New Years Eve

It is the day to reflect on all that the year has been and next year hopes to be. I have much to be grateful for. First and foremost, my faith. I have always been a believer of my faith and especially my God being first in my priorities. To me, He is all that I am and all I can be. My family is a very close second, but Mark, my husband always comes first. He is the most important person in my life. My children are of course extremely important, but maybe some of you will discover, I am truly "old fashioned." Without the solid base of my relationship to God, I would not have the amazing relationship with Mark, which is a covenant with God. This covenant with God and Mark keeps me strong and able to be the best I can as a wife, a mother and a person. I have many faults, I have made many mistakes that I wish I could take back and change. But maybe all that has happened was for a reason that is greater than me? My God will never forsake me, comes to mind as I write this. It is such a powerful statement because humans are weak. We make mistakes, we hurt each other with words and actions, but God, He is a constant. I only believe in a loving God, I'm not one to believe in a cruel, punishing God. I believe God helps Mark and I to be strong and to put each other above all others, but that we allow Him to be part of our relationship. Mark and I are the solid base our family stands on. With all this in mind, I am and will always be, the most grateful for Mark. I am constantly reminded of his love and care for me in the simplest ways, everyday. As I have said before, most nights as I fall asleep in his arms, I say a simple prayer of thanks to God, "Thank you for this man." I am a believer in destiny or fate and I believe we were meant to be together. I believe we were meant to live this journey together. This past year our partnership and teamwork as a family got others to see the vision we so desperately wanted for Teale. Many people outside of our immediate family were part of this culmination of years of advocating. The Universe seemed to hear us and all of you. 2011 will probably best be known for the year I felt like our life and Teale's future finally fell into place. There were many other great accomplishments this past year. Mark and I have remained strong in our love for each other, we were even able to make it stronger. I consider this an extraordinary accomplishment considering all the stress we often live with. We have continued to  built stronger relationships with our children, enjoying their uniqueness and journey as they discover their own gifts. This past year with Mark's Mom living with us we have learned much. There have been many challenges and it has been a tough to see Mom's decline but having her here brings Mark much comfort. I have seen my children learn life lessons I could not have taught them without this experience. They have grown to know their Nana better as a person. We have made many new friends and opened ourselves up to many opportunities this past year. I believe one of the strongest qualities my family has is our ability to care about others. Life is a journey and that journey is not always easy, but with God and Mark on my side, I am living it well. New Years Eve is a day to look back and a day to look forward. Today I am especially overjoyed with what I see in our future. Happy New Year everyone!