One Little Word ~ the 2011 edition

Happy 01/01/11!

For the past two years (here and here) I've done a little thing called the "One Little Word".  It started as a project from the now defunct OLW blog here and has grown into a fairly huge phenomenon in the paper crafting world.  I learned about OLW by reading Ali's blog and decided that it would be a really fun thing to do myself.  I've had some trouble trying to decide on the word for 2011, basically struggling with what it was I was trying to accomplish but when I met with my sweet friend, Michelle who is a very good friend to unicorns and princesses and we exchanged gifts, I knew at the moment I opened the package with this beautiful necklace in it that my word for 2011 was right in front of my face and the decision had been made.

I feel it's the perfect word for twenty eleven and one I'm looking forward to remembering daily as well as striving to accomplish in my own little world of craziness.  December was met with so many trials and ironically just as many amazing things that I'm looking forward to beginning this year and working towards everything I have been putting on the back burner.  The new normal is waiting to be put into action.  Many things are on my desk waiting to be worked and/or completed.  Oodles of ideas are bouncing around in my head and waiting to be put into action.  (I so need to be jotting these things down and have received a beautifully decorated book in addition to that awesome necklace to do just that.  Thank you Michelle! How is it you always know just what it is I need?  Thank you for always being there and for always being so supportive.  You are one of my greatest cheerleaders!)

I just have this feeling that it's going to be a wonderful year and a year of so many blessings.  I'm ready, are you?

And to tell you just how beautiful 2011 already is, behind me sits my littlest little and my hubby playing the Wii together.  Their laughs and dialogue is music to my ears.  Life is good.  Unfortunately the biggest little is off playing games in his room and missing out on the fun right now but he spent several hours out here with the bigs earlier and we had many laughs together while it was just the three of us while the littlest little was off playing with friends.  The time with each of them alone is always so awesome and the time we spend as a family is the best-est ever!  AND I've spent the weekend doing absolutely NOTHING which is so wonderful.  I have the best hubby as he's allowed me time to decompress and has taken over all the laundry and has even been cooking for me.  It's been such a wonderful thing and such a nice break.  Thanks baby~I l♥ve you. 

Yes, so blessed.

on repeat

Last week was one of those weeks that make you go "hmmmm...."
This week was a repeat of last week.
Literally.
Except that it didn't take 24 hours between the good AND the bad to happen, it was mere hours.

Late night phone calls are never good.
And they are even worse when the person on the other end is your child.
At the moment I could not begin to even remotely summarize all that's happened but in brief I will share that with yet another wonderful blessing unfortunately came a horrible accident.
Count is now two in 8 days' time.
So much happened in that span of 8 days that it's still resonating.

Our family is piecing things together.
We've spent several days walking around in a daze.
This was one of those situations where I needed my daddy and as soon as I heard his voice I broke down.
I don't break down often or easy.
My dad surprised me with his support and with his words.  (If you know me, then you know my dad and why I say that ~ that's just how we roll.  I was taught to stand tall and tough and that's just the way it is.  I've always had to be the strong one and sometimes I am frustrated by that fact because sometimes I am just so tired of being the one who has to be strong.  But so be it.)
The thought of what "could have been" is too much for me.
"What was" is too much, too.
My appetite is slowly coming back and I'm not as sick to my stomach as I was.
My blessings have been counted over and over and over again and then over again.
All of them.
Every. Single. One. and not one of them, regardless of how small or simple, was left out.

A new job was dropped in my lap and I start Monday.
Perfect timing as I have been off since my accident as I was being treated and was released back to work as of this coming Monday.
I wasn't looking even though I knew my current job was going to be less and less lucrative due to the electronic medical record (the workload has decreased substantially just since the accident) and the toll it's taken on my wrist was starting to get worse by the day.
It's for an amazingly wonderful company and it's LOCAL!
Perfect part-time hours.
Perfect wardrobe ~ street clothes!
Beautiful facility.
Think foot in the door to what could potentially turn into something even more awesome.
Wonderful co-workers and the icing on the cake is one of my besties works there!
Did I mention it is PERFECT?
And PERFECT timing.
Since I've spent the last 5 years in scrubs and pj's I didn't have much in the way of a wardrobe so I tackled the mall early today, yes the weekend before Christmas means I must be CRAZY, and by the time I was done making my purchases I realized I had missed the horrible holiday crowds as it was just starting to get crazy.
Score!
Did I mention the blessings?
Let me say that the little voices I hear sitting behind me playing video games together fills me more than any one thing in this world does, or ever will.
They keep us in stitches and right now that's what we need, especially what comes out of the mouth of the little one.
........my two biggest and greatest blessings.