Keeping it real in 2011.

I really didn't think I was going to have a word for 2011. I couldn't think of anything and I wasn't even trying that hard anyway. But, as I was sitting at the table, eating breakfast one morning, my mind was full of thoughts. And, one of them stuck out of all the rest. I thought to myself, " I want to be brave. I really want to be Brave." And, I knew that was my word for the year.

Bravery means a lot of different things. For me being brave can be as simple as forcing myself to sit in a middle pew at church instead of the back, to facing adversity with courage. Bravery encompases many, many things. So, in honor of my word of the year I thought I would share some not so pretty pictures of our life to sort of keep it real, yo'. :) I get a bit concerned about blogging that sometimes by editing and airbrushing, cropping and wrinkle removing both my words and my pictures that I can sometimes present a life that seems perfect, false even. I caught myself the other day comparing my life situation to other blogger/facebook friends and feeling like mine came up seriosly lacking. Their kids seemed perfect, their lives filled with travel and fun, friends and good times all around...and, then the ugly discontents settled in and I started to feel sorry for myself. So silly. Because the truth of that matter is that facebook/blogs/other forms of social media only let viewers see what we want them to see. Not the real us. The full us. The not-always-are-we-ever-put-togehter us. And, that is not a full picture. It is not the complete truth. I don't ever want to represent myself or my family as perfect, having it all together. Always clean and shiny. Because we are not. We are very real. Rough edged and forever in a process of being renewed. And, it is a process. Gosh, is it ever. So, here is a little list in honor of bravery. And, keeping it real in 2011.

The real me...

has clothes that have been in the dirty laundry basket for so long that I forget I have them or figure I left them somewhere. The nice thing is it sort of feels like Christmas when I do eventually dig into the bottom of the pile and find them again.

forgets to clip my children's fingernails until I realize that they are resembling lizards.

gets angry with my husband, we have words, sometimes loud ones

avoids acquaintences at the grocery store because I don't want to talk. I just want to get done.

eats food that is bad for me and keeps on eating it even though I know I shouldn't

compares myself, my marriage, and my kids to others

has children screaming and pulling on my legs while trying to cook dinner. Sometimes I have to hold on to my pants so Liam doesn't pull them off!

forgets to pull meat out of the freezer

lets food go bad before we get a chance to eat it

yells at my kids

So, those are just a few of the "real life snapshots" that can go on around here. I have to chuckle when I read over that list because it is just so true! Life is so real, full of peanut butter smears, tantrums, and tears. But, it is also wonderful, joy filled, and amazing. Just important to give a little nod to the less than perfect days because we all have them. We surely do.