Five and Five

Charissa has created a new poll and I think it's great. I just finished reading hers and it's wonderful. Very creative and positive idea, Charissa! Five and five: list five accomplishments that changed your life in 2006 and list five accomplishments I hope to achieve in 2007. 2006 has been such a huge year for me...so this will be easy for me to write. It's also nice to reflect on what a great year it has been.


1. Officially started Spring Design and Production, LLC in January, 2006. I literally started the year of 2006 with one of the biggest, if not THE biggest decision of my life. I can't comment enough on how blessed I am to have this company. The people who took a leap of faith to help me start it, Russ and my mom, and the people who took a leap of faith to accept jobs at a small startup company, Matt, and Kelli, have earned a special place in my heart forever because of their trust, confidence and loyalty. They're all responsible for this happy day to day existence I have when I wake up to go to a job I love every morning. Our first year has been a huge success...we've created an incredibly positive buzz in a very cut-throat and stressful industry, Educational Publishing/Production. We've remained steadily busy, at times ridiculously stressed out, yet all the while remaining a strong team that pulls through with poise.

2. Moved in with Russ. Despite a very negative and unsuccessful past in love and marriage, I ignored good common sense and moved in with a man. I say that jokingly, because despite everything I thought love was (all bad stuff) Russ has really thrown all of that out the window. He has taught me that you really can be best friends with your partner and that day to day life can be full of goofiness and laughter and "doing whatever we want because we're in charge". It has been such a happy and fun coexistence thus far that I am filled with nothing but positivity for what the future holds for us as a team.

3. Lost a very cherished loved one. Clearly this is not an accomplishment, but it is an event that changed my life this year. When Max was diagnosed with cancer I learned a lot about myself. Mainly that events occur whether or not you think you can emotionally handle them, and that I am a good mom. Max helped me realize that I definitely want kid(s) someday, a decision I struggled with after going through a divorce. All that I have left of Max are the memories of everything we did together...taking care of him and being with him were the happiest times of my adult life. It will be a real adjustment to continue to try to get used to his blaring absence, and the huge hole that has been left in my life.


4. Got back on the travel wagon and left the country again. Russ and I spent a week in St. Lucia in the Caribbean. The goal of the trip was to relax and reconnect with some alone time. The last time I travelled out of the country was on my honeymoon, to Greece, where I first got the travel bug. I promised myself I would see everything and travel somewhere amazing every year. When I returned from my honeymoon my marriage quickly fell apart, and a lot of plans I had for my future were placed on the back burner. Although St. Lucia wasn't on my list of amazing places to see, it marked the start of travelling to new places and making travelling a priority again. The best part of the trip was that Russ got the travel bug too. Seeing a different country and such a drastically different culture has him excited to plan our next trip.

5. Shed some bad friend weight, and gained friends who truly care about me. I need to keep this one short so that my anger does not come through. I had some horrible friends from my past life...girls who did nothing to help support my marriage, and then abandoned and betrayed me when I needed them the most. With my new life, and my new outlook on life, I've acquired an amazing circle of friends that bring me a ton of joy. This circle is full of fun, support, love, and all of those good things. They've all helped support the growth of my relationship with Russ, the growth of my company, and the growth of myself as an individual in so many ways.

FIVE FOR 2007
1. Take Spring to the next level. Continue to grow and remain successful.
2. Continue to be happy in love with Russ (this one should be easy ; )
3. Perhaps find something to take care of..a large dog, goats, or a baby :o
4. Continue to love life.
5. Become a better skiier. (to lighten things up)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!