Reflections

As we take some time off this week and spend some real quality time together as a family, I keep thinking and connecting with what an amazing year 2008 has been.
In the midst of it all, I realize I spend a lot of time thinking about work stuff-the challenges of a start up,all the things I want to do better/differently, juggling everything at work and at home, and the lack of real quality time with my Dad and brother and his family.
Then, over the last few days, I am struck at different times by some other thoughts.
Thinking about everything we have, and all that we have done this year. Challenges, learnings, allowing myself to make my husband and our family the center of my life, building friendships and community, reaching out more to my Dad and Brother, reconnecting with old friends, trying to speak more from the heart, judging myself less, trying new things.
It has been an amazing year.As I watched the kids over the last week, and stepped back and looked at who we are as a family and how we were living, I was incredibly proud of who and where we all are..

-Our first year of marriage and as a family of five.
-Started working on expanding our family, went through fertility treatments and IVF ( laughed and cried a bit along the way and was amazed by the bonding that occured as we shared our story.)
-Learned a lot about the balance between work and family and true parternship in life.
-Actively participated with the kids, their teachers and friends at school.
-Continue to build our business, expand the team, opened 4 more stores, sold 80 wholesale accounts including Barneys!!
-Learned a ton about what we could do better and how to stay focused..Raised money for our third and fourth year of operations.
-Reconnected with some old friends, made some great new ones..grounded in real and authentic values.
-Embraced 2008...facebook, blogs, flickr, twitter and truly found some old and new friends along the way.
-Discovered the blog world,sources of inspiration and creativity and some new friends.
-Fell in love with Etsy, and the talented folks that share their talents with the world.
-Gave voice more often to what was in my mind and heart..and started understanding family dynamics.
-Started the search for my birth parents.

I can't wait for 2009.
Happy New Year!!

Image via Paul Costello ( thank you Joyce from Simply Lovely )