Happy 2017!

It's a brand new year.

I love brand new.

This year? I haven't really made any resolutions. I'm not exactly a raging success at those. And so, through the years, I've learned that it's better to just steer clear and avoid failure. However, when Savana and Guerin were here for Christmas, we all created vision boards. I read about those somewhere online and so the girls and I headed to Walmart one day where we loaded up the cart with creativity. Then we headed home, gathered around the table, and cut out, glued, laughed, talked, dreamed and created our visions for our futures. It was fun, inspiring, and failure-free.

I read one time that vision boards are the true answer to change.

I'll let you know if it works in January 2018.

Meanwhile, I figure, for the sake of posterity, I will write down my Top Ten highlight reel of 2016:

My daughter got married to her dream guy. And it was a perfect day.
Roy, Jace, Jace's friend Gavin, and I enjoyed a weekend getaway in Gatlinburg. The boys ran the swimming park while Roy and I "chilled" and did whatever we wanted. Ah--perfection.
On a whim, Roy and I took a quick trip to Oklahoma to look for teaching jobs that, clearly, didn't pan out. But it was a moment of spontaneity, similar to what we did in the early days of marriage, and it brought hope to our hearts when we needed it the most.
We survived an entire year of Darian living in the jungles of Bolivia where we only talked a couple of times a month via Skype with a fuzzy connection. But this year proved life changing for our girl and I'm so glad that she took the plunge.
Savana graduated with her Master's in Clinical Counseling and Guerin graduated with his Bachelor's in Mechatronics Engineering. #success!!
In an absurd turn of event that still makes my head spin, we moved to Texas where I started a new job as alumni director at SWAU.
We purchased our home that is absolutely perfect for us.
Roy started a brand new career with Lamb Star as an Inspector and he LOVES his job. #bestnewsever
We talked Tami and Chas into buying the adjoining 2 acres of our property and they are going to build a house there. Whaaattt??? Sisters for neighbors...the very best kind.
We managed to have a fast and furious Oklahoma Christmas that only required 5 hours of driving one way--rather than the typical 17...and that, my friends, is a beautiful thing.

As for 2017? Here's to hoping that we don't have nearly the changes that occurred in 2016.

Here's to good health, good friends, and contentment.

Here's to the courage to communicate when communicating is difficult, the strength of character to be kind when being kind isn't easy, and the resolve to make healthy choices moment by moment, day after day...

Happy New Year, my friends!