Happy New Year {Unmellow Yellow}

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. -Melody Beattie

Albeit, a bit late for a new year's post...  Today's crayola color is unmellow yellow.  That's how I feel as of late.  Bright and happy tinged with a bit of psychopathic anxiety.  Near the end of 2013 I decided that for 2014 I would start a gratitude journal and  posted to my Facebook a blurb about people being ungrateful.  Let's just say it was not well received by all.  To sum up that post I basically stated that I don't think one's little homepage of Facebook shouldn't be an outlet for everything that is going terribly wrong in said individual's life.  And that we all (myself included) should be grateful for what we have because there are many others who are happier with less than what we have.  With all that being said it is easy to lose sight of all this and not handle every situation with grace.  I realized this last night as I was writing my journal entry.

I had been going through my day complaining about my second semester in school and how confusing my online classes seemed, stating how I was going to fail them because of this (being an overt drama queen), I also had a job interview yesterday and found a way to complain about how the impending interview was giving me more anxiety than I needed at the time because of those classes and to top it all off I am still working on launching my Etsy business and doing everything for it (including some primitive graphic design).  The icing on the cake is that housework and chores never end and neither does endless budgeting and revising.  Are you reading it all and going, "Oh no, you poor dear!"  Well don't.  I am being an ungrateful twat.  All those complaints are blessings and I should be so lucky to complain about being a student (working on my second degree), a possible new career opportunity, a business opportunity and a place to live.  Those all sound like great things!  I am enjoying my journal.  It is helping to give me a different and much more positive view on my life.  I'm not saying to never vent.  Not that at all.  It isn't healthy to hold things in that may be bothering you.  Sometimes you may have just had an exceptionally crappy day but most of the time you're probably just being a twat.

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On a holiday recap note-- they were great.  We spent Christmas in Florida this year and managed not to get snowed in in Michigan (we cancelled that trip)!  We also had our first "pseudo first time homeowners emergency".  Do not try and stuff a load of sweet potato peels down the garbage disposal.

My wonderful husband came to the rescue to take the sink apart while I Googled for new disposals (I was convinced there was no fixing it).  Drew can be amazing at handy work and handled this plumbing emergency like a pro! 

My nieces and nephews 

Before we left for Florida the kiddos stopped by to pick up their gifts.  They are just adorable.  I haven't checked with their parents yet to see if anyone has cut themselves or someone else with the scalpels included in the microscope kits.  Since I haven't received any phone calls I will assume all is well.  The twins got dolls and Hello Kitty pj's.

Our last day in Florida was spent in a diner with great company!  Drew's family was very hospitable.  They have an orange tree in there backyard! An ORANGE TREE!!  I'd never seen one in person and they are amazing.  So decorative.  We picked oranges which wasn't an easy feat (I forgot to take photos because I was so caught up in "OMFG! It's an orange tree.") because the oranges must be cut out of the tree and the fruit is protected by thorns.  This grew old very quickly.  I enjoyed Jacksonville but I think I liked St. Augustine more.  Hopefully, we will visit again when it is warmer.

My mother-in-law on the right and aunt on the left.