You know, sometimes I cannot believe it when I say Happy 2018! Seriously, wasn't I just partying like it was 1999 and there was a lot of talk of Y2K - how was that 18 years ago? Wow! I guess the saying is true that as you get older, time really does seem to fly.
I won't lie and I don't want to be a "Debbie Downer" but I will admit, the holidays were not the best for me this year. They were not bad, nothing horrible happened or anything like that, thank goodness but it was just a sad time for me. It was harder this year than last for some reason. Since my dad passed, I know the holidays will never be the same and for some reason, I was really, really, really missing my brother this year.
Christmas 2013, I went to visit my brother and sister-in-law for Christmas, my mom went with me. My niece, her husband and baby flew in from New Zealand. It had been a long time since I had seen my niece and her husband and it was the very first time seeing their child (just turned 1 at the time) in person. What a joy she was (and is).
My brother and sister-in-law was just over the moon at their grandchild. My brother was so fun to watch, he missed out a lot when my niece was little because he was in the Navy and was gone for many months at a time. He was so thrilled to have a grand-daughter in his life.
I took this photo of them playing together and you can just see the happiness in his eyes.
Little did I know, how could I have known, that this would be the last Christmas I would spend with him? How in the world would I ever imagine that he wouldn't be there the next Christmas? It still doesn't seem real sometimes and yet, sometimes it seems all too real.
Did I mention that my brother's birthday is January 1st - a New Year's baby - which is an even bigger reminder that he isn't here. He would have been 58 today.
I know life has to go on, but it is hard. However, now that the holidays (and his birthday) has passed, I must move on to the next year. He would want that for me, he would NOT want me sulking. He lived life to the fullest and would want all of us to do the same so I will do my best to continue to do that.
I don't really have any resolutions for 2018 except to complete some of the crafty projects I have started, to spend more time reading God's word and more time in prayer and quiet time with Him and to continue working on my healthy life changes (I've done a pretty good job doing that if I must say so myself ...patting myself on my own back).
I have been doing Project Life (aka: Project 365) since 2009 and will continue again in 2018. In conjunction with that, I'm taking an iPhone Photography class to improve my iPhone photo skills since it seems that lately, I use my iPhone more than my regular camera.
I don't usually post my Project Life layouts but I may start doing that (weekly? monthly?). I did get behind a couple of times last year but I caught back up. I just need to order my pages (I like to print them out and put them in a book, since I started using the app). Before the app, I would just order the photos and put them in page protectors.
I am hopeful for 2018. I know it is a journey - there will be hills with some ups and some downs but I am hoping there are more highs than lows. I expect there will be. 2017 was a pretty good year, all and all. While there were people missing from life and a few others passed on, overall the year was a happy one and I know that since God is always with me, that no matter what lies ahead, He will be there!
I hope you had a good 2017 and that 2018 is fantastic!!
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