As I sit and ponder the holiday coming and going and a New Year
beginning; I think about what has transpired in 2012. In this blog I
share these highlights and encourage you to begin a new day with a new
outlook..... a new journey.... a new beginning.
Many things
happened in 2012 that are blog worthy. Some of my one word important
events are as follows:
Baptism
Graduation
College
Empower
Disney
In July of 2012 I
got baptized by pastors Chris Vanbuskirk and Matt Kysor. This was a very
important event in my life. My walk with God began many years ago but
became more personal in 2009 when I nearly experienced a nervous breakdown. During
that time in my life I made the commitment to begin a more personal walk with
God. He alone was able to pull me from the darkness of fear, anxiety and
near destruction..... to freedom. Once I made that commitment, I immediately
began watching changes in my life take place right in front of me.
Although I am not perfect, I am forgiven. The peace that God can
give is unlike anything else I have experienced.
Also in the middle
of 2012 my daughter graduated from high school. Sometimes it seems like
yesterday that I brought this 8lb 5oz girl home. A strong independent
young woman emerged from that 8lb 5oz bundle. Lexie graduated 6th out of
222 students. Her senior year in general was at best exhausting.
She applied to approximately twelve colleges and applied for many
scholarships. I spent a lot of the year proof reading and helping in the
scholarship and college application process.
In the end the
important thing was to look for a college with a good chemical engineering
program as well as a school that "marched" flutes or piccolos in
their marching band. Through this process we visited colleges and met
with the music and engineering departments. In the end the decision was
down to Boise, Purdue and Toledo. With the process of elimination and
being smart about the money offered, the University of Toledo
became her new "home" on August 10th 2012.
The thoughts of
Lexie going to college were difficult for me. I was a parent who knew
where my child was at all times (mostly anyway) and I couldn't imagine the thought
of her being "on her own." However on that August day I took
her 3 1/2 hours away and left her in a dorm. Lexie didn't come home until Thanksgiving. I had peace in the fact that she
would make good decisions and excel in her studies. Lexie landed a 3.5
her first quarter with a lot of classes and lots of commitments so I am more
confident that she will continue doing well.
Another adventure
that started in 2012 was my adventure with Danielle Ratcliff and Empower Life
Skills. I met Danielle in 2011 and we discovered that we had a lot in
common, including our passion for
educating others and "coaching' others through life. Empower Life
Skills looks at helping individuals grow personally, professionally, emotionally
and/or spiritually. The goal is to help people meet their full potential
in life. I am excited as to where this journey will take us in 2013 and
beyond.
Lastly, we had a
great trip to Disney in 2012. This trip was magically and stress free.
We were able to experience Disney's four parks and also we visited Cocoa
Beach. Lucas experienced his first plane ride. This was a vacation
to remember and even though Lexie didn't get to go, we were able to Skype with
her through the week. Disney makes vacationing magical, even for adults.
Now that I have
shared my five highlights of 2012, I encourage you to think about your
highlights as well. One thing I realize is that family is the foundation
of our highlights. I challenge you to start making memories today.
Let your journey
start now......
