ringing in the new year!

about 10 minutes before the ball dropped, my friend jenn asked each of us to name one bad and and one good of 2008. simple enough. i started with my good...

"my good things this past year have been having a healthy family both near and far, appreciating true friendships, and the happiness i get from peyton and beckham." simply stated, but honest.

"my bad thing this year...is...was...you know, i can not think of ONE thing to share right now. i got nothing. i am just so happy right now!"

of course, i have some bad i could share. i could come up with a pretty hefty list if i really thought about it for awhile, but truth be told, at that moment NOT one thing entered my mind. could have been the wine or champagne, good company, not sure but it wasn't coming. i heard someone say the economy, job security...so true. it has been a rough economy. extremely cruel to some and my heart goes out to them while at the same time hoping and praying that we/friends and family close to us will be okay through all of this because...you never know what is going to happen in the future so living in the moment is so important.

so, minutes before the ball dropped i realized how wonderful this year has been.

loving these babies like there's no tomorrow, making & spending valuable time with my husband, nurturing friendships with friends and family, doing things that i love, enjoying the small things, not sweating the small stuff, knowing that family is first and foremost, becoming a more confident mother ("because i said so, that's why!" my new favorite thing to say to when i don't need to explain myself because hey, i'm the mom here!), making goals and actually making good on some of them:), learning from others new beginnings, meeting new people and learning from them, seeing new places, taking loads of pictures, learning how to make them look even better, my new tripod, the song playing as you read this, appreciating clutter-free spaces, actually doing it and not just thinking about it, being me, trying new recipes while not worrying about the end result-this is a big one!, loving my Michigan friends and appreciating how well we know each other because we were there together, beckhams little face and not being able to wait to kiss it good morning so i run upstairs and maul him, letting peyton stay up later than she should just because she wanted to and because i love to cuddle with her little warm self under the covers, being inspired, enjoying my ipod so much, liking really cold beer with 5 lime wedges and knowing exactly where to find it and who to call to go with me bc they get it, new running shoes, preparing for celebrations of life and holiday, making and sharing my homemade pasta sauce, doing, creating, loving, liking, dealing, little evie, lil babies i love so much they could be mine, peyton adoring/loving her lil cousins sooo much, jenn and i watching peyton and sophie together- still marveling together that they are our little girls and how lucky we are, my grandparents, knowing that i am a little corny at times and not caring because that is me and i love it about myself...

all of these things and much more bring me so much happiness. i don't always know happy i am with the sometimes mundane things that we all have in life, but when i stop to smell the flowers...i know. this is it. our life together. 2008 held many special memories for us, so i bid it farewell with respect and a little nostalgia, and look forward to the new year. i know 2009 will be a really good year! i feel it.

a few snapshots from our cozy new years eve!!!

i think i actually heard lily say, "cheese!" for this picture!

one of the cutest things i have ever watched beckham do. he's a watcher and a learner!

my new favorite book...Life is Good. couldn't put it down. it says things like, "it doesn't matter what you say, but how you make someone feel." and "stick together!"

my cute hubby making calls to family!

buy it!

wishing good things to come your way this new year.

xoxoxoxoxo