Hi Everyone, Well its December, wowah what a year...hey?! I’m sure we’re all feeling a little shellshocked from these past 10 or so months. Sometimes it felt like a decade but then on the other hand for me at least its flown by. I know things are different here in Australia we have managed to get the pandemic under control and thats not necessarily the case for many of you. It seems that life is trickier than normal, but I have always tried to be a glass half full kinda gal (I’ve had a lot of practice with this over the past 2 years hehe) and thought this months JOURNALING CHALLENGE could be a look back on 'the year that was...’ and share some of the positive things that came out of 2020. Share with us... What experiences have you grown through. How has it affected you in positive ways? What lessons did you learn and what positive things have you discovered about yourself that perhaps you hadn't noticed before. CHALLENGE CRITERIA: Embrace and share the positive side of your experience with 2020 in 50 words or more. This is my page, I talk about how 2020 was meant to be my debut into living a life after the full time job of cancer treatment but then having to go back into self isolation and feeling cheated of a fun year. But in hindsight 2020 was good for me. It afforded me a chance to heal properly in every way and I am grateful for that chance to embrace my life with my family at home and nurturing them and me out of a very dark time. As always, please remember the monthly challenge rules: Your page must contain at least 75% Lilypad product. Your page should be posted to the Lilypad Gallery and then linked to the DECEMBER Challenge Layouts thread so it can be tracked, and to this thread. The Lilypad uses a percent system for our challenges; the number of challenges you participate in determines the store discount you will receive at the end of the month: 2 challenges = 10% off 4 challenges = 20% off 6 challenges = 30% off If you complete 7 challenges, you will receive a coupon for 30% off, plus you will be entered to win a $50 gift certificate from the Lilypad! The first seven challenges will be posted on the first of the month; the eighth challenge is the BYOC challenge, which is posted on BYOC release day. Each page counts for one challenge (you cannot use one layout for multiple challenges). I look forward to reading all about your year 2020. Hugs Em x
Em: This was a tough one. I finally just sat and wrote. I grunge covered it because it is kind of personal. We have just headed back into Tier 1 restrictions (strictest) with curfews at night.
Journaling: They thought they would have a big family. Unfortunately, Kelsea had a bump in the road by being diagnosed with brain cancer when her son Christian was 1 1/2 years old. She went through surgery, radiation and chemo. With today's advancement in medicines, the doctors told her it still might be possible to have more children. As 2020 was getting started, Kelsea was given a clear CT scan for the 4th time since her radiation. They told her that since she was clear, and she no longer had any chemo drug in her system (It had been over a year), they could try and have another child. Just as the “stay at home” orders went into effect around the country, they found out that they were expecting! Since there could be many complications, they didn’t tell anyone for several months. They couldn’t really keep it a secret when Kelsea had morning sickness and didn’t feel well most days. Even though the world is worried about the health concerns, we are very glad that we will have a miracle baby in December of 2020!
The hardest part was condensing my journaling to fit on my page . . . thank you for the inspiration to create again
100 words for the journaling challenge: 2020 started out like any other year, but it quickly turned into one unlike any other. This year has taught me to restart, reboot, reset, and begin again, over and over and over. Every time there are new guidelines or restrictions, we get a fresh start. Instead of waiting for life to get back to normal, I'm creating my own new normal, and I like it. I like more time at home with my husband and kids. I like less time with extended family. I'm looking forward to 2021 and what it has in store for me. Bring it on.