1.04.2013

THE END OF ALT TAB

52 weeks have come and gone in a flash and my alt tab project is complete.  I set out to spot the little things in my life.  The things that might be forgotten if I didn't capture them here. Before writing this final entry I scanned over the last twelve months and was overwhelmed by what I saw.  52 weeks filled with color and blessings and life.

So to sum it up, an incomplete highlight list from the entire year:

Spending time with the Awesome's continues to be one of my favorite highlights of my life.

Having my parents home from Africa and having Ben and his family here this summer.

Learning more about love and friendship from RC1.  I have a hard time seeing the progress we've made day to day, but looking back at the year as a whole it is apparent that we've come a long way together.

 Being blessed to be surrounded by wonderful family and friends.

The completion of two years of learning more about charity through a wonderful calling that taught me about Christlike attributes, the real value of sisterhood, and reaching outside my comfort level to be more selfless.  I miss having that excuse to push myself more in that regard.

Logging hundreds of miles on that bike of mine.  I've really come to appreciate my health and the satisfaction of reaching the goals I set for myself.  It's funny what life lessons I learned as I peddled myself all over the state. 

Surviving one big bike crash.
My friend who witnessed it said it was the most horrifically graceful thing he's ever seen.  It was never life threatening, but climbing back on my bike afterword to ride another 30 miles has been something I've already recalled back in moments of doubt. "If I can do that, I can do anything."

The miracle when Ben received orders to Afghanistan and they were changed allowing him to stay home.  Watching his military career and becoming familiar with the way things work, this still amazes me.

Big steps career wise for me.  Truly enjoying me work, my co-workers and being part of a team.

Winning Best of Show at Fashion Remix

While we're talking about awards, First Place for the silly table tennis movie Shellie, RC1 and I made together.

Running 17 miles in the Ragnar Relay.
This is kinda a bid deal since I don't consider myself a runner.

Fun trips to Bear Lake, Yellowstone, St. George, LA, Chicago and Denver
Attending NeoCon in Chicago was a bucket list item

Another bucket list item checked off - being asked to be a contributor for a design book with a very talented group of designers.

Taking classes just for the fun of it. Yoga and painting have become rediscovered joys in my life.

This is kind of a big deal, and I hesitated sharing it for fear of how silly it sounds.  2012 was the very first year where I didn't have to ask for help financially from my very caring and willing parents.  It felt SO GOOD to not be a sieve in their retirement plan.  It is also the first year where my goal for savings was met.  Maybe part of my hesitance to include this is the fear that if I acknowledged this very real blessing, life will take one of those big unexpected turns and 2013 will go much differently?  Forget that.  I can't live in fear of the unknown, so I will very gratefully accept the fact that this was the first year in my adult life where I didn't worry about grocery money or filling up my tank when it was empty.

This being said, I feel like those struggles were replaced with the more internal type.  The type that made me take a look at my ability to love.  To be less selfish with my time.  To overcome the obstacles in life that test my faith, my patience, and my willingness to shrug off the things I can't control and find happiness within.

And last on the list is my silly old blog.  Collecting all these snippets of my life to include here has been a lot of fun for me.  I crave structure and knowing I'd be summing up my life weekly made me take notice off answered prayers and record progress as I set and reached goals.   While I might not have had anyone out there really holding their breath to read the next installment, it was always in the back of my mind that I was being held accountable to live each week in a way that would be worth sharing.  I still may waste a little too much time watching tv episodes on my ipad snuggled up with my cat but overall, I'd say 2012 was jam packed with doing my best to live life to the fullest.  And the shortcomings I see in 2012?  Well, all I can say is I'll do better this year I can't wait to see what 2013 will bring with it.
You only live once.  But if you do it right, once is enough.
Mae West

5 comments:

  1. i was thinking about that hilarious ping pong video just the other day!!! i miss you!!! we have so much to catch up on; i just need to stop being a loser. love you.

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  2. You are one of the most fascinating bloggers out there. I want to know more about the bike crash. I like to ride but am always scared of something bad happening.

    Beautiful 52 weeks. Glad to have witnessed it.

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  3. Love the way you summed all that up so eloquently. It was a blessed year for you, and I have enjoyed experiencing it through your eyes. Happy 2013.

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  4. Your weekly blogs have helped us see that this world really is a beautiful place. And you are a beautiful person; a person who has eyes to see, and a heart to appreciate all the things this world has to offer. And this is a gift! Thank you for sharing this awesome attitude of faith. You have lifted us.
    PBPB

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  5. So, to cut to the chase....my biggest concern is about your blogging future. If this is "the end of Alt Tab", what are you going to do next to keep all of us reaping golden kernels of happiness from your sweet life?? You are our one hope for philosophical clarity.

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