Talk about new beginnings!  Olivia Ruth, our eighth grandchild and sixth granddaughter, made her grand entrance into the world at 5:50am yesterday morning when she was born to our precious daughter and dear son-in-law. What amazing news to receive after we had been praying through the night for a healthy and safe delivery! We live a state away, so we'll soon be traveling to meet her and to snuggle her and her two older sisters who are almost 2 and 4.

There's nothing like a new baby, right?! Taking in her first breaths, nuzzling up for her first feeding, the smell of her sweet skin, the softness of her fingers...all the firsts that await her...her whole life stretching out before her...so many possibilities...so many things to experience, learn, and enjoy. Oh, the wonder of it! 

We may not be newborns, but we still have the opportunity each day to take in the wonder of just breathing our next breath. There are so many miracles happening all around us, and even within us in these bodies we inhabit–the beating of our hearts, the working of our lungs, the stretching of our muscles, the flow of our blood. I don't know about you, but I can tend to take a lot for granted. It can be challenging on days when things don't seem to be going our way, but I invite you to join me in looking for, and being grateful for, the little miracles in life. It changes everything! Let's be aware of the wonder!

Have a bright day!

Wow!  This is an exciting day!  My first blog!  The first of many, to be sure.  But like the old saying goes "You only have one chance to make a first impression."  So, I guess I could be nervous, but I'm not.  I'm not because I plan to write my blog as if I'm writing to a good friend–someone with whom I'm comfortable, someone who knows me well, and someone with whom I love to share my latest news, thoughts, and feelings.  So, enter in as my friend and join my journey.  I'll love to have you along...

My site is a work in progress, my book is at the end of the editing phase and is now in Layout, and I'm learning new things everyday.  Life is like that, really. We are all works in progress, aren't we?  Every day holds a new beginning! When the sun comes up every morning, with it comes new opportunities, new challenges, and fresh new moments and hours to live. We have a clean slate each and every day. Some things come our way which we will not choose, but there are many choices we CAN make throughout our day: to share a smile, to help a friend, to take the time to listen, to give a hug, to stop for one moment and let the sun shine on our faces before moving on to the next task at hand...  New beginnings hold such promise!  What will we do with the moments and hours ahead of us?  I've got a very full plate to be sure. Life is full–family, work, home, friendships, faith, even walking the dog. I'm betting your life is just as full. But each moment is a treasure to be cherished. Let's live our lives to the fullest together! 

I've got so much I could write! I feel like I could explode. But we have lots of time ahead of us, so I'll pace myself. There's much more to come... For now, I just want to celebrate this very special moment, this very special day with you–this first blog–this new beginning! Just a couple of years ago I dreamed of having a blog and wondered how to even go about doing one!  Now here I am writing it!  Amazing.

I'll keep you apprised of the book's progress, and my journey as I go along. It's extremely exciting to see my manuscript taking shape! I began my research and writing a full year ago for FINISHING WELL – Tying Up The Loose Ends Of A Great Life With Confidence And Peace Of Mind. So, as you can imagine, it's very fulfilling to be getting so close to print! I can hardly wait! 

There are so many more things I'm looking forward to sharing with you. But like I said, I need to pace myself. So, for now I'm just enjoying the moment–this new beginning. Thanks so much for sharing it with me! 

Have a bright day!