Regina Brett's 45 Life Lessons...And 5 to Grow On

My brother sent me Regina Brett's "45 Life Lessons...and 5 to Grow On" via email today and I wanted to share it. Many of you may have already seen this but if you're like me, you missed it. I guess my head was in the sand. It's out now!



Today is my mother's birthday and I just celebrated my birthday on Christmas Day. Maybe it's these anniversaries that triggered him to send this column my way or maybe it's the fact that my life has had many ups and downs recently. Maybe he just wanted me to know he's listening, and he's there for me. Maybe he knows we all need to be reminded of how great our lives are even with the ups and downs. Whatever his reasons were for sending me this advice, I'm grateful. I'm grateful for him. And I hope you enjoy this column as much as I did. 

"45 life lessons… and 5 to grow on” by Regina Brett of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland Ohio.

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.

16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.

17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.

18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.

19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: “In five years, will this matter?”

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.

35. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

36. Growing old beats the alternative – dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.

41. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

42. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

45. The best is yet to come.

46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

48. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.

49. Yield.

50. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

4 Months

Okay...so I'm a little late posting. As rarely as I post you should be happy this made it on here at all.

Here are the 4 months stats for the kiddos.




Coming to the end...

As 2010 is wrapping up we can start to look back over the year and see that it's been a year of big changes around here.


We found out we were pregnant with Jonathan just before the year began. And were a little shocked by the timing, but have been so blessed by our sweet baby boy.









We started off the year on a cruise with some of our dearest friends. After a large amount of scripture memory we went to 3 ports and spent a week, including New Years, with 13 couples.






Ella had a year of development and seizures...we've clocked 12 this year and have spent a lot of time at Medical City Dallas Hospital. She can walk with assistance...if she feels like it. We've learned that she can be very obstinate. She deals with everything life hands her with an amount of joy that keeps all of us focused on God as He teaches us through her.






Both of my grandparents (my dad's parents) passed away this year. My grandfather passed in the Spring and my grandmother this Fall. We had a great memorial service for them that all of the Roughton's got to attend. (Picture of my grandparents with Ella and then all of us at the service)






Will has probably changed the most. He is amazing. It's like being a first-time parent, even though he's our middle kid, and it's a blast. He talks non-stop, remembers everything and weird details, he keeps us laughing and loves his brother and sister to no end. He can say all of his letter, numbers (he thinks he can count to 100, but he's only good to about 20), he can spell his name and has found a true love of reading books. He loves to dance, loves to watch movies and can tell you all about the bible and is excited to celebrate the birthday of Baby Jesus. He has become my buddy and it's fun to take him places. He does tend to "love" everything and say that things are his "favorites" even if he doesn't know what they are..again, we laugh a lot. He has passed Ella in size...he's 37 lbs, 42" and wears a size 12 shoe...E is 34 lbs, 39" and wears a size 8 shoe. He could usually pass for a 4-year-old till they hear him talking. We notice that everyone expects more of him because of his size, and he seems fine with that expectation. (The kids in 2009 and then Christmas 2010)









Joe and I have grown closer and more in love for another year. We celebrated 6 years of marriage in October (7 years together in November) and have realized more and more that we were created to compliment each other. We are VERY different, but it works so great. Joe is the greatest husband and father. He spends all of his free time with us and gives me plenty of time away from the house and watches all THREE kids without a single complaint...amazing. God has blessed us so much and our challenges have strengthened us more than we thought possible.







Some of my closest friends, as well as my mom and sister, all moved from Dallas this year.







It's been a big year of changes...I'm hoping for a really boring 2011!!

The Kiddos

I've been putting together a comparison each month of the kids. It's fun to try and decide who looks more like whom...but I think it's obvious that they are related!

2 Months



3 Months
4 Months