a year in photos

how do you sum up a year in your life? in a paragraph? sentence? phrase?

a blessing.

2005 held so much in it. love, joy, forgiveness, peace, frustration, happy joys, forgiveness, surprises, fun, laughter, treasured moments, anger, forgiveness, sleep, lack of sleep, and did i mention forgiveness? evidently, i needed a lot of it this year. :) in case you hadn't heard, i'm not perfect (yet). so i'm blessed with peeps who love me and forgive me when i screw up.

i saw points all over the map. washington dc, chicago, iowa (twice), scottsdale, hawaii, canada, san francisco, las vegas, the hammer, portland (thrice), ellensburg, leavenworth, virginia, and georgia. i climbed the steps of the supreme court, relayed for 48 hours (tacoma and central pierce), climbed up the steeple in st. mary's in mt. angel, took papa to see the seahawks play the rams in the playoffs, survived my first snowy driving adventure in back wheel drive, won the world's biggest water war while kayaking on the sound, prayed, spent an unbelievable amount of money on digital cameras, raised $35,500 with my team for relay, went to Mass six times at my parents' house, buried my 16-year-old kitty, was nominated as an emerging leader in the city of tacoma, gave up fountain coke - for good, went to confession every month, chaired a relay for life that raised $800,000+, cleaned out the playroom, took over 7000 digital photos, and taught myself how to do a french manicure on my toes.

i loved, lost, lived, celebrated, and cried. i am blessed with friends and family that bless me in more ways than i can count. so blessed by them, that i believe i don't deserve them. God has given me such a gift. and i am grateful. thank you.

looking ahead to 2006, i see that God has much in store for me. most significantly, He is challenging me to grow in my faith. i am so inspired by all that the Church gives me as a woman. so much to be part of and to share in. Benedict said this year that "an adult faith does not follow the waves of fashion and the latest novelty." i want to live more simply, to seek the things that enrich my life, my eternal life. to cherish each experience, good and bad, as a gift to help me grow. and to learn to live more humbly.

as the moments of 2005 come to an end, i want to thank you for being a blessing in my life. you are loved. ♥

happy new year!