4 months later and it's 2006...

So I guess my 100th post was bad luck, since i've only posted once since. But in the spirit of the new year and turning over a new leaf, I am back (and hopefully better than ever!).

The New Year is often a time for reflection and the past week that I have been home on vacation I had the time to reflect on the new year and look towards the future and what's ahead this year.

I'm not going to lie, this year wasn't the greatest. I understand it could have been a lot worse, but my family went through a lot this year. My mom probably said it best right before Christmas dinner.

My mom in particular had a rough year...so it was very refreshing to see her back to her enthusiastic self this holiday season. (She loves the holidays and it brings out the best in her). My family isn't very religious but the last few years we've begun the tradition of saying something before we eat a holiday dinner. The usual is a little prayer that my grandpa absolutely loves:

Thank you for the food we eat.
Thank you for the world so sweet.
Thank you for the birds that sing.
Thank you God for everything.

So after we went around the table and said a line each, my mom grabbed the hands of the people sitting next to her and announced that this was the best Christmas ever because we were all together. She said "This was the first year that we came the closest to losing the ones we love most."

Bringing tears to everyone's eyes, she was right. Between my grandparents car accident in June and my dad's 3+ week hospital stay and surgery, it was a draining year. Thankfully, the injured and sick are continuing to recover and everyone's spirits are on the rise.

So in 2006, my biggest wish is good health for the people I care about most.

Happy New Year Everyone!