Reflections

This year has been an interesting one.  Good.  Bad.  Ugly, at times.  I have laughed, and cried, and cursed, and loved.  Life has changed in a few big ways, and a myriad of small ones.  Join me on this journey through 2011.

I began the year with a fifteen-month-old who was finally getting the hang of sleeping through the night.  My sleep schedule, which had been so very erratic, began to flatten out and become (somewhat) predictable.  My hopes were that this extra sleep would 'fix' the broken feeling inside.  The sense of being lost in the fog.  The overwhelming feelings of panic.  It took another two months for me to finally admit that sleep was not the problem.  With some groovy drugs and supportive friends and family, I am ending my year with a sense of contentment and peace that was absent before.

I began my year crammed in a tiny town home with my husband, Stacey, my toddler, and the enormous amounts of stuff that we had all acquired.  I am ending my year stretched out in our spacious duplex, free of much of the stuff, and reveling in the sheer huge-ness of Miles' new bedroom.

This year, I found my stride at Festival, and once again remembered why I love my job so very much, even as we faced one of our toughest seasons yet.

This year, we welcomed our nephew, J, and said good-bye to Patrick's grandmother.

This year, I feel as though I finally *clicked* as a mother.  I finally know what I'm doing.  And most days, I can do it.  And I'm happy.

In so many ways, 2011 has been a turning point for me.  Life has changed.  I have changed.  And even with it's struggles and sorrows, this year has been exactly what I needed it to be - happy.

Here's hoping 2012 is even better.