A Reflection on 2008 and a New Year!

Happy New Year to All of you!  I have been about two weeks late in life, business and my home life.  It has been a very busy season and all around year for us!  I finally was ab;e tp tale down all of our  Christmas decorations this past weekend.  Of course, that started an organizational project in our four car garage.  I got one fourth done and will keep chipping away at it during the next few months.  I decided I had to organize my office to be able to work on our many upcoming classes, presentations and of course our business. 

Yesterday and today were the first days I have been alone in a long time.  My husband and son are out doing a painting project for one of our dearest and oldest clients.  I actually had time to think and reflect on the past year. For us 2008 was truly a year of Accomplishments and Growth.  We were all tested and overcame in many areas.  It has truly been an adventurous ride!  Never a dull moment in our lives.  WOW!! 

We traveled the most in our business and family.  We met some very interesting and talented people.  We also visited California four times (Palo Alto, San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange County and Riverside), Atlanta, GA, Denver and Evergreen, CO and Portland, OR.  I hosted several teleconferences for IRIS and began our own teleconferences for The Color And Redesign Institute.  There were several speaking engagements including, St. Al's Hospital, Key Bank and various other businesses large and small.  We trained the most Color Consultants throughout the United States.

This is also the last term for Dan to finish his Doctoral Research Project.  He has almost completed his dissertation.  Now we are preparing for his seminars and testing part of his project.  (I will share more on that on another post.)  What a transforming process it has been for all of us!

We had our Annual Holiday Open House after Christmas and we had so much fun!  It was great to connect with old and new friends and family!  I need to share how fun it was to finally meet in person one of our local Active Rain member, Pam Pugmire, join us.  It was great to finally meet her in person!  What a treat for all of us!  We all decided she is even more beautiful in peson than her pictures on Active Rain!  (Gary Woltal we finally met.  Can you believe it?!)  It is such a small world.  Pam happened to come later in the evening right before one of our oldest friends (30 years) Jim and Letty Barnes now from Meridian, ID.  They knew Pam while she was a checker in her Boise State University college days before all of her six kids.  Go figure.  We had such a great time laughing, sharing, and visiting.   I think everyone finally left at 11:30 PM.  It is the most heartwarming feeling to hear joy, laughter and such a good time when we get together.  You can not put a price tag on that!   

We are so very blessed with the greatest asset personally and professionally with overflowing friends, business associates and of course our family. In November and December we were honored to do some very rewarding Redesign Giveaways to the Women's Children's Alliance, the outstanding Life's Kitchen Volunteers - George and Helena Fortier and also a Redesign for the Gardner Family.  It has been a very busy time and it felt great to make such a difference in so many lives and homes! 

We also were able to get together with our families in Boise.  Since, everyone is so busy most of the time, it felt great to just eat, visit and share with each other.  Our niece, Natalie, came home from her college studies in the Big Apple.  It was the first time in a couple of years, she had come home, so that was good for all of us.  I decided to make one more holiday brunch for the family right before she departed.  I had to take advantage of all of our Christmas decorating we had done and a good excuse for a party!  What a fun and relaxing time it was for all of us.

So, as I continue to clean, organize and prepare for another amazing year in 2009, I am so grateful.  No matter what the economy looks like, I continue to thank God every day for his blessings, protection, and wisdom.  I desire to be a blessing no matter where I go, what I do or who I touch!  Sometimes it is good to get back to basics, don't you think?