Happy New Years!

I had intended on writing a Happy New Year message yesterday, but just never got around to it. David and I stuck with our annual New Years Day tradition of watching the Rose Bowl parade and discussing how we would like to go in person some day. We decided that in reality, this probably will not happen until after our kids are grown. However, we are setting our sights on 2010 - to keep with the tradition of setting our sights on the next New Years. This is another one of those things that is on my list of things to do in my life - as was Times Square. Well, one thing down - so many to go!

With New Years comes the resolutions and I have made mine and I resolve to stick with them this year. The first thing on my list is to lose weight and I am taking the measures to get this going. I hope this isn't something that falls by the wayside, but I am really excited about getting started - and that is a huge start for me. I am thinking of keeping my own "weight-loss" blog to help keep me motivated. We'll see about that. I have also made a list of some other qualities that I would like to improve on. I hope that those closest to me will see these changes, although, they are subtle.

I have also resolved to continue sending out cards to families of soldiers who have lost their lives in the war. This is something that I started pretty heavily the beginning of 2008, but the past few months I have not done so well. I sent out around 100 cards in 2008 and hope to double that in 2009. I hope to find that 2009 for me will be rewarding in being able to bring a little comfort to others.

I had already posted this...but, just read one of the blogs that I follow faithfully and have for the past year or so - Shawndra Turner. She has cancer and it isn't sounding good. I sat here and cried after reading her last post. I have never met her, but I feel like I know her so well from following her life through her blog. She is a young mother of a beautiful little girl, Ella and I cannot imagine as a mother what she must be feeling knowing that she will not see her little girl grow up. My prayers go out to Shawndra, Doug and Ella and their entire family and I would like to ask for your prayers on their behalf.

I hope everyone had a great New Years and wish everyone the best in 2009!

Dawn