40 Life Lesson I've Learned in My 40 Years #6

Life Lesson #6:

Stay positive! Speak positively. Think positively. Look for the positive in situations. Discuss positive topics. Dwell on positiveblessings and possibilities. This one lessons may take practice, but it will POSITIVELY CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

40 Life Sessons I've Learned in My 40 Years #7

Life Lesson #7:

Don't make assumptions.

You know what they say...and they are right!

40 Life Lesson I've Learned in 40 Years #8

Life Lesson #8: Journaling is a great tool to enhance your life, and adding art to your pages is even better. You learn so much about yourself through journaling, and self-awareness is an important personal attribute to attain. Secondly, your experiences are observed more closely and thought about more deeply when you are putting them on paper. It forces you to take your time, slow down, notice the little things. Bring a pencil, some watercolors, and your favorite pens on vacations, hikes, ballgames, and even trips to the coffee shop. Also, you get to relive the experiences as often as you want when you look back on your journals. Another great bonus is that your children and grandchildren will have a personal part of your life experience told from your own hand. Wouldn't you love to have your grandparents' journals?

40 Lessons I've Learned in My 40 Years #9

Life Lesson #9:

When you have had a confrontation with someone and later you wish you had said something you didn't think of then, remember that there is no rule that says you can't still say what you want to say. Call them up and say it. There is no statute of limitations on speaking your piece. Say it loud and say it proud.

40 Lessons I've Learned in My 40 Years #10

Life Lesson #10:

In order to move on, you must forgive yourself.

If there are any others left unforgiven, forgive them, too.

This is for your sake, not theirs.

40 Life Lessons Learned in My 40 Years #11

Life Lesson #11:

Listen and learn what children have to teach you.

40 Lessons I've Learned in My 40 Years #12

Life Lesson #12:

The best memories, the most important times in our lives,

are the ones that are shared.

40 Lessons I've Learned in My 40 Years: #13

Life Lesson #13:

At the root of jealousy is fear.

40 Lessons I've Learned in My 40 Years: #14

Life Lesson # 14:

There are people who come along in your life who are constantly complaining and asking for advice, but then when you try to help them or offer advice (see Life Lesson #32) they have a million reasons why it won't work. Then you get frustrated because the person is sucking the life out of you and won't do anything to better their own life, so you get angry with them and reaffirm their root problem, which is their lack of self-esteem, which then gives the cycle more fuel to continue. So, it's better to let these relationships die a natural, painless death, or else keep them at arm's length.

40 Lessons I've Learned in My 40 Years: #15

Life Lesson # 15:

Everyone sucks from time to time. (Air travel brings out the worst in most of us, which I just witnessed!) But I believe that people, for the most part, are doing the best they can with what they have -- or don't have. We all just fall short sometimes.

40 Lessons I've Learned in My 40 Years: #16

Life Lesson #16:

Every now and then a girl needs a day to do absolutely nothing.

40 Lessons I've Learned in My 40 Years: #17

Life Lesson #17:

The Mexicans have got good food figured out,

but they fall short when it comes to desserts.

Does anyone like flan?

40 Lessons I've Learned in My 40 Years: #18

Life Lesson #18:

Never underestimate the power and the freedom in honesty.

40 Lessons I've Learned in My 40 Years: #19

Life Lesson # 19:

Love is complicated.

40 Lessons I've Learned in My 40 Years: #20

Life Lesson #20:

To have a happy and healthy relationship with anyone takes time and effort,

but there is nothing else worth putting in time and effort more

than having happy and healthy relationships.

40 Lessons I've Learned in My 40 Years: #21

Life Lesson #21:

What you say is what you get.

We must take great care to never speak negativity into our lives or the lives of others close to us, especially our children.

Speak only Absolute Truth and predict only Blessings, so that your joy may be full.

Cozumel Quick Sketches

I hate that I used a Sharpie to journal on the back of some of my sketches. It bled through pretty badly. UGGHHH!!

40 Lessons I've Learned in My 40 Years: #22

Life Lesson #22:

Most of us in the U.S. have absolutely NOTHING to ever complain about.

40 Lessons I've Learned in My 40 Years: #23

Life Lesson #23

The second most important decision a person makes in her life is whom to marry.

40 Lessons I've Learned in My 40 Years: #24

Life Lesson #24:

You are not responsible for anyone's feelings or problems.

Cozumel Day 7 - Last Day

One last coconut before we leave for the airport.

the girls played with their new Mexican dolls in the long airport line.

40 Lessons I've Learned in My 40 Years: #25

Life Lesson #25:

You can not predict how a person will react.

Cozumel Day 6

40 Lessons I've Learned in My 40 Years: #26

Life Lesson #26:

I used to think that the person a child becomes is mostly based on how she is nurtured with a little bit of nature tossed in for flavoring. Nowadays, I have come to believe that children come out of the womb who they are, and we as parents nurture them the best we can and hope it makes a little bit of difference.

Learning this lesson could seem scary, as in "you get what you get," but I like to think of it as letting off the hook, which lessens my anxiety considerably.

Cozumel Day 5

40 Lessons I've Learned in My 40 Years: #27

Life Lesson #27:

A good book is a true friend.

Cozumel Day 4

Today was a non-eventful day. Jamie played a little beach volleyball...

I sketched and painted in my journal...
Caroline and Eliza suited up and was ready to go...





Then we stopped to be mesmerized by the sunset...





It gave us a great show every evening.