As the summer is coming to a close and I see all of the mommies (and teachers) posting their "first day of school" pics and the classic "empty classroom all set up the day before school starts" photo, I look back on a summer that changed my life.

Despite the obvious -- raising my first little girl who turned me into a mommy and chopping all of my hair off because those hormones are making me lose it all in clumps -- the way I now view life did a complete 180.

There are a couple things that definitely contributed (Frank going to a Tony Robbins conference, reading "The Power of A Positive Mom" and my getting way more involved in church activities), but first and foremost it was my change of mindset. I wouldn't say I am a downer but if something in my life goes wrong, I feel as though the world is crashing down on me. Why me? Why don't I ever get a break? And when I finally do feel like the world is on my side, something else goes wrong.

Why me?

I've come to realize that that's just life. Even if I had the "perfect" life from the outside, I am 100% positive there would be tons of struggles headed my way.

Because that's just life and life isn't perfect.

This summer, I became a positive person. And if you learn anything as a mom, I'd say that being positive should be number one on your "work on myself" list or whatever list you want to place it on.

Kids will be kids and there is nothing we can do about it. So whatever is going on in your life, find a way to turn it into a positive. Seek out happiness, because it isn't just going to come knocking on your door.

When Ava spits up (well, projectile vomits) in the middle of a restaurant, just be happy that you're wearing your $20 shirt and not the $200 one you just bought last week.

When your favorite show doesn't get onto the DVR thanks to Frontier's amazing new service, think about that extra hour of quality time you get to spend with your baby, your husband and your pup.

When your usually easy going baby is still awake and it's midnight, just think about all of those extra snuggles you're getting with her.

And if the car doesn't start when you're running late for a beach trip, just think about how happy your husband will not be to drive his Mustang GT down the canyon road, since he never gets to drive his car when we are going anywhere as a family.

Heck, when you're in the middle of writing a blog post on how your life changed this summer and your internet browser suddenly shuts down and doesn't save anything you've written, realize that maybe that was just God's was of telling you to start fresh. That first draft wasn't so great anyways!

And finally, if Ava's favorite yellow taggies blanket gets misplaced at a family BBQ an hour and a half away from home and not even her blue taggies blanket can replace the yellow one...well you can flip out then. Because I can't imagine anything positive could come out of that situation ;)

What I am getting at is that there is truly a positive in every situation. It may be hard to figure it out while you're in the middle of a crisis, but I promise if you look hard enough you'll find it and it will change your life for the better. As moms, we need to set that example for our kids so that they, too, will make the choice to live a positive, wonderful life. We have the chance to create an amazing, happy, beautiful life for ourselves and our families but we just need to make the commitment to do that.

It's a choice.

This summer changed my life and I hope that seeking out the positive in every situation you encounter will change your life too.

No matter what gets thrown my way, my life truly is amazing.