Blessing and Celebration of the New Year

[Roger64]

Dear Friends,

We’re thinking of you, celebrating the New Year’s, and hope that you are enjoying an abundance of health and happiness.

We are very grateful for blessings of the past year – a successful surgeries for Roger and Shelly  . . . our good friends who came together for us in our time of need . . . My new friends on the ANA forum . . . Hope and Josie . . . Hope continuing in Girl Scouts . . . Indiana Guard Reserve a wonderful group of individual to serve with and which I am happy to know . . . AMVETS and DAV the best veteran service organizations and wonderful people we’ve met through them . . . a new healthy baby boy coming on January 21st . . . able to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with family . . . Josie loving her little friends at Willow Creek Preschool and Amy the preschool teacher. . . the many men and women serving in our armed forces across the world and here in the States and the family they leave behind . . .  all the men and women that have served before them . . . everyone at Hazel Dell Friends Church and Sharm and Patty . . . Roger colleague and friends in Germany . . . the adoption of our newest cousin Antonio . . . visiting and being visited by friends and relatives . . . the wonderful spring we had this year . . . the wonderful fall colors . . . picnic at the Indiana Veteran Home . . . cousin Kara and her wonderful children . . . the wonderful things we are discovering about ourselves while volunteering in various organizations and from our jobs . . . and all the other things that make life fun and enjoyable and worth living and working for.

We send you our warmest wishes for a bright and beautiful New Year.

            Roger and Shelly, Hope, Josie and soon to be here baby Seth

[sgerrard]

Hi Roger, Shelly, Hope, Josie, and an early hello to Seth:

Happy New Year to you all as well. Toting up the blessings is always an enlightening activity.

Steve

[ppearl214]

for all that rocks my world in a not-so-favorable way, I always remember just how truly blessed I am... not that it takes a new year's holiday to remind me.. but everyday.

Sending all of my co-horts in AN crime wishes for a joyous, HEALTHY, prosperous new year. You are all blessings to me.. and I am very lucky.

Phyl

[GM]

Happy New Year all !!  From (can you believe 74 degrees on Christmas), Virginia!

[Larry]

Happy new year to everyone from down under.

It is actually new years eve here - welll, 12.45pm anyway. It's a cracker of a day in Sydney and hope that you get a chance to see the Sydney fireworks display. They are using 5 tonnes of fireworks this year - should be rather spectacular. Oh, and the weather - thats a lazy 30 degrees Celcius. Thats 92 degrees F for you North Americans who haven't converted to decimals yet.

Laz

[Keeping Up]

A quick comment before I run off to work - even that can't get you too down as at least I am still employed (my company has had massive layoffs - a big 'wall street' investment bank!)

I was putting my two middle children to bed last night - and the utter happiness and joy the exude always amazes me.  I got the biggest (and loudest) hugs from my soon to be 3 year old (on the 5th).  My 4 year old was so excited to have been given a couple of wooden Thomas trains he was beside himself.  My daughter frowned when I said I was off to work today but cheered up immensely when I said daddy was home with the gang today.  I look at my family and attempt to appreciate every moment I have with them - I am a tremendously lucky girl with an amazing family.

This AN is so small so I have time - I have been anxious with a few of the what-ifs but am quickly become much much calmer with the idea and the future (if and/or when) treatment.  I have confidence in the care plan so far - and think socialized medicine is doing an awesome job (Canadians are sometimes extremely hard on the slow system).  I am blessed to be a simply subway ride away so can be at a last minute appointment in a 5 subway stop ride during business hours. 

I am glad I have found all of you - my husband, friends and co-workers don't want to or more importantly don't need to know the various details of this road - so I am glad I can learn from all of you. 

As so many say here, life is good.  I plan to keep it that way in 2009.

[yardtick]

I too have been blessed with a wonderful family.  I can't tuck my four sons into bed anymore, but my sons are all taller than me and having them wrap me in their arms for a hug and kiss good night is wonderful.  Now Louie my husband is truly my soul mate and the love of my life.  Like every married couple we have are moments, and thankfully we've been able to over come them.  I can't believe 2009 is just a few short hours away.  Sept will be our 25th wedding anniversary.  WOW, where does the time go!!

Over the last two years this forum has become part of my extended family.  I'm thanking every single one of you who have shared your journey and knowledge with me.  Knowing I am not alone and that you understand the ups and downs has helped me cope.  I have a facial neuroma that has been very problematic, before I joined this forum I thought I was going insane.  With warm welcomes and caring words I was able to find a wonderful Doctor to look after me. 

This time of year I reflect over my entire life.  I have been truly blessed but I deeply miss my loved ones who have past on.  It is so bitter sweet. 

Enjoy everyone and thank you for being here for me!

Anne Marie

[Syl]

Hello Friends,

I have often said that I'm glad to put 2008 behind me because it was a rough year for me. And it's true. But 2008 was also the year that I joined ANA and learned of this wonderful group of people that helped me get through 2008. This year could have been so much worse had it not been for the information, advice and, best of all, support that all of you have offered me.

2009 will be a better year for me because in 2008 I found you guys and gals. I look forward to more chats on this forum and I look forward to the sympsium in the summer. I also look forward to participating more with my local ANA support group.

There is so much to look forward to in 2009 thanks to what happened in 2008.

Best wishes for all of you in the new year.

Syl