come on and shine

it feels like it's gone from a thankful giving, to a merry christmas, to a happy new year in a few short days. i enjoyed being thankful, i wasn't prepared to be merry, but i am so ready to be happy. the more effort i put into planning my 2009, the more my mind wants to re-walk the journey of 2008. so please, take a walk with me.

this year started with a surgery. a surgery that fixed my kidney, put me on my back for a month, and led me to rediscover the wonderful man i married. a surgery quickly followed by a 1st birthday, a 5th, and a 3rd. another sudden move. a few days to pack our lives into boxes to be stored for an undetermined duration of time. we then tucked our 5 member family into a small space in my in-laws house- an unexpected necessity that i will be forever grateful for.

one delayed, complicated, and emotional escrow later we were handed the keys. the keys that made us jump, cry, and shake our heads in disbelief. we put those keys in the deadbolt and unlocked the overwhelming generosity of our friends and family. we ground, grouted, planted, painted, scrapped, and spackled a home for our family in the quiet low desert of southern california.

meanwhile, a blog was born. mia matured, made us laugh, and taught me about myself. miley started pre-school and then quickly stopped. tragedy was avoided, and i was given the gift of time with my swirly haired beautiful girl. levi made us all fall in love and showed us what life is like when raising a boy. autumn classes started, work quickened, while home construction slowed.

the whirlwind year ended with overwhelming finals, unforeseen obstacles, and fabulous holiday festivities. the suddenness of everything left me swimming, but i've reached the surface. i'm breathing easy. i've purged the last piece of christmas from the house, and i'm ready for 2009.

thank you for walking with me last year-

i hope this one shines for ya!