A Heart Full of Love....

"A heart full of love... " that is what the song says in Les Miserable, and the song that keeps playing over and over (and over  and over) in my head.

And that, at the end of 2012 is what I have to be grateful for.

My heart, as battered as it may feel right now, is FULL of love.

Love for my husband.

Love for my beautiful, individual, different, eccentric, annoying and "can't live without you" friends.

Love for my beautiful, happy and healthy children.

Love for the end of the year.  2012 has been "bit of a year"..

My heart is full of love. And for that I am truly grateful. 

Thanks Maxabella... for your 52 Weeks of Grateful project.  I may not have been here every week, but I look forward to seeing you next year.

Sooz xxxx

Time to Enjoy - Grateful for Rest

Finally, my working year is over.  Hip, hip hooray!  I need not open the dreaded "work laptop" until next year.

No more saying "sorry, Mummy has to work" .

A small respite from the early starts.

A break in which time I can relax.  Slow down and enjoy the holidays.

After what the world can only describe as a traumatic week, I think it is time for everyone (who can) to take a moment and find the "happy".

Here is some of my "happy" from this week so far....

This week I shared "bubbles" with my boss to celebrate a very busy year at work

My husband received the final "all clear" from the doctors.

Mr 9 had a friend over to play and then we went to the movies.

Miss 4 made and delivered Christmas cards to all her Kindy friends.

Miss  4 finished Kindy.

We looked after my BFF two beautiful girls so she could go Christmas shopping.  This made us all happy,

I have re-discovered Les Miserable, and still love it just as much.

And I could list more.

Lucky for me, I have the time to rest, relax and enjoy some happy. I hope you all do too.

Linking up with Kidspot for 52 Weeks of Grateful.

Grateful for Crying (yes crying!)

This week I am grateful for Crying.  Yes crying.  It can make you feel so many things.

Sometimes, as a woman the only response to something is to cry.  I feel like I have been crying for months. I am an emotional type person.  I am actually grateful for this, this crying epidemic that has been going on.

I have cried with happiness
I have cried with pride
I have cried with despair
I have cried with anger
I have cried with guilt
I have cried with tiredness
I have cried at what might have been
I have just cried

Crying is good for the soul.  It lets all that pent up emotion out and literally wash away, wash away down your face. Very therapeutic.

I cried while watching my beautiful Miss 4 graduate from Kindy earlier this week.  Complete in cap and gown.  Ridiculously cute.  She did this after starring in the Christmas play.  Her lines?  "There is no room at the Inn.  You will have to sleep in the stable.  Can you hear me Mummy??"  Beautiful, and tear inducing! "Why are you crying Mum" Mr 9 asks.  As I was unable to speak, hubby replies to him "because she is happy".  Try get that through your head at age 9. 

Mr 9 just nodded and looked at me strangely, then snuggled in to give me a cuddle.  He understood me.  He didn't understand why I was crying, but he understood that I needed some comfort.

I have the most wonderful and understanding husband in the world. Followed very closely by some wonderful girlfriends who understand me and let me cry.  And of course, my beautiful children.

Don't be afraid to cry.  It actually is very good for your soul.  Although, I hope I do a little less of it in 2013.

Linking up with 52 Weeks of Grateful.....

Riding the Rollercoaster

I've had bit of a week (year).  It has been a really emotional one for me.  Hubby went back to work full time.  M1 finished Grade 3.  M2 graduated from Kindy.  M2 has been sick.    M1 has struggled with headaches.  And I have felt all the emotions from joy to despair and everything in between.

I said in a previous post that I life is a roller coaster and that I was going to throw my hands up in the air and enjoy the ride.  Well, I tried..... and somehow this little family has come out ok.  Tired, but ok.

Sometimes life is like that. Everyone is tired. We all need the end of year break, and thankfully it is not long to wait now.  We are all ready to kick 2012 to the curb and be done with it.

December, this is when I start to reflect and plan ahead.  Think about what lessons I have learnt (that is a whole different post!), and during 2012 there have been plenty of them.

Already I am planning my routine for 2013.  I don't believe that a new year is a magic pill for a happier or easier life, but I do think it provides a focus point to start with.

My life will be very different next year.  Both my beautiful children will be at school full time (sob!) so I will have some more free time on my hands.  I have a feeling this will fill very quickly.  My working hours are already getting a bit trickier to manage.

It's time to bring more sunshine into our life.  To bring more spontaneous "happy moments".  These are the things the kids love.

So for now to feel a little melancholy is ok.  It's all part of the healing and regenerating process.  

I hope you are all ok out there.... thanks for listening to me during this year.

Back soon with what I have learnt during 2012.