Where has this year gone.

My mother always used too say that the older you get, the faster time goes by.
It's true.
When I was a teenager time dragged, I remember.
Or was it just the utter boredom of revising for all those exams?
Now the years seem to fly by, and try as I might to hold onto my children's babyhoods and then childhoods they seem to be rapidly disappearing in front of my eyes and I hate it!
Each year, I take around 2-4,000 photos which I keep, print out , make books and stick in journals, to record our memories.
I look back on the year as I am doing it.
It is so very easy to look at the half empty glass, the things that worry us, that don't work, that cause us problems and stress, rather than the half full glass.
Choosing the half full glass, I would rather remember all the happiness that has outweighed these things.

• The health of us
• The health of our children
• Our jobs- that thank God , we still have!
• Our house, cramped and packed as it is.
• The lovely garden we have for the children to play in.
• The beautiful place we live and all the amazing things we can do.
• The joy the children bring us each day, the laughter that overpowers,the company, friendship and love.
• Our friends and the support and love they bring to us both and our kids.
• The simple pleasures in life, watching our friday night video, a lovely home cooked meal, a painted picture, a morning cuddle......
• The means to enjoy family holidays and times together and to capture these.

This new years eve, I wish you those things too. Yes it would be great to win the lottery, but money does not bring happiness and contentment. 

I wish you all a peaceful new year, I hope you fulfil more dreams and your health remains good. That the losses of the year gone will be outweighed by the pleasure still to come.

I no longer make resolutions, because they are too easy to break, instead I make a list of short term and long term goals I hope to achieve in the following year. I may not get there, but at least it gives me a focus.

Most of all, as my children grow at lightening speed I intend to enjoy them all as much as I can, before my house is silent and they are all long gone.

Thankfully I have a good few years left.

God bless.