From Chaos Comes Happiness

I'm so glad tomorrow is the last day of 2013. So glad to put the year behind and start anew. The energy when starting something from the beginning is always so good for my soul. And I am ready for it.  The holidays were wonderful in our happy, and very often chaotic, home. Yesterday we celebrated holiday gathering # 'I lost count already', and with only three more gatherings left to participate in . . . I look forward to a day when all emotions are in check (yes, there is always drama around the holidays) and for the the celebrations to come to a close. That being said . . . I thought I would share a few photos of the past few weeks with you.          The weather has been wild, and winter has already hit hard. Snow came much earlier than most years, and we've already seen record low temps in our little corner of the world. But the view from my favorite road has never been lovelier . . .          I started shopping for gifts later than usual this year, but managed to get

I love to say "thank you" to people. Actually, my favorite phrase is "thank you  SO much!" , with extra emphasis on the "so", because that's just how I roll. I use it as often in my daily life as possible. To the barrista at Starbucks who hands me my coffee, to the bagger at the grocery store who loads my shopping bags into my cart. To the stranger at a four-way-stop who lets me take a turn before them. The simple expression is one I say from my whole heart, and one that I hope to never forget for as long as I live. Thank you SO much. I like to thank my daughters, too, each morning as I gently wake them to start their day. I know that Katie is old enough to set her alarm clock and wake herself up, but there is something so special to me about those first moments when starting the day, that I choose to be the one to gentle welcome her into the land of the living. "Thank you for being my daughter," I tell her. The same with Ella, who will