When you have lost someone you love the holidays can be hard to manage and get through. For us it means learning and finding new ways to do old things.
Making new traditions is suppose to be a fun and exciting but when you are creating things to help make a time of year exciting again it is often full of trial and errors.
This year we let Bailey take the lead in what she felt like doing. For us Christmas day was at midnight Christmas Eve after spending time with Greg's family. We came home and we sat and opened our gifts then we got to sleep in on Christmas morning.
The days leading up to Christmas and NYE are often far worse then the days themselves. For us, yet again, those days were hard and also come with a lot of life changes.
Two weeks before Christmas Bailey had another break down and was in the hospital. She then agreed to change her schooling from public to homeschooling. Both these events were major decisions and will be a new experience for us as a family. Once the choice was made Bailey was able to start taking time for herself to clean up some old demons and relax. She was also able to set a plan in place to help get her through school the next couple years. This also came just days after her dad was laid off which caused her some unneeded stress. We tell her that things will always be fine, we always manage to get through hard times because we stick together but she knew it meant changes for the holidays which she isn't a fan of change.
Christmas Day brought a challenge in itself with having to drive 2 hours both ways to pick up her brother so he was able to have a warm place to stay for a bit till he made his choices for the new year. He leaves Tuesday to start his new adventure. This was not an easy adjustment for Bailey either. Anything that changes her way of life or day to day planning is hard on her. We also spent the day with Greg's family after thinking this year we may just spend it together with just the three of us.
Now as we get ready to start a new year it would seem we are all getting to a point we are tired and wanting things to grow and get better. We have spent the week cleaning out old and unused things to donate, cleaning, organizing and blessing the home. We are determined to make next year the year we really start pulling things together and start focusing on positive growth and changes.
Our family has some big goals we want to accomplish next year and we have some really exciting events that are coming up that can really help others. These will make so much difference in our lives if they all pay off as we plan which means lots of work and positive thinking on our part has to happen.
Surviving the holidays is something we all do when we are faced with it. Now its time to start enjoying them again in our own way. Being gentle with ourselves and remembering to say no to what don't feel right is a big key to that. Making new traditions and finding new ways to stay busy helps pass the time and before you know it you have made it through them.
Today is NYE and tonight we made the choice to stay home and finish up the last of the house clean out that we want done to bring the New Year in fresh. For me getting rid of clutter and unneeded stress and things are key to starting the New Year without added baggage. Physically and mentally we want the next year to be our best. We will NOT be making resolutions but life changes. We will continue or fitness journey, we will continue to eat clean and take the vitamins our body needs, we will continue to work on learning to live life to the fullest and more importantly we will continue to work towards the goals we set every year. 2017 brings many milestones for our family and we plan to mark each and every one of them count. We have a 10 yr Anniversary, a sweet 16, a 40th birthday and a few other's to look forward to and we are also planning to drive across Canada to go home for a visit and finally meet our grandson! We also have a few major events we are part of that we are all looking forward to!!!
So as you all ring in the New Year please remember to take with you positivity and encouragement for all that you plan to do the next year. Do NOT Drink and Drive! Be safe and remember that what you do and how you think will be what makes 2017 the best year of your life!
Happy New Year to you all.
~People who believe, do. People who do, believe.......... Believe you can do it and you will ~