goodbyes and hellos

i was thinking about the new year. how you say goodbye to one year and hello to another in a second.

and then it occurred to me that we've had quite a few of those this past year.

goodbye to diapers and hello to underpants {and a few accidents}.

goodbye to our house and guelph and hello to living with family in toronto.

goodbye to canada, family and everything familiar and hello to a new life in uganda in a new house with a new team {and a new-to-us car}.

goodbye to friends in canada and hello to making new friends in uganda.

lots of goodbyes.

but lots of hellos as well.

and as it stands now, we've only 18 months left here in uganda.

it seems like a long time, but also i know it'll fly by and that makes me a bit sad.

my friend kelly told me about how she asks God for a word for the next year {an idea she got from her} and i thought about that and i really liked it.

so i've been thinking and praying about it.

i think next year's word will be embrace. 

webster's dictionary defines embrace as to love or cherish and to take or receive gladly and eagerly or to accept willingly.

i want to embrace life here in uganda.

i want to embrace opportunities as they come up.

i want to embrace my calling as a wife and mother.

to embrace is to accept and not resist.

i'm moving forward from 2011 and embracing 2012, whatever it may hold.