Happy New Year. {Reflection on 2015}

I am typing this on the 2nd last day of 2015… 2015 is almost done, what? I swear I was just typing my 2015 resolutions up… But here we are right on the cusp of 2016, it is almost here and to be honest I am kinda glad… 
As I type this I have a candle burning and a glass of champs – because we are talking about this year and about a New Year and things may get all feely and nothing brings out the feels like bubbles and candles… To be honest, the glass of champs may turn into glasses… 
So, in honour of farewelling 2015, I thought I would sum this year up…
In a few words it was;
Lovely. Fun. Beautiful. Hard. Heartbreaking. Frustrating. Challenging and Glorious. 
But that’s life isn’t it? 
A glorious, beautiful fun mess that can break your heart one second and make you want to jump for joy the next. Well, that’s how it is for me…
I said before I am kinda glad 2015 is over, the past few months for us have been rough. Actually this years kind of been challenging. But the last few months have been exceptionally ridiculous in the “can it get any worse” state… Like it went from bad, to horrifically depressing, to one punch after another. Just as we were struggling to pull ourselves up it felt like we were being slammed back down… That’s been the feeling for these past few months, like we just cannot catch a break. But we are confident 2016 is a better year for us. 
I cannot wait to embrace 2016, I am waiting for it to arrive and when it gets here, it is getting one big “praise the Lord you are here” hugs – and I am not a hugger. 
Before it arrives though let’s shine the light on this year… 
During 2015;

I started a new blog, Modern Wife Life 31. We completed another year of parenting. Were blown away by the most amazing little human in the world and thank God every day for her. Went on our first family holiday. LuLu saw the beach and swam in the ocean for the first time. Dealt with our daughter being unwell for the first time. Completed a 4km fun run as a family. LuLu & I took part in a protest march to support Trent’s job. Ate venison for the first time. I won a photography competition. I got my firearms license. Purchased 2 new guns. Went deer hunting & got a deer with Trent on Mother’s Day. Weaned LuLu at 20months and 3 days. Saw snow for the first time as a family (Trent and I had never seen it before). I turned 27. Started moving towards living a slower and simpler life. We moved LuLu into her big girl room. Celebrated our darling girl turning 2. Welcomed back people into our lives. Dealt with unimaginable pain that we wish on no one. Had my first “paid” article published on NineMSN. Let go of people who weren’t good for us. I cut my hair off. We showed LuLu real life deer. Had an image I took published on a newsletter that is circulated through out our local region. Celebrated Christmas. Remained strong despite everything we have faced. Prayed, prayed hard – through the good and the bad we prayed and stayed thankful.

2015 has been a year of learning. Learning that we can’t plan life and it will rarely go the way we think it should. Somethings that happen in life can’t be fixed, sometimes pain doesn’t heal – you just learn to live with it. I learned that in life, you can be so full of joy one day and devastated the next and more often than not the things that devastate us are out of our control. I’ve learned that things do happen for a reason and when they are happening we can never see why, eventually it makes sense though. I know that anyone can get through rough times, as long as you have the attitude to keep searching for the good and you are surrounded by those that you love and that love you. 
This year had more good than bad, but the bad seemed to all roll in at the end and just keep knocking us down… But we’ve dusted ourselves off, we’ve stood up and 2016 is ours.

I know this is a New Years post and with New Years post you are meant to include resolutions, but I haven’t finalised mine yet… Mine will most likely stay similar to my goals for 2015 that I wrote about here…  But they will be included in a post in the New Year…
What are your resolutions? 

Well, I think I should head to bed – I’ve had an exhausting day of totally deep cleaning my entire house with LuLu, I decided there is no better way to bring in the new year than a nice clean home complete with freshly washed bedding – so I am going to go crawl into bed and read a book.
I hope you enjoy your last day of 2015.
I pray 2016 is a year for you filled with joy and magic, peace and laughter and of course love. I hope your dreams come true and you experience good madness and your heart is full of happiness. I hope you surround yourself with people who think you are wonderful and that you adore. I hope you get to read many great books and create something you love. Most of all I hope 2016 is a year that you take time for you, you step out of your comfort zone – even if it’s just a toe outside of it and that you surprise yourself. Be courageous and confident – 2016 is 366 new chances to go after what you want, to do what you wish and live the life you dream of. 
I thank you all so much for your support during my first year back blogging. 
Stay safe and cheers.