Another year ends.....

I've been looking at my live feed and see that people are visiting from far away places.   So on this New Year's Eve.....if you visit my blog, please leave a comment so I'll know and tell me how you found me if you've never commented.  Just for fun!  
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Another year goes into the memory bank to be visited on occasion....

2011.....you gave us your best shot!


A time of constant and of change......and so this seemed most fitting to me....


Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8

¹To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
 ²A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
 ³A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
 ⁴A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
 ⁵A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
 ⁶A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
 ⁷A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
 ⁸A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

When I said goodbye to 2010, I never dreamed what 2011 would hold for us, both good and bad.

So it was with relative innocence that I bade goodbye to 2010 and walked into a new year unaware of the obstacle course it would hold.

I think my tribute to 2007 was the best so I wanted to let you go back and read it if you want.....the more things change, the more they stay the same!  


Just a few highlights
Matt started, built and moved into his new home

A wedding was in the planning

Mama moved down the street to a new apartment

The Flat Princess paid us a visit

There was a bridal shower

Sentimental wedding things

A wedding

Friends moved

A new friend visited from a far away land....

Miracles happened

A first birthday

Singing in the rain

This boy didn't get to make a trip in 2011, which made us very sad

Didn't see this one either....

Way too few beach days

The annual friends' birthday celebration

Changes

Homecomings

Christmas

A sad loss in our family.......a new life in our neighborhood.

Sorrow and joy mingled.

Such a few of the things that happened.....just a taste of 2011.


I wrote the following post some time ago.....but I took it down.  I'm printing it now because it's time.  Keep few secrets and do not neglect to speak the truth, because not being transparent leads to losing friends and losing faith in others....so in 2012, let's just be transparent.

Some of the following is taken from Wikipedia.....

The opposite of transparency is incomprehensibility.

Antonyms of transparency include: secrecy, opacity, opaqueness, under-reporting, underplaying, putting a spin on it...

Transparency is the enemy of surprises.

Transparency is the enemy of hypocrisy.

Transparency is the friend of safety, quality, justice, fairness, ...

Transparency is the best deodorant.

Transparency is the best antidote for gullibility.

Possibly my favorite part of this explanation of transparency is Transparency is the enemy of hypocrisy.

I know people who work in retail who must carry a transparent purse....although most probably don't carry Prada bags.

You can see through it.  Whatever is in the bag is seen by all........keeps you honest.

Many times people say things like this.....you should be completely transparent, we will be completely transparent, This process shall absolutely be transparent.........and yet you can't see the transparency through the silence or the changes in what has been said....or the quickness to blame someone else so you don't have to be transparent. 

Oh, yea, and when everyone is transparent, elephants disappear......makes walking around in the room easier.

It is incomprehensible to continue saying you are transparent and not follow through!

2011 is over.......we have a brand new chance to start anew. 

For our country, I pray we get a new president and turn this place around. 

For my children, I pray love and happiness and a relationship with your Savior.

Thanks to my family and there are so many of you!  

Thank you to my dear husband for always putting up with me no matter how crazy I get.  

So I bid farewell to 2011 and welcome 2012

Dear gussie, I look a year older!  Maybe there's plastic surgery in my 2012....Just kidding honey, someone get the smelling salts!