Oh the Places You'll Go

Andrea at Good Girl Gone Redneck nominated me for a blog award!  Thanks, Andrea!  Andrea and I met during a blog swap and she has been my bloggy soul sister ever since because she:

1.  Donates to Locks of Love

2.  Is a Read-a-holic

3.  Has a social worker mindset

4.  Is completely enamoured with Dove chocolate

What's not to like?

With this award, you are supposed to write about where you see yourself in 10 years.

This is really tough for me because I'm not much of a long term planner.  In fact, I think that living in the moment is a healthy way to live. 

Furthermore, I feel like in so many ways I have everything I could ever truly want right this minute. There is nothing material that I want.  I'm happy with teaching psychology classes part time. 

I have my family.

I have my husband and 3 beautiful, charming, laughing, loving boys.  I get teary just thinking of how much I love them.

I live in a small yet fun log home in the mountains.  Just where I want to be.

My life feels full.  I could count my blessings and never reach the end of counting.  I'm not saying my life is perfect.  Not by any means.  Sure, I struggle all the time.  Who doesn't with a toddler and 2 babies in the home?  Most days I'm happy just to keep my mind intact without losing it. But I'm just saying my life is whole and I have what I need right now.  And I'm so thankful.

So what do I want to strive for?  Surely I must have some sort of goal?  I guess my goals aren't so much tangible as philosophical.

See, in addition to my life not being perfect, I am not perfect.  Surprising, I know.  So I would hope that in 10 years I will have grown to be a better wife and mom and that I don't have regrets looking back.  I certainly hope in 10 years I can look at my boys and know that they have the start of a foundation in:

1.  Kindness towards others

2.  Equality.  Let me say that again for good measure because it is so important.  EQUALITY.  That they might see equality in people from all different cultures, backgrounds, educations, religions, and beliefs. 

3.  Curiousity.  That they might eagerly search for knowledge and new experience in life.

4.  Health.  That they might be physically active in some way daily, and that they might, in actuality, enjoy their fruits and veggies and water.

5.  A strong sense of family.

6.  Respect towards the Earth.  That they might seek to preserve the earth, not destroy it.  That they might appreciate and love nature on a daily basis.

7.  Anti-materialism.  This one will be hard.  But I hope that they don't spend their time wanting, wanting, wanting.  Wanting the next video gaming system or the next toy or the next movie or a new pair of shoes.  I hope that they can realize that material things aren't important.  Material things may be nice to appreciate, but life experiences are what matter.  I don't think this will come until after the teen years have passed.  But if they can just have the small pieces of this foundation, then after they pass those egocentric teen years it may come together for them.

In 10 years Pierce will be 13 and the twins will be 10.  If I can say they have learned to embrace some of the personality traits above, then I'm doing my job as a parent.  I know, I have a tendency to be idealistic.  It's in my nature, what can I say?  Besides, isn't goal-setting partly about dreaming anyhow?

Now I need to nominate 5 bloggers that I feel are 'going places'.  So difficult to choose because everyone seems to be headed in awesome directions.  Plus, I know I've picked so many of you before, so I don't want to tire you out with awards!

Here goes:

 Green Mama at Green Acres.  She's a friend of mine from high school and a new blogger with an old new farmhouse to renovate.  You know she's going to have some interesting tales in the years to come.

Jeremi at Ella and Zoe because her girls are always having such fantastic adventures.  And Jeremi takes such fabulous pictures to document them.

Lyn from Escape from Obesity.  I've been following her struggle to lose weight for years now.  I even use her blog as a teaching tool in my Human Development class.  She has a way with words that not many people can touch.  In the past few months, she has ripped past an old weight plateau with shocking speed.  She's an inspiration, and without a doubt, she's going places.

Jessica at Growing Home.  She's my cousin-in-law and a doula and just carries such a positive presence in everything she does.  Not to mention she just won a huge HGTV GREEN makeover for her laundry room!  How cool is that?  She doesn't blog very often, but when she does her words are so often profound.

Amber at Mommies on the Run.  She has twin boys of her own, and I first found her blog when I was pregnant with the twins.  It was so comforting to find a fellow runner and preggo w/ twins friend - even though I didn't have a blog at the time and never posted on hers.  She's one speedy runner + athlete and there's no doubt she's headed somewhere fun and amazing.