy New Years!” I promise to google it before the end of this post.

I am in love with 2010. I’ve read that 2009 was a tough year for most and I’m no exception. What a relief to have a fresh new page to write on!!! I’m a huge advocate for making resolutions, even those resolutions that dwindle to soft wishes most of the time. Making changes for the better and striving for self-improvement is an easy sell for me. I taught high school science straight out of college at Maryknoll Schools and their motto is “to whom much is given, much is expected.” What a firm reminder that I am blessed and the best way to show my gratitude is to live my life giving everything I’ve got. So here are my resolutions…and if I fall of the wagon, I hope I remember that you get a fresh slate every morning on any given day. There’s a Nicole Nordeman song “His mercies are new every morning.” I cling to that as my saving grace.

• Be more thankful-spend a few moments every day thanking God for the little and big things that come my way. And thanking those around me, like my dependable hubby, Scott who always reminds me that my car’s registration expired three months ago (oops) or when it’s time for an oil change. Or asking to take my car on our Costco run because he notices it’s low on gas and Costco’s gas is the cheapest.
• Be more active and healthy- Hmmm, this one sounds so familiar. I’m not giving up. I weighed in 10 lbs heavier than my heaviest weight every. A new high for me. Ouch. Yet another reason why I am always the photographer, keep cameras pointed away from me. I want to at least feel stronger. So, I had a jumpstart on this one and have been back to the gym since Christmas. It’s not as excruciating as I thought but, boy, it’s just time consuming.
• Laugh more-And thanks to goofy friends…one who was trying to wave out the window at a group of us and totally tipped her and her chair over and then my athletic, uber-coordinated husband whiffing on a frisbee catch and kissing the frisbee up close….I have laughed and laughed and laughed. I mean, I hope all my laughter doesn’t come at the expense of others…but I love them more for filling my life with joy and light.
• Use less and Give more-I grew up in a small town with where we, like most families there, struggled. We lived on welfare and survived on food stamps and housing assistance. I sometimes forget that I’m not poor anymore. It’s such a hard mentality to shake. But I’m not poor….I have to repeat or I keep forgetting. I have all that I need. In fact, I have more than I need. So over the holidays, Scott and I went through our closets and pantry and cleared out boxes to donate to Goodwill and the Hawaii Food Bank. Cans and cans of soups and mixes that we bought months ago just to lie unused gathering dust. I need to stop buying stuff “just in case” I might find a use for it. Some credit will probably have to go to “Hoarders” which now has given me the opposite complex. I’m so scared of hoarding that we have empty closets and shelves after weekly purges. Hey, reality TV can be positive after all. We also give monthly support to an Ethiopian girl, Elilta, through Compassion. Then I got a newsletter from them with pictures of these children who have been waiting, some of them for over a year, to be adopted/supported through Compassion.

And because I know that even the best intentions get nudged to the side by the busy-ness of life, someone help me remember to revisit these resolutions every four months. April 1st let’s see how I’m doing.

Darn, google didn’t help me. Scott and I would like to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!