Tuesday, January 3, 2012

This Great New Year

2012 has certainly started off with a bang for us.


  • Firstborn Daughter called at 12:30 AM New Year's Eve with exciting news. At exactly midnight, as she and her boyfriend were on the bayfront watching a fireworks display, he dropped to one knee and proposed, presenting her with a gorgeous, vintage diamond ring from the 1920's. She accepted and called to tell us the happy news. They've been dating about a year and a half, both have good careers going for them, and had just been down with us for Christmas. We are just as joyful as they are! I will post a picture of her ring once I can get it from my phone into my computer without any glitches.
  • A much lesser thrill, but a thrill nonetheless, is when I stepped on the scale this morning, I had not gained anything, as I had suspected, but had actually lost 2 lbs. over Christmas. Whoohooo!
  • My hamstring is finally well enough for me to start training again for my half marathon. It's been almost three months of getting it mostly healed and then hurting it again by training too hard, so hopefully this time will be the charm.
  • Teenaged Daughter, 15, will start her first dual enrollment college classes and she is just as excited about that as Firstborn Daughter is about her engagement.
  • I could go on with more, but I don't want to be a bore. (Little rhyme there, to release my inner poet)
I really believe, despite what the news says or the economy indicates, that 2012 will be a rich year of abundance and blessings.

What about you? What has this year already brought you in the way of goodness? Sometimes we have to look a little harder to see those good things, but they are there, really they are.


45 comments:

  1. Congratulations to you and your daughter! YAY! I can't wait to see pics of her ring! How very vert exciting!

    I'm very jealous you lost 2 lbs. I gained 5. All in my backside. *sigh* I will be training for a half marathon as well to rid myself of the added weight.

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  2. Congrats to both your daughters.

    And a joy for this year - finding you. sandie

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  3. All very good things! Can't wait to see the ring -- I absolutely love the style of the 20s...

    Pearl

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  4. For us this year the weather has been really nice and we were able to travel to visit with Linda's Aunt Frances at the lake and had a nice lunch at a chinese restaurant yesterday for her birthday. We are both doing quite well physically so we are being blessed as well. I agree that 2012 feels like it will be an exceptional year.

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  5. Sounds like your new year is starting off well :) Congrats to your daughters and YOU for not putting on weight this Christmas. I did not put on any either, but I have to give our 1 year old all of the credit for that ... I was eating well :) Happ New Year my friend. Hugs & Blessings!

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  6. Crystal: 5 lbs. on you looks great, but I know what you mean. You don't want it piling up. When's your race?

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  7. Sandie: How sweet! I look forward to reading your upcomin posts~

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  8. Pearl: She has a great love of vintage, as do I!

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  9. Odie: Thos are great things, to be sure. You and Linda both are very blessed to have the older relatives you both do in your lives. Great treasures~

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  10. LC: That raising- a- one- year- old diet is a really good one! You've got great things in store this year, my friend!

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  11. Congratulations to firstborn daughter on her engagement and the romantic circumstances surrounding it. Congratulations to teenaged daughter on her challenging college courses. Congratulations to you, dear Shelly, on preventing weight gain during the holidays. Few people can boast of that achievement. Even fewer can say in all honesty that they actually lost weight. With your hamstring on the mend you are in a position to make even greater strides in the area of health and fitness this year. I am optimistic about 2012. I'm going to assume that it will be a great year for me, for you, for all of us.

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  12. Shady: My ultimate goal in fitness this year is to complete a full marathon, and all I do is going to be working towards that.

    Like you, my friend, I have a really great sense about this new year. I believe, hope, and pray that it plays out like that for you and yours!

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  13. You must be super woman, seriously girl who looses 2 lbs over Christmas anyway?? I like gained a million I'm hoping I don't keel over during Yoga...


    I'm glad you're gonna be up and running soon!!

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  14. Saimi: I still don't know how it happened- but I'll take it! I did keep exercising hard throughout the holidays, so that helped. I'm ready for yoga and Pilates again- had to give them up with this hamstring thing.

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  15. Congratulations to your Firstborn daughter and her fiance for being engaged. This is great, May Godbless them both.
    Also congratulations to your teenage daughter for her achievements.
    Congratualtions to you for loosing those couple of pounds.
    Good job on taking care of that hamstring. Are you sure about giving it the burden all over again?
    About me:- the best news were when I became a grandma for the third time this year. Over all my family and me have been blssed this year. I have nothing to complain about. God is great.

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  16. Munir: Thank you for the good wishes! You are so kind. And yes, I agree, you and your family have been greatly blessed!

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  17. Congratulations to your daughter and her new fiance.........way to go with not gaining any weight over the Christmas season........

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  18. What a romantic way to propose! Congratulations to her and the whole family. I'm glad things went so well during the holidays.

    My granddaughter Cherish got an A- in Physics class even though she had a tough time at first. We are deliriously happy because she wants to be a physicist.

    My husband had a wonderful three week rest over Christmas. I don't know if I lost or gained weight because I smashed my scale with a hammer about 20 years ago. I can still get into my clothes, so I think I'm okay! Our Christmas Day was full of love and peace and I couldn't have asked for more from God than that.

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  19. 2012 has brought me a new commitment to gaining better health. Started my first yoga class today, and the hubs and I will continue to rack up mileage on our bikes. Tonight that boy surprised me with a quick trip to Seattle in February to see my best friend - he has a way of doing that every now and then, and guessing correctly the things I'd really love to do. I'm so looking forward to the coming year with him.
    Congratulations on the engagement - what fun to plan a wedding!

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  20. Congrats to your daughter and her fiancee! How exciting! And to your younger daughter with her academic achievements! And to you for making it through the holidays pounds down rather than pounds up! WTG! Honestly, I have such a good feelilng about this year compared to last year and the previous two years before that. I do think it will be a good one in so many ways! I'll just keep trusting in God and know he knows best!

    Again, great news all around for you and your family!

    betty

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  21. Oh, Shelly!!!
    What a great start of the year♡♡♡
    I really AM happy for your daughter and all of your family for the good news♬♬♬
    Well, I have not gained any weight not like the usual year. Hehe, good of us!!!
    I trully hope you will be able to keep the good condition for the half marathon, my friend☆☆☆
    I trully respect who has the ability and the strong will. I may be repeating this from last year(*^_^*) GOOD LUCK.
    Blessing to you, xoxo Miyako*

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  22. Hi Shelly,
    It's so wonderful being back in the world of my blog friends and just in time to see your wonderful news! How exciting...memories to be made! Dual enrollment is a very exciting thing indeed for a fifteen year old and quite impressive. Congrats to her and her parents for helping her see the value in education!
    Ahhh and to the winner go the spoils...yay for you not gaining weight. I didn't either but soup etc seems to be the only reason I can join your club!
    Happy New Year Dear One and Here's to a great 2012!

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  23. Belle: Bravo to Cherish! Physics is TOUGH. That is such a good field to enter. I rememer not even knowing at one time whether physics was science or math. And, I feel like taking a hammer to my scale sometimes! I am so glad both you and your hubby had a peaceful Christmas.

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  24. Karen: Good for you, girl! Investing in our health is something that will always pay off. What a lovely thing to do with the trip to Seattle- he's a keeper!

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  25. Betty: Thank you! And I really do have such a sense that this year will be a wonderful year like none other. Can't wait to see what the Lord has for us!

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  26. Orchid: Good for you! From your pictures, I think you are always slim and trim. And I return the good wishes to you, my friend, for a happy and prosperous new year!

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  27. Sush: I'm so glad you're back in the land of the living- I do so hope you are well and over that terrible sickness. Have you had time to celebrate Christmas with your kids and grands? Bless your heart- I hope you get to eat something more than soup now!

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  28. Hi Shelly. Here I am, bringing up the rear!! What wonderful news about number 1 daughter. So exciting. Congratulations to her, and congratulations to daughter no. 2 and I wish her well with her College course. I do admire you, with your goal to run in the half Marathon, and then to complete a full Marathon by the end of the year. Good luck with all the training!! I'm with you,as I really feel that 2012 is going to be a good year. Take care.

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  29. Thisisme: Thank you, my friend! This old lady is going to have to push hard to make that full marathon, but I keep believing and hoping. It's wonderful to come into a year full of optimism, and even more wonderful to leave that year with optimism and gratitude. That's how I feel about last year and this. Have a wonderful day, friend!

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  30. Hi Shelly! You have followed Caring Bridge, so I know that you are already aware of the our wondrous start to the New Year! A happy, healthy family, all under one roof is all I could want for the whole year. And I too feel that 2012 is going to be a great year! Thanks so much for all of your kind words and concern over the past three months. How wonderful it is to know you and love you, even though I don't know you at all. :) I'm so glad to have a little bit of time now to check in on my blogger friends. So happy for your daughters and their happy news! Good luck with what will no doubt be a busy, fun year! Love, Nancy

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  31. Nancy: I got teary just seeing your comment! I have prayed so often for sweet Spencer and for all of you, and I have so rejoiced that he is on the road to recovery and most of all, HOME! How very, very wonderful.

    I do hope you will be able to get some rest and order back to what must have been such a chaotic time. I really empathize as my younger sister is in heart failure and will probably be going on the transplant list sooner rather than later. I am so thankful the Lord works through the healing hands of doctors and nurses.

    It made my day to hear from you!!!

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  32. Hi Shelly! Congratulations on such wonderful family news! That so many good things are happening is a reason to celebrate. I love to run but since I started homeschooling I've gained my "freshman 15" all over again. C'est la vie! I'm inspired by your marathon goals. I'm now beginning to combine a four mile run with five miles on a stationary bike just to kick start the losing process. The first week of doing that made me seriously cranky. Last, and most importantly, thank you so very much for visiting my shop today. I can't wait to send a package your way!

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  33. Jenny: I LOVE your shop- seriously love it! They are going to You are doing great! 9 miles is nothing to sneeze at. It will feel good when your body settles down. The flesh always like to complain a little, doesn't it?

    I'm working on building more speed, but that is always when I hurt my hamstring, so I'm going to try and be careful. Be careful yourself- don't hurt anything like I did!

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  34. Jenny: My comment got a little whomperjawed- that second sentence was supposed to say, "They are going to people who need reminders of home." :)

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  35. Hi there,

    Newest follower here. I'm loving your blog. Very cute. Congrats to your daughters. :)

    I really, really think 2012 is going to be a great year for me too. It needs to be, I've been counting on it.

    Tami
    http://www.thethingswefindinside.com/

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  36. Tami Marie: Thank you for stopping by! And yes, 2012 is going to be a great one. I just know it. I'm heading over to your blog right now~

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  37. I can't wait to see the ring. Vintage 1920s sounds right up my alley. Happy New Year!

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  38. Missed Periods: I LOVE vintage, too! Hope your new year is amazing!

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  39. Shelley,
    congratulations! You will soon be a mother-of-the-bride! :)

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  40. Shelly, it looks like 2012 is off to an exciting start for you and your family.
    You'll have lots of fun planning the wedding ;-)

    I wanted to share with you an award that was given to me. ..I was instructed to give it to seven others, and you are one of them that I wanted to express my appreciation.
    Head out to my blog this morning, Friday morning and receive your award: http://sunnyglo.blogspot.com/
    gloW ಌღ

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  41. Glow: Thank you! I am honored!

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  42. I loved this New Year's post--no goals, just "thankful, happy" things!!

    Super job on the weight loss!!
    That's not easy to do!
    Glad your hamstring is doing better, hoping it gives you no more trouble!

    I forgot to add the weight loss on my "thankful" post today, the only time we can brag about losing 20 lbs in 2 weeks is after a baby...all water weight I'm sure!

    Congratulations on the engagement, how exciting, now it's all planning, planning, planning!!! Fun stuff for the mama of the bride!

    Exciting news for your youngest too, smart too, to get those classes done (free) now!!

    Happy New Year!

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  43. Jamie: Weight loss is weight loss, no matter what! You are keeping so busy I'm sure you will take anything off you want to in no time.

    Great blessings are ahead for us all in 2012, and I know you agree!

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