Happy New Year

Reflection.

In the wake of the new year it’s always nice to pause for a moment and reflect on the events of 2008. For me and my family, 2008 was a year of firsts – Jake and I celebrated our 1st anniversary by buying our first house. We decided to set down some roots in the little town of Harleysville – just north of Philadelphia. Our 75 year old home has a lot of character – both good and bad. It has the woodwork and details you would expect from a craftsman-style home, however the décor from the past 20 years could stand some updating. We are in the slow process of removing the floral wallpaper and garish paint schemes – I see a lot of painting in my future.
Spending the holidays in our new home was a welcome first, it was the first Christmas that we had both of our families all under one roof. My parents and brother were our first houseguests, and despite terrible weather in the Pacific Northwest, they arrived Christmas morning. We also welcomed the arrival of our first nephew in 2008 – Gregory was born the beginning of December to jake’s sister and brother-in-law.
Although 2008 was not without its share of struggles and heartbreak, we feel very fortunate for who and what we have.

Looking forward.

I am a new year’s resolution junkie. I love the feeling of having a clean slate to start the year. While I try not to make empty resolutions that will be forgotten by Valentines day, I try to think about what I would like to focus on this year. For me, given the state of our nation, I plan to spend 2009 focusing on people not things. The health of me, my family and the planet is an area I would like to try and improve in the upcoming year. The other “resolution” I have was to spend more time on my relationships…2008 was a busy year for me, between the house, an overwhelming job, which I ended up leaving, to starting a new position and traveling for that position. In all the shuffle, I feel like I lost sight on what was truly important – Family and Friends. This year, I would like to resolve to recognize birthdays, anniversaries and other important milestones in people’s lives – rather than let them slip by forgotten or unannounced. I also plan to return to my social networks, in my hiatus from knitting and book group I have come to realize how much these weekly/monthly meetings meant to me. Nurturing the relationships we have with our family, friends and neighbors brings more meaning and purpose to life.

That said, I wish everyone a happy and healthy 2009.