Happy 2013!!!

Well, the Mayans were wrong (of course) and I am so glad to see the beginning of a new year! A new year causes us to reflect a bit about the previous year; our mistakes, our challenges, our accomplishments, our experiences, our attitudes, our relationships and all that filled the past 365 days of our life. And now, we are to ponder about the coming year... what the next 365 will look like for us... what the future holds for us and our friends/families... what changes will come... what surprises will take place that we don't even know about... the curiosity can be a bit overwhelming if we let our minds go there... but as anxious as I can get at times, I don't get "too" caught up in the future. Sure I think about many things on a daily basis, such as: are we staying in Dubai for 2 more years? are we coming home? is home still in C'ville, or do we make a new home somewhere else? like the beach? if we stay, will we be content here? will Grant be able to handle the super challenging curriculum at our current school? will coming home be hard/easy for us? what will his junior/senior year of high school be like? what jobs will we have if we come home? what does the future hold??????????
Well, I cannot answer any of those questions today, but I do pray about them and trust that God will give the answers when it's time! Only He knows the plan and has already written our stories. Only He knows what we can handle, what we can adjust to and how we will deal with whatever it may be. Only He knows what's best for us, we just "think" we know what's best!?!
So, time will tell and plans will change along the way, and it's all OKAY! I trust the Lord in all His decisions for me and my family!
2012 was definitely a year of experiences! Ten years ago, I would never have told you that I would be living and working overseas, in the Middle East, traveling to other countries, meeting new people everywhere I go, living in a 2 bedroom apartment, not driving a car, watching my son be himself and make friends so easily, thriving at sports, a husband teaching elementary students after 22 years of secondary in the states, experiencing hair loss from the water here, purchasing basic-second hand goods to furnish our apartment, shopping at the largest mall in the world and standing at 124 floors high in the tallest building in the world, teaching with teachers from all over the world, teaching students from all over the world, wearing flip flops every single day and the list goes on and on.........
But those changes were necessary for me to see life from a different perspective. To see that I don't have to fit the cookie cutter mold, that I lived for so many years. To see that flying for hours across land and sea is really not so bad. To see that meeting new people can be so refreshing. To see a vast amount of needy people every single day of my life, and decide how I will respond. To be open-minded to other beliefs, cultures and opinions. To see that living in a smaller place does have advantages. To see that living without "stuff" is so freeing. To see that spending quality time with my husband and son is the best way I can spend my time.
I am looking forward to this new year. I am ready for whatever it brings. I look forward to the time where I can reflect again and realize just how blessed I have been! Kim