Putting it in perspective

So here's my big New Year's resolution.....

Don't sweat the small stuff. I mean, really, we all get so worked up and focused on drama that we tend to forget about the good stuff.

This week, I felt like I was dealt one blow after another. Due to...let's call it an unexpected expense...I have to break my lease and move into a friend's "cozy" apartment with her family. I was stressed to the max about moving, uprooting Wyatt for what is going to be a temporary thing (meaning he will get uprooted again), being another 1/2 hour away from work, hoping the roommate stuff wont' mess up our friendship....Then, I realized... I have an amazing friend who is more than happy to share what she has with Wyatt and me. And she offered without even batting an eye. What an incredible gift that is. We don't need "stuff". There really is very little we need. This biggest thing is, of course, shelter and nourishment. Just behind that is love. Wyatt and I have an abundance of love, both for each other and for (and from!) friends. You truly don't know what kind of friends you have until they step up. This last year has certainly shown me that. (Heck, really, the last 6months) I'm certainly convinced that DNA means very little, it's the people who stand beside you that make up your family.

Today I picked Wyatt up from a sleepover. He stayed up way late, then was up throwing up (pretty sure it was reflux) and woke up early. Yay! The recipe for a cranky kid. He took a 2 hour nap right up until 5, and was then very whiny, felt warm to me (but I was cold) and continued to lay around and not want to eat. Great. He's gotta be getting sick, right? Yet another thing I have to figure out how to balance. Did I mention he was cranky? Oh. My. Bob. I was ready to lay down next to him and stomp my feet about how much life stinks.

Then, I remembered...an old friend had to do the hardest thing imaginable today. She buried her newborn daughter. The daughter she felt moving inside her 2 hours before her C-section. I looked at my healthy (in the grand scheme of things), smart, funny and mostly happy little boy today and remembered that I have a major blessing. I'm sure my friend would have gladly traded places with me.

What amazing reminders to keep things in perspective. There is always someone who wants to trade places with you.

You never know what may happen next year, tomorrow, or in the next 2 hours. You can't go crazy worrying about it, but you can make every moment count.

Oh me oh my

This is definitely one of those days where I cannot wait to get back to SC. It's cold outside (17 degrees) and, well, I DON'T LIKE COLD!!

The best part about having to go to work on a day like this, though, is my crock pot. Seriously. I love walking in the door at the end of a long day and voila! Dinner is ready.

Crock pots are a necessity in any working mother's kitchen. Without it, I'd come home, have to cook something healthy (in theory). Now, in reality, we'd be eating out. A lot. I have, at the moment, 2 crock pots. I'd have more, but, well, 2 broke in the move.

I've used mine to take soups and stuff to work, to make yummy dinners at home. They are just the greatest. Mmmm. Plus, there's only one dish to clean!

Anyway, today I'm gonna make Brown Sugar Chicken. When you see the ingredients, you will probably think I'm nuts. But it is SO GOOD. I serve it over noodles. I always make enough for leftovers. Mmm mmm mmm

OK, so I didn't intend for today's blog to be an ode to my slow cooker. I really do love it though. It's got me thinking maybe once a week I will post something about kitchen type stuff.