What a year this has been.

Before starting this post, I had a look back to my first post of 2016 – I loved seeing all the things I was excited for at the start of the year – and just how some of those things turned out.

I did really love working with my word Joy this year.  So much so that a few months ago, I started a blog series in which I planned to document 100 morsels of joy that I found in my everyday life.  Well, turns out that it’s a LOT easier to find morsels of joy worth writing about when you’re on vacation, or engaged in something really interesting.  And while I love sharing the big moments of joy that we had this year, I loved the quiet little moments of joy that are sprinkled throughout the day, but that really just aren’t blog-worthy.  I mean really, how much can you say when the 4 members of your family (outfitted in matching Christmas Disney jammies) are snuggled together watching a movie on Monday night?  Over the past few weeks, there have been so many of these little morsels of joy – from the Little One and I making impromptu stops on the way home from dropping off the Older One in the morning to take photos of the sky, to making our annual batch of sugar cookies to sledding.

There was also my victory in getting them into matching footed jammies one last time (for old times sake), seeing the Little One get even more excited about her progress in skating, letting the kids run wild outside on Christmas Eve spreading “Reindeer Food” on the front lawn (oats mixed with red and green sugar crystals), and of course the morning I came downstairs to find my two monkeys “mining” their gingerbread houses for icing and candies.

And thus, my big idea kind of fizzed out . . . on the blog anyway . . . but in our house, we lived way more than #100moreselsofjoy!  (Consider #56-100 covered off!)

This year was definitely a year of change.  This has been a year of letting go, moving on, and planning for the future.  When in June I was given the all-clear with regards to my brain tumour, and my next MRI was scheduled two years from now, I finally had the medical permission I needed to start letting go of the tumour and everything associated with it.  While the news was reason for celebration, it has taken a few months for the reality to really sink in, and for me to really move on from it all, and to start planning where and what I’d like to be in the next 5, 10, 15 years.  My son changed schools this year, and we started to make plans for my daughter’s move to a new school next year.  The husband saw changes to his job.  And I made some changes to – I started skating again and I took up sewing classes again, among other things.

We certainly did cook a lot this year.  And we travelled a lot this year too (although always as family of four – that trip with just the Husband and I never did come to fruition.  Nor is it likely to anytime soon.  And that’s ok).  Both of which created a LOT of joy and many happy memories for all of us.

And while my body did change this year, it wasn’t necessarily in the ways that I expected.  I softened in some places and hardened in others.  There weren’t many PR’s this year (if any), I didn’t learn many new skills (if any), but I did have FUN.

I read an article at some point over the last week or so about how astrologically this past year has been one of cleaning up and tying up loose ends metaphorically and physically.  It resonated with me, and as I look back on the last twelve months, that is pretty much what this year has been for me; I wound up, closed up, and worked to put behind me everything that has happened over the last decade of my life.  So while I can’t look back on this year and revel in the bliss of having accomplished big goals, I can look back and be proud of all the work that did get done.

Which of course leads me to next year.  I will have a new One Little Word to guide me through 2017.  I have new hopes and desires and expectations for the year.  And while I’m sad to say goodbye to this year, my year of Joy, I’m very much ready to move on and start on this next chapter of my life.  You see, that same article that said this past year was one take care of any unfinished business, well, it also said that next year will be one of fresh starts, new beginnings, and endless possibilities.  With that in mind, and in between loads of laundry and the clean out/clean up of all things Christmas, I spent today working on my goals, my hopes, my dreams, and my aspirations for the year ahead.  I can’t wait to share my process with you, the word that I’m going to work with, live with, and be guided by for the next year, and how I’m setting things up to ensure 2017 will truly be the best year yet.

On that note, I wish you all the very happiest of New Years.

xoxo