One Little Word 2010 (long post)

Where did the time go?? The years are just flying by.  Sheesh. 
Happy New Year my blog friends!  If you’ve been a follower here for about a year then you know last year I joined in Ali Edwards’ One Little Word challenge.  My word for 2009 was balance.  I wanted to make a concerted effort to keep everything in check and learn to say no (or yes in some cases!) more often.  I think I did a pretty decent job in 2009 – at least it feels like I did.  I don’t think I got overwhelmed too much or too often and I worked hard to keep it all balanced without any one thing (work, personal, friends, etc.) taking a huge hit.  I even went on vacation a few times and things didn’t fall apart. (I want to do this more often now – it’s fun!)
So, I think I can keep that going alright and move onto a new word.   But first, an abbreviated (as much as possible) review of 2009…
2009 was a pretty mixed year good and bad.  For many people I   hold dear to my heart there was a lot of loss and sadness.  In March, John and I lost our 12 year old beloved dog, Bandit.  It look us many, many months to open our hearts and home to a new dog but in late October we adopted Mr. Barbo and couldn’t be happier.  We still miss Bandit terribly and I’m sure he’s trying to bite Mr. Barbo from doggy heaven but for now Barbo is safe here with us and has been the perfect fit for us. He’s ridiculously cute, cuddly and just incredibly sweet.  Plus he has a pretty cool and amazing backstory.  You can read some of the news coverage about his rescue here on his Facebook fanpage!
In July John and I took our first ever real vacation together since college, more than a decade ago.  With Bandit being so difficult (when he was alive) he couldn’t be boarded or safely left with anyone but one of us so for many, many years we each vacationed separately.  For my 35th birthday we went to Niagara Falls and it was amazing.  On our way back over to the US we even stopped and met (in person!) my DT Coordinator, Tracy and her hubby for lunch. 
A short time after returning from Niagara Falls I jetted off to CHA with a huge chunk of my fabulous design team and boy did we have a blast.  July was definitely a highlight of my year.
In August the store launched our very first exclusive stamp line from Chicken Girl Design.  And then again in September with our new line from The Petal Press.
In October the store celebrated its one year anniversary with a week long celebration of challenges, prizes and lots of fun.  Thank you to each of you for helping us reach that incredible milestone!
November brought tremendous sadness and unspeakable grief to inaugural DT member Sarah Anderson, who joined with me last year to do One Little Word.  Her word for 2009 was believe and I made her this little frame as a gift.  On Nov. 2, 2009 Sarah’s 3 year old son, Henry, died suddenly of an unknown cause.  They have since learned that both he and his little brother had an undiagnosed immune deficiency disorder.  Henry’s little body had a bacterial infection it overtook his body and he was gone in a flash.  The next few weeks were filled with questions, tears and eventually fundraisers to help build a memorial for Henry at his favorite zoo/park. 
Henry’s passing struck me inexplicably.  I never met him.  In fact, I’ve never met Sarah in person either.  I have no children so it wasn’t a case of a mother grieving for another mother.  I was just so incredibly saddened by her loss and the pain she was in.  And as if grieving wasn’t enough, to learn that her other child had the same deficiency…you can imagine the thoughts going through her mind.  But she’s been so amazing.  She’s got unwavering faith and her strength going through this has been incredible and inspiring and nothing short of a miracle.  
Then, the week before Christmas, a good friend’s father died.  Christmas was subdued, to say the least.
Still with me?  *wink*  There were lots of other things in between this events but I’m trying to keep this short.  All of these things made me think about life, good and bad, its brevity and what we do while we are here.   Last year’s word for me was about doing it all and keeping it all in balance…this year’s word is about taking it all in and trying to enjoy it while I can.
This year’s word is savor. 
To appreciate fully; enjoy or relish;
To derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in
I strive to savor each event, each moment, each success, each interaction and each hour I spend with the ones I love.  It can all change so suddenly…I don’t want to regret anything or miss a moment!
Thanks for sticking with me if you read all of this.  Are you participating in Ali’s One Word?  I’d love to know your word if you are! 
I wish each of you your best year yet!