2011

What can I say about the last 365 days?

It was full of hope, love, growth, happiness, sadness, rallying, tears and loss....

My children grew another year older, 8, 7 and 3.... I've watched them change in some pretty amazing ways, and everyday they surprise me by what they say and do; their little personalities come shining through their every move.... Liam, the joker; he's taken on Mommy and Daddy's crazy sense of humour; he is the protector of his younger brother and sister.... and at times, the antagonist.... Marek, the creator; he is our lover of all things art; who's personal expressionism is evident in his tens of thousands of finished pictures that range in size from a regular 8.5x11 inch sheet of paper to a minuscule scrap of memo note pad and can be found in every nook and cranny of our house; he admires his older brother and loves his baby sister so much that she often feels smothered by him.... Camryn, the puzzle queen; she mastered the art of the puzzle before she was 2 and hasn't stopped, quite often every square inch of open floor space in my living room will be covered by in-progress and finished puzzles, she loves me 'more than cereal' and I have to say that I love her just as much and more....

My husband, Craig, and I both turned 40, on the same day, one month apart.... I'm happy to say that his birthday is before mine, and that when he was 40, I was still in my thirties (at least for one month, it's something to hang onto, right?).... We celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary, and also saw 21 years together come and go.... We laughed a lot, we talked a lot, we held hands and stole kisses and squeezes whenever we could, which was also, a lot.... We love each other fully, and our children 'to the moon and back'....

We took our first family camping trip to Killbear Provincial Park.... and just as the name suggests, there were bears.... on our site.... every. single. night.   By the last night, I was a little more comfortable with there being just a thin layer of fabric between my family and the man eaters.... I can't wait to go back!  Seriously.

In September of 2010, I committed to walking the September 2011, 2-day, 60km walk to help find a cure for cancer.... I trained and trained, and walked more than 400km leading up to the weekend.  My inspiration for joining this amazing movement was my dear friend Becky, who's personal battle with cancer, sparked a fire inside me and compelled me to do something.  Myself and my teammates raised over $9,000 to support the cause; we collected bottles, we held a rummage sale, we hosted an amazing tea and silent auction and so much more.... and through it all, the amazing people we encountered were supportive and thankful of our journey.... and through it all, Becky was there, cheering us on and encouraging our efforts....

Sadly, her health took a turn for the worse, and on July 10, at home, with her husband at her side and her children nestled in their beds, she lost her 3 year battle....  Our worlds came crashing down around us, and lives were changed forever.... She was a stellar human being who's caring heart was open to everyone she knew.... She was an amazing mother and wife; a daughter to be proud of; a friend who made her friends feel like family....  Our lives will never be the same.... but we will carry her many admirable qualities with us and try to live as she did....

We celebrated the life of our Becky at an amazing get together masterminded by my amazingly talented friend, Kim.... The celebration saw Becky everywhere.... in pictures, in family, in friends, in tears, in laughter, in hope.... in her children; little mirror images of her....

The walk itself, was an AMAZING experience.... to see the hope, the tears, the togetherness.... To walk; and challenge my mind and body in a way that I never thought I could.... To know the pride that my friend would be feeling if she could have been there at the finish line.... And seeing my family there, cheering on the route and at the end.... And seeing Peter, Becky's dad, at the finish line, and hearing him say "Becky would be proud".... and walking with my amazingly strong teammates and kindred friends, Crystal and Louise.... it made the whole year worth all of the effort, all of the work, all of the stress....

Thanksgiving, Halloween and Christmas have all past.... and they were spent surrounded by the love of my little family and my wonderful circle of friends....

I pushed myself to limits I didn't know I could reach; my heart was torn by the loss of an admirable soul and mended by the joy that is my family, my children, my husband.... So, while it was a challenging year, with great sadness, there were also many, many blissful moments.... I cherish them all.  My view of this life has been changed.... I will never take for granted the time I have in this life.... If I learned anything from these last 365 days, it's this: live every single day with joy in your heart; tell those who are closest to you how much you love them and what they mean to you; don't sweat the small stuff because it's not worth it; and don't ever, ever hang onto the baggage....

So, tonight, I raise my glass to the year that passed; I raise my glass to Becky and the astounding woman she was; I raise my glass to living a life full of family, friends, love and joy.... Happy 2012 everyone....  I can't thank you enough for your friendship here in this space....

Cheers!  To the prospect of a fantastic and fruitful 2012.... all the best to you....

xxoo   ;)
Julie