Everyone is probably saying the same thing but it seems like just yesterday that we said goodbye to 2010 and not too may days ago that we welcomed Y2K.  How time flies!

I’m not sorry to see 2011 end.  It’s been such a tumultuous year for us.  So many good things came out of the year – Chad graduated from college and began living on his own; we found the house and land of our dreams; we moved out of the city limits; my third book was finished.  I’m sure there are many more good things but to get to the final outcome – there were some rough days.  Every mom of adult children knows how bittersweet it is to see them become productive adults and leave home.  That was probably one of the hardest things I had to do as a parent — let go.  My nature is to hang on tight to those I love.  If you’re a mom of young children or even going through the hell of raising teens, my advice is – embrace the moment and find a way to enjoy every minute with your kids — they’re gone from home way too fast.  I know — grandkids will come along and I’ll realize a whole new realm of joy but for now, I’m missing my boy!

Getting to where we are now in Texas was a road that many of you traveled with me.  Some of you cried with me, prayed for me, called, sent cards and emails and some of you probably just wanted to say “grow up and get on with life!”  I told myself that quite a few times.  I will never forget that morning in late January or early February when Vince called and told me about the Brownwood, Texas opportunity.  The first thing I did was check realtor.com and I told Vince housing was going to be an issue.  Neither of us quite realized what an issue it would be!  We were talking last night and during our married life, there have been dozens of times when Vince considered going here or there and only one time did I say NO!  Last night he asked me what I would have done if he had decided to go there and I told him . . There’s no way I would have gone.  I’ve agreed to go to lots of places, thankfully most of them we never had to move to, but there was that one place I just would not have gone.  Now, looking back to that January or February phone call from him about Brownwood, knowing what we’ve been through, had I known what we faced with this move, I probably would have said NO to this one too.  I’m glad now that I didn’t but it was a hard move.

You, the blog readers, have been amazing this year.  You so generously sent donations for the Red Cross to help Joplin and then shortly thereafter, you sent quilts to help the Texas fire victims, and if that wasn’t enough, you sent QOVs to Alycia when the call came out that more were needed.

Thank you all for the support you’ve given to me, my family and the causes I support.  I look forward to whatever 2012 brings!