A Year in the Life

It's amazing how as I've aged I find the New Year to be bittersweet. 

I don't exactly charge forth into a New Year.  I enter the New Year with sadness, reflection, and yes, some regret.  Mostly, I enter with much trepidation since so many questions swarm within my mind.  Did I put my best foot forward or did I delay my steps?  Was I the best mom I could of been to HS and LD or did I squander the time I had with things that years from now will mean nothing?  Why is it that the kids seem to have gotten so big as if Father Time has put a fast forward on their childhood?   Did we spend quality time as a couple or did we spend more time worrying or staring at the TV without cuddling?  How many of my days did I mope around as if my favorite toy had been stolen?  Did I pray for others more than myself? 

Depressing thoughts you say?  I agree, but that's what happens to me right before we farewell an old year and hail a new one.  I guess that God is trying to say something to me through that.  I hope that I sum it up here:  If one fails to reflect on themselves and if what they are doing truly follows the path that God intended them to be on, then what do we live for?  We were all put here for a reason by a much higher power than ourselves.  I would like to believe that mine is to live life as happily as I can, learn from the moments that hurt, and watch our children blossom and take flight (no matter how hard that is for me to realize).  The answers to those questions will one day be revealed to me as I stand before St. Peter and my life flashes before me. 

This is a year in our life.  This is what 2011 would look like if St. Peter relies on the moments captured through the shutter of my camera.  I'd like to believe that God would be proud of how we tackled the year.  I'd like Him to believe that we loved spending time together, even when the kids fought or HH and I had to seek common ground in an argument.  Really, our difficult moment of 2011 are so trivial compared to what they could have been.  We should count ourselves lucky.  This year.  May God grant us peace, happiness, and the ability to smile, even when tears fall. May 2011 stand for another year we grew as a family and bear as testimony that we did indeed have a phenomenal year and may God grant 2012 to be a year of success, more happiness than tears, and all cradled with loads of hugs.

Karate Training on New Years, superhero fun, shooting marshmellow,
loving the beach, and
enjoying the solitude.

Square dancing, snoozing, teeth cleaning, duck quaking, and kissing
while our first pineapple grew.

Turning 9 on the pontoon boat, Pinewood Derby dreams
come a reality, kayaking the waves at Bellows, and
showcasing our Irish heritage.

Celebrating a birthday, watching an idea turn into an invention, taking
in all that Kauai has to offer during Easter.

Homemade popsicles on the front lanai, exploring Molokai with my
Bible Study group, and keeping track of that yummy pineapple growing
just outside our door!

Saying goodbye to the Bear year and transitioning to Webelos,
flying to Virginia and enjoying some family time on the
water!

Exploring Williamsburg and Roanoke, staying at the Homestead to
celebrate our 15th anniversary, hootin' it up and having a
rousing great time in Nebraska and Colorado.

A series of firsts: 
First day of 4th grade;
First day of gymnastics;
First time having to say farewell to a dear friend;
First time being an Altar server.
Celebrating with Ice-cream-priceless.

Loving gymnastics and earning Shodan.
September was amazing and emotional.

Riding, camping (with just HS and myself), catching big fish,
competing, pumpkin picking, and having a howling/fluttering/jamming
great Halloween.

We discovered that 4th grade was akin to what HH and I experienced
when we were in middle school as we watched HS pour his heart and soul
into doing the best he could on projects, papers, and homework.
The majority of our weekends we watched and helped with some
fun antics thrown in at the beach.

 We celebrated the 4th birthday of one of our greatest blessings God
has given to HH and me.  We watched with joy as HS and LD laid out
their wish lists for Santa realizing that each only had two or three
key wants.  We looked forward to the celebration of the
birth of the Babe with growing anticipation.