Blessed + Thankful = An Amazing Year

It's amazing how time has flown by this year. So many ups and downs. Beautiful moments. Scary moments. Tears. Love. Failure. Success. Doubt. I play back the months, over and over sometimes. I think to myself, 'I could have done this better.' Or, 'I should have done this, and not that.' While I have no regrets, I think to myself sometimes, 'why couldn't I have done that differently?'

It's funny how time changes you. How life changes you. How specific moments in your life, define the moments that come after. I'm amazed at how my family has changed, my sisters, my parents, my son. It feels like he was just born yesterday, yet we're about to celebrate his 1st birthday in December. Hardly believable to me. He's transformed, right before our eyes. What a character too! Even in a day's time, he's changed - and sometimes, I notice after it's happened. Oh how I wish in moments like those, time could stand still and I could simply NOTICE.

My family is the most important aspect of my life. While I cannot pretend that the road hasn't been rocky along the way, I'm forever grateful for those moments - after all, we wouldn't be where we are without those moments. I think in times of uncertainty and frustration, we get a clearer picture of the kind of people we are. We identify our strengths - our weaknesses - our undying need to be LOVED and our desire to LOVE someone else. As human beings, that is a CORE ingredient to life - LOVE.

I'm so blessed that I have a family that loves me. I'm so blessed to have a son that is healthy and growing big and strong. I'm so incredibly thankful that I have sisters that are also my best friends. I'm so blessed to have a mom and dad, that despite our differences, still love me anyway. I'm so blessed that I can look up to the sky and remember in times of strife and struggle, there is a God that loves me, even when I'm not so lovable. There is a Swedish Proverb that I came across a few weeks back that I just absolutely love. It reads: “Love me when I least deserve it, because that's when I really need it.” I'm definitely NOT the easiest person to love. But I'm thankful that the most important people in my life, love me past all of that. They love me, even when I don't deserve their love. How thankful I am that God does the same.

My sister snapped some family photos of my husband and I, and our little Eli a few weeks ago. I'm so thankful that we STOPPED and took the time to do so. The photos she took are the first family photos we've gotten since Eli was born. Oh how thankful I am that she could do this for us. She is so amazing, and I must say, makes Eli smile like no other! Amazing how time flies - but so thankful we have the privilege to snap a photo, and STOP time in its tracks! What an amazing year - and it's not over yet! Many blessings to all of you reading.