New Year, new blog. I feel like most of last year was a blur and it went by so quickly I didn’t have time to take a breath and actually figure out what was going on. One of my best friends moved to Australia, two of my good friends got married, a few others (including my baby sister) got engaged, my grandmother passed away, my grandfather moved in with us, my best friend Liz moved home and I’m so glad, my other best friend Jeanne & her husband Ben had the most beautiful baby boy ever; Wolfgang. I fell in love, fell out of love, switched Starbucks three times, no four, stepped down from my management position, started a part-time job at my church, quit my part-time job at my church, took care of my grandma, made a set for the Christmas program, painted a ton of paintings, read a ton of books, fell in love again, rearranged my room, went to Seattle, Portland, Asheville, Grand Rapids, & Boston…ok I’m tired. You get the point. I think it’s the hardest year I’ve had yet. It was the crazy blur year. 2011. And now January is half over and I don’t know where the time has gone.

I have so many things I want to accomplish and creating and maintaining this blog is one of them! I think I’m off to a good start. So what do I want to do this year? Eat gluten-free, be healthy, paint a LOT, read all the books on my shelf that I haven’t read yet, (but I keep buying new ones so I’m sure I won’t ever accomplish that), go to Europe, get a different job (don’t tell), paint my room, then move out, (not sure how that makes sense), sell artwork, learn Italian, 3 weddings, look good in dresses for 3 weddings, make new friends, be a good friend, love a lot, visit Wolfgang a LOT, 🙂 (did I mention he’s the cutest baby ever?), and most of all I want to dig deeper in my relationship with God and know Him and know that I am using all my gifts and talents to the fullest for His glory.

So as the new year has begun, I lay some of my hopes and dreams down on the “table”. I’m so excited to see how this year unfolds and I anticipate it to be the best year I’ve had. Ever.