Celebration is Vital

We celebrated my husband's fiftieth birthday party on April 29th, one day before his actual birthday.  It was supposed to be a surprise party, but I trusted my four year old with too much information.  He told my husband, 'Dad, you can't look in Mom's closet because that's where all your party stuff is!'  We all laughed and my husband played along when I said, 'Oh, yeah, I'm planning a little party for Easter.'  He didn't buy it.  I could have chosen to be disappointed, but it actually made things easier.

I confessed that I was planning a big party for him.  Then I asked if it would be a good time to paint and have new carpet installed.  We agreed that it would be nice to freshen things up and ended up doing paint, carpet, backsplash in the kitchen and new slip covers for the couch.  I managed all the estimates, scheduling and supervision.  It was a first, for me.

Then I hired a pianist, caterer, valet service and cleaning crew.  I bought a new dress and tons of beer, wine and signature cocktail ingredients.  Everything went beautifully, my husband was very touched and we all had a grand time.

I had never managed this kind of an event.  I thought my husband was the event planner (because he is) and that meant that I couldn't pull this off without him.  However, that wasn't the case.  I kept all the things moving and didn't forget anything except the ice on the day of the party.  Thankfully, my friend was able to bring five huge bags of ice on her way over.

This may not sound like a big deal, but it was.  Planning usually baffles me and I rely on my husband to do most of it.  He's in charge of our finances, our vacations and all the home renovations.  I learned that I'm capable, too.  We did go over budget, but I received approval for each scope change.  It helps when you're married to the CFO.

The celebrations didn't end there.  We continue to achieve our educational goals with the boys.  Soren is excelling and we are ready for his assessment for first grade.  I have no doubt that we'll receive the stamp of approval from the State of Ohio, though we don't need that piece of paper to tell us that Soren is developing well.  Kieran is demonstrating all the 'ready to read' signs and we have big plans for the summer.

I am staying the course with my fitness and weight loss plan.  I've lost a total of thirty-seven pounds since Christmas.  I'm building muscle and have even committed to sixty-six days of strength training.  This is the longest I've stayed with a fitness plan in years.  I have a long way to go, but I'm confident that I will not give up this time.  That's all thanks to the Hottie Body Fitzness Challenge.  I watched my friend, Rob, run his second marathon yesterday.  He's the guy who invited me to the group and he continues to inspire me every single day.

What do you have to celebrate today?  Take stock.  It's not bragging.  It's not selfish.  It's crucial.  Reward yourself for your accomplishments.  That's what will motivate you to stay the course.  We can acknowledge that there's still work to be done, while celebrating the things we've already achieved.   Let's get to work!