Out with the Old, In with the New

Happy New Year!

Savana said yesterday that January 1 is her favorite day of the year. It symbolizes a brand new start, brand new dreams, sheer possibility.

I too am excited for what 2014 holds. Bring it on!

So I thought this would be a good time to reflect on 2013 and dream for 2014. Here we go:

My top ten 2013 moments:

We bought a motorcycle and it's beautiful. I never thought I would say that about a motorcycle...but it is. One of my absolute favorite things in the world is riding behind Roy as we ride up the mountains, talking the whole way. Now that winter is here? I miss it...so much.

Family Christmas in Oklahoma. It was a piece of perfection.

Lunch with the Parras and the Vaughans. Those are some fun times, filled with laughter and great food and even greater people.

Sue Nelson, my dear friend from Wisconsin, came to visit me for 4 blissful days. We talked nonstop and laughed and connected on so many levels. She's a treasure and I admire so many things about her.

The week in June where my dad and Jo visited. So much healing occurred for me that week and it is a beautiful thing.

My sister Tami and her adorable family and my mom all visited for Thanksgiving week. It was filled with games and eating (of course) and laughing and just having such  a great time together Oh my goodness--I love my family. They are, each one of them, a piece of me.

The surprise visit from my girls when they came home for my birthday. My kids? They bring all good things to my life. I am so proud of them.

Blogging. I love this early morning time when nobody is up--just me and my iPad. When I was about seven years old, I discovered the art of writing--how it could transport me to another world. I am so thankful for the opportunities we are given through media and the Internet: the world is at our fingertips. So each morning as sit in this chair, a blank page in front of me, it symbolizes a realm of endless possibility; I just have to see where it takes me.

My kids' successes:
        Darian graduated high school. I felt a bit more prepared for all of the emotion I would experience as I watched this child of mine walk down the aisle as I'd been there/done that with Savana. But that weekend we had a graduation party filled with so many friends and family--even my mom and both of my sisters, Roy's mom and his brother Fred and Mary, all came to celebrate with us. It was such a great time and made me thankful for so many loved ones in our lives. We are blessed indeed.
        Jace learned that he loves school. It has been quite a journey with this kid--unchartered territory. But this year things finally fell into place for him. He realized that he's smart and capable, that he can have goals for himself. In fact, he has several New Year's Resolutions. In my mind, he is still such a little boy. But then he will say something that jerks me back to reality and I realize that he's really not so little afterall.
        Savana has grown into such a little adult. She loves her major, she has found the love of her life (thank God), and she is so involved and committed to many things. We have some of the best discussions about God and life and I love hearing her views that are purely her own. She takes the time to think, to read, to talk to professors, and figure out who she is and what she believes in her heart to be true. It's amazing watching your kids grow up and discover their own independence, spread their wings a little.

Roy's Homeshow 2013. It was a spectacular event. I am always amazed at his ability to throw together such a top-notch performance with kids year after year. Sitting in the front row and watching these kids do what they do? It makes my heart burst a little. I would say Homeshows go down as a yearly favorite event. Good work, Hon.

I am sure that I've missed something--lots of somethings actually, but those are the ten stand-out moments in my mind.

So now for 2014...here are the things I hope for:

I hope to make each day joy-filled and to appreciate the moments that I am with family, with friends, or simply doing my own thing. Times passes so quickly. I want to make the most of it--living purposefully rather than mindlessly.

I am going to be more health-conscious. Time and age are brutal on one's body. I want to be more mindful of what I eat and how much I eat. Less junk, less processed, more vibrancy; more exercise.

I am going to work tirelessly to accomplish some goals that will move us forward in life a bit: clear out a lot of useless junk we have in our house, save more money, and sell on eBay.

I want to read more.

I want to spend less time doing useless things ie Facebook. In fact, I'm seriously considering deleting my account.

So there are my top five. We'll see how it goes.

Here's to 2014!