Happy New Year!

Good bye, 2010.....Hello, 2011! Happy New Year to one and all!

I wish I could have welcomed the new year at 12:01 a.m. this morning, but as usual, I was struggling to make it to 9 p.m. and gave up the fight at 8:50 p.m. What a party animal I am. I blame the wonderful sweet and sour chicken I had for dinner.

So, out with the old and in with the new!, as the saying goes. 2010 was a different kind of year for me. I had the awkward feeling of acknowledging that my son is in a serious relationship with a beautiful young lady. (I had to accept the fact that he is not my 6-year old little one anymore. And, hey, it seems as though I was just 19 not so long ago myself!) Our family has enjoyed opening our home to this young lady when she visits from Puerto Rico and growing a relationship with her as well.

Not only did I see my son changing, but my baby girl, all of a sudden, is not a young girl anymore. She somehow transformed into a young woman right before my eyes. She is going to be 18 in just a few months. Yikes!! I am so thankful that she has been able to go on a few mini-vacations with me and her dad this year. I'm looking forward to more!!

We also said 'good-bye' to our faithful mini-van this year. Well, we needed to get rid of it before it died for good in the drive way, and we bought a new car for the first time in our lives. I wanted to throw up for the first week we owned it because it was such a big purchase for us. But both Peter and myself have been so blessed that I know it was the right decision to make.

We welcomed two new family members, Beatrix and Hank. A month after losing Lacey's beloved Simba in March, we adopted Beatrix from the animal shelter. She's the fattest but prettiest cat I've ever seen and we love her to bits. We adopted Hank, a beagle/basset hound mix from our neighbor in June and are so happy that we did. He is the cutest dog and loves my husband unconditionally. Beatrix and Hank have become the best of friends.

I learned that I have high-blood pressure, or hypertension, and it was discovered in the nick of time. I am so grateful that it was diagnosed before I suffered a stroke or heart attack. The medication is working very well and this situation has forced me to take my health seriously. I am making big changes to my diet and want to be more responsible with my health.

I feel like 2011 will be a year of big changes. I'm not sure in what way yet, but I know that God is preparing me for something. I'm excited to see what the future holds for all of us.

**I just reached a milestone on Blogger. This is my 101st post. So, to celebrate, I am offering a giveaway. To enter, just leave a comment on this post. Comments will be accepted until Friday, January 7th. I will then randomly select a winner.** I like to keep the giveaway gifts a secret until the winner is selected. Who doesn't like a surprise?!

Welcome, 2011! May you be blessed in the coming year - I know I will be!!

--Liane