Friday, December 26, 2014

My Top 14 for 2014

Before I start my year review, I want to say something. . . I know it can be painful to read about all the awesome things happening in someone's else life when your life is going really badly. Not all years have been terrific for me. One year, the most positive thing I could say about it was that no one tried to sue us. After my third son was born, I spent his first year really, really sick and was eventually diagnosed with lupus. So in sharing my successes and happiness from this year, I do not wish to demean or hurt those of you who have had a really bad year. Sometimes the most that can be said about a year is that you survived and it is over. My own life experience has shown me that good things ebb and flow and that surviving hard years should be appreciated as much as those blessings. Those hard years and really difficult times do make the good years sweeter and more appreciated. If this has been an awful year for you, hugs to you. I hope you keep pressing on and that 2015 will be a much better year for you.

In no particular order, here are the blessings and things that happened to us that I am most grateful.

1) After a labor that the only good thing I can say about was that it was short (see not everything is awesome), our second daughter and sixth child was born. She was/is perfect. In less than a year she has gone from a sleepy, swaddled baby to a tiny little thing determinedly walking, climbing, and moving independently. We adore her. She brings tremendous happiness and peace to our home.



2) After a year of much suffering and difficulty, seeing my second son transform from a homework shirker/procrastinator to a dedicated, serious student. I can't even begin to describe the struggles we've had in the last year, his transformation is nothing short of a miracle. This kid has also joined two different sports and is thriving with his participation.


3) Enjoying the wonders of our yard and our garden. It has been so satisfying to work in our yard and pull weeds. Pulling weeds is surprisingly therapeutic. Eating the bounty from our garden was delightful.



4) Watching my youngest son start kindergarten as a very young student and blossom and grow.


5) My eight-year old daughter was baptized this summer. She is such a gift to me. Her kindness, intellect, personality, and loveliness bring me great happiness and delight.


6) My oldest son is doing well in school, has friends, and is active in sports. He is an incredible baker, has a wicked sense of humor, and is super fun. No one told me how fun teenagers can be. And this kid is a lot of fun. He is also kind, responsible, and hard-working.


7) Scrapbooking continues to be fun and inspiring to me. I don't craft as much as I would like, but I still continue to be engaged and happy with scrapbooking.



8) Hugs from this boy. I love spending time with him. I appreciated his desire to spend time with me. He is still making his way, trying to figure out where he fits in. He doesn't make much of a fuss about stuff preferring to think and act quietly.


9) Seriously experiencing one of my best summers in New York. The key to enjoying a New York summer? Air Conditioning--seriously has changed my whole life!



10)  This man, seriously. I won't gush. But he is awesome.

11) Getting to spend time with my in-laws. They are some of the best people I know and I adore them.


12) Spending an afternoon with our some dear friends with Sweden. They brought back a flavor of our beloved Swedish home.


13) Getting to travel, see family, and explore different places. I went to Las Vegas for my niece's wedding and saw many of my family members. We had a fabulous weekend at a friend's compound in the Adirondacks. We traveled to Ohio to enjoy spending time with my sisters and to celebrate the birth of a new niece. 




14) Exploring New York and enjoying the wonderful state in which I live.




Happy 2014!

© 2007-2016 TIFFANY WACASER ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

2 comments:

JennaK said...

It's great too look at your year and reflect.

Handsfullmom said...

My favorites are #1, 2, and 5. Glad you had a good year -- you deserve it!