Happy New Year

This 2011 image made me smile.  It illustrates a little of how I feel about this year...so many directions it could take.

Isn't that true for every year?

I was thinking about last year and feeling a little like we had accomplished a lot, but possibly not many of the things we had planned...

Then again, we accomplished some of the most important things we hadn't planned.  The greatest challenges and blessings have come from being my own boss.  Some days I wish there was a magic wand that came with the learning curve of having my own practice, but I'm also very aware that the challenges of being my boss are worth the freedom and flexibility I've enjoyed as a mom.  That was my goal, and I've achieved it.

And once again this year we're thankful and blessed.

So what will 2011 hold?

We can't wait to see.

(If you'd told me a year ago that we'd have a new family member and a new dog by the end of 2010, I'd have laughed.)

Nevertheless, 2010 taught me to go with the flow...

And to keep things pointed in a forward-moving direction.

And to see the blessings in the challenges.

And to live in the moment.

And not to let plans overshadow possibilities.

And that our lives are chapters and books yet unwritten.

So how appropriate was it that on December 31st, 2010, our family rang in the New Year with a reminder that we go with the flow?

Megan signed up with a friend to dance in a commercial that was being filmed downtown during Salt Lake's New Year celebration.  It sounded like fun when she signed up...

But when single digits were in the forecast...

And we had a brief round of stomach flu and colds...

And we heard on the news that people were staying home because of the cold...

And excitement was turning to overstimulation for our newest family member (who wasn't quite sure what ringing in the New Year was all about)...

And the overstimulation was rippling out to other family members...

Being downtown on New Year's Eve wasn't sounding as exciting as we had first planned.

But in the true spirit of saying good-bye to the year that taught us to go with the flow and face new challenges we put on our warmest clothes and went out into the cold...

And found out that it wasn't all that bad.

Most activities were indoors

Lots of sliding and bouncing...

And all the kid activities kept the overstimulation and subsequent ripples somewhat contained...

And even though there was some waiting...

(Megan and a friend watched a movie on an iPod while waiting)

And more waiting...

We figured out cold isn't always bad.

It can even be a little fun.

You might even be brave enough to try the coldest seat in the house...

(Yes, those are all ice sculptures.)

But before we get carried away with Kodak moments, we should add that about the time the camera ran out of batteries, so did a few of the kids.

There was a minor melt-down before the count-down...

And we learned that, "I'm tired and I want to go home," means, 

"Leave now.  I've had enough of this fun tradition I don't understand."  

So we left, and learned that we didn't need fireworks to ring in the New Year.

Did you know you can count-down anytime, anywhere (on a TRAX train on the way home with two children sleeping)...?

And that poppers and silly string were (almost) as fun at 12:24 a.m. as they would have been at midnight...

And a movie downstairs can put tired children to sleep quickly.

And tired children and tired parents can also go with the flow on New Year's Day when things don't go as planned.

Yes, our lives are chapters in books yet unwritten, and 2011 has us looking forward to the possibilities.

(And I'm sure a lot more learning.)

A friend posted this on facebook, and I love it:

"For last year's words belong to last year's language.  And next year's words await another voice.  And to make an end is to make a beginning."  T.S. Eliot 

May 2011 lead us down the path we are meant to walk, in the direction only we can choose.