Allow me to Reintroduce myself...

I think it is interesting that sometimes we go months, or even years, without feeling like anything changes.  Maybe we're stuck in a rut, or maybe our responsibilities just don't change and so neither do we, or maybe we just don't try new things.  And then there are times when we look around and realize that almost everything has changed.  Lately, I've felt more like the latter.

There are certain things that will never change for me.  My top priorities of faith and family, for sure.  That will never change, though they tend to grow stronger and deeper as I continue to work, serve, love, and live.  I believe I will always love Lord of the Rings... passionately.  And I also believe I will always love the Patriots... also, passionately. lol  But some of the things I do/think about in my free time (The fact that I even get free time now, is a huge change! lol), have changed a lot!

A few years ago, I was known for my stamping.  Loved it!  Did it daily.  I haven't touched a rubber stamp in years.  I also used to scrapbook.  I still do, but now it is digitally, and typically only for vacations and special events, not every photo, the way I used to.  When I was younger, my whole life seemed to be about whales and dolphins.  I still love them, but I rarely think about them throughout my day.  More recently, I loved candles.  Again, I still like candles, but I don't burn them much anymore, and when I do, it is usually a jar candle, not decorative ones.  At one time, those things were part of what defined me.  I don't think any of them are anymore.

Nowadays, aside from faith and family, my thoughts and time are usually spend on one of three things...

1. Family History
2. Rori's Hair
3. Disney

(And not necessarily in that order! lol)

I've posted about these things before, but not nearly as much as I've thought about them. lol  I think that I hesitated in posting much about them because they were not how I used to be defined.  But in the last year, these three things have quickly become things that do define me now.  I think a lot of that is because both of my girls are in school now and I do get a lot more time to spend on things that interest me; my job of being a stay-at-home mom is not as busy as it was when I actually had a young child "stay at home" during the day.  As Rori's first school year approached, I did put a lot of thought on how I would spend that time; I didn't want to be idle, I didn't want to spend it on things that don't matter.  I considered a few things, but these are the ones that stuck and have seemed to have taken off, as if they were always meant to be part of who I am.

I don't know if in five years these three things will still be so important in my life.  I hope they are, especially Family History and Disney.  I realize that as Rori grows older, she may become less and less interested in the idea of me playing with her hair every morning. ;)  But for now, they are.  And so...

I want to introduce you to the me I am now by introducing you to these three things in more detail.  This post would be too long if I tried to do it now, so I am planning to follow up this post with posts about each of these topics, explaining why I love it, how I got involved with it, and how it's playing a role in my life now.

Links: Family History, Rori's Hair, Disney