Goodbye & Hello..........

This is the time when we all say goodbye to a year gone bye and hello to the new year just beginning. We set expectations and goals we want or need to reach in this new year. Some are simple but most will require some strong will to accomplish. We refelct on all the things, good and bad, that we have endured for the past twelve months and assess the accomplishments of our set expectations from the previous new year. How did we do as far as reaching those goals and which ones will we continue or carry over into this new adventure?
I look back at the time and I have a hard time believing that there is any way that it all happened in just one single year! I find that the changes I see in my children are the most astonishing....... When did they get so big? When did they learn how to do that? I realize that there are huge chunks of time that escape my mind or are they just tucked away for later reflection. When my children have families of their own and we are not so busy, will these lost treasures surface to fill my days with smiles and laughter? When the house is quiet and calm and there is no one to chase after, will these memories fill the house with quiet chaos?
I am going to believe that is what will happen and with that in mind I am making a few resolutions that will help fill that treasure chest to the top, brimming with happiness to spare. I am going to center myself and accomplish the things that have eluded me for many years. I will continue to eat and feed my family the best organic and local foods I can find. I will make our home healthy, happy and continue to build a bond between us that will never fail. I want to make all the memories I can this year and for all the years to come. I want to slow down and really see my children grow and change. I want to play more with them and spend quality time with them. I will spend one-on-one time with each of them, something I have tried to do but find it has been difficult to do with five children. They need that special time and I intend to insure that happens. I want my children to know they can always count on me to be there for them, now and when they are adults. Without a strong sturdy foundation a family can fall apart very easily and I love my family too much to live on a crumbling foundation. My husband will not be taken for granted, a very easy trap to fall into. He works hard to give us all the things we need and all the things we have. He loves his children with such strong conviction that you can sometimes see his knuckles turning white as he holds onto the precious time he gets to spend with them. He is a good man, loyal to the core and I am lucky God has placed him in my life to share all of this with.
So, my resolutions for this new year and new decade are to enjoy time with my family and to not take one single second for granted. I want to love them with all my heart and fill every space within my soul with pieces of them I can keep forever. The rest will all fall into place without requiring too much of my time or effort. My family........My Resolution.

Stay happy, healthy and centered - Happy New Year!