The ending of a year and the beginning of a new adventure.

I spent all of 2011 finding inspiration, getting to know myself and loosing myself in things I enjoyed. I was busy, but mostly because I chose to be busy. My goals were small and achievable. I discovered a love for running, a passion for cooking and accepted God into my life. I had peace in my heart.

But it was not to last.

In about November of 2011, right after we bought our new house and rented our old house, Carl and I decided we needed to take the steps necessary to extend the loan we had on a piece of property we had bought many years ago. We had been paying on it for years, mostly going to interest , with the intent of one day building on it. Since that was not really an option at the time, we needed to look at how we could keep it for the future. We were in for a shock. An easy refinance does not exist on a land loan anymore. In fact a loan on land all together does not exist anymore. At all. Because of the housing crises land loans are now too high risk. Even worse we realized that the loan was scheduled to balloon January 11, 2013. Not just a little payment- no, the whole thing had to be paid off in full or we would lose it. At first it seemed impossible. Totally impossible.

Then Carl and I made a decision together. We would do it. It would be our focus and we would do it. It would take everything we had over the next 13 months, but we would do it. No other option.

Money does not bring happiness, but the absence of enough can make life real hard. And it was hard.

It is safe to say being happy was not the focus of 2012.

Something else happened with this goal though. It became a year of growing. 2012 was about the realization that if we could do this, we could do so much more. Despite the pressure of the world on our shoulders with each month’s payment we did more than we have ever done before.  Our dreams got bigger, our goals loftier, and our lives began to take on a new shape.

In what I would call one of the hardest years of my life I began a new business that I know will be the success of my future. Carl forged bonds that have lead to him opening an office and a position he will continue to grow in with an amazing family company. We both realized our own potential in so many ways.  

As I wrote the check for our last land payment the realization that we did it set in. A huge weight the size of Texas has been lifted, but I would say our shoulders sit a bit higher now.  

I have now put my big girl pants on and nothing seems impossible.

Here’s to 2013.