A New Year Approaches....

As the New Year approaches, I am trying to focus on how I can make changes in my life for the better.  This past year has not been the best... actually the last two or so years have been a real struggle for me.  Many people are in the same boat.. crappy economy, poor job market, etc...  Things have been hard all around the country.   This coming year, I have got to really take some steps to get my life back in control...  I have let the ball drop in many aspects of my life.  I want to be happy and healthy and get control over my financial situation.   I am 40 years old and it is time to really figure out where I want to be in my life.  I have gotten very overwhelmed this past year... struggling with raising 3 children on my own, trying to make a living, juggling way too much, etc.   I have exhausted myself--- mentally, emotionally, and physically.  And it is time to stop and reevaluate.  It is time to take steps to find my happiness again.  To take what I need from life and embrace it, and I need to purge what is not good for me.   I feel like I have been in a rut for some time now--- just going through the motions of life, not really getting anywhere.  I am going to pull myself out of this rut, and start enjoying life again.   I have a long list of things that I need to change within myself and my life... too long to really list here, and some of them are too private.   But I need to make these changes.  And I will.  This New Year will be a better one.

Christmas 2010

Wow.  A month since I've written...  I guess I've just been so caught up in getting ready for the Holidays that I haven't taken the time to chronicle our adventures...  December has been BUSY.  Work is work...  This job has been very mentally taxing lately--- for some reason, I seem to be getting a series of extremely complicated internal medicine cases lately... no easy fixes.  Things like a simple "new kitten exam" have turned into a very sick kitten with FIP... sad.  Especially because the owner is a little girl.   Never a happy diagnosis to make.  The practice manager called me Dr. Kevorkian the other day... yay. :(  I have to admit that it is refreshing to actually have to think about cases again...  I've been out of vet school so long, that I have found myself in a rut...  giving vaccines all day gets pretty boring...  But complicated pancreatitis cases, diabetic dogs with possible Lupis, and dogs with metastic lung lesions do pose a challenge.  I've been keeping the internal medicine specialists busy lately...  Too bad I didn't specialize.

The other big thing that has occurred (besides Christmas) since I last posted, is that I am now 40!  Offically middle aged.  Yikes.  I keep realizing this and wondering when I will start to feel like a grownup.  My body is definitely feeling its age... in fact my body feels more like it is 60...  My skeletal system is whacked.  Aches and pains and cracks and pops are occurring all over the place.  But my mind just doesn't feel quite 40 years old.  I'm not really sure how a person in their forties should feel though...   This decade I hope to make some things come together.  I hope to make some lasting decisions about my career and about where I want to end up living.    I am definitely ready for some changes.  The first change I need to make is with my health.   I need to start eating better and exercising more-- who am I kidding, I need to start exercising period.   I haven't worked out in years....  Time start back up.  I have already cut way way back on my alcohol intake--  I seldom even have a glass of wine these days.  But my nicotine consumption needs some work.  I need to quit smoking. Period.   That is for sure going to be the biggest challenge I face.   Ugh.  Just thinking about it makes me want a cigarette!  Hahaha!

I did have a great surprise Birthday Party though.  I knew something was going on, but wasn't sure what...  Pixie planned the entire thing....  It was very fun! :)

Christmas was great as well.  Santa was very good to the kids!   Big A was pretty impressed, she said Santa brought way more than they asked for.  She was very appreciative of every gift...  D, however, is still feeling the need to compare everything he got to what other kids got... grrr...  Hopefully he will grow out of this bad habit.  Little A just played and played and played with her Barbies.... anything Barbie makes that girl happy.  It was a nice quiet Christmas for us...  The kids and I just spent the day being lazy...  Well they played and I lazed around.   It was nice.  Pixie and J came over late in the day to have Christmas dinner with us.  Fun.  All in all it was a quiet, restful weekend.