2013, We Had Some Good Times, but It's Time To Move On!

2013 was a challenging year for me, with health issues, and some marriage challenges that really tested the strength of our relationship. Many of these things I would prefer to forget about and just move forward, but it is the challenges in life that help us learn and grow, so that's what I hope for 2014, a year of learning and growing as I move forward with new goals that I'm sure will bring new challenges.

As I go into 2014 I can say my marriage is strong! Though, I admit I have moments where I have to force myself not to dwell on remembering the things that hurt; if I am to move forward I must learn from the mistakes, but not dwell on them. I can't change what has happened, so over-thinking it won't help. After 21 years, I can say I love my husband more than ever, and I'm ready for the rest of our lives together.

My health is manageable. I have Psoriatic Arthritis and Fibromyalgia so I have days that are bad, but as we continue the treatment those days should be few and far between. I'm learning to eat better, and to listen to my body when it says it's time to rest, I need to listen. And, I've learned that it's okay to ask for help; that there are people that care and want to help. Needing help doesn't make me less.

Even with all the challenges, there have been some great moments, these are the things I want to remember from 2013:

I met Patricia Quinn from Rocky Horror. That was fab!

My oldest daughter and I took a trip to D.C.

We spent more time outdoors, both in our yard, and hiking; including a trip to Tennessee.

We moved into a new house.

The new house had a pool, which Dawson learned to love.

I made my first trip to Vegas. I didn't like it, but I love the bag I got!

I discovered oysters on a great trip with hubby to New Orleans.

Awesome concerts included, Heart, Fleetwood Mac, P!nk, Rob Zombie, & Drop Kick Murphys.

I lost 55 lbs, and 7 inches around my waist!

Okay, so maybe it wasn't such a bad year! Especially that last one. I changed my eating to be more health aware. I ate more natural foods and I ate more often, and the result is that I'm now in a size 12 pants and a medium shirt, a medium! I've never worn a medium! The new size is great, but really the best part is that the loss of inches minimizes my risk of developing heart disease. Heart Disease is the leading cause of death in women, and not something I want to mess around with. So while I'm thrilled for all the new fashion choices I have, I'm even more thrilled at how great I feel.

I'm ready to tackle 2014 with my plan to continue to live a healthier lifestyle. In 2014, I will focus on me, my blog, my marriage, and our future. And, I will have lots and lots of fun! Life is too short to focus on the bad things. My word for this year is: Positive!

2014, watch out, here I come!
♪It's going down, I'm yelling Timber♪ (Ke$ha)