Goodbye 2012....

This is insane.  I feel like 2012 just started..like I was just saying goodbye to 2011 and trying to think of how 2012 would be different.

2012 is still kicking my ass, and now 2013 is getting ready to steamroll over me.  Sheesh!  Where did the time go?

Well, let's take a look at the year in review:

1.  I am now officially well into my 30's.  I'm not sure how exactly I feel about that.

2.  I went to Quebec City for the first time in my life.  I am completely in love with this city.  I will absolutely be returning.

3.  I've stopped being scared enough to open up and let someone into my heart.  I'm still SCARED......just not scared enough to hold back anymore.  Mostly because, for the first time in my life, I've realized that someone is willing to love me despite how incredibly broken I am. 

4.  I survived Superstorm Sandy, but New York was devastated.

Ground Zero During SuperStorm Sandy

5.  I lived through several predicted doomsdays and 12.12.12.  While that doesn't seem like an accomplishment, it is pretty damn cool.

 

6.  We discovered that my dad's prostate cancer has returned, and with a serious vengeance.  It spread to his liver and the lymph nodes in his stomach and back.  He started chemotherapy in September, and (knock on wood), so far he has handled everything well.  He survived a blood infection that had him in the hospital for 12 days, and just got a clean bill of health from the infectious disease doctor.

We have no idea what the future holds for him, but I know that we have gotten three more years with him than we ever expected - and I am thankful for every day with him. 

My year, while somewhat uneventful, has been really busy.  Between dad and Sandy, some days I went to bed wondering how I'd get through the next.

But, I did.

And I guess that's the lesson I've learned this year.

So my goal for 2013 is to be more:

and more

and less

I also plan on becoming more environmentally friendly:

I 100% plan on remembering the following every single day:

To close, I want to share the fantastic speech Hilary Swank delivers in the movie 'New Years Eve'.  Not a great movie, but this particular speech is extremely moving:

"...it's (the ball) suspended there to remind us before we pop the champagne and celebrate the new year, to stop and reflect on the year that has gone by.

To remember both our triumphs and missteps, our promises made and broken. The times we opened ourselves up to great adventures or closed ourselves down for fear of getting hurt. Because that's what new year is all about -- getting another chance. A chance to forgive, to do better, to do more, to give more, to love more. And stop worrying about what if and start embracing what would be. 

So when the ball drops at midnight, and it will drop, let's remember to be nice to each other, kind to each other. And not just tonight but all year long."

Thank you for reading my blog, for staying a part of my crazy life (both first and second), and for being a part of my world.

Love,
Bliss