{SYL: Week 1}

What an amazing year! SO easy to find a list of what went right in 2011....not as easy to decide which ones to write about. So I decided that my first post would be an image gallery of the highlights from the year. I tried to capture the idea that this was a year FULL OF GREAT MEMORIES, as well as share a little about who I am and who my family is. A year spent remembering that the simple act of being together can be the most rewarding. Sad really, how easily that can get lost in the hustle and bustle of every day life, but I know it won't be so easily forgotten for me or my family again. Our priorities have been reset, and we will continue to learn and to grow together. BRING IT ON 2012, we are ready for you!

My PATH starts here.....

So....here I go. My heart is racing a little, and my brain is full of images and words that I'm not sure how I'll get out. This feels a lot like keeping a journal or diary, which I haven't done since I was a very little girl. That is exciting as well, and very much reflects how I am feeling...like a young child anxious and ready to learn. Funny how, for so long I was too stubborn to realize that I'm not to old to learn. I've discovered over the last year, that if I can find in myself an awareness and openness to seeing and doing things differently, that I might just find that inner peace and happiness I have been so longing for. It's very difficult, as many of my behaviors have been ingrained into my very being, and I have had to keep going back to the simple ideas I stumbled upon recently to remind me that I CAN change. I CAN be happy. I CAN love myself. I CAN believe in faith, hope and everlasting love. I CAN breed positivity...simply by seeing the blessings in my life and recognizing them in all their glory. It's two steps forward, one step back everyday, and I'm okay with that. I've learned that the more patient I am, and when I don't set unhealthy expectations on myself or others, the better the outcome... every time.

I'm inclined to tell you how I got to a place in life where things seemed so bad, so hopeless, but I've also learned that continually focusing on the past negatives, keeps me from moving forward on the PATH TO MY POSITIVE. So you'll not be getting some dark, sad stroll down memory lane with me. You will however get a brief overview of my past year, and all the positive things that I've been blessed with. They've actually been there all along, I'm just seeing things clearer now.

I am also excited to be joining Debra Dane and others on the 52 week challenge to simplify your life. She and Rachel Stafford of Hands Free Mama have inspired me to step back, take a deep breath and re-evaluate many aspects of my life. I have been on this path for some time, but I find encouragement in knowing others are there with me. I hope if our paths do cross, that I will learn from you, and maybe someone will find something helpful in my word as well.

Thank you for joining me on my journey.
Kim C.