What are you proud of?

Each New Years Eve, I've noticed how people all shout, "Happy New Year!" with great abandon, wishing a good one upon anyone with whom the come in contact.  Almost as if the act of wishing it ensures a year free of upheaval and heartache.

Each year brings its own sorrow, as I found out in 2008.  I spent an inordinate amout of time making these little gingerbread letters:

and on New Years Day I was stung on the back by a wasp. I hoped it was not a portent of things to come, and yet, it was.

Readers of my blog followed me through the following sagas in 2008:

• bed bugs
• high blood pressure
• burglary
• and Mr de Elba's job offer and upcoming move for the family, which counted for 4 or 5 large upheavals, in my book.

I thought that this year, instead of tossing out blind wishes for a year free of difficulty, I will ask my readers to reflect on things they were proud of in 2009.  I'm not talking about selfish, stuck-up pride, I'm talking about remembering things that we have (or God has) achieved or done in our lives in 2009 that have made us think, "Yeah!  That was really great!"  It's a good opportunity to congratulate ourselves or praise God as the year draws to a close.

It can be something big, it can be something small.  It can be a huge long post including a lot of things you want to be thankful for.

I'm going to do my own post soon.  Please pop back and let me know when if you've done one so I can read it!

In the meantime, this ad has kept us smiling in recent months:

and this morning I was treated to a rare "Number 3."  With the appearance and consistency of chutney, (chutney?  Nothing is going in his little mouth to account for the appearance and consistency of chutney!) it would have been great if that particular brand of nappies/diapers did what they claimed to on the ad.