Here I sit, on the eve of a brand new year. Winter winds gusting, chunks of ice sloshing their way onto the frozen shoreline of Crystal Lake. Just me & my puppy… for a brief time we have the place to ourselves. You rarely get this kind of quiet up at the cottage. I like it. There’s a nice fire going, with crackling chunks of birch from the property. Nothing like the feel, the sound, and the scent of a real fire. It has me feeling contemplative.
So what will this New Year bring? What’s in store for us? For Hailey, high school graduation and the beginning of a new chapter of life. This makes me happy and excited for her, yet sad for me. I can still see her as a curly-haired toddler, singing like Arielle from The Little Mermaid. We’ve teased her endlessly this year about this being her “last” year. “This is your LAST Christmas with us.” This makes her crazy, as if she isn’t freaked out enough about what to do with life after graduation. College is a given, but what to “be”? Wish I could give her direction, but I’m still working on solving that riddle for myself.
What were your best memories of 2009? What made you laugh? What made you cry? What motivated you to do something? What new people did you meet? I have many great memories from this past year. I’ll share some of my “firsts” in hopes to inspire others to try something new this year.
My dear Michael… he achieved a goal that he had set for me this year. He’s been working me for years to get into biking. “You’ll love it!” he would say. “I love to run!” I’d reply. I finally decided to do my knees a favor, and “cross-train”, and now I’m a biker, who occasionally runs. He encouraged me through my first “Century”. One hundred miles on a bike. Sounds awful doesn’t it? It was a blast. Bikers are a unique breed, and we are blessed to have a group of friends who love to get out with nature and push themselves physically. The best part of a group ride is the camaraderie. It’s like running a marathon, except all the volunteers are right there with you cheering you on and making you laugh through the pain. And then there’s the eating good food and drinking great beer part of biking. I highly recommend you get on a bike and ride this year!
Gotta Tri! My friend Jen bought me this sticker, and though I’m not one for stickers on cars, this one I proudly display in my rear window. Jen and I committed to doing our first triathlon together. While there were many times when we asked ourselves “What were we thinking?”, we encouraged each other, we trained, and we did it! Now, we’re hooked! Do something crazy this year. Better yet, enlist a friend to do it with you. You can!
I went to my first concert with girlfriends at Interlochen this summer. (Had to be specific on that one, as it is FAR from the first concert with girlfriends, and far from the last.) The show, Little Big Town, was awesome. The aftershow…I’ll never forget. Gazing up at nature’s fireworks…and laughing, uncontrollably. I have so much fun with these girls. We laugh, we cry, we travel, we meet new friends along the way. Life is sweeter when you have great friends to share it with, and my life is just about at the sugar-coma level. I am blessed.
This may be the last trip to the cottage for ’09, but there were many, and they were all great times. You get here and you stare out at the beautiful wide-open water, and you just can’t help but relax. I’m so thankful that my kids have been able to create so many great childhood memories here. This summer was especially great for Carter. His “week at the cottage without the rest of us” was like summer camp, complete with a “mini-mini-tri” (which he tied for first place, winning a ½ pound of fudge), the 1st Annual Crystal Lake Croquette Tournament (in which he was bumped from victory by a rather feisty young California girl), skiing, sailing, boating, tramping, biking, hiking, all while setting a new record for consecutive days without a shower.
We will never forget the great memories with the Dalmans this summer. Our trip to Lake Superior was amazing. We will forever cherish the time we spent at the cabin and on the boat, exploring the Canadian ship. Such beauty in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and we can’t say enough about the Dalmans… they are a treasure. Explore Michigan this year. Explore it with friends for more than twice the fun.
My first mission trip was a highlight of 2009. Sharing that special time with Reid & Hailey was priceless. I encourage everyone to get out and volunteer in some way this year. There are so many people in need, and countless opportunities to put your gifts to work, whatever they may be. The odd part of giving is that you inevitably get so much in return. Enlightenment, inspiration, gratitude, new freindships… Give of yourself in 2010.
So many great memories this past year, and much to look forward to in the year to come. Some events, we will schedule into our lives, and others we will stumble upon. I’m looking forward to both, and I’m happy to share this journey…the ups and downs, with loved ones, near and far. May God bless you in this coming year, and give you the courage and strength to face life’s challenges, and the wisdom to know what matters. I raise my glass (ok, at the moment it’s a cup of coffee) to you… my friends, my family… may you be blessed, may you recognize the blessings, and give thanks!
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