Happy Birthday.....Simply Me

  I'm still here! Ha!
  Anyway, I'm also still Alice, floating down that rabbit hole; the only difference between the me now and the me from then is that I'm no longer as frightened about where it will lead me.  In fact, I have no idea where I'll be a year from now and, today's me, can't wait for the twists and turns that are coming my way.
  I've seen a lot of cool things on this year's journey, I've been pushed in moments and pulled in directions that have been so overwhelmingly fantastic that I could do very little aside from simply sitting back, waiting and watching, to see how it would all unfold.
  Cryptic much?  I know I'm still too vague, but isn't my vague ramblings part of what makes you push yourself?  If I laid everything out for you in basic terms why would you tune in every week to read what I have to say?  I think if I told you everything, left nothing to the imagination, you simply would quit tuning in. 
  That would suck for me. 
  My vague, random and wandering ramblings would be lost and if I felt I had nothing to share, I would quit, and I hate quitting.
  Maybe it's the competitor in me? the deeply embedded sports fiend, that can't believe until she's tried, that won't walk away.
  I don't actually believe it's that.  I'm the romantic, soft and tender heart!  I believe I want to help whoever will listen, because that's ultimately who I am.  I'm the one who cares.  The one who wants to fix everything and make it better for everyone.  I'm the one who goes out of the way to provoke a smile.  And if these wandering ramblings do provoke some small piece of inspiration or strength to grow in another person as they realize they're not alone, well, that's the point.
  That's me; I care, so very much.  And having all you beauties tap in to this page on a weekly basis has been food for my spirit! (You likely have no idea, how thrilling it has been for me this year to watch more of you happen upon this simple page.  And then return!  You have no idea!)
  So while I share my heart, I do it with the hope that someone somewhere out there, whether in England, Spain, Egypt, Malaysia, Indonesia or down the street from me in Canada, will be encouraged, lifted up, shown the bright side, or taught how to believe in yourself and push yourself just a little bit further.
  That's it, it seems pretty simple, but you know as well as I do, if you're working on yourself, it is anything but.

  So in honor of one of the craziest year I've seen yet, here are a few of those crazy occurrences and a few of my very favourite things; those crazy moments when, like Alice, I partook from the small bottle and grew too large, then chose the pretty cake and shrunk so small I was rendered utterly helpless!

A Year In Review...Top Ten

~my husband and I kicked off our shoes, dove into the deep and embarked on a journey     
  that has changed our lives.  It has drawn us closer together and even opened our eyes to 
  each other the way we'd never thought to look before.  I've never been so loved or been 
  able to give this much love, ever! 

~Perspective: it's a daily battle; a daily engaging of my mind to see without blinders.  

~learning to let go.  It's hard.  It's harder still to just feel.  To really feel with unabashed or
  hesitant reaction. I'm still working hard on this one, I'm sure it will take a while to feel I'm 
  completely confident of everything I feel, but each step is so gloriously, freeingly poignant,
  and such a gift!  Again, it's about the journey!

~those small moments. Like hearing that Small Voice that says, "you're where you're 
  supposed to be, I'm pleased with you!"  Yes, here is where those big, rolling tears fall and
  wash me clean with the pure affirmation they provide, and the sustenance to continue 
  without abandon the race I'm running.

~the heart pounding moment of being told, yes indeed, my work is good enough, intriguing 
  enough, and potentially marketable.  Can you picture the combination of shock, joy, 
  dancing, tears, and heart-pounding disbelief of seeing that dream solidify?  

~Patience. An agonizing lesson. Once you've come through the other side of the lesson that 
  life has placed upon your shoulders, it doesn't always seem so bad, and you're always better
  for the lesson if you look at it from the right Perspective!

~life is a classroom and everyday is made for learning.  I love learning and it surrounds me.
  I'm so thankful! We have the endless opportunity to be transformed daily if we choose.

~My girls.  You beautiful women I call, text, email, scramble my schedule to see, and learn 
  from each and every time we connect whether you live across the street or on the other 
  side of the world. What would I do without you? Maybe the better statement is who would 
  I be without each of you? You are in my work daily, you are in the characters I write, you 
  are in my heart, you ARE my heart. Oh how I love you! thank you!

~Music. It is one of the deepest loves of my heart.  It speaks for me when I have no words of
  my own.  It gives me a clearer picture of who I am and where I need to go.  It breaks me 
  when I need to be broken. It guides me. Refreshes me. Encourages me. 
  My favorites this year have been documented, usually on what I think of as Music 
  Monday, sometimes it turns up on a different day of the week, really it shows up when I'm
  feeling it!  I could list a long and varied playlist for you, but it might be best for you to just 
  go back in time with me and check out this years music posts to hear what's been in my 
  heart, what my projects are inspired by, and what the soundtrack of my life looks like.

~the beauty around me is endless.  I have loved seeking the simple with you this year.  It
  has been invaluable to search for it in the crazy moments and in the quiet times.  The 
  simple is the root of everything we do and somehow our minds elaborate and add on from 
  there.  There is purity in the simple and I love pausing in the moment to enjoy!

  So, is it time for cake yet?  If we're celebrating a birthday that is the obvious next step!  No matter what the age, whether 1 or 100, cake is one of the best parts of a birthday celebration.  Actually, here's a quick confession; when I say cake I might actually mean pie, or mousse, I'm not so much a fan of the cake part of cake, yep, you got it!! I'm that kid who ate the icing and left the cake behind.  Or maybe more accurately ate the cake first so I could savor each mouthful of icing at the end.

  Thank you, All of you, for a fun filled year of indulging my ramblings!  You made it better for me, though each entry would have been worth it if no one had read it at all!  Thank you for watching me grow, learn, and hopefully improve in my punctuation and writing structure, though I'm an impatient editor!  
  I have no clue what this next year might hold or if I'll still be here, but this journey, so far, has been a true pleasure.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!
  Happy Birthday, Simply Me!!