Happy New Year!! 2009

I find myself amazed I'm only a few hours away from 2009 - probably like many I'm saying "Where did the year go?" It seemed to fly by! When I think back to the last 12 months - I'm trying to put a word in place that would describe each one - Last of January and part of February - I spent in Washington state with my mother and sister helping my mother settle into a new home - Came back ill - and recovered the rest of February. March was cold with lots of snow - (I had hoped to miss "winter" by going to Washington but oh well, ). April - I exhausted my creative talants in my garden designing a visual garden with hopefully low maintenance - May through September we lived our vacation at the lake - started to really take care of our bodies and surprisingly - lost nearly 90 #s between the two of us. If you're interested I'll tell you what we did in another post. I learned to love walking - and couldn't believe I felt upset if I didn't get a 3-4 miler in! The real estate market picked up in August here and I found myself busy again - (although I've never not been busy-I'm usually trying to drum up some new marketing technique - ie: the internet push) Mid-October we moved back home and I lost momentum - different roads, icy conditions make walking difficult. No wonder it feels like the year passed so quickly! November I spent getting ready for the Holidays - mine and others - and Thanksgiving was so euphoric for me - I feel like I've truly been celebrating Christmas for the last 5 weeks!

Tomorrow's New Years Day! 2009! As I ponder the coming year - I have to look at the last and say how grateful I am for the friends and family that I have. New friends this year - Diane Snow who by the way is the creator of the "Runaway Cowgirl" series of novels - Miki Earle, whom I've known for years casually, but now have a kindred relationship and Theresa Drown who is such and amazing woman! I am so blessed! My dear longtime friends, Heather Labbe', Deb Homer, Sheila Ouelette, each woman gifted and inspirationsal - they inspire and encourage me more than they could know. What is more important than the relationships we have in life. Family and friends!

I thank God for each of my clients - past and present. For the most part, I feel like we've become friends during this time when our lives have intersected as a result of their desire to buy or sell a home and my occupation to serve them. I treasure each one, and am truly thankful for the opportunity to know them.

I am thankful for my family of 9 children, sons-in-laws, daughter-in-laws, 13 grandchildren, and all the extended family that exists in my life. I am overwhelmed at the wonderful young men and women Pat and I call our own! They are each unique - talanted - brilliant and beautiful! Genuinely concerned about others, they make us proud parents. Nothing can be so satisfying as seeing our children exhibit Godly character, living lives that benefit themselves and those around them. We are so proud of each one and for very different reasons! God has been good to us in 2008! Stephen's motorcycle accident was frightening for all of us. He's walking with a cane now since Dec 4 and his progress is outstanding! He braved the Phoenix Zoo with us just after Christmas and was still smiling at the end of the day! Yes, God has been very good!!!!

More than ever, I am blessed to be married to a man I adore and who adores me (at least he makes me feel that way!) I don't take marriage and a loving relationship lightly! It's serious business, hard work and worth every sacrifice and every victory! Our 12+ years have taught us much and we regularly admit that we are so fortunate to be married to each other and thankful as well.

I am looking forward to a great New Year 2009! I hope that yours is filled with new friends and family, much success and at least 2 of your heart's ambitions fullfilled. My son Jeff said that one of his ambitions has been to find out what that stringy part inside the banana peel was called - and thanks to google - was fullfilled in only a matter of minuets! May yours come as easy! Happy New Year!!