“You don’t choose your family.
They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them.” ~Desmond Tutu

I am THOROUGHLY enjoying some much needed family time over this Christmas break!! Above is a photo of Cole and Chase with their NINE cousins at our house!!!! Quite a party!! It’s so nice for us all to get to relax together and reflect on all that’s happened in 2012. Chase (my 12 year old) calls it “Chillaxing” (chilling out + relaxing = chillaxing) and I’m starting to like that term myself!!!!

In the weeks preceding Christmas at our Weight Watchers meetings, we talked about turning our main focus from food to whatever is most important to us this holiday season. Food is certainly part of the festivities and tradition but ultimately, it’s not the reason for the celebration. I took that challenge to heart and have really made an effort to make this last week about catching up and being present with my family and wow, does it feels good!!!!

2013 is less than five days away. What can you do to make the most of what’s left of 2012? Do you want to spend it eating left over holiday foods or would you rather make it about enjoying things that give you more lasting satisfaction? A walk with your spouse or your dog….doing a craft or playing a sport with your children or grandchildren……meeting for coffee or playing cards with friends.

Choose what’s most valuable to YOU and see if you can make it about the people more than about the food. As my friend Alice says….”What’s in the chairs is far more important than what’s on the table.”

2013… Here we come!!!!

See you all soon!!!!