Goodbye 2009! Hello 2010...

2009 proved itself to be quite an interesting year. I believe that many people are looking at this new year as a year of hope, and that is truly the way I am looking at it. I hope that our family stays healthy, and I wish that those loved ones around me who are sick find themselves stronger and healthier than ever! I hope that our country can begin to rebound from this financial crisis that has affected most of us in more ways than one.

This economy has flipped our family upside down, but we're stronger than ever. It's times like these that make you reevaluate your life and discover what really matters in life. Despite how difficult this year has been for us, I'm going to take away from it all the good and the bad, because without the bad we will never force ourselves to grow. Believe me, I did a lot of growing this year and I am so proud of myself for how far I've come as a wife and mother. Those are two of the hardest titles any woman can ever have and I've been pushed to my limits in both positions. I take each situation and hurdle as an opportunity to gain wisdom and strength. I have embraced faults and short comings in others because I have cultivated an inner strength that has allowed me look past all the negativity and seek out the positive. I guess I should thank my parents for that strength...they have always instilled positivity into my being, and in turn it feels great to pass that on to my children.

This picture is a great example of some of my challenging moments as a mother...

and this is the reason I have an optimistic outlook on life.

Happy New Year! Remeber your life is what you make of it :)