Back to the routine

I hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas and New Year. I traveled down to GA to see family and friends during the holidays. I had a great time catching up with everyone.  My favorite part of Christmas is our family's tradition of having Christmas tree pancakes for breakfast Christmas morning.

                                   

We had a great Christmas Eve celebration with the extended family.

Christmas day I got to spend some time with my sister and adorable nephews.

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Overall it was a great trip. Now I am back in Columbus settling back in to my old routine. Today is the 12th consecutive day it has snowed in Columbus. I was actually sent home from work early today. When I left work 3 inches of snow had accumulated on my car. I took a couple of snapshots throughout the day.

These are from my office window. ....

 

And these are from the drive home...

I still can't believe I live in a state that gets this much snow.

Another year, another new beginning

It's been just over a year since I started this blog. Last December I was preparing myself to start a new chapter of life. That chapter included a new city, a new job and a new perspective.  I never would have imagined everything that has happened over the last 12 months. The past year has truly been full of ups and downs, both of which have been extreme. I imagine that is one of the beauties of life, the unexpected. What I am taking from this year is not all the wonderful or terrible things that have happened, but how those things have changed and shaped me.

I recently read a piece on the origin of the word life. The word originated from the Proto-Indo-European word "lip", which means "to remain, persevere, continue." In Old English, the word "life" meant, "the condition, quality, or fact of being a living organism......which includes the capacity for growth and development characterized by functional activity." Those two definitions really sum up the last 12 months for me. Not only have I persevered through the last year, but it has provided opportunity for growth in my life.

I have no doubt that this next year will bring an ample amount of opportunities for change and growth as well. Although I didn't think I was strong enough to handle the things that were thrown at me this year, God has provided everything that I need. If it were not for the strength that He has given, I would have completely given up. I am very thankful for my friends and family who have also stood by and supported me through the last year.  

First snow of the season

It's that time again. As much as I had dreaded the below freezing temperatures and the frozen precipitation, I have actually enjoyed the first snow of the season. It has been snowing for a couple of days here in Columbus and it is beautiful. The ground, the cars and the buildings are all coated with a white dusting. Enjoy the snow with me.