October Accomplishments

October has been a busy month, but not so with the blog or organizing projects.

During this month:

• I've had the opportunity to spend two nights and three days in the most expensive "hotel" I've ever been to--the hospital. The food sucked and the bed was lumpy.
• On a much more exciting note, Nick and I celebrated our third anniversary on the Mayan Riviera at the same resort where we honeymooned.
• Nick, Claire and I spend two weekends visiting my parents. Nick got to hunt, Claire got to play with Grandma and I got a little work done.
• I've worked on (but not finished) several organizing projects around the house. Planning the space, searching for the right materials and finding the time to do the work is a little difficult.
• I made a Christmas gift and project list. I'll share some of that on Monday in a post about planning for the holidays.

This month has been stressful and expensive, so I plan to spend November being mindful of everything I'm thankful for. (That and doing a lot of organizing!)

Rounding it Up and Acknowledging Your Accomplishments

Reading Young House Love today, I couldn't help but feel a little jealous of their accomplishments. They get a lot done in a month that us normal people can't quite do. The idea of a round up, though, can really help the rest of us see all of our accomplishments for the month or even the day.

As each month passes by too quickly, I really wonder if I'm making the most of my time to do everything I want to do. My to do list doesn't seem to get shorter, so a roundup would allow me to see everything I've accomplished, even if it's just fun things like taking Claire to the park or boating.

If each month passes too quickly, it's hard to describe the quick passage of days. Especially at work when I spend an entire day on one large project, it seems as if I never get much done, yet the projects I need to complete are done on time. I wouldn't go so far as to suggest a roundup at the end of the day for me or anyone else, but maybe a quick glance at check marks on my to do list or a smaller stack of paper can help me feel accomplished.

So, with that, a round up of July 2011 without pictures (I hope to get pictures up for future posts):

• We celebrated the fourth of July with a long weekend, a day trip to a fish hatchery, a small BBQ at home, and viewing our neighbors' fireworks displays. We also finally bought a patio set.
• Granparents visited the next weekend when we blew up Claire's pool for the first time. She liked splashing and wading in the water but wouldn't sit down (too cold!). 
• The next weekend brought friends from out of town. We took Claire to a picnic in the park, and she enjoyed playing and watching other kids. Friday night and all day Sunday were spent at the lake on our new boat.
• Last weekend was another busy one for us. We attended Nick's stepbrother's wedding reception where Claire danced the night away and met one of her step uncles for the first time. That Sunday was spent at another BBQ, and all of us enjoyed an early night in bed.