Dec. 27th - Sat

Christmas was amazing this year!!  I just love spending time with family and friends.  I love the look on my kids faces when they open up their presents and got what they asked for.  The food this year was awesome.  We had ham, dressing, sweets and we even tried cooking Duck for the first time.  It was really good.  I can't wait to cook another one. 

As Christmas time comes to a close and the New Year is right around the corner.  It is a time I like to reflect on the past year and what the new year will hold.   I have been doing just this the past couple of days.  I have been working on my goals for 2015.  I haven't wrote them down yet, still working on tweaking them.  I am excited about each one of them. 

As I reflect back through 2014 - I am overwhelmed.  It has been a hard year in some ways.  I have been through a lot but I have come through it all and a stronger person because of it.  I have lost people in my life that I thought at the time were my friends.  I have been talked about, behind my back, called so many different names and told things on me that were not true.  I have been hurt more than I thought that I could ever be hurt.  One of them, I am still working on getting over and moving onward. 

Through all of these let downs by other people, I have learned so much about myself.  I have learned that I am stronger than I thought that I was at the time.  I have learned that I can get through anything - as long as I have the Lord on my side.  I have learned that even when people say they are your friends it doesn't mean they truly are your friends.  The best thing is ... I have learned that my family has my back.  They are always there for me, especially when I am at my lowest. 

I am learning to move on .... to leave these people behind.  God will have other friends, better friends, out there for me.  There are lessons to be learned with each one.  Some I may know now and some I may not know until later and that is ok.  God will bring me through all of this and make me a bigger and stronger person for it. 

I had some good things happen through last year.  I was treasurer of our recreation department and I took over as President this year.  I did a lot of praying and seeking God before I took over and I have peace that this is the direction he is taking me.  I am not honest if I didn't tell you I was a little nervous but I am sure I will be able to handle it.  I just want to take care of these kids.  This is a passion of mine - to make sure these kids have a place to play sports.  Another journey .....

There are things in my life I want to change in 2015.  I want to be healthier .... and in the process finally lose this weight.  I want to be more organized - with my business, personal and my home.  I want to get closer with God and have more quiet time.  I want to have time to read, work a puzzle or just have some 'me' time.   Be better with money - save more, keep working on getting out of debt and give more.  These are on my goals list for the new year.  Now, I just have to make a plan to make sure I can work on each one of them.  I am so excited to let 2014 go and bring in a new year. 

Here I come ... 2015!!!

Dec. 10

I had surgery almost three weeks ago.  The doctor took out both of my ovaries and a big mass of scare tissue that was attached to my colon.  The doctor told my husband that he understood why I was in so much pain and that he got it all.  I am so so thankful that I made the decision to go to another doctor.  I would probably be in the same situation I was before I changed doctors.  I would probably still be in pain and strung out on pain meds.  I realized now - that I was not really functioning too well.  I was in more pain than I thought at the time.

That is all behind me now.  Another journey that I have gone down and I am coming out on the other side.  I have so much to be thankful for during this journey and so many things I have learned.  I have learned that it is ok to ask for help.  We really don't have to do everything ourselves and as a woman, wife and mother - I am so use to doing it all myself.   I also learned that when God brings us to something He will give us what we need to make it through.

I am reminded of all that I have been through and I have been through a lot.  Not as much as some people and I am grateful because it could be always be worse.  I guess the worse time was when I had my thyroid removed and found out I had cancer.  That was the longest 6 months of my life and the hardest.  I had to go through two surgeries, radiation iodine (which meant 3 days of isolation), then the many tests to make sure they got all my thyroid out and that I didn't have any more cancer cells and all this time without taking my thyroid medication.  If you don't have thyroid issues you really can't understand what being hypothyroid is like.  It is so hard on people and hard to explain.  I remember one time trying to fold a load of clothes and I was so out of breathe and it wiped me out.  I had 3 small kids at the time.  They were wonderful through the whole process, but I would sit and cry because that summer they just had to stay at home and take care of their mom.

Even as bad as my worse day that year, I still got through it.  I came out ok and my kids survived.  This is just one of the many stories that I have of going through a journey.  I have had seven surgeries since the first thyroid removal surgery.  And I have come through them all ..... and I will come through the next one too.  I know that as long as I have God with me I can make it through anything.

Thank you God for being with me and my many journeys and for getting me through each and everyone of them.  Most of all .. for making me stronger in the process.  I am truly blessed!!!