Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, Whispering 'it will be happier'-Alfred Tennyson

Where would I be without the amazing women in my life? LONELY. I am grateful for wonderful friends. 

I am sitting here at my kitchen table content munching on Moose Munch popcorn which is totally not part of my New Years resolutions, but then again maybe it is. I have one vague resolution mainly so I don't feel a mountain of guilt when I don't meet it and also like I earned a medal when I do. My goal is to take better care of myself, whatever that means. Right now it means eating Moose Munch carmel popcorn and blogging. Tomorrow it means going for that run, and spending quality time with my kids. 

I'd like to say I have a feeling about what kind of year this is going to be, I feel like it just might be a good one. 

Last night I threw an old fashioned New Years House Party. It was a big step for me because I generally have all these mental limitations as to why I can't have a whole bunch of people over..like where will everyone go? And it will get messy.....However, there was plenty of room, food, friendship and love that went around that has left my little heart glowing.

Mud Pie Brownies for the party

Mixed Drink Soda Bar

Treat Central....

The beginnings of a nacho/taco salad bar

Everyone brought food to share we had a nacho bar for the kids and taco salad for the adults. It was yummy. 

We visited and ate while the kids played games upstairs. Aydan and Ellie helped me set up toys/games/video games and an arts and crafts center. My friends brought some of their games and the kids played Pie Face and Speak Out. We heard giggling all night downstairs and I loved every second if it. 

Ellie with her resolutions

I had a balloon for everyone and a little slip of paper. On one side I had everyone write their wish for the new year and on the back everyone wrote something that they wanted to let go. We went out and all let our balloons go at the same time and then we lit sparklers. 

When all the fireworks had been let off we went back inside to visit until we were all tuckered out at about 10:30. 

After everyone left my kids pitched in and helped me clean up the house. We then played speak out until midnight. It was the perfect ending to the year. 

As I lay in bed, I had an intense peaceful, calming, all encompassing feeling of joy. Pure joy. I was so happy to have my friends and their children over. I think for the very first time since my divorce I wasn't mourning on New Years, I didn't feel like I was missing out, I wasn't disappointed after having attended a singles activity, I wasn't lonely, I was happy. Simply happy and it felt so good. I felt like if you could have seen me I would have had golden light streaming out of my body that is how happy I felt in that moment. I was so grateful to be feeling those feelings in that moment, if that even makes sense. Especially after some of the lows I felt this last year it was exactly as Tennyson says, "Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, Whispering 'it will be happier'

And it will. 

XOXO- The Sunny D