Happy New Year!

Welcome 2012!

It's hard to believe another year has come and gone.  They seem to get faster and faster the older I get.

2011 was a good year in the Brown household.  We have a lot to be thankful for- no MS relapses this year for Cory, a new MS treatment that seems to be slowing down Cory's MS progression, three beautiful, healthy kids that bring us so much joy, stable jobs that we are so grateful for, and an incredible extended family that is always there for us, through all the ups and downs.

Although Cory did not have any MS relapses this year, we really struggled with how to find a place for MS in our marriage.  MS became more of a threat to our marriage this year than it ever has since Cory was diagnosed 8 years ago.  We finally decided about 5 months ago that MS was not going away and that we needed some help figuring out how to live successfully with this ever-present illness.  We swallowed our pride and started seeing a counselor once a week, and it has completely changed our marriage.  It took so much courage to make that first call, but it has truly been the best decision we made all year long.  One of the things that our counselor said in one of our first sessions that has stuck with me the most is that, like all couples, when we got married we signed up for a fantasy and what we got was reality.  Our reality came in the form of MS and it has threatened every hope and dream that we had when we got married.  We have learned so much about how to incorporate MS into our lives and our marriage and are so thankful to our counselor for being patient with us as we try to figure this difficult MS journey out. 

As I look ahead at this new year, I hesitate to make a new year's resolution.  I've never been the type to make resolutions.  Sure, I could say that I'm going to keep my Tupperware cabinet organized all year or that I will put all of my laundry away the same day that I wash it, but I know that there is no way I would ever be able to keep resolutions like that, especially with the stages that my kids are in. 

Instead, this year I will focus on trying to stay in the moment.  With MS, it's very easy to start worrying about the future.  We don't know what MS will look like for us tomorrow, 5 years down the road, or 20 years down the road.  But the truth is, no one knows what tomorrow has in store for them.  I don't want to look back at the end of this year and realize that I've spent more time worrying about what might happen in the future than enjoying what is happening right now.  If I don't stay in the moment, I am surely going to miss out on a lot great times with my family.

I am excited about starting this new year and seeing what God has in store for our family.  Even through the tough times this past year, God has shown again and again how faithful he is to us. I know that his promises will never fail and that is such a comfort to me as we start another year. 

Happy New Year to all of you!  May 2012 bring many blessings to you and your families!