Zest Restoration

Welcome to my blog...

Welcome to my journey...

Welcome to my life!!

I am 40.

I am the wife of an amazing man.

I am the mom of 5 indescribably unique and amazing,
and sometimes AWFUL (shhh,don't tell) kids.  

That's it...that's all I have...that's me.  

Over the last few years of parenting I have poured myself into the role of mom so fully that I can no longer describe myself adequately.  It's a wonderful thing...to pour yourself out.  It was my choice to pour myself out.  I don't regret pouring myself out...not for one minute. (ok, maybe for a minute)

But I have lost my sense of self.  I stopped looking at ME.  I stopped living the moments and just went through the motions.  Like so many of us do, I forgot what I love...what makes me rise up and take life by the horns...what makes my heart beat quicken.  

Early on in our relationship my husband told me one of the things he loved about me the most was my "Zest for life".  I remember the moment he said it because as he said it I immediately identified with it.  I did love life.  I loved pulling pranks on the girls in my dorm with my roommate.  I loved making people laugh.  I loved laughing.  I loved trying out new things.  I loved making new friends.  I loved going new places.  I loved hunting down the "zest" in life and embracing it.   I loved that saying  because I understood it...it defined me.  

I believe it still does or at least it still can...but only if I let it.  

So, that is the point of this blog.  That is the point of this project that will take place over the next 10 months.   

For this school year I am going to try at least one new thing a week.  I will try it out, take some photos of it (to prove I did it) and post about it here on this blog.  And more importantly I am going to let you know what it felt like...what I learned about myself through it.   

My hope is that it will get me out of this rut and help me see the world through a renewed set of eyes.  

My hope is that it will help me see the new things God has in store for me more clearly.   

My hope is that it will affect life change in my heart and mind.

and by sharing it my hope is if you are in a rut of your own you will join me on this adventure.  

So, here it goes:  

A year of living, breathing and embracing while I rediscover the Zest in life and pay attention to myself as I do it.  

I don't know much but I know this one thing...God is calling me out of my rut.  

Join me as I discover new things in new ways and open my own eyes to God's call on my life.

With as Much Zest as I can muster...

Dawn 

A Few FYI's:

1.  Look for the report of my first new experience coming in just a few days.

2. I am a fan of the oh so appropriate punctuation of "..." so if that bothers you then you might want to move along to another blog.  That is the punctuation I like to use when I don't want to bother with correct punctuation...OK?) I am sure it makes my english teaching mother and my english major brother very proud!

3.  I am more than open to suggestions for new things to try.  BRING IT ON!