I started thinking about this past year and the things that have happened to my family and to me. What an amazing year we have had! It's been incredible! There have been amazing highs and horrible lows but through it all, we have been so blessed!
John is still working at Safeway and that has been a real blessing. His working part time is what allows me to be able to be at the studio as often as I am. It has also allowed him to spend more time with the kids and I know that they appreciate that time. John received an inheritance this year which has allowed us to pay off all our debt, buy a minivan as well as build a home. John has said it many times and I agree - his Dad would be so proud and happy that we used the money for things we needed as well as for investing in property. It's what he would have wanted for John.
Declan is in grade two and while it's been a struggle, he's doing amazingly well. His reading is fantastic and his math is also improving! A major accomplishment for Declan this year was that he went up on stage with his class and sang songs for the Christmas concert. He also said a line on stage when his class hosted 4th advent. Declan has always been deathly afraid of performing on stage. Last year he wouldn't go on the stage at all! This was a big accomplishment and I was really proud of him for doing that. Declan loves video games, playing outside with friends, rollerblading, skateboarding, biking, soccer, basketball, and UNO!! I taught him how to play UNO this year and he loves it! He's pretty good at it too!
Rowan has changed so much this year. She talks and sings constantly! When you ask her, "Who loves you?" Her first reply is always, "JESUS!!" It's awesome and I ask her all the time just to hear her tell me the answer! Rowan can count to 15 and sing her ABC's. She's turning 3 at the end of January. Rowan loves "princess dresses" aka really fancy dresses, dolls, drawing, coloring, singing, dancing, and jokes. She has a great sense of humour and a noticable spark in her eye when she's up to no good! She's been such a joy and we love having her around.
As for me, well this has been one crazy year for me. In January I met Brad Lang, owner of LA Studio Productions and my whole world changed. With Brad's help, this is what I've done musically this year...
1. Sang O Canada for the Lethbridge Hurricanes on numerous occassions
2. Started my own album
3. Sang background vocals and/or played keyboards for Ira, Stan, Mike, Lindsay, and Carol.
4. Worked with Brian Dobbs (Engineer for Metalica) doing background vocals and keyboards for Victor Salas.
5. Performed live at the Aboriginal Awareness days this summer as well as for Aboriginal Culture Week at the Lethbridge College this fall.
6. Mentored artists like Mark Nive, and LA Confidential.
7. Written, arranged, and performed many radio commercials and jingles as well as ads for Street Machine Weekend, the Lethbridge Airshow and the Race track.
Starting this musical journey has been frustrating and wonderful all at the same time. I couldn't do it without John's support. I often have times where I would like to give up because songs aren't coming fast enough or they aren't good enough. I'm really hard on myself. I want to be the best I can possibly be and I'm never satisfied with anything I do. I've loved meeting the people that I have met. I've loved learning more about music. I've loved performing and being on stage. I love the creative process of making commercials and songs. I love hearing a final product and knowing that I had something to do with it. I can't wait to see what this coming year will bring! I'm hoping to have my own album completed this year. If that's my goal I'm going to have to really buckle down and work hard!!!
I have also gone back to work at Sunlife Financial. I love the people I work with and I really enjoy the work itself. It's challenging and fun! Days never crawl by when I'm at work.
Life has not been all roses for our family. We lost Auntie Jean this past November. The pain from that loss is still very fresh and it will take some time to get back to some kind of normal. I had surgery to remove my uterus and my cervix and I'm still healing from that. We've had many friends battling cancer this year and so our prayer list has been VERY full! I don't understand why so many young people are being hit with this horrible disease. It just doesn't seem fair.
Through it all, I keep thinking about that song we used to sing in Church.
Count your blessings, Name them one by one
Count your many blessings, See what God has done
God has providing more than I could ever ask or think this year! He fulfilled my dream of music, He provided us with a home and a second vehicle which was fast becoming a necessity for us! He has been SUCH a strong presence during times of heartache and suffering. I feel blessed beyond measure and I have no words to thank Him for what He's done for me. I can't wait to see what NEXT year will bring!!!!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Everyone!!!
ROCK 2017!!
7 years ago
5 comments:
Isn't it a great exercise to put into print all the blessings of just one year of your life! It looks so PACKED and I wonder when you ever had time to just sit and be! Ha!
It does my heart good to acknowledge that all these blessings come from our Saviour. Let the party begin!!
Michele you have accomplised alot and it is so nice to see that your dreams have come through. To be strong like you would be a blessing. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! my friend. Yeah I spelled it right. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ollie, I think you are stronger than me in many ways. I KNEW that if I drilled i before e into your head enough times, you'd spell "friend" right eventually! HA!
Mom, this is the first time I've ever written down my blessings from the previous year. I think I'm going to start doing it every year! If I think back, even in years when things felt hopeless, God was showering me with His blessings. How wonderful to serve a God who makes good out of every circumstance!
I have been writing a family Christmas letter every year for the past 7 years and I do send them out but they are also for me to reflect on the year. A friend suggested that I put all of the letters into an album or scrapbook and then add to it every year. I was able to find all of my old letters (except for 1)and it was just awesome to reread some of the details from the past I had long forgotten. Saving them all in one place keeps a great family history for our kids to read back on as they get older. Merry Christmas and all the best for the coming year and all the wonderful things it will bring.
That could be lyric material Michele. BLESSINGS, then and now.....
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